Central Sierra: Master Gardener Articles - El Dorado County

Stay healthy with activity in the garden If you enjoy gardening, it is great to know that the work you are doing for your plants is helping you to stay healthy. According to Dr. Steven Blair, a noted professor of Kinesiology, just a half hour of gardening, five days a week, lowers risk of heart disease…

Tips and tricks for dealing with the wide variety of lavender There is a plant that could be in your garden right now that has endured the test of time -- the lovely Lavender, Lavandula spp. It dates back 2500 years to the time of the ancient Egyptians and has been celebrated for its healing and…

Protect your environment from invasive plants Pests in the garden are not always creepy crawlers, they can also be plants, and some are very attractive. However, attractiveness does not always mean good, and you may be surprised to learn that some plants in your landscape should not be present at all…

Native plants are adapted to the dry climate, support ecosystem's biodiversity. Spring is a good time to evaluate your landscape and make potential changes to decrease your water use in 2026. A good starting point is to incorporate a California native plant or two into the garden. Many native plants can…

Drip irrigation is well-suited to the El Dorado County landscape. It is doubtful that anyone living in El Dorado County, or the whole of California for that matter, is not aware of drought conditions impacting everything from household water use, home gardening, commercial agriculture, new home…

Imagination gardens are a fun way to plant container gardens Almost all these tiny plants do best in indirect light and in moderate temperatures; in other words, indoors in the summer and winter. They may outgrow a small container but can be divided or pinched back to stay in scale. Do keep their feet…

The versatile loofah (or luffa) is edible, but famous as a natural sponge  Luffa, often spelled loofah, Luffa aegyptiaca, is a vining gourd in the cucumber family. It can be used as a vegetable when it is young and the cucumber-like fruit is only six inches or less. It is rich in nutrients and high…

Scents of Spring Shrubs Ahhhh…Spring! Our California foothills spring flowering shrubs are not only stunning to look at but also provide alluring fragrances. In planning for the future, here are some of the most fragrant early blooming spring shrubs that you can add to your garden, which provide the…

Technology for the Home Gardener Technology can help the home gardener in myriad ways. Technology applies scientific knowledge for practical purposes to solve problems and make life better. Technology is a tool for the garden and gardeners. We can use it to complete routine tasks or tackle more…

An Invitation to Garden Beauty: A Rose Pruning Primer  It’s that pruning time of year! The period from Christmas until early March (depending on elevation) is the best time to get started. Your bushes will look more attractive and produce larger flowers with good pruning, and you can shape them to the…