Garden Notes Blog

Inspecting Landscape Trees for Hazards

You should inspect healthy and unhealthy trees on a regular basis. Although some tree failures are not predictable and cannot be prevented, many failures can be prevented. Large trees have a greater hazard potential than small trees and should be...

Free Resources to Study for Another Dry Gardening Year

Since the drought of the late 1970's, the University of California researchers, UCCE San Joaquin Master Gardeners and many others have compiled an arsenal of resources and tools to help the California gardener cope with a Mediterrean climate and all...

Herb Study - Peppermint

Peppermint (Mentha x piperita) is an aromatic perennial plant of the Lamiaceae family that grows throughout Asia, Europe, and the United States. It is a natural hybrid of Water Mint (Mentha aquatica) and Spearmint (Mentha spicata), grows to a height of...

Help Desk: Pre-emergent Herbicides for Weed; Safe to use in a home garden?

Weeds are a constant companion for the home gardener, and they can be a significant pest after a wet winter and if the temperatures are right. Where do these weeds mysteriously come from, one may ask? Their seed has been dormant in the soil, waiting for...

From the Garden

Wintertime can slow work in the garden to a halt. Cool and rainy weather is not conducive to being outside and typically slows the growth of everything except the fescue or rye you have planted in your lawn. It is a good idea to have backup activities to...

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