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UC Marin Master Gardener Articles in the Marin Independent Journal

UC Marin Master Gardeners have contributed to the Marin Independent Journal's "Ask a Master Gardener" column every Saturday since 1999. We have a team of dedicated writers who have covered nearly every aspect of gardening for Marin County over the years. Search our archives below by category of interest, or use the search box to locate stories by year, month or specific subject.

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UC Marin Master Gardeners: Article

Sweet peas grown with ease

March 14, 2026

By Bonnie A Nielsen

Nostalgic and timeless, the first blooms of sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus) are a springtime treat. Bearing a heavenly floral scent and coming in every color except yellow, it’s easy to see why gardeners around the world fall in love with sweet peas. Additionally, they are relatively easy to start from…

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Hover fly nectaring on rock purslane, Calendrinia grandiflora

UC Marin Master Gardeners: Article

Discover the hover fly

March 7, 2026

By Bonnie A Nielsen

Last summer, I watched bee-looking creatures flying in zigzag formation, each with a separate flight plan. Are those bumble bees? Wasps? Nope, they were hover flies, also called syrphid flies, drone flies, and flower flies. Although they look like bees, they are a type of fly…

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UC Marin Master Gardeners: Article

A message from local pollinators

March 2, 2026

By Bonnie A Nielsen

The Marin Master Gardeners are always talking about pollinators and how important they are as essential to food security and healthy ecosystems. More than 80 percent of the world's flowering plants depend on pollinators for reproduction, including many wildflowers and other important native plant…

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UC Marin Master Gardeners: Article

Winter gardening tips for Marin County

February 23, 2026

By Bonnie A Nielsen

February in Marin County holds a quiet kind of magic. The days become noticeably longer and a bit warmer. The hills are still emerald as the winter rain and air carry a crisp brightness between storms, and although the garden is seemingly asleep, it is humming below the surface. For gardeners in our county,…

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UC Marin Master Gardeners: Article

Waging war on weeds: start early, weed often, know your enemy.

February 17, 2026

By Bonnie A Nielsen

Weeds are the troublemakers in your garden. There they are, lurking among the flowers, persisting, and interfering with your plans for a California native garden or a pollinator paradise. Weeds compete aggressively with desirable plants for water, nutrients, and sunlight. Invasive species threaten ecosystems…

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Native grape, Vitis californica, growing on a vine

UC Marin Master Gardeners: Article

Backyard fruit

February 9, 2026

By Bonnie A Nielsen

Fruits bring year-round interest to your garden as well as a sense of achievement gained by growing and harvesting your own fruit. My husband says growing blueberries is reason enough to grow backyard fruit. Yet, here’s a little secret. Marin’s favorable Mediterranean climate allows growing so much…

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UC Marin Master Gardeners: Article

Birds in the garden… how wonderful

February 2, 2026

By Bonnie A Nielsen

I can think of nothing more endearing than seeing birds in my garden, unless it’s my dogs. Birds are some of the most interesting, varied, and resourceful creatures on earth, and they get a bum rap on intelligence sometimes. Bewick’s Wrens nest around my garden, from my trellises to my neighbor’s…

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UC Marin Master Gardeners: Article

Beyond the honeybee: pollinators for plants and people

February 2, 2026

By Bonnie A Nielsen

Although we’re in the middle of winter, soon we’ll witness the unveiling of springtime and all her joyous colors: brilliant orange poppies, deep purple iris, and vivid yellow tidy tips. And after that beguiling display, we can look forward to summer’s velvety sages and rugged buckwheats. Ever…

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UC Marin Master Gardeners: Article

Healthy houseplants to brighten your winter days

January 21, 2026

By Bonnie A Nielsen

Once the holiday lights are packed away and the cold gray days of winter fill our skyline, it’s time to brighten up the house with indoor plants!Who doesn’t love a variety of living plants in various colors, textures, and sizes, standing upright or spilling over the sides of a decorative container,…

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UC Marin Master Gardeners: Article

The transplanted gardener: how new feet find new roots in Marin

January 5, 2026

By Bonnie A Nielsen

“New feet within my garden go…” is the first line of Emily Dickinson’s iconic poem “My Garden,” which conveys a sense of wonder to those stepping into new ground and to those observing those steps. Whether relocating from the Midwest with its four strong seasons, the steamy South, the sunbaked…

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