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Garden Notes Blog
  • Going Native Fig 1
    Going Native – A History

    There are lots of reasons to include native plants in your garden. But do you know when the native plant movement began in California and why the use of native plants is so important?  Theodore Payne (1872-1963) is generally considered the father...

  • Feature 2 Pic 1
    Transforming Your Landscape: A Journey of Inspiration, Challenges, and Success - Part Two

    Watching the transformation of my front landscape over the past six months has been nothing short of exhilarating. Despite the challenges of an exceptionally hot summer, the plants have thrived, slowly acclimating to their new environment. This success...

  • Feature 3 Fig 2
    The UC Master Gardener - and the Public - as IPM Ambassadors

    An effective UC Master Gardener volunteer should see themselves first as a gardener, then a student, as well as a teacher, a storyteller, and finally, a defender of our shared California waterways and clean air. It may not be obvious, but we all live in...

  • Hernandez-Brito D., et al.
    Horticultural Terms — Epizoochory: Another Form of Seed Dispersal

    Horticultural Terms — Epizoochory: Another Form of Seed Dispersal In the Summer 2024 edition of this blog, I highlighted the “eliasome,” a fleshy appendage on some seeds that allows ants to transport them into their nests to feed their...

  • Herb Study Fig 1
    Herb Study – Caraway

    Herb Study – Caraway Over the years, my wife and I have converted our home's yard from 1100 ft2 of lawn to a native, edible, and herbal wonderland. We continue to add unique and fragrant herbs that enhance the overall beauty and bounty of our...

 

 


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UC Garden Blogs
  • Soil scientist Christine Sprunger (left) and lab manager of the W. K. Kellogg Biological Station (KBS), Michigan State University, collecting soil samples. (Photo courtesy of KBS)
    MSU Soil Scientist to Discuss Nematodes as "Bioindicators of Soil Health and Climate Resiliency'

    Nematodes, says soil scientist Christine Sprunger of Michigan State University, East Lansing, are "bioindicators of soil health and climate resiliency." And that's the title--"Nematodes as Bioindicators of Soil Health and Climate...


    By Kathy Keatley Garvey
    Author - Communications specialist
  • A mole burrowing in soil. Photo credit: Pexels
    Got Moles?

    A line of pushed up grass. A volcano sized mound. Yep, it's probably a mole! While you may never actually see the mole itself, the signs of their presence are pretty clear. Moles are small burrowing mammals (not rodents) that live almost entirely...


  • UC Davis professor Jason Bond, director of the Bohart Museum, shows butterfly specimens to Woodland residents Olive Smith, 8, and her mother Sarah Smith. Bond is the Evert and Marion Schlinger Endowed Chair, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, and associate dean, UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
    2025 UC Davis Biodiversity Museum Day Set Saturday, Feb. 8

    Mark your calendar! The 14th annual UC Davis Biodiversity Museum Day is set for Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. announced coordinator and co-founder Tabatha Yang, the public education and outreach coordinator for the Bohart Museum of...


    By Kathy Keatley Garvey
    Author - Communications specialist
  • Figure 2. Spotted lanternfly egg masses discovered on metal beams of an art structure. Photo credit: Sonoma County Dept of Agriculture/W&M
    Spotted Lanternfly: The Need to Remain Vigilant (Part 1)

    On March 27th, 2024, a flatbed truck carrying a metal art structure originating in New York and headed to Petaluma, California was stopped at the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Agricultural Inspection Station in Truckee, California...


    By Cindy Kron
    Author - North Coast Area IPM Advisor