Ongoing research

When perusing online seed shops this winter for plants to add to the garden, consider buying some aromatic native specimens to boost the restorative capacity of nature in your own backyard.

I have recently been slowly reading The Japanese Art of Living, An Invitation to Celebrate Every Day, by Natalie Leon (Watkins Publishing, 2024). The Japanese have 72 micro seasons and pay much closer attention to nature.

My cold season garden is planted with plenty of broccoli and cauliflower. Last week I noticed holes chewed in the leaves. I looked underneath and sure enough, I have cabbage loopers.

The very fact that avocados can be grown in hard to get to places means that the trees are also in areas that are subject to wildfire damage. Recently several hundred acres of avocado burned in the Fillmore/Santa Paula foothills. The fire was fanned by high winds and low humidity.

The holidays are nearly here, and we still have space left in our Nature's Wreath Workshop! After the colorful autumn leaves fall, the landscape can seem bare due to plants dying back or going dormant. Despite that, much splendor can still be found in nature this time of year.

A devoted gardener would rather give or receive tools, plants, or a unique garden treasure than gold, diamonds or pearls. Tasks Monitor ground moisture, especially in beds and under eaves and patios. Store unused fertilizers and pesticides in a dry place.

Imagine a mountainous and remote rainforest along the ocean coast. Whisps of fog drift through the trees as cascades of colorful flowers sweep down from plants perched high on the tree limbs.

When you slide open the butterfly and moth drawers at the Bohart Museum of Entomology, UC Davis, the color, size and shape of the specimens fascinate you.

Filipino-American History Month (FAHM) is a yearly event in October to commemorate the arrival of the first Filipinos in the continental United States at what is now Morro Bay, California on October 18, 1587.

by Dawn Kooyumjian I want to extend a warm welcome to our new trainees the soon-to-be Class of 2025! It has been an absolute pleasure getting to know everyone. I see the wide range of experience, excitement and energy -- and, of course, snack talent --that you bring to the program.