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May 2025Archived

 

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Abutilon ‘Halo’ blooms year-round in Marin. Photo: Marie Narlock
UC Marin Master Gardeners: Article

Abutilon

December 17, 2024
Abutilon is a beautiful shrub with maple-like leaves and flowers that resemble papery lanterns. Common names include Chinese bellflower, flowering maple, and Chinese lanterns...
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Pipevine flowers, January
Under the Solano Sun: Article

The Downside of Native Plants

December 17, 2024
If your garden is big enough to run magnificently wild, you'll be fine. But if your garden is smaller and well-manicured, watch out! The beauty and vigor of native plants that are happy there comes at a pricethe constant struggle to keep them in check.
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sourdough boule with bread knife and towel
Preservation Notes - San Joaquin Master Food Preservers: Article

Sourdough Inclusions: What You Should—and Shouldn't—Add to Your Dough

December 17, 2024
By Sherida J Phibbs
Sourdough bread is a canvas for creativity. Beyond the basic flour, water, and salt, bakers love incorporating inclusionsadd-ins that bring texture, flavor, and visual appeal. Popular inclusions include seeds, nuts, dried fruits, herbs, and spices.
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Up-close photo of a Poinsettia
HOrT COCO-UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa: Article

Caring for Holiday Plants

December 17, 2024
By Help Desk Team
Note: This was originally published in the Contra Costa Times. Q: I like to decorate my home at the holidays with poinsettias and other holiday plants, but they don't last very long.
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Perfect Condition of Chicken - Image by Jason Goh from Pixabay
Preservation Notes - San Joaquin Master Food Preservers: Article

Help Desk: Freezer Burnt Chicken

December 16, 2024
Help Desk Question: I pulled out chicken from my freezer and it is freezer burnt. Is it safe to eat? I want to make it into chicken stock. Answer: Using freezer-burned chicken to make stock can negatively affect the flavor, texture, and overall quality of the final product.
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Western redbud and pipevine swallowtail. Photo from Nancy Gilbert, California Native Plant Society
Garden Notes: Article

Help Desk—Planning a Pollinator Garden

December 16, 2024
Question: I want to plan a pollinator garden and was wondering what I need to do? Planting a pollinator garden is a good thing to do because pollinators have been in a decline for several decades. No insects will result in no food.
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Clase Regalos para Navidad
Preservation Notes - San Joaquin Master Food Preservers: Article

A Note from the Coordinators

December 16, 2024
We can't believe that 2024 is about over. This has been such a busy year; it has just flown by. Our 2024 graduates are halfway through their first year and we are proud of the contributions they are making.
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Some of the insects that entomologist Fran Keller and crew collected in Belize for the Bohart Museum of Entomology.
Bug Squad: Article

Can You Spare a Leg?

December 16, 2024
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
If you collect insect specimens, can you spare a leg? It's for science.
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