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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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ruby-crowned kinglet

UC Marin Master Gardeners: Article

Birds in the garden… how wonderful

February 2, 2026

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…

Native bumblebee

UC Marin Master Gardeners: Article

Beyond the honeybee: pollinators for plants and people

February 2, 2026

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…

houseplants

UC Marin Master Gardeners: Article

Healthy houseplants to brighten your winter days

January 21, 2026

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,…

succulent garden

UC Marin Master Gardeners: Article

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

January 5, 2026

“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…

Tillandsia air plant blooms

UC Marin Master Gardeners: Article

Fabulous air plants!

December 29, 2025

Have you noticed some curly, spikey, gray-green alien-like plants resting in a shell, hanging from a ceiling, perched on windowsills, clustered on coffee tables…no soil or water in sight?Meet tillandsias, also known as air plants, a wondrous family of plants that literally thrive on air! They are low…

Helleborus foetidus flowers

UC Marin Master Gardeners: Article

Latin is for gardeners and scholars and the Catholic Church

December 22, 2025

In case you’re wondering, the Swedish biologist and physician Carl Linnaeus was the one who came up with our current way of naming plants and animals. About 300 years ago, he organized what’s called binomial nomenclature, the use of two Latin or Greek names: Genus (the main identifier…

Plumeria rubra

UC Marin Master Gardeners: Article

Adapt your garden to a changing climate

December 16, 2025

Climate change refers to long-term alterations in our average weather patterns, causing droughts to last longer, stronger storms to increase flooding, and fires that burn hotter with smoke reducing the air quality. Sea levels will rise, and coastal areas will experience erosion. Human activities have…

bee on flower

UC Marin Master Gardeners: Article

Using pesticides may hurt more than bugs

December 8, 2025

“There’s no good bug but a dead bug” or so the makers of pest control products have claimed. For just about every home and garden pest, there’s likely a product available to control or eliminate it. You probably use them regularly without hesitation – bleach, vinegar, and dishwashing soap are common…

Lake Bon Tempe's oak woodland

UC Marin Master Gardeners: Article

Biodiversity in the house

December 4, 2025

Imagine walking deep into a cool, damp, shady redwood forest. Inhale the scent, sink into the duff, touch verdant ferns, pluck tangy huckleberries, marvel at the spectacular vine maples and iris spread out around you. Now, imagine you’re still walking among those redwoods, but this time the plants that…

toyon berry cluster

UC Marin Master Gardeners: Article

Some native shrubs to consider

November 24, 2025

The value of natives is indisputable: most need less water after established, they co-evolved with local fauna, they attract pollinators and birds, they’re beautiful and easy to care for. What more does any garden or gardener need? Myrica californica, or Pacific wax myrtle,…