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October in the Garden
We’ve had a taste of autumn already in September this year, but October is really when sweater 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 runoff and puddling. You may […]
Read MoreSeptember in the Garden
I’m thinking of “resilience” as we enter September and a new season. After years of drought, this year has brought historic flooding to end winter and enter spring, heat waves but also periods of unseasonably cool summer weather, thunderstorms and wind, a tornado or two, and measurable, in some cases significant, rain in August. What […]
Read MoreAugust in the Garden
Bonus web-only content: June seemed to go on for six weeks. July was two weeks. August is lining up nicely with the Julian calendar (so far). Expect another heat wave or two. Watch night time temperatures more than daytime. If temps are in 60’s, the plants can cool off. If nighttime temps are in the […]
Read MoreJuly in the Garden
“We’ve had a lovely long spring, but summer is inevitable.” I wrote that last year for the July Garden Tips, but it applies this year as well. It seemed like June went on forever, weather wise, and I’m not complaining! But, beginning this weekend, July has arrived. With the snow still on the mountains […]
Read MoreJune in the Garden
These articles are written a month before publication and appear in the Visalia Times Delta and The Porterville Recorder at the beginning of every month. Then I reprint here…a bit later often so I can make any adjustments based on current weather. Thanks for reading! June means hot and dry weather, with occasional drops in […]
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May in the Garden
Welcome to those of you who recently subscribed, at the Visalia Earth Day event or at the Blue Oak nursery! Every month I publish a general gardening “to do” blog which includes California native, exotic ornamentals and edibles. Newsletters focusing on native species and gardening go out seasonally and/or when there’s an event or news […]
Read MoreApril 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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March in the Garden
My apologies for the late post. I went to Louisiana right at the beginning of the month (where it was warmer and drier than California), and then returned to enroll (is that the word?) my dad on hospice and then he passed away March 21. He was a good man, great gardener and teacher, a […]
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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 […]
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