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Winter 2026 NtGB
"The color of springtime is in the flowers; the color of winter is in the imagination."
— Terri Guillemets
A new year invites fresh intentions and renewed curiosity. Winter, often seen as a quieter season in the garden, is actually a wonderful time to deepen our skills and expand our understanding. In this issue, you’ll find practical and inspiring guidance on winter-perfect techniques such as espalier, rose pruning, grafting, and pruning native plants — all ways to grow as gardeners while our landscapes rest.
Beyond the garden, we’re focusing on critical home maintenance: protecting your outdoor living spaces from winter’s toll and securing the rainwater your landscape will depend on later. Plus, for a bit of lasting cheer, learn the secrets to keeping your holiday poinsettia healthy well into the new year.
As always, being a UC Master Gardener is about more than tending our own gardens. It’s about caring for our communities. We’re proud to share how our collective efforts continue to make a difference in addressing food insecurity, reminding us that every skill we learn and every plant we nurture can have a wider impact.
For those looking to dive even deeper, our UC Master Gardener website offers an extensive library of additional resources and guides to support your winter projects.
We hope this winter issue informs, inspires, and invites you to read on.
Hedwig Van Den Broeck and Robin Mitchell, editors - Contact Us
Winterizing Patio Container Gardens for Small Spaces Gardening
With winter’s chill in the air, it’s essential to prepare your container patio garden to withstand cold weather. Start by moving the most sensitive, smaller plants inside the house or in wind-sheltered wall nooks to take advantage of the extra warmth. Insulate larger pots by wrapping them with burlap, bubble wrap, or frost blankets, especially if they’re made of ceramic or clay, which can crack in freezing temperatures. Water less frequently, but don’t let the soil dry out completely, as winter winds can dehydrate plants.
For perennial herbs and ornamentals, trimming back annual growth helps prevent frost damage. If you grow annuals, remove them and refresh the soil to get ready for new annuals in the spring. Here are some other handy cold-weather tips for patio gardens:
- A heated interior exudes a touch of warmth through your home’s exterior walls. Extra-sensitive plants can take advantage of this extra bit of heat by moving their pots next to the exterior wall. It helps to mount your heavier pots on rolling platforms, which can be purchased online or from your favorite garden center.
- Add a thick layer of mulch or straw on top of the planter pot’s soil to retain moisture and regulate soil temperature. Consistent soil moisture is crucial in cool weather, as it both keeps plants hydrated and insulates the pot’s soil from rapid temperature changes.
- Remove dead or diseased foliage, and trim back healthy perennial growth, leaving at least three growth buds on each main stem for leafing out in the spring.
- Heavy winter rains can overwhelm your pot’s drainage. Look for standing water in pots and remove the excess water with a ladle or cup. Use a screwdriver or other pointed tool to unclog drain holes at the base of the pot. Plant roots can drown quickly in too much water.
- Winter is also a good time to check your irrigation system for clogs or leaks, especially if it has been exposed to cracking from sub-freezing nights. In our region, chilly nights rarely dip below 25°F. But Central and Eastern Contra Costa cities have recorded several cold outbreaks into the teens Fahrenheit over the past twenty years.
- If you grow winter-ripening citrus (Mandarin or navel oranges) in pots, you should cover them on sub-freezing nights with a frost blanket or an old cotton bedsheet to protect the ripening fruit from freezing temperatures, but allow the tree to breathe. You can do the same with tender or new landscape plants. Older small incandescent holiday lights strung under the protective sheet add a few extra degrees of warmth on very cold, windy nights and add an unearthly glow to your patio or deck!
- What should you do if patio plants are frost-damaged? Be patient! Don’t prune off dead-looking branches, but instead wait until the weather warms. Damaged leaves and branches can help protect new growth from more frost damage. Once you trim off the damage, wait at least a month to give your plant a chance to recover. If the plant doesn’t bounce back, it’s a shopping opportunity!
With a little extra care, your small-space garden plants can survive our cold weather or heavy rain spells and bounce back to thrive next spring.
Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima)
by Cheryl Schmidt
Who doesn’t love this vibrant plant in December? It comes from Mexico and is pronounced "poin-set-te-uh." It loves warmer weather, between 65 °F and 70 °F.
What do you do with these plants after the holidays? Many throw them away, but you don’t have to. You could keep it as a green house plant that will last 10 to 20 years, or you could plant it in the yard and watch it grow to 10 to 15 feet as a green shrub and live for decades. Poinsettias will grow outdoors in USDA climate zones nine to eleven, but not colder than 50 °F.
Poinsettias are beloved during the holiday season but are often thought to be highly poisonous. In reality, they are not deadly, though the milky sap can cause mild stomach upset or skin irritation in some people and pets. For this reason, it’s a good idea to place poinsettias out of reach of children and animals. Wearing gloves when handling the plant can also help prevent skin irritation.
To keep your houseplant alive, put it near a window that offers bright, indirect sunlight. If the plant is placed in direct sunlight, the leaves could burn. It doesn’t like drafts from windows, heating vents, or areas of temperature fluctuation. Keep the soil moist but not soggy. Check the soil daily to see if the top two inches are wet; it could need watering about once a week.
When watering, remove the decorative foil and anything else covering the container. Water must be able to drain from the bottom.
Your attention to the plant should pay off for a couple of months, and then it will go dormant. At that time, the leaves will start to fall off, and it probably won’t look attractive. Trim the stem four to six inches from the soil.5 Trim each branch, leaving several leaf nodes on each stem to help keep its robust shape. Check for insects such as whiteflies, mites, thrips, etc. Sometimes you can wash them off the leaves with water. Management may require insecticidal soap, horticultural oil or sprays, soil granules, etc. If there is an abundance of insects, it may not be worth keeping the plant. If you do apply a pesticide, use an insecticide or miticide that is labeled for indoor use, following all instructions8.
As the plant emerges from dormancy and goes from skeleton to budding, it is time to fertilize. When you see new growth, use a houseplant fertilizer at half strength every three to four weeks9. This is also a good time to repot into a slightly larger container using a good-quality potting mix. Continue to expose the plant to indirect light and keep the soil moist.
The next step would be to cut each branch about an inch to encourage growth. Continue watering and fertilizing during the summer months through September9.
If you want the plant to rebloom in December, follow the steps below. In late September or early October, begin preparing it for its holiday color: red, white, or pink, depending on the variety. Poinsettias develop their vibrant hues as the weather cools and the days get shorter.
When it is time to get the plant ready to bloom, it will need to be secluded in total darkness for about 16 hours. The plant can be put in a box, room, closet, or anywhere it will be away from any amount of light. For the remaining eight hours, place the plant in bright, indirect sunlight. Keep the temperature around 60 °F and reduce water to signal the plant to prepare for color.
Follow this procedure until Thanksgiving. At that time, place the plant in sunlight and decrease water. When bracts and flower buds appear, stop fertilizing. The plant should bloom by mid-December.
References
- Douglas, Sharon M. Dr. Poinsettias: Disease Prevention and Control. The Connecticut Agriculture Experiment Station.
- Gillette, Barbara. How Long Do Poinsettias Last? Try These Tips to Keep Them Alive Longer. The Spruce. People Inc. Publishing Family, 11/17/25
- Goodspeed, Jerry. Could You, Should You Keep Your Poinsettia Year-Round? Utah State University Extension.
- Hughes, Megan. 4 Must-Know Tips for Keeping Poinsettias Colorful All Season. Better Homes and Gardens, 11/25/25.
- What Should I Do With My Poinsettia After the Holidays? Iowa State University Extension. 12/3/2024
- Lamp’l, Joe. Turning Poinsettias Red Again. Growing a Greener World, PBS. 11/6/2025
- Spangeberg, Bruce. Poinsettia Trivia and Care. University of Wisconsin Madison Extension. 12/16/2024
- Houseplant Problems, UC IPM Pest Notes, Publication 74172. University of California Integrated Pest Management Guidelines.
- Weisenhorn, Julie. Growing and Caring for Poinsettia. University of Minnesota Extension, 2024.
UCANR Resources
- Poinsettia Care, UC Cooperative Extension, Central Coast and South Region
- Poinsettia - Tips for Care and Reblooming, UC ANR, The Coastal Gardener.
- How to Keep Your Poinsettia Healthy and Ensure it Blooms Again, UC Master Gardeners of Humboldt and Del Norte Counties.
- Selecting and Caring for Poinsettias, UC Master Gardeners of El Dorado County
- Poinsettia Fact Sheet, Riverside County UC Master Gardeners
Fresh Produce, Real Impact: Fighting Food Insecurity in Contra Costa County
Every Wednesday morning, something extraordinary happens. Nearly 300 pounds of sun-warmed tomatoes, crisp lettuce, and freshly picked herbs travel just a few short miles from soil to table—not to a farmers market or grocery store, but directly into the hands of local families who depend on this harvest to eat well that week.
As the cost of living continues to rise, an increasing number of our neighbors are facing painful choices between keeping the lights on and putting healthy food on the table. Grocery prices remain about 30% higher than before the pandemic, and recent reductions in food assistance have only deepened the strain. Today, food donations have become a lifeline for one in six Americans, including thousands of households right here in Contra Costa County.
One local response to this growing need is both powerful and practical. ‘Our Garden’, the UC Master Gardener demonstration garden in Walnut Creek, donates between six and seven tons of fresh, organic produce each year—enough to fill a delivery truck week after week, all year long. That translates into roughly 700 family-sized bags of fruits and vegetables making their way to kitchen tables across the county. This isn’t corporate philanthropy or government aid; it’s neighbors caring for neighbors.
Each week, UC Master Gardeners of Contra Costa County harvest, sort, wash, and deliver this bounty with care and intention. As Master Gardener Janet Miller explains, the team at Our Garden understands which varieties travel well, what families actually cook with, and how to maximize every growing season. They’re not just growing food—they’re growing hope, one harvest at a time.
Once harvested, this fresh produce quickly reaches those who need it most through trusted community partners. White Pony Express specializes in rescuing and rapidly redistributing highly perishable, nutrient-rich foods to food pantries, shelters, senior centers, schools, and other agencies. Nearly 90 percent of the food White Pony Express distributes is perishable, and most of it is delivered the same day it is received, ensuring families get food at peak freshness and nutritional value.
Monument Crisis Center is another vital link in this chain of care, serving families throughout Contra Costa County with food, education, and referrals. The Center supports approximately 2,200 households and more than 8,000 individuals, receiving over 25,000 pounds of donated food each month.
At both White Pony Express and Monument Crisis Center, the arrival of fresh produce is greeted with genuine joy. Staff know these donations represent meals families will actually want to eat, nutrients that truly nourish, and a powerful message that someone cares about their wellbeing.
Fresh produce doesn’t just fill stomachs—it transforms lives. When a family receiving food assistance gets fresh bell peppers instead of only canned vegetables, they can make a cherished family recipe. When a senior on a fixed income receives tomatoes and basil, they can taste summer instead of opening another can of soup. This is more than nutrition; it’s dignity, culture, and connection.
The impact is profound: improved physical health, lower household food expenses, stronger child development, greater emotional stability, culturally appropriate meals, and a more sustainable food system through reduced waste.
In a world where food waste and food insecurity exist side by side, Our Garden offers a different story—one where careful cultivation meets immediate need, volunteer expertise becomes community strength, and fresh produce bridges the gap between hunger and health, isolation and connection, and scarcity and abundance.
Resources:
https://www.monumentcrisiscenter.org/
https://whiteponyexpress.org/
Fall 2025 NtGB
"Autumn is a second spring, when every leaf is a flower.”
– Albert Camus
Our final newsletter of the year is brimming with ideas to keep your garden—and your imagination—thriving through the cooler months.
Discover smart ways to harvest rain, choose resilient California natives and shade-loving plants, and stay ahead of invasive plants.
You’ll also enjoy uplifting stories from our own community, including successes in our demonstration and school gardens, as well as a first look at the firescaping garden planned for MOFD Station 42 in Moraga.
And with the holiday season just around the corner, our fragrant herb garden piece is bound to spark delicious creativity in your kitchen.
This fall issue also marks our year’s close. We’ll take a short winter pause, but you can still catch a few classes, talks, webinars, and Farmers Market events during this fall season—details are on our website.
Thank you for helping our mission flourish in 2025. We can’t wait to welcome you back in January with fresh opportunities to learn, grow, and garden together. Wishing you a joyful holiday season and happy gardening from all of us at UC Master Gardener Volunteers of Contra Costa County!
Hedwig Van Den Broeck and Robin Mitchell, editors - Contact Us
Supply in the Sky: Rainwater Harvesting for the Win
Seasonal Update on our Central and East County Demo Gardens
Tackling the Invasive Tree of Heaven
If you have a tree of heaven in your yard, you may be familiar with unwanted seedlings sprouting across your yard and seemingly from every nearby crack. The tree of heaven was originally brought to the United States from China in the 1800s and quickly became a fast-growing and popular ornamental shade tree.
Today we know, however, that the tree has become a problem across the globe as it disrupts habitats. It reproduces aggressively through dense root suckers and wind-blown seed. A mature tree, 40 to 60 feet tall, can produce 325,000 seeds in a single year, while its roots damage sidewalks, foundations, and sewers.
In addition to being classed as an invasive species itself, the tree of heaven is also host to the invasive Spotted Lantern Fly. This pest is causing millions of dollars in damage yearly to farms, and in particular to vineyards.
How You Can Help
You can help to stop the spread of the tree of heaven by removing seedlings when you see them. The parent tree has several distinctive characteristics:
● Grey bark with diamond-shaped fissures
● Large leaves, up to 3 feet long, with 10 to 27 pairs of dark green opposing leaflets. The leaflets are smooth except for two notches, or teeth, at the base.
● Flowers are small, pale yellow-green, in upright clusters
● Seed clusters are 1 to 2 inches long and can be green, yellow, red, or brown.
Tree of Heaven has a distinctive bark pattern.
Controlling Tree of Heaven Seedlings
It’s very difficult to eliminate tree of heaven seedlings. The best control is to hand pull them before their tap roots become established. For slightly larger saplings, tools like a weed wrench can be used, but you need to be careful to get the entire root. Hand pulling works best in the spring when the soil is still moist.
As the soil dries out and hand pulling becomes more difficult, chemical control can be used on root suckers. The best time to control tree of heaven with an herbicide is in mid-summer to early fall when the tree is moving nutrients to the roots. Herbicides should be applied to leaves or cuts in the stem. While some resources suggest cutting the stem and painting it with the herbicide, this method may lead to more root suckering, according to research done in Pennsylvania.
There are several post-emergence herbicides that are available to residents. Others are available only to licensed professionals. Products containing glyphosate or triclopyr (or both) are most effective against tree of heaven. You can find a list of these products in the herbicide chart in the link below, along with instructions on how to apply them. (Look for the Stem Injection section.)
When you use an herbicide (or any pesticide), make sure you follow all label instructions and safety precautions.
Woody Weed Management: https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74142.html
Finding Beauty in the Shade on Patios, Porches and in the Yard
Creating a vibrant shaded area is all about contrast and creativity—playing with layers and combining plants of varying heights and textures for a natural, woodland vibe. Before you start planting, it’s important to understand the light, soil, and microclimates in space. The following steps will help you select plants that thrive and create a lush, layered retreat.
1. Know your Shade Levels
Shade isn’t one-size-fits-all. Plants have different tolerance levels for reduced sunlight, so understanding the light patterns in your space is crucial.
Full Shade
These areas receive no direct sunlight, often found under dense tree canopies, between buildings, or on the north-facing side of structures. Choose plants that specifically thrive in full shade, like ferns or certain types of ivy.
Partial Shade
These spots get some direct sunlight, typically in the early morning or late afternoon. Many flowering plants, like bleeding heart or foxglove, can adapt well to partial shade.
Dappled Shade is commonly created by trees with light foliage; this is an area where sunlight filters through leaves. Plants like tiarella or astilbe thrive in such conditions.
Observing these light patterns at different times of the day and also throughout the year will help you select plants that thrive in your garden space.
2. Check Soil and Moisture
Shade-loving plants often have specific soil requirements. Most shade plants, especially woodland types, prefer soil that retains some moisture without becoming waterlogged. Amend heavy soils with compost or organic matter to improve drainage and texture. Shaded areas, especially under trees, may have nutrient-depleted soil. Enrich it with leaf mold, mulch, or slow-release fertilizers to provide a nutrient boost. Continue improving soil quality over time.
3. Matching plants to microclimates is important
Shaded areas often have their own microclimates influenced by factors like proximity to walls, trees, or bodies of water.
- Areas near walls or fences might retain heat but receive limited sunlight.
- Spaces under trees can have dry soil due to root competition.
Group plants with similar moisture and light needs together for easier maintenance and better overall growth.
- Consider plant size and growth habits.
- Shade-loving plants come in a variety of sizes, from low ground covers to taller focal points.
- Ground covers are ideal for filling in space and preventing weeds. Plants like lamium or ajuga form dense mats in shady areas.
- If compact shrubs will fill the bill, small shrubs like boxwood or Japanese pieris can provide structure without overwhelming a space.
If it’s vertical interest you’re looking for, climbing or upright plants like hydrangea and ferns add height and visual interest. Use hanging baskets or trellis systems to maximize planting space and add a vertical element that draws the eye upward.
5. Don’t forget about container plants
Many smaller, shade-loving plants, such as coleus and certain small hostas, are well-suited for pots and containers. The key advantage of containers is that they are portable! If you have a certain need, whether it’s color, height, or soil requirement, a pot can be the answer.
6. Finish with Color, Texture, and Mulch
Combine plants with complementary foliage shapes and colors for a layered, dynamic look. Remember, mulching around shade plants helps retain moisture, suppresses weeds, and improves soil quality over time.
Some plants to consider ...
Hostas are excellent for shady areas under trees and come in various sizes and leaf colors.
Ferns add texture and vibrancy to shaded areas.
Heucheras offer colorful foliage and thrive in dappled light.
Flowering plants: Impatiens produce colorful blooms in full to partial shade. Rex begonias offer striking patterns on their large leaves. For continuous summer blooms, try bellflowers or astilbe.
Ground covers and small perennials: Mondo grass and ajuga are great for adding low-level texture in small gardens or borders.
Vines and travelers: Sweet potato vines and dichondra are excellent choices for hanging baskets, adding color and volume to vertical spaces
To add structure and height to your garden, you might want to include these beauties.
- Hydrangeas (shade-tolerant varieties): Especially the oakleaf hydrangea, which thrives in partial shade with large, showy blooms.
- Boxwood: A classic small evergreen shrub that works well for edging or as a focal point.
- Daphne odora: A compact shrub with fragrant pink or white flowers.
- Japanese pieris: Evergreen shrubs with cascading white flowers and colorful new growth
Shade-loving plants bring beauty to your garden and support local wildlife. Many shade-loving flowers attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators, even in lower light conditions. Dense ground covers and shrubs provide shelter for small creatures like birds, insects, and frogs.
While shade gardens are generally low-maintenance, their care requirements can vary.
- Pruning needs: Some plants, like ferns, require regular pruning to maintain their shape.
- Others, like ground covers, may need occasional thinning to prevent them from overtaking the area.
- There are also seasonal considerations. You need to know whether the plants are evergreen or deciduous. For year-round interest, include a mix of both types.
- Pest and disease resistance awareness. Choose varieties known for resistance to common problems in shaded sites.
Shade gardening can add a new dimension to your property. With the right plant in the right area, a dark spot or corner can come alive! It opens a whole new world of plant interest and selection to the gardener, bringing much pride and joy to the process!
Resources:
- Shade plants for your landscape. Barbara Fraser, UCCE Master Gardener, UC Davis
- California Master Gardener Handbook
Photo courtesy by Lorraine Frey
UCMG Volunteers to Create Firewise Demonstration Garden at MOFD Station 42
The UC Master Gardener volunteers of Contra Costa County are excited to announce an upcoming Firewise Demonstration Garden at the Moraga-Orinda Fire District (MOFD) Station 42 on Moraga Road. This project will showcase practical, attractive landscaping strategies that reduce wildfire risk—especially the often-misunderstood Zone Zero, the critical five feet closest to a home or structure.
The idea began with MOFD Director and Master Gardener volunteer Steve Danziger, who envisioned a living example of fire-resistant design for the community. At the August 20 MOFD Board meeting, Anna Wendorf (Landscape Designer and Master Gardener volunteer) and Dawn Kooyumjian (Master Gardener volunteer co-ordinator for Contra Costa County) presented the concept and a preliminary garden plan. The board enthusiastically approved the project and re-allocated previously earmarked funds of $5,000 to support its installation.
Planting is scheduled to begin in October, an ideal season for establishing new landscapes. Anna Wendorf describes the garden as “a great opportunity to demonstrate the Zone Zero, which everyone is really curious about.”
The design will feature:
- A five-foot non-combustible buffer along the station’s front wall.
- Demonstration islands of low-fuel, fire-resistant plants—including California natives and Mediterranean species.
- Educational signage so visitors can learn how each practice contributes to fire safety.
- Sample fire-safe fencing and pathways leading into the redwoods, complete with inviting seating areas.
The team hopes to incorporate donated materials such as fire-resistant fencing, gravel, and stone. Local Master Gardener volunteers from Lamorinda, along with community partners like the Rotary and local garden clubs, are already pledging support.
As Vice President Craig Jorgens noted when the board voted unanimously to move forward, “We’re excited to see how this project can make our communities fire-safe and beautiful at the same time.”
Stay tuned for volunteer opportunities as we bring this inspiring garden to life—and help neighbors throughout Contra Costa County see how Firewise principles can be both practical and beautiful.
Are you inspired to help bring the Firewise Demonstration Garden to life?
Join us by volunteering—just email Steve Danziger at danzi26@yahoo.com to get involved and receive updates. Donations of fire-resistant materials such as gravel, stone, plants, fencing, or even funds are also welcome to help the garden flourish. And once it’s planted, spread the word and invite your neighbors to visit and discover how to create their own beautiful, fire-safe landscapes.
Photo courtesy of Hedwig Van Den Broeck
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Creating a Thanksgiving Herb Garden: How to grow herbs for your holiday meals
As Thanksgiving approaches, many of us start planning our holiday meals. While turkey, cranberries, and pumpkins may get most of the attention, herbs also play an important role in our Thanksgiving meals. Herbs like sage, thyme, rosemary, parsley, and chives provide flavor and a pleasing aroma to our meals. They can also easily be grown indoors and enjoyed throughout the winter.
Commonly used herbs for the holidays
A variety of different herbs are used around the holidays and can also be used throughout the year. A few examples of commonly used herbs include:
Sage: If you have stuffing (or dressing) during the holidays, odds are you're using sage. Sage is a shrubby, perennial plant that can grow to be 2-3 feet tall and tends to sprawl as it ages. Most varieties have gray-green leaves, but purple and golden cultivars can also be found. The leaves are slightly fuzzy and have a pebbly texture.
Thyme:is a perennial plant that forms a mound around 6 to 12 inches tall and wide. Plants will produce woody stems and have small, gray-green leaves. There are many types of thymes, like creeping thyme and 'citrus' thymes with lemon, lime, and orange fragrances, but French and English are the most popular for culinary use. Thyme is often used in stuffing and, since its flavor and aroma aren't negatively affected by long, slow cooking, can be used to season turkey.
Rosemary is another woody, perennial plant often used to season poultry. Rosemary is not reliably hardy in zone 6 or colder, so it is usually grown as an annual, but it can be brought indoors and overwintered. Rosemary grown indoors often dries out quickly, not because of a lack of soil moisture (they prefer drier soils), but because of low humidity. During the holidays, rosemary plants can commonly be found as Christmas tree topiaries.
Parsley
Parsley is often overlooked or simply used as a garnish, but it can be used in stuffings and in rubs for turkey, among other things. Parsley is a biennial (it takes two years to complete its life cycle) that is grown as an annual. Flat-leaf parsley is used in cooking because it has more flavor, while curly parsley is used as a garnish.
Chives: can add flavor to mashed potatoes or as a garnish to brighten a dish. They are clump-forming perennials that grow from underground bulbs. Their leaves are round and hollow and will produce pink flowers in the summer, which are also edible.
Growing herbs indoors
To grow herbs for Thanksgiving dinner, consider the following steps:
- Choose the right herbs: Common Thanksgiving herbs include parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme. Bay laurel, marjoram, chives, oregano, and cilantro are also great additions.
- Garden or Potted: When selecting a container to grow herbs, make sure it has drainage holes. Use a good-quality potting mix, and avoid using garden soil. Use a water-soluble fertilizer for herbs following the label directions every two weeks, but don't fertilize more often. Fertilizing too much can negatively affect the flavor and aroma of your herbs.
- Growing Conditions: Sun-loving herbs like bay laurel and chives need at least 6-8 hours of bright light each day. Windows with southern exposure are often a good option. However, if your windows don't receive enough light during the winter months, you can use supplemental lighting.
- Humidity: Most herbs will grow best with temperatures between 50 and 70 °F. Avoid placing plants near heat vents, which can quickly dry out pots. Heated air also causes homes to be rather dry. Clustering plants together, placing pots on a tray of water and pebbles, or running a small humidifier can help increase humidity near the plants.
- Fresh vs. Dried: Fresh herbs are used three times more than dried herbs in recipes. Fresh herbs add a more intense flavor and aroma to dishes.
By following these guidelines, you can successfully grow herbs for your Thanksgiving dinner and enjoy the added flavor and freshness of home-grown herbs.
Additional Information & Resources
Basic Herbs for a Kitchen Garden, Tulare/Kings Counties
Culinary Herbs Profiles, Sacramento County
Herbs in Your Garden, UCANR
Photo courtesy of UCANR, Karen Schaffer, Uriel Mont, and Pexels.com
School Gardens Team can Help Your School Also!
The Contra Costa UC Master Gardener volunteer Team works hand-in-hand with teachers, staff, and parents to create, improve, and beautify school gardens throughout Contra Costa County. Master Gardener volunteers play an important role in over forty elementary, intermediate, and high school gardens, plus a few associated after-school daycare centers. Does your school need assistance to pull together a beautiful and productive instructional learning garden? A butterfly or pollinator garden? Or how about just beautifying the entrance to the school office? The School Gardens Team can help!
Each participating school is assigned a UC Master Gardener volunteer to act as a conduit into our county program’s resources and expertise. We can assist your school's “champions” plan new or renovated gardens, advise your team about research-based best practices, or help design effective and efficient irrigation plans, planting bed placements, plant lists, pest control, and fun student project ideas. Your UC Master Gardener volunteer liaison has access to specialists in the program who can be called upon to help solve difficult issues. It’s like having your own free garden consultants at your fingertips to answer questions or help guide improvements.
Did you know that the Contra Costa UC Master Gardener volunteers School Gardens team has a budget? That means we can also donate to your effort small tools, hand gloves, bags of garden soil, irrigation control devices, seedlings, or other small items that you may need.
As a recent example of working with School Gardens, the Oakley Elementary School District had four different school projects this past spring. UC Master Gardeners worked in a collaborative effort with faculty, parents, and students at both Laurel and Oakley Elementary Schools to enhance several set-aside spaces into thriving vegetable gardens where students can plant, maintain, and harvest fresh veggies, all the while learning about nature’s rhythms, needs, and challenges.
At Vintage Parkway and O’Hara Park Middle School, revitalizations of pre-existing gardens were needed. During the COVID pandemic school closures, many school gardens fell into disrepair from a lack of attention. “The O’Hara Park garden had many dead plants, lots of weeds, and a torn-up greenhouse,” says UC Master Gardener volunteer and East County Co-lead Amanda Merrill, “As we looked around, we saw that there were still some irrigation lines, a few rescueable plants, and the intact frame of the greenhouse.” They now have a fully restored student garden, thanks to the planning and hard work of all team members.
And at Delta Vista Middle School, a team of students and parent volunteers, with input from UC Master Gardener volunteers, implemented a new Butterfly Attracting Garden. The soil was a real challenge, heavily compacted and dry as a bone under landscape cloth. Students and parent volunteers pulled back most of the cloth, then heavily watered it before amending, planting, and mulching.
Summer Lake Elementary has two new garden spaces—one for the whole school to enjoy and another created just for the kindergarteners. Amanda has consulted with both groups, and both gardens have been grateful recipients of seedlings and seeds from the UC Master Gardener Program. The students and staff were very excited about their first crop of tomatoes this summer.
Students were thrilled to see the first butterflies visit in the spring. They created colorful signs and a beautiful Thank You poster for the UC Master Gardener Program. Plus, it was an effort where the whole community could come together. Amanda Merrill says, “It was a long time in the works, cutting through red tape and acquiring private donations, but Cristina Langley, a teacher, and her Girl Scout troop were able to realize their goal. Brentwood Home Depot donated plants, soil, mulch, and labor as part of their giving back to the community program.”
The three beautiful and heartfelt posters that Oakley School District students created to thank UC Master Gardener volunteers for our part are now adorning the wall of our “Central Command” for the whole program, the Help Desk office in the Contra Costa County Department of Agriculture building in Concord. Email the Help Desk for assistance with your school garden project at: Help@ccmg.ucanr.edu.
Loose Leaves for this Fall
Autumn in the garden is full of change—and so are the updates. From must-see events to practical tips and timely reminders before Master Gardener Volunteers will take a short break during the holidays. Here is a quick round-up to keep you informed, inspired, and ready for the season.
Upcoming Webinar: What To Do About Weeds
Tuesday, October 21, 6:00 - 7:30 pm
Go to our webinar page for more info
'Our Garden' in Walnut Creek
has six more engaging Wednesday talks coming up this fall. Each talk starts at 10 a.m., and is filled with fresh tips and inspiration for your fall gardening.
We’d love to see you there—visit 'Our Garden' webpage for the full schedule and join us for one (or all!) of these lively sessions.
Autumn’s cooler weather makes it perfect for planting.
Our Fall Garden & Landscape Checklist might be useful to refresh beds, add plants, and prep for spring. Check it out!
And here are a few more fun October dates to remember:
- 10/2 - National Kale Day
- 10/2 - World Farm Animal Day
- 10/4 - World Habitat Day
- 10/12 - Farmers Day
- 10/14 - Indigenous Peoples’ Day
- 10/15 - National Mushroom Day
- 10/16 - World Food Day
- 10/21 - National Apple Day
- 10/31 - Halloween
Summer 2025 NtGB
"Just living is not enough... one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.” – Hans Christian Andersen
This summer, we're focusing on science-based, sustainable gardening practices that not only support your garden but also the environment. Inside, you'll find tips on earning Firewise USA® certification, designing water-wise lawns, and insights from a UC Davis study on how plants adapt to less water. We're also spotlighting the honeybee crisis, how to support pollinators with simple watering stations, and where to turn when you need expert advice, because Master Gardeners are here to help.
Looking to dig deeper? Visit us anytime at ccmg.ucanr.edu for trusted resources and local gardening guidance.
Let’s grow smarter, together.
Hedwig Van Den Broeck and Robin Mitchell, editors - Contact Us
Smart Watering, Beautiful Gardens: Lessons from UC Davis
Watering Holes for Pollinators for Small Spaces Gardening
Even though you have limited space for gardening, you can do yourself and your neighbors a favor by providing a water source for honeybees, butterflies, and other threatened pollinators. Dry summer months are particularly difficult for bees, wasps, butterflies, and other pollinating insects to find fresh water. The more time spent searching for water is less time spent pollinating your container vegetables and visiting other pollen providers.
First, ensure that any water provided is refreshed regularly to avoid stagnation or mosquito breeding. You can do this either manually or with a slow automated drip system. Place the watering hole in a sunny and accessible location near your flowering plants. It can be placed at ground level or elevated to the level of your flower blossoms for better viewing. Here are some ideas for creating your own local “watering hole.”
- Shallow dishes with pebbles
Use a shallow dish or plate filled with fresh water and add clean pebbles or flat stones. This allows pollinators to land safely without the risk of drowning. - Repurpose a small birdbath by filling it with water and adding floating cork pieces or small islands made from natural materials to give pollinators resting spots.
- Create a small pollinator watering pond using a container or bowl. Add aquatic plants or moss to the surface to help filter the water and provide pollinator-friendly landing areas.
- Mix a solution in a shallow dish comprised of water with a tiny amount of raw sugar or honey added. This offers both water and a source of nourishment for honeybees and butterflies during hot, dry weather.
- Use a spray bottle or misting system to create damp zones on leaves or stones where pollinators can drink without needing deeper water.
If you find that undesirable insects, such as yellow jacket wasps or bumble bees are also being attracted, don’t worry. Yellow jackets, bumblebees, native bees, and small wasps also pollinate plants and play an essential role in healthy ecosystems. They help to contain aphid populations and can keep nearby oak tree leaves free from insect damage. Just stay out of their way while they visit your watering hole!
By providing these simple water sources, you’ll attract a vibrant community of pollinators, including honey bees and butterflies, enhancing the health of your patio garden and your neighborhood’s ecosystem.
Spring 2025 NtGB
Big Changes, Big Tomatoes, and Even Bigger Excitement!
We’ve got some juicy news—our website has officially moved to a brand-new platform! While we’re putting the finishing touches on things (including this very newsletter), everything is up and running. If you notice anything missing, don’t worry—we’re on it! Thanks for sticking with us through the transition.
Now, let’s dig into the good stuff! This spring, we’re gearing up for the Great Tomato Plant Sale (GTPS)—a gardener’s dream! Along with that, we’ve packed this issue with must-read articles on growing your own food, mastering irrigation, and keeping pesky pests in check in our Mediterranean climate.
Grab your gardening gloves, and let’s grow together!
Hedwig Van Den Broeck and Robin Mitchell, editors - Contact Us
"The garden suggests there might be a place where we can meet nature halfway.” – Michael Pollan
Great Tomato Plant Sale: Bringing You Summer Veggies Since 2012!
Great Patio Container Tomatoes and Peppers for Small Spaces Gardening
This year’s Contra Costa County Master Gardeners Great Tomato Plant Sale supplies easy-to-grow and delicious tomato and pepper varieties for container gardening. Small spaces container tomatoes though require some specific best practices that you will find in a UC ANR article (LINK REMOVED) (Contra Costa is defined as Zone-C). Peppers have similar needs to tomatoes.
Patio containers are a different growing environment than in-ground beds. Overall sunlight and temperature reflection by your home’s exterior walls will warm your growing space up to ten degrees more than surrounding air temperatures. Containers also lose water more quickly due to heated container walls and porous soil mixtures inside. If you utilize drip irrigators, you should run at least 2 emitter lines to each plant in case an emitter clogs. Container plants need water applied more frequently than in-ground veggies, often in small increments each day during hot weather.
Both tomatoes and peppers form deeper root systems than other summertime vegetables. Your containers should be tall enough to hold at least 16 to 20 inches of potting soil. Support taller-growing tomato varieties with a small trellis or wire tomato cage. Taller, unglazed terra cotta pots have porous walls and can supply essential air into the potting soil. Grow bags are also popular with new gardeners since they are light and transportable, they self-regulate the soil temperatures, and cannot be overwatered, since they expel excess water through their fabric walls.
Many of the best container tomato varieties share the qualities of compactness and are “determinate,” which means the fruit tends to ripen all at once. For West County container gardens, our experience has shown that the best varieties for cooler, moister climates have shorter ripening durations (55-65 days.) Great options include Toy Boy, Gold Nugget, and Small Fry cherries. In East County, look for low water requirement varieties, higher heat requirements, and longer days for ripening, such as Better Bush Hybrid and Patio Hybrid. Central County patio gardeners have more flexibility and can grow most tomato varieties depending on their placement in shadier or sunnier parts of their space. Other good varieties for containers are Aurora, Baby Boomer, Black Russian, Black Sea Man, Bush Champion II, Italian Roma Bush, La Roma III, Legend, Lizzano, Siletz, Super Bush, and Washington Cherry. Review online descriptions to select types that best suit your space and needs.
Fun fact: Did you know that many pepper and chile varieties can thrive for years if moved to a protected indoor location during colder months? They produce best when soil is at least 70 degrees and daytime air temperatures are 75-85 degrees. Good chile pepper varieties for our climate include Aleppo, Garden Salsa, Habanero, Jalapeno, Paprika, Padron, Poblano, and Shishito. Good bell pepper varieties for Contra Costa patio gardens are Ace, Etiuda, Flavorburst, and Orange Bell. Here’s a link to a UC ANR article on growing great peppers in Northern California: https://sonomamg.ucanr.edu/Vegetable_of_the_Month/Peppers_in_a_drought/ .
With planning, proper care, and a bit of luck, you’ll be harvesting great container tomatoes and peppers all summer!
Galls on our Apple Trees
During a routine winter pruning of 15-year-old apple trees, an unsettling discovery was made—large, brown, hard, swollen lumps clinging to the branches., Even the espaliered apple trees in the front yard were not spared. These growths appeared concerning, almost as if they were harming the trees, but removing them immediately seemed risky. Would scraping them off cause further damage?
Consulting UC Integrated Pest Management (UC IPM) for expert guidance was the best course of action.. Lo and behold, a closer look revealed the culprit: the tiny woolly apple aphid (Eriosoma langligerum). At just 1/20 of an inch, these pests are easy to overlook, especially since they hide beneath a coating of white wax. Despite their size, they can cause harm by feeding on limbs, trunks, roots, and shoots, forming colonies in bark cracks and pruning wounds.
Woolly apple aphids rarely cause serious harm to the overall health of apple trees. However, their feeding leads to unsightly swollen, warty galls on the bark. While older trees are generally less affected by this invasion, these unsightly galls can still be a nuisance.
Unfortunately, the only real solution, is pruning the damaged branches. Since the damage is considered merely an "aesthetic issue," removal isn’t essential, but for those who prefer a cleaner look, cutting away the galls is the best option. The challenge arises when the damage appears on the main limbs, making removal more difficult. Some apple varieties are less susceptible to woolly apple aphids, offering an alternative for those looking to prevent future infestations. However, switching varieties means starting the espalier process from scratch—a daunting task for any gardener.
Moving forward, a more vigilant approach will be essential. Preventive measures like horticultural oil and insecticidal soap may curb further damage and keep these pests in check. Once the trees leaf out again in the coming months, these unsightly galls may no longer be visible, but their presence will still be felt. Staying proactive is the best defense against these hidden invaders, ensuring healthier trees for seasons to come.
Gardening in a Mediterranean Climate Zone
Did you know that we live and garden in a rare and unique climatic zone? The Mediterranean climate exists in only 2% of the world’s land mass, found in just five regions: the Mediterranean Basin, Chile, South Africa, California, and Australia. Despite being spread across different continents, these areas share a strikingly similar climate—mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers.
What makes these 5 regions even more fascinating is their location. If you look at a globe, you’ll notice that two are in the Northern Hemisphere and three are in the Southern Hemisphere, all positioned midway between the equator, and the north and south poles. Each one sits on the west or southwest coast of a continent, where cold ocean currents help regulate temperatures. Additionally, subtropical high-pressure systems dominate, preventing summer rainfall and shaping the distinct weather patterns that define Mediterranean climates.
Understanding this unique climate is key to gardening successfully in our region. So, how does it impact the way plants grow—and what does it mean for gardeners? Let’s explore.
Plants that have adapted to dry summer climates have a lot in common. Many are drought-deciduous. They drop their leaves during periods of drought to conserve water—only to sprout fresh growth when moisture returns. Take California sagebrush (Artemisia californica), for example; it loses its leaves under stress but quickly grows new leaves when water is available again. Other plants, like Purple sage (Salvia leucophylla) respond a little differently by producing different types of leaves depending on the season. California lilacs grow thick, leathery sclerophyll leaves with fewer or smaller stomata to reduce water loss. If you’ve ever walked through the native section of a nursery, you may have noticed that many of these plants have upright, grayish green, or whitish coloring, or even hairy surfaces. These adaptations are designed to reflect sunlight and minimize heat stress, allowing the plants to thrive in hot, dry conditions.
In Plant Life in the Worlds’ Mediterranean Climates (University of California Press, published for the California Native Plant Society), Peter R. Dallman describes not only the unique characteristics of Mediterranean climates but also the diverse plant life that thrives in these dry, hot summers. He highlights species from chaparral, oak woodlands, and forest plants that are all well adapted to this rare 2% of the world’s landmass we belong to.
Dallman encourages us to work with, rather than against, the natural conditions of climate, microclimates, and soils. To truly understand and appreciate our Mediterranean climate he suggests exploring local open spaces throughout the seasons. A walk through Briones Regional Park, state parks, or nearby open spaces offers a firsthand look at the resilient plants that have adapted to our Mediterranean climate—perhaps even inspiring ideas for how to incorporate them into our own landscapes.
References:
Calscape, California Native Plant Society
Mediterranean Garden by UC Master Gardener Volunteers of Contra Costa County
Plant Adaptations to Mediterranean Climates, webinar by Dawn Kooyumjian