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October in the California Garden
Peyton Ellas Autumn is a season of transition, and we can really feel that in beautiful October. The weather is mostly pleasant for working out of doors. On average October is windier than many other months, but mostly in the form of breezes that don’t prevent our work, and we may see a rain storm […]
September in the California Garden
Author: Peyton Ellas: no AI was used in the writing of this article September is a month of transition and preparation for winter. It is a month for planning, renovating, beginning new landscapes, harvesting, removing summer edible annuals, pruning and planting. We feel autumn approach, as the days are shorter and night time temperatures are cooler. We […]
August in the California Garden
August 1, “Lammas Day,” or “Lughnasadh” to the Celts, marks the midpoint between the summer solstice and the autumnal equinox. Historically, it was the first day of the grain harvest in northern Europe, and also celebrates the harvest of grapes and other produce, as well as marking the days when corn grows faster. Climate change […]
July in the California Garden
July is historically our hottest and driest month in California. Keep things easy, on you and the garden. Work in the mornings, stay hydrated, and ease off the pruning and fertilizing. July is a great month to plan for autumn and do whatever preparation you can for creating a more water-efficient, California-style garden. PLANTING: July is […]
June in the Garden
Are we ready for summer? We’ve had roller coaster spring weather, which is typical for this part of California. Also typical is a dry hot summer with very little or no precipitation. We may still get rain this month, especially over the mountains, but in June we generally start limiting our outdoor work hours to mornings. Some of our […]
May in the Garden
Better Late than Never? Hopefully, you can use this post as a checklist for all you have been working on this month. My apologies for the late post! Peyton PLANTING: Almost everything can be planted this month! Try to finish planting in the ornamental garden before summer weather arrives late in the month and really gets […]
April in the Garden
Peyton Ellas We can still have storms in April, bringing precipitation and even mountain snow, but generally this is a month in which we truly say goodbye to winter. With warm, dry March behind us, many of us and our plants too feel like we’ve skipped spring, but we may see its return in April. Poppies, clarkia and […]
March in the Garden
Peyton Ellas Spring arrived early this year in California…and whoosh –already the month is half over! You are probably already done with at least half of these garden chores, right? Make sure you take time this month to ENJOY the natural world, including our built gardens. Spring arrives, and it feels great. The wildflowers are […]
February in the Garden
February can feel like spring. Early wildflowers appear. Some trees leaf out. But we might have frost, fog, rain, snow and even hail. I fell behind in my garden tasks last fall and missed pruning some spring blooming shrubs, and now they are getting ready to bloom again. Oh, well. It’s nice to notice how […]
December in the Garden
Peyton Ellas December is the coldest month of the year in our area, but there are a few activities that will get you out in the garden this month. Maybe taking a break from holiday crowds and festivities? Winter begins with the solstice on Sunday, December 21, at just after 7:00 AM in our […]
Spring Planting
You hear it often that Autumn is the best season to plant in California. This is true, but you can plant in the spring. And how can we not be outside when the weather is so gorgeous? And really, we must do something besides battling weeds, right? There are many California native plants that […]