Newspaper Articles

Have you ever noticed or wondered about the small trees with dark magenta blossoms found in home yards, along streets, and in our foothills in March through April? You are seeing the Western Redbud tree. It is a deciduous shrub or small tree growing up to 23 feet tall. The showy flowers, described as similar…

Are we ready for summer? We've had roller coaster spring weather, which is typical for this part of California. Also typical is a dry, hot summer with very little or no precipitation. We may still get rain this month, especially over the mountains, but in June, we generally start limiting our outdoor work…

Many residents in Tulare and Kings Counties live in the countryside on the valley floor or in the foothills. These areas are more susceptible to wildfire damage than city residential zones. Because of drought and climate change, fire season is expected to start earlier and last longer throughout all of…

We have about 1600 native bee species in California, but the honeybee is not one of them. The European honeybee is an important part of agriculture, the beekeeping hobby, and home gardens. Honeybees are easy to hold captive and move around, and the species produces honey, but it is not the most efficient…

It's Spring planting time, but most gardeners want to know which plants best suit Tulare and Kings Counties. Home gardeners will have more success when choosing plants for their yards if they consider the climate, amount of available water, amount of shade, and location within the state of California. Not…

After the frightening "summer is here too early; no, wait, it's going to freeze tonight" weather we had in March, April was lovely with its perfect spring blend of warm days, cool nights, moderate humidity, and a spattering of rain and snow. I hope this continues right through May, with a gradual warming…

Now that spring is arriving in Tulare and Kings Counties, perhaps you've noticed (or will soon) a shrub or tree not looking as vigorous, with a sticky substance on discolored leaves and dirty-looking areas on the leaves. Honeydew is the sticky, clear substance produced as excretion of excess sugar by a leaf…

Nutsedge is a common weed that can be found in lawns, gardens, and flower beds of the Central Valley and throughout California. It is sometimes referred to as nut grass, although it is not a grass. The saying "sedges have edges" will help you differentiate between a grass and a sedge. Description …

Gardening is a meaningful way to cultivate self-love. It's like meditation – a time to be still and listen to the sounds of the outdoors and to your own voice. This soil on our earth nourishes plant roots and gardeners alike. Getting hands dirty in soil is just plain healthy for many of us. It can be a…

We can still have storms in April, bringing precipitation and even mountain snow, but generally this is a month in which we truly say goodbye to winter. With warm, dry March behind us, many of us--and our plants, too--feel like we've skipped spring, but we may see its return in April. Plants are in full…