I didn’t dream of becoming an expert gardener. I simply wanted to grow fresh food for my family and know what to do when something in my garden wasn’t thriving. My vision wasn’t hundreds of acres or living completely off the grid. It was much simpler: a few raised planter beds, a couple of rows […]
Master Gardeners
Posted inHome & Garden
Butterfly season brings hope to Napa Valley gardens
Every morning when I venture into my garden for my daily walk-through, I hope I will see the golden wings of a monarch butterfly. Occasionally I am lucky, but at this time of year, they are not laying eggs on my milkweed. They are just passing through on their journey to their summer breeding grounds. When they return […]
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A tiny weed sparks a big lesson in the garden
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 […]
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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, […]
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In Scotland’s gardens, a Napa arborist finds lessons in letting nature lead
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. […]
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Gardens are alive – sharing space with nature’s creatures
I was just out in my garden where many flowers are in bloom. While looking at a flowering lavender, I counted six or seven honeybees feasting on the nectar in the blue flowers as well as a bumblebee checking out the whole garden. Butterflies were also flitting around, inspecting the flowers. I spotted both pipevine […]
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Planning for a hotter future: Rethinking trees in Napa County’s cities
Urban trees provide shade, improve air quality and help moderate temperatures in California’s cities. Yet as climate change brings hotter weather and longer periods of drought, many commonly planted tree species may struggle. In a recent lecture, Dr. Igor Lacan, interim county director and Bay Area environmental horticulture and urban forestry advisor with UC Cooperative […]
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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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Proper planning is key to spring garden planting success
In my opinion, nothing is more enticing than walking through a garden center full of vibrantly colored spring flowers just calling my name. I admit to being the person who, in the not-too-distant past, would bring home several lovely specimens, only to place them in the part of the garden where plants go to die. […]
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One plant, plenty of tomatoes
Last year at this time Napa County Master Gardeners were working hard to have an outstanding spring tomato sale. Our effort paid off: the sale, which helps fund our activities, was a complete success and will be held again this year on Saturday, April 11, in Napa. (Details below). I was scheduled to do a […]