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Garden Notes Blog
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
UC Garden Blogs
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Yes, Hawks Eat Insects
Ever watched a red-shouldered hawk on a hunt? They eat a variety of prey, including small mammals, birds, snakes, lizards, fish, crayfish, insects and worms, according to the California Raptor Center (CRC), a research center that's part of the UC...
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EPA Releases Pesticide and Endangered Species Educational Resources Toolbox
from a Weed Science Society of America press release (Oct. 11, 2014) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released an online toolbox with educational materials related to pesticides and endangered species -- another step in the...
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It's Friday Fly Day!
It's Friday Fly Day, and time to post an image of a fly that masquerades as a bee. That would be "the bee fly," a fly so named because it resembles a beeOrder: Diptera. Family: Bombyliidae. In its adult stage, it's a pollinator that feeds on...
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UC Davis Seminar: 'Using Power of Food to Confront Climate Change'
Have you ever been asked: "Do you BELIEVE in climate change?' The more pertinent question, scientists say, is "Do you UNDERSTAND climate change?" Wikipedia defines climate change this way: "In common usage, climate change describes...