My recent visit to the Royal Botanical Garden in Edinburgh, Scotland offered a pleasant reminder of how climate shapes not only what we grow, but how we maintain and design landscapes. In Napa Valley, much of my work as a garden consultant centers on water conservation, irrigation efficiency and helping plants survive long dry summers. […]
David Shubin
David Shubin is an ISA Certified Arborist and UC Master Gardener of Napa County
Posted inHome & Garden
Best time to plant fruit trees in Napa County? It depends
Master Gardeners are often asked about the best time to plant a fruit tree. And I think we usually all give the same answer: It depends. I know that’s not a satisfying reply. It can feel vague, even evasive. But without knowing all the details, “it depends” might be the most honest response we can […]
Posted inHome & Garden
Rose diseases are about conditions, not neglect
As a garden consultant, I get a lot of calls at this time of year to advise on pruning fruit trees and roses. When I’m asked to look at struggling roses, the symptoms are often familiar: lower leaves yellowing and dropping; white residue coating tender new growth; orange pustules on the underside of leaves. These […]
Posted inHome & Garden
Nature is already tidying up: consider a gentler approach to fall garden cleanup
Fall in Napa Valley brings that familiar mix of cool air and golden light and, for many of us, the instinct to start cleaning up. Out come the rakes, clippers and green bins. It feels good to set things right. But before you clear every leaf and prune every branch, take a moment to look […]
Posted inHome & Garden
Napa County Master Gardeners: The hidden world of mushrooms
You can expect mushrooms to appear after rain in Napa Valley. Many gardeners find mushrooms and think “rotting decay.” However, mushrooms are a sign of life. They’re the fruiting bodies of fungi, the quiet recyclers that make soil fertile and plant roots healthy. Fungus even makes gardens more resilient to drought and infection. Beneath our […]
Posted inHome & Garden
Napa County Master Gardeners: When life gives you lemons, count your lucky stars
Let’s talk about citrus. It’s a wonderful genus, a prolific producer of fruits we know and love. Oranges, limes, grapefruits, mandarins. But also citrons, kumquats, finger limes, pomelos, yuzu and calamondins. And, of course, lemons. You’ve heard the phrase, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” As if lemons are just a default bad thing […]