The Curious Gardener is a quarterly newsletter produced through the combined efforts of Master Gardeners from the Placer and Nevada Counties' Master Gardener programs. High-quality gardening content is featured each issue, and may be downloaded electronically.
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Curious Gardener Newsletters 2025
In this issue:
- Spring Garlic
- Unusual Edible: Chayote
- Common Myths About Citrus
- Tour the Placer County Demonstration Garden
- Best Practices of Great Gardeners
- Q&As: When to Plant Perennials
- Garden Design: Ground Covers
- Climate Ready Plants
- Insect Bytes: “Murder Hornets”
- Tomatogeddon Last Summer?
- Nevada County Demonstration Garden News
- Easy, Quick, Fun, and Rewarding Seeds for Kids
- BotLat: Animal Blooms
- School Garden Emphasizes the Joy of Outdoor Learning
- Events Calendar
In this issue:
- Dormant Season and Fruit Tree Pests
- Designing for Winter Interest
- All Things Blueberries
- There’s Fungus Among Us
- Unusual Edible: Roselle
- All-Star: Hardenbergia violacea
- Nevada County Demonstration Garden News
- News from the Placer County
- Demonstration Garden
- Garden Q&As: Grasshoppers
- Insect Bytes: Fungus Gnats
- BotLat: Host Plants
- Events Calendar
Curious Gardener Newsletters 2024
In this issue:
- Fertilizing Your Trees
- Unusual Edible: Chocolate Vine
- Cover Cropping in Foothill Gardens
- Hotline FAQs: Soil for Raised Vegetable Beds
- All-Star: Marina Madrone
- Water-Wise Gardening
- Nevada County Demonstration Garden News
- 2025 Gardening Guide and Calendar Hot Off the Press!
- Insect Bytes: Meet the Spotted Lanternfly
- BotLat: Red Flag Color
- Diagnosing Why a Plant Fails
- Video Tour of The Estes Garden
- Placer County Demonstration Garden News
- Creating a Pumpkin Succulent Centerpiece
- Events Calendar
In this issue:
- Summer Fruit Tree Pruning
- Hotline FAQs: Controlling Leafminers
- Visit UC Master Gardeners at Your Local Farmers’ Market
- Master Gardeners of Nevada County Demonstration Garden News
- Unusual Edible: A High Octane Berry
- Become Water Smart and Make Your Plants Happy
- Ergonomic Tools
- Tips for Creating and Using Microclimates in your Yard
- BotLat: Tomatoes
- All-Star: Coral Fountain
- Events Calendar
In this issue:
- Wigglers Offer Enrichment for Gardens
- BotLat: Loooong Plant Names
- The Myth of Firewise Plants
- Hotline FAQs: Cottage Garden Under Oaks?
- Insect Bytes: Monarchs
- All-Star: Chinese Ground Orchids
- Planting Bushes and Shrubs
- Invasive Mosquitoes in Roseville
- Nevada County Demonstration Garden News
- Unusual Edible: Purple Passionflower
- Placer County Demonstration Garden Update
- Abiotic Plant Problems: Herbicide Drift
- Kids Korner: Differences Between Honeybees and Wasps
- Events Calendar
In this issue:
- Low Maintenance Gardening
- Unusual Edible: Cocoxochitl
- Mediterranean Oak Borer
- Myths of Winter Fruit Tree Care
- Nevada County Demonstration Garden News
- Hotline FAQs: Redbud Damage
- USDA Updates Zone Map
- BotLat: Add Grasses for Winter Interest
- Ground Broken for Demonstration Garden in Placer County
- Things You Might Not Know About Honey Bees
- Events Calendar
Curious Gardener Newsletters 2023
In this issue:
- Red Imported Fire Ants
- UC Master Gardeners Transforming Education in Placer County
- Garden Ghoulishness II
- All-Star: Winter Honeysuckle
- Unusual Edible: Wapato
- BotLat: Plant Names
- Creating Defensible Space: Quick Tip on Shrub Maintenance
- Kids Korner: Pine Cone Bird Feeder
- Abiotic Plant Problems: Mechanical Injury
- 2024 Gardening Guide and Calendar: Try Something New
- Nevada County Demonstration Garden News
- A Brief History of The Curious Gardener
- New Video Series: Garden Adventures
- Events Calendar
- Planning, Preparing and Planting a Slope with Drought Resistant Plants
- Go Bananas—with Pawpaws!
- Thinking about Harvesting Rainwater?
- Insect Trivia
- Hotline FAQs: How do I deal with codling moths on my apple tree?
- Cool Down and Conserve during the Summer
- Yellow Starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis)
- Master Gardeners of Nevada County Demonstration Garden News
- Bot Lat: Find Out What Those Weird Plant Names Mean -
Fruit or Vegetable? Ask the Supreme Court! - Workshop and Event Calendar
- The Dance of Defensible Space
- Arboretum All-Stars: Lagerstroemia Crape Myrtle
- It’s Alive! Or Not. Biotic vs. Abiotic Plant Problems
- Nevada County Demonstration Garden News
- Finding Farm Animals in my Garden
- Ground Squirrels: Demolition Derby
- Unusual Edibles: Jujube—Superfruit?
- Are Your Mature Trees Healthy and Stable?
- Kid's Corner
- Workshop and Events Calendar
- Gardening in Placer County - A Different Kind of Gold
- Important Invasive Species Updates from UC IPM
- Nevada County Demonstration Garden News
- Winter Food
- Winter Garden To-dos Include Weeds, Daffodils
- Unusual Edibles: Aztec Broccoli Anyone?
- Which Drought and Heat Tolerant Trees Can I Plant for Shade?
- Insect Trivia: The Wonderful World of Cicadas
- Arboretum All-Stars: Teucrium fruticans (Bush Germander)
- Gophers: Eating Machines
- Workshop and Events Calendar
Curious Gardener 2022 Issues
- Nevada County Demonstration Garden News
- Create Habitat with Hedgerows
- Hotline FAQ: Benefits of Soil Testing
- All-Star Western Redbud
- Unusual Edibles: Name Games
- Insect Trivia
- 2023 Calendar and Gardening Guide
- Smelly Guests: Skunks
- Insect Trivia Answers
- The Dogface Butterfly
- BotLat Tongue Twisters
- Workshop and Events Calendar
- What Makes a Plant Drought Tolerant?
- Unusual Edibles - A Different Kind of Potato
- What's Wrong with My Tomato?
- Arboretum All-Stars: Cape Balsam
- Hotline FAQ - Gophers
- Sustainable Lawn Care
- Nevada County Demonstration Garden News
- Insect Trivia
- Masked Marauders - Raccoons
- Invasive Grasses
- Workshop and Event Calendars
- Ornamental Pond in Your Landscape?
- BotLat: Pass-Along Plants
- Integrated Pest Management for Weeds
- Spring Plant Sale
- Nevada County Demo Garden News
- All-Star: Aster 'Purple Dome'
- Evaluating Fire Damage on Trees
- Unusual Edibles: Chinese Water Chestnuts
- Garden Faire
- Voles and Moles
- Mother's Day Garden Tour
- Workshops and Events
- Moonlight Reflected
- Invasive Pests and Diseases
- BotLat: Winter interest revisited
- Nevada County Demonstration Garden News
- All-Star: Toyon
- Pruning Citrus
- Hotline FAQs: Winter Bloom, What to do about Moss
- Deciding to Keep or Remove an Old Tree
- Events and Workshops
Curious Gardener 2021 Issues
- Native Ground Covers
- Unusual Edibles: Lotus
- Mammalian Pests
- Gardening Guide and Calendar
- All-Star: St. Catherine’s Lace
- Hotline FAQs: Fall Watering
- Garden Ghoulishness
- BotLat: Another Name Change
- Invasive Stink Growing in Placer
- Arborists, BIG and small
- Demonstration Garden Turns 30
- Events Calendar
- Growing Cut Flowers
- Unusual Edibles: Sorrel
- Container Gardening
- Garden Design: Where to Start?
- Nevada County Demonstration Garden News
- BotLat: Poetry in the Garden
- Grafting Roses
- Arboretum All-Star: Coral Yucca
- Hotline FAQ: Leafrollers
- Events Calendar and Virtual Workshops (via Zoom)
- Don't Buy These Plants!
- Gardening in a Changing Climate
- Hotline FAQ's - Pokeweed
- Housefly Trivia
- Mushrooms in My Mulch
- Unusual Edibles: Chinese Artichokes
- Arboretum All-star: Penstemon
- Botanical-Latin: Pronunciation
- Events
- Soil- Is your soil the cause of your plant problems?
- Shade gardens
- All-Star: Poker plant
- Frost protection
- How to prune native plants
- Elderberry
- Dormant fruit tree care
Curious Gardener 2020 Issues
- Orchids
- Spring Bulbs
- Saving Seed
- Master Gardeners ZOOM
- 2021 Placer MG Calendar
- Wicked, Poisonous Plants
- Demo Garden News
- Great Trees: Oaks
- Master Gardeners Partnering
- Protecting Trees During Construction
- 2020 Nevada County MG Foothills Garden Guide
- Socially Distant Resources
- and more!!!!!!!!
- Scenes of respite
- Reader survey
- Great trees
- Q&A with Christine Casey of Honey Bee Haven
- BotLat feature
- Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
- UC Arboretum All-Star - Pink Phlomis
- Western Tent Caterpillars
- Hotline FAQ: Dividing Iris
- Check our websites for up to date information on our MG activities
- Seed Starting
- Nevada County MG Garden Guide
- How to Select Trees
- Water Lilies
- Camellia Petal Blight
- BotLat
- Beetle Trivia
- UC All-Star plants
- Nematodes
- TAKE OUR SURVEY!!
- Is Your Soil the Cause of Your Plant Problems?
- BotLat: Culinary Terms
- Shade Garden Conditions
- All Star: Poker Plant
- Frost Protection
- How to Prune CA Native Plants
- The December Garden
- Hotline FAQ: Transplanting Heritage Roses
- Elderberry
- Dormant Fruit Tree Care
- Events
Curious Gardener 2019 Issues
- Salvia: All-Star Standout
- Tree Staking
- Fall Plant Sale
- Magnificent Monarchs
- Azolla: Friend or Foe?
- 2020 Calendar (Placer County)
- BotLat feature
- Leaf Composting
- Event Calendar
- Drip Irrigation
- Cucumber Beetles
- Managing Deer in the Foothill Garden
- Control your Controller!
- Sizzling Summer in the Garden
- You Stink! (Stink Bugs)
- BotLat Corner
- All Star - Dwarf Oregano
- Events Calendar
- Vermicomposting
- Insect Trivia: Lady Beetles
- Pet Safe Gardening
- Powdery Mildew on Oaks
- Summer Watering
- BotLat Corner
- Hydrozoning
- All Star: Howard McMinn Manzanita
- A Weekend of Gardening Fun!
- Ornamental Grasses
- Pruning Fruit Trees
- Insect Quiz
- Calscape
- UC Davis Arboretum All-Star
- BotLat
- Breaking Dormancy
- Kohlrabi
- Crown Galls
- Clematis Care
- Events Calendar
Curious Gardener 2018 Issues
- Biochar in the Home Garden
- Gardening for the Birds
- A Fire-Safe Garden
- Fall Plant Sale
- The Marketing of Mycorrhizae
- Insect Trivia - Dragonflies
- Hotline FAQ: Fall Color
- BotLat Corner
- 2019 Placer County Master Gardener Calendar
- All-Star: Yarrow
- Events Calendar
- Hotline FAQs: Ants and Sunscald
- Propagating Succulents
- Black Walnut - know before you grow
- BotLat Corner - Mule Fat
- The Phosphate fertilizer garden myth
- All-Star: Hybrid Catmint
- Events Calenda
- Buying Compost? Ask the ROTLINE!
- Placer County Master Gardener GARDEN FAIRE - April 14, 2018 - Rocklin, CA
- Low Tech Solution for Toxic Soils
- The Vitamin B1 Myth
- Hotline FAQs and Insect Trivia
- Lady Beetle life cycle photos - know the stages to identify the good guys!
- Plant Growth Regulators
- Placer County Mother's Day Garden Tour
- Arboretum All Star: Isomeras arborea
- Nevada County Master Gardener Spring Plant Sale - May 12 in Grass Valley
- Citrus "A-peel"
- Mistletoe: More than a Kiss
- Growing Fern Indoors
- Decreasing Water Runoff
- Garden Myths: Gravel in Planting Pots
- Hotline FAQs - Cover Crops
- Cockroach Trivia
- All-Star Highlight - Pigsqueak
- Botanical Latin column
- Attracting Pollinators
- How to Grow Garlic
- Citrus Quarantine info
- Replanting After Conifers Die
- BotLat Corner
- Why are my oranges splitting?
- UC Davis Arboretum All-Stars
- Multipurpose Herb Gardens
- Growing Cactus and Succulents from Seed
- Lawn Removal with Sheet Mulching
- Soil Solarization
- UC All-Star plant: California Pipevine
- Memories of Flowers
- Hotline Question: Blackberries
- Seeds Contain Past and Future
- BotLat: Size Matters
- Event Calendar
- Phytophthora tentaculata: A New Exotic and Invasive Disease
- Daffodils
- Butterfly trivia
- Placer MG Garden Faire and Garden Tour
- BotLat Corner
- Nevada County MG Plant Sale
- What is a soil blocker?
- Much more!!!
- Fruit Trees
- Asian Citrus Psyllid
- Blueberries
- Tool cleaning
- Luffa
- Arboretum All Star: Goldenrod
- Greenhouse pest control
- More!!!
- Edibles in the Landscape
- Brussels Sprouts
- Weeds and Compost
- Protecting Your Winter Vegetable Garden
- Tomato Tasting
- Calendar/Gardening Guide
- BotLat Corner
- Fall Plant Sale
- Hotline FAQs:
- Pomegranates
- Hummingbird Sage
- The Frugal Gardener
- Events Calendar
- Auburn Trail of Treasured Trees
- Try Something New: Buckwheat
- Can Bees have heart attacks?
- Second Act: Your Winter Vegetable Garden
- Hotline FAQ's: Fireblight
- All-Star: Walking Iris
- Deer Consuming Photinia
- BotLat Corner
- The Frugal Gardener
- Event Calendar
A full issue with plenty to read about!!!
- Glorious Dahlias
- Insect Trivia
- Growing in a Greenhouse part 3
- Arboretum Allstar highlight: Heuchera
- Spring Plant Sale
- Mother's Day Garden Tour
- Monarch Butterflies
- BOTLAT corner (Botanical Latin Names)
- Event Calendar
- Cruciferous Vegetables
- Growing in a Greenhouse part 2
- Dormant season fruit tree care
- Arboretum All-Star: Santa Barbara Daisy
- Houseplants and Air Quality
- Master Gardener Event Calendar for Placer and Nevada Counties
- Growing in a Greenhouse
- 2016 Placer County Master Gardener Calendar - NOW AVAILABLE!
- Trees and Artificial Turf
- Insect Trivia: Mosquitos
- Arboretum All-Star Plant Highlight
- Some Truths About Neonicotinoids
- Want to Help Bees?
- Drought and Oak Trees
- Event Calendar
- Unusual Vegetables for the Foothills
- Disease Prevention tip
- Movie Creepy Crawlies
- Poison Oak
- Can A Compost Pile Spontaneously Combust?
- Q and A: Characteristics of Drought Tolerant Plants
- Spotlight on Arboretum All-star: Leucophyllum frutescens
- Biofungicides: Do TheyWork? Are They Safe?
- Vegetable Gardening with Less Irrigation
- Insect Trivia
- What is Compost Tea?
- Arboretum All-Star: Iris douglasiana 'Canyon Snow'
- Trees and Drought
- Pruning Ornamental Shrubs & Trees
- Insect Trivia Quiz
- Seed Catalogs - Present & Past
- Arboretum All-Star: Rosmarinus officinalis
- International Year of Soils
- Snails and Slugs
- Placer MG Calendar - ON SALE NOW!
- Unusual Fruit
- Drip Systems
- UC Arboretum All-Star: Oregon Grape
- Soil Microbiology
- Pruning Tomatoes
- CA Native Shrubs for Fall Planting
- Berryland
- Rock Gardening: Artfully Balancing Plants & Rocks
- Insects as Vectors of Plant Disease
- UC Davis Arboretum All Stars
- Summer Blooms: Visiting Gardens in Placer & Nevada Counties
- Preparing Your Soil for Spring Planting!
- Mosquitoes
- Heirloom Vegetables
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- Vegetables for Food Preservation
- Ants
- Orchard Mason Bees
- Much Ado About Mulch
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- Gardening in the Winter - try Bareroots!
- Weed Management
- Peach Leaf Curl
- UC Davis Arboretum All-Stars
- Fall Planting Time!
- Quality Home Composting
- When NOT to plant in fall
- Got Compaction? How to Improve Soil Drainage
- Culinary Herbs in the Garden
- Ask a Master Gardener: Summer Care of Fruit Trees
- Master Gardener Fundraising Events
- Tales of Integrated Pest Management
- Secret Garden in Nevada County
- Growing Potatoes
- First Blooms of Winter
- Dormant Spraying for Fruit Trees
- Staking a Newly Planted Tree
- A Children's Garden to Play In
- Nonchemical Codling Moth Control
- Tips for Harvesting Veggies
- Storing Your Harvest
- Western Redbuds