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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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New Look for UC IPM Web Pages
Change is in the air. Weather, daylight savings, politics, holiday decorations, and yes, websites. You may have noticed the UC Statewide IPM Program's website is undergoing some style changes. Just this week, the home page changed from the style we've...
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Invasive Pest Spotlight: Mediterranean Fruit Fly
The invasive pest spotlight focuses on emerging or potential invasive pests in California. In this issue we are covering the Mediterranean fruit fly. Mediterranean Fruit Fly Facts The Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata, commonly called...
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An Introduction to Dragonflies and Spiders
Predators employ a diversity of behavioral and morphological adaptations to successfully capture their insect prey, UC Davis doctoral candidates Christofer Brothers and Emma “Em” Jochim told the crowd at the Bohart Museum of...
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Neonicotinoid Pesticides Off the Shelf in January 2025
The common insecticide imidacloprid, and the related active ingredients acetamiprid, clothianidin, dinotefuran, and thiamethoxam, belong to the pesticide group neonicotinoids. Neonicotinoids have been linked to the decline in honey bee and other...