The Real Dirt

The decline in numbers of European honeybees, bumblebees and other native pollinators has been well documented for over a decade. Research exploring pollinator decline began in earnest in 2006 when Colony Collapse Disorder, affecting honeybees, first appeared.

Redbuds in bloom are a most welcome harbinger of spring. Their dense clusters of magenta flowers bloom early, providing splashes of color against a winter landscape of browns and grays.

Local Trees: The Enchanting Dogwood Ideally, you'd be reading this in very early spring, when the dogwood bloom is beginning to work its elegant magic in the older neighborhoods fanning out from Lower Bidwell Park and downtown Chico.

By Brent McGhie, UC Master Gardener of Butte County, May 31, 2019 The University of California recommends the use of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to control garden pests. The goal of IPM is to use the least harmful control method(s) that will be effective in managing a particular pest.

By Laura Lukes, UC Master Gardener of Butte County, May 17, 2019 A beautiful tree sits on the north side of Little Chico Creek, shading the picnic table at site #34 in Lower Bidwell Park.