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April in the Garden
Dare we believe that spring is here? 2023 is shaping up to be a year of super blooms. If you can, take a drive to see some of the wildflowers, but be careful because roadways may remain flooded all month and new roadways may flood. In our gardens, too, we should see foliage growth and […]
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February in the Garden
Is it spring yet? Many days in February feel like spring. But we still might get frost. Fog, rain, snow and even hail are not out of the picture. It’s a transition month. Manzanita is blooming, along with early wildflowers like mustard and fiddleneck. Marah (native wild cucumber) is coming up everywhere in some gardens, […]
Read MoreJanuary in the Garden
Happy New Year! If we (and our soils!) can manage the extra water this month, our gardens will be happy. That’s just what our climate-adapted plants want. Although growth slows down in the cold soils of winter, some growth continues, often only underground. Our winter and early-spring blooming shrubs, bulbs and perennials love frosty […]
Read MoreDecember in the Garden
Oh dear! Apologies for the late posting this month! Hopefully you will read this and be able to check this list, “Yes, did that,” and “Yes, already done…” Happy Holidays to you all and thanks for reading! December is the coldest month of the year in our area, and the winter solstice occurs on […]
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November in the Garden
Autumn is in full gear this month. This is a great time to plant almost any tree, shrub, perennial, ground cover, wildflower seeds and the last of spring-flowering bulbs. While the days are shorter and storms may affect our ability to work outdoors (we can hope for many such interruptions!), it is generally more pleasant […]
Read MoreOctober in the Garden
We’ve had a taste of autumn already in September this year, but October is really when jacket season starts. We can still have many warm, or even hot, days, these are balanced by the shorter days and cooler nights. If you are paying attention, you will notice more irrigation water run off and puddling. You […]
Read MoreSeptember in the Garden
According to folklore, “cool August nights means a hot September.” If that is true, we should have a cool, pleasant month ahead, since August nights were not what I would call cool. Just the shorter days will force temperatures at least a little lower. And that means fall planting is around the corner. To me […]
Read MoreAugust in the Garden
August can be a light work month in the garden, assuming you have repaired water leaks and kept the weeds, diseases, and pest insects to a manageable level. The main job this month is to conserve water in every way you can and plan on ways you can make your garden more drought resilient. For […]
Read MoreJuly in the Garden
We’ve had a lovely long spring, but summer is inevitable. We are learning this again, as we do every year, in July, our historically hottest and driest month of the year. Keep things easy this month, on you and the garden. Work in the mornings, stay hydrated and ease off the pruning and fertilizing. […]
Read MoreMay in the Garden
We’ve had a wonderful spring this year. Whatever May brings, let’s remember that we have been gifted with cool days and nights, a few late storms that brought snow and some rain, and an abundance of flowers and other signs of vigorous life in our gardens. I’ve been working on photographing pollinating insects this spring, […]
Read MoreApril in the Garden
Sorry this is getting posted so late!! What happened? Perhaps it’s spring??? Hopefully you have done all of this and you just say “check,” “yep, did that,” and “already got it covered!” May tips will post in a couple of weeks. Peyton Spring in the garden! Expect flowers. And weeds. And baby birds. And aphids. […]
Read MoreMarch in the Garden
The month is half over already! It must be spring…busy days. You’ve probably already done about half of these garden chores! If so, you’re ahead of me. But I love being outside during these warm (not hot!!) days with cool mornings, green hills, wild flowers blooming and lots of wild activity. I don’t even mind […]
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