May and June are wonderful months for Napa Valley gardens. The flowers haven’t gone to seed; the weeds haven’t emerged; the tomato plants look promising. I had an unusually full social calendar in June, so I decided I would be the ambassador for the Good-Enough Garden. This is the garden that is a well-intentioned work […]
Cindy Watter
Cindy Watter is a UC Master Gardener of Napa County
Posted inHome & Garden
Fighting back after Ganoderma fungus invades
All the signs were there for some time, but I was too distracted to pay attention. First, the cherry tree (never a robust bearer) began to put forth two cherries per season. Next, I started to notice a healthy crop of mushrooms after every rain at the base of the same tree. Finally, last March, […]
Posted inHome & Garden
Ceanothus ‘Concha’ belongs in California gardens
Four years ago, I wrote a column about my newly planted Ceanothus ‘Concha.’ I had chosen large plants over less costly small ones because, at my age, deferred gratification didn’t make much sense. Well, I am still here, and so are my Ceanothus, which are now four feet tall and three feet wide and currently […]
Posted inHome & Garden
Lilacs reward gardeners with scent, color — and a short-lived show
The lilac is a classic English cottage-garden plant, yet it is native to southeastern Europe. That means it can be a successful garden plant in sunny, dry California, although it appreciates rain and cool summers. I have a couple of lilacs in my yard, and they emerge at the same time each year in March, […]
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Tips for tomato garden success
For many people, spring begins with the UC Master Gardeners of Napa County tomato sale, which will be held on Saturday, April 11, this year. Just as the tomato sale signals spring, a ripe tomato is practically the trademark of summer. Many of us can’t wait to plunk our plants in the ground so we […]
Posted inHome & Garden
Compost: A simple way to enrich soil and reduce waste
If you have read my columns for a few years, you will know I am crazy about compost. It satisfies my parsimony and indolence: a compost pile costs nothing, and even if you do nothing to it, it will decompose into a useful soil amendment. You don’t even have to dig it into your soil. […]
Posted inHome & Garden
A pollinator garden lesson, learned the hard way
February is a good month for planning everything and planting some things. When I review my gardening calendar/journal, I grin. There is a yawning chasm between the plans and the accomplishments. But I have success in one thing: I have an excellent pollinator garden with lots of California native plants, as well as a few […]
Posted inHome & Garden
Acanthus, an old-world plant thrives in modern California gardens
Acanthus is one of my favorite plants. Right now, when my yard is mostly dormant, except for camellias and wild onions, it is a pleasure to see the acanthus unfurling its shiny dark green leaves. I see acanthus all over my neighborhood. It is an easy-care plant, and it is a wonderful accent for a […]
Posted inHome & Garden
A most romantic gift for a gardener
One of the advantages of living in Napa Valley is that we can garden year-round, not counting floods and fires. That is also a disadvantage for the indolent gardener, who, unlike his or her East Coast counterpart, does not have down time in which to dream over seed catalogs or wonder if the roses will […]
Posted inHome & Garden
Now is the prime time to plant fruit trees in Napa County
December through March is the best time to plant fruit trees in Napa. We have had some winter rains, the ground is soft, and the temperature is still cool. I planted three apple trees a few years ago this time of year, and they are doing well, despite my life partner who thinks a half […]