Test PB Collection: FTE

Have you noticed groups of black bugs with colorful markings hanging out on the sidewalk or your porch? Maybe you’ve seen them on fruit trees or in your veggie garden. It can seem like they’re everywhere, but what are they? Where you find them can give you a clue about what they are and how to handle…

 Phenology is the study of seasonal changes in plants and animals from year to year—such as when flowers bloom, birds nest, or insects emerge. Derived from the Greek word phaino, meaning “to show” or “to appear,” phenology helps us observe and understand how the natural world responds to climate…

The first freeze of the season is now behind us. If you were lucky enough to get out in the garden and rescue all your green tomatoes before the freeze, then good for you!  If you would like to try something other than green tomato chutney or jam, here is another idea: Green Tomato Sauce. …

 Blooming in shades of purple, white, yellow, pale pink, and anywhere in between, crocus are cheerful additions to any garden. While many species bloom in early spring, some, such as saffron crocus (Crocus sativus), bloom in autumn. These different species need different care, but there’s sure to be at…

 Last week, Erin Marnocha, our new Vice Provost for Research and Program Integration, Daniel Obrist, Vice Provost for Academic Personnel and Development, and I visited our UC Cooperative Extension colleagues in Placer, Nevada, Plumas and Sierra counties. Thanks to Michele Fisch, UCCE area director, who…

Many of us have replaced turf (lawn) with low-water-use shrubs and perennials. Whether native to California or elsewhere, the plants were chosen for their ability to require less water and, in other ways, be more "climate-adapted." We now have a patchwork of no-lawn yards in our valley and in many public…

By Penny Pawl, UC Master Gardener of Napa CountyOne of my favorite plants in my garden is nicotiana (Nicotiana sylvestris), also known as flowering tobacco. The plants need almost no care and bloom most of the spring, summer and autumn. The flowers are fading just now in October. Nicotiana also does double…