There are many insects that are great allies to have in the garden. They comprise a group of insects we call beneficial insects because when there are enough, and a good variety of them, they keep pest populations in check. …
Oak trees are iconic long-lived and enduring trees with their majestic form, large sweeping branches – sometimes with a picturesque asymmetrical balance, and massive trunks. Their leaves and acorns are also used as symbols, while acorns have been used as …
I used to be deathly afraid of spiders. When I was a kid I would run out of my room if I saw one and beg my father to come and kill it for me. But my fear has been …
Whenever I worked in a nursery, I was always surprised by how many people weren’t sure what the difference was between annual plants and perennial plants and which one was which. If you shop for plants at all you should …
“No tree becomes rooted and sturdy unless many a wind assails it. For by its very tossing it tightens its grip and plants its roots more securely; the fragile trees are those that have grown in a sunny valley.” So …
Once when I was backcountry skiing in King’s Canyon National Park I was on a constant lookout for the big trees, the Giant Sequoias (Sequoiadendron giganteum). I had seen them a few years prior in their protected groves, fenced off …
After several years of drought, we have certainly had some significant rains. Our soils are saturated, aquifers recharging, and we have a snowpack that is thought to last through to next winter. I couldn’t have wished for a better time …
While I consider every flower to be perfect, technically it is not so. There are perfect flowers and imperfect flowers. Perfect flowers have both male and female parts – everything needed to produce seeds. Imperfect flowers are either male or …
“We know more about the movement of celestial bodies than about the soil underfoot.” – Leonardo da Vinci, circa 1500 It’s fall. We are in the midst of having loads of valuable materials delivered at our feet. Leaves. Pine needles. …
I have been delighted with many of the early rainstorms that delivered steady and gentle rains. The gentle rain allows water to percolate into the soil. This is where we want it, to feed the roots of our landscapes and …