Climate Change And Drought Resilience

A visit to Pure Water Southern California explores the science, opportunities, and public questions surrounding one of California’s emerging water suppliesWhat happens to water after it disappears down a household drain?For much of the history of modern sanitation, the answer was straightforward: collect the…

Nearly 200 succulents are California Natives Succulents are plants with thick and fleshy leaves and stems that thicken and engorge to retain water. There are 10,000 types of succulents. A quick search for succulents on Calscape, the California Native Plant Society website, yields 196 results. The…

On California’s Central Coast, where grassland and oak savannas stretch across rugged rangelands, one ranching operation is helping redefine what it means to steward the land. Founded in the early 1880s, the T.O. Cattle Company has weathered generations of California ranching history. In 1991, Joe and Julie…

Although probably impossible to grow plants with NO water, our unusual winter precipitation patterns cause us to reflect on how best to use water resources in our gardens and landscapes. In the Sierra foothills, July is the month with the highest rates of evaporation from the soil and transpiration from…

One cheery bloomer in the Tahoe Basin can be seen in bloom from late June until frost is the easy to grow Gaillardia. Native to the North American continent, this delicate flower is tougher than it looks. This short lived perennial reliably self sows, requires little water and attracts pollinators, but not…