Plant Selection

UC Marin Master Gardeners: Page

Hot Summer Locales

Some perennials bloom exuberantly in the heat of summer. Photo: Creative Commons When temperatures rise, everyone feels the heat even your garden. If you live in a hot summer area, be sure to use strategies to avoid heat stress in plants.
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Showing off a full ear of corn
UC Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County: Page

Corn, 2008 Trial

This trial was conducted in the summer of 2008 at our Nine Palms project location (no longer in use). Peaches & Cream corn was reliably productive over an extended harvest period.
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UC Marin Master Gardeners: Page

Perennials

Alstroemeria aurea 'Saturne'. Photo: Wikimedia Commons Perennials are flowering plants that live longer than two seasons. Some are evergreen; others die back at the end of the flowering season and then regrow from the same roots the following year. Perennials are dependable and easy.
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UC Marin Master Gardeners: Page

Clay Soil

If you feel like you need a jackhammer to bust into your garden soil, you've got clay. This is a familiar garden complaint in Marin. If you want to make your clay soil more workable, you can amend it with organic material.
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three heads of endive standing upright
UC Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County: Page

Belgium Endive Trial 2006

Belgian endive can be successfully grown in Santa Clara County as a cool weather green. The plants need to be started in the summer. In late fall, they are harvested, trimmed, and transplanted into damp sand where they are kept cool and dark. Six plants will yield weekly salad greens from December through…
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UC Marin Master Gardeners: Page

Groundcovers

Dymondia magaretae, Wikimedia Commons Groundcovers range from ground-hugging mats to 3 or 4-foot spreading plants. They can be woody or herbaceous, evergreen or deciduous. Some grow from a single stem; others have spreading underground rhizomes that allow the plant to "creep.
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UC Marin Master Gardeners: Page

Cool Summers

Yarrow (Achillea) performs in cool coastal settings, and the flowers provide perfect landing pads for butterflies.
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UC Marin Master Gardeners: Page

Grasses

Miscanthus sinensis, Wikimedia Commons Whether you want to create a naturalistic meadow, showcase a dramatic backlit border, or line a path, ornamental grasses are up for the job. Ornamental grasses and other grass-like plants like rushes and sedges are easily grown and work with many garden styles.
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Person planting a landscape
UC Master Gardeners of Butte County: Page

Gardening and Landscaping

Information on Gardens and Landscaping, Plants and Seeds, Orchards and Trees and Research; plus planting guides for the north valley and foothills.
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