Garden

When using pesticides and other garden chemicals, you should always wear personal protective equipment (PPE) to keep yourself safe. Pesticides can enter the body via the eyes, skin, nose, or mouth. The skin is the most common way pesticides enter our bodies, usually by splashing, spillage, or spray drift…

Spring is here, and many native plants are coming into bloom. Orange California poppies color the roadside and hills. Redbuds burst with magenta flowers. Butterflies flutter among the blue dicks in grassy areas in upper Bidwell Park and along foothill roadsides. The good news is that many California native…

Stormwater management is the strategic practice of controlling and utilizing stormwater runoff from precipitation events as a valuable water supply source. Its main goals are to protect our environment and create healthier, sustainable communities. Exhibiting many different methods and tools for rainwater…

Los Contaminantes de Preocupación Emergente (CECs) son sustancias que representan un riesgo para la salud y el medio ambiente, pero no se monitorean regularmente en el agua potable. Este artículo examina varios tipos de CECs, incluyendo PFAS, microplásticos, pesticidas, productos farmacéuticos y…

Hardscapes are the constructed features such as paths, patios and pergolas that make a landscape human-friendly.  Their permanent and relatively costly nature calls for careful planning before construction.  Here are some questions and suggestions to help in planning hardscape features for your yard.

PlantingThe avocado is a shallow rooted tree (most of the feeder roots are in the top 6 inches of soil) that needs good aeration. It does well if mulched with a coarse yard mulch, which means one that is woody and in 2-inch pieces, Redwood bark will work and maybe cocoa bean husks and shredded tree bark…

 It’s hard to find a gardener who doesn’t love checking out new seed varieties and anticipating the abundant and tasty harvest they promise. The photos and descriptions are tantalizing and the names intriguing. Who wouldn’t be curious about a pumpkin variety called ‘Abominable’, a pepper named ‘Frodo’,…