Northern California

Design
Revisiting Tracy’s Garden

We visited Tracy’s beautiful East Bay, California, garden last week, where we focused on her dry garden plantings of cacti, succulents, and other plants that thrive without supplemental water. Today…
Design
Take a Tour of a Botanical Garden Filled With California Native Plants

Founded in 1940 and located within Tilden Park in the canyon above Berkeley, California, a wild, 10-acre botanical garden awaits your discovery. Created to serve as a living museum of…
Design
Tracy’s Dry Garden in California

Hi! I'm Tracy, gardening in the East Bay, California, Zone 9b. I've done 100% of the planting here; the space behind the house was just a pile of mud when…
Kitchen Gardening
Tips to Grow Better Cherry Tomatoes in Northern California

Though technically a fruit, the tomato is the most popular homegrown vegetable, with thousands of tasty varieties available for the kitchen gardener to choose from. Tomatoes can range from big…
Design
The Best Heucheras for Northern California

Long appreciated for their airy blooms and charming, carefree nature, native heucheras (Heuchera spp. and cvs., Zones 4–9) were gleaned from their mountain and woodland habitats many years ago to…
Design
Perfect Plants for a Heavenly Hellstrip in Northern California

Reflected heat, passing foot traffic, poor soil, restricted space, and irrigation obstacles are just a few of the challenges faced by any plant grown in a “hellstrip.” This spot is…
Design
Great Native Plants for Gardens in Northern California

Many plants native to California—and the hybridized cultivars of those natives (aka nativars)—are attractive, easy-to-grow pollinator magnets, plus they have evolved strategies to survive California's long, rainless summers. Even during…
How-To
March Garden To-Do List for Northern California

The weather remains unpredictable in March in Northern California, with heat waves, frosty nights, downpours, and droughts all distinct possibilities. More often than not, this month delivers a mix of…
Design
Jill’s California Garden

We’re visiting with Jill Blodget today. We purchased our 5-acre parcel in Cameron Park (Northern California, Zone 9B), in 1998. We spent five years clearing brush, poison oak (some of…
Design
The Best Spring Annuals to Direct-Sow in Northern California

Looking forward to a delightful spring and exuberant garden beds filled with cheerful, eye-catching, colorful flowers? Here in Northern California, the best spring show is achieved by starting work in…

No results found.