Gardens By Type

The plant that graced the botanical gardens of the Aztec empire over 600 years ago, and the flower of Holy Night legends, is the poinsettia (poin seh tee uh), or flor de nochebuena in Spanish. Seen everywhere for sale during a short six weeks of the year, this plant has come to symbolize Christmas. A closer…

Fall is the best time to plant garlic for a summer harvest.  Both the softneck and hardneck types of garlic can be planted now.  The softneck varieties are found in most grocery stores.  They have a mild flavor and store very well.  Two recommended softneck varieties for our climate are “California Early”…

Planting annual native wildflower seeds can be a relatively easy and inexpensive way to add native plants to your garden. The best time to plant is from mid-October into November. Water during dry spells between rains for optimal germination. You can extend the bloom season by continuing to sow from December…

  Where does the time go? Cover cropping season is upon us, again. After three years of running a cover trial in a walnut orchard in eastern Contra Costa County (at the northwestern reach of the San Joaquin Valley), there are some exciting results to share that could be helpful if you are deciding…

The Coalition of Food Safety & Sustainability, co-sponsored by CCOF and WGA, is hosting a Compost Field Day to explore how compost can be safely and effectively integrated into produce safety and sustainability practices. DetailsDate: Wednesday, October 15, 2025Time: 9:00 am – 12:00 pmLocation:…

It will soon be time to start planting many cool season crops.  There are several reasons to plant a winter garden. Many crops actually taste better and grow best in cooler weather. Also, a winter garden is less work: the weather is more comfortable and there is less weeding and watering to do.  Finally,…

Planting Ideas for Late Summer Blooms  Here are some late summer flowers that will rejuvenate the look of the garden and lift any gardener’s spirits. Summer Hyacinth, Ornithogalum candicans, is a perennial bulb; plant it now for next year’s bloom. It has a blooming funnel-shaped flower, and…

Santa Paula, CA. – Un tapete de plástico especial, combinado con el uso de desinfectantes, puede ser la primera defensa contra enfermedades en viveros, donde las plantas jóvenes son muy frágiles. Con una medida tan sencilla, se podrían evitar pérdidas millonarias de plantas y dinero. El sector de los…

The abundance from summer vegetable gardens is extended through the winter and beyond by methods of canning, freezing and drying. But you can also give your summer vegetables a longer life span by saving their seeds. It's important to know that the seed from a hybrid plant will not produce a plant exactly…

In late summer bulbs of daffodils and tulips start appearing in garden stores. Everyone enjoys the lovely display they make in spring. But do you know that there are native spring-blooming bulbs that will also look beautiful in your garden? You may have seen blue dicks (scientific name Dichelostemma capitata…