northern california - Fine Gardening

  • San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers
    Design

    GPOD on the Road: The San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers

    My name is David Smith-Harrison, and I began observing and nurturing plants at a young age. I love watching plants grow. I started drawing and painting plants and trees as…

  • path leading to patio and arbor covering in climbing rose
    Design

    Roses, Despite Fire and Clay

    Today we’re in Redding, California, visiting with Carol Cowee. Here's how it started—bare ground that would become the new rose garden. The soil was compacted, horrible red, rocky dirt. It…

  • close up of pink and peach roses
    Design

    The Garden at Misty Haven

    We’re visiting with Edward Bielski today. We purchased our unbuilt home in 2021 in a new subdivision in Roseville, California. We started with a blank canvas and, using the pool…

  • close up of succulents and ground covers planted in front yard
    Design

    Kathy’s Garden Design for Her Daughter

    Kathy Sandel has shared her gardens with us before (More of Kathy's Calabasas Garden, Kathy's Garden Transformation in Sacramento), but today she’s sharing the garden she created for her daughter…

  • close up of potted succulents in the garden
    Design

    From Barren Plot to Urban Oasis

    Today we’re visiting with Max Cannon who gardens in south San Francisco, California: Our garden started as a barren plot of concrete and hard-pan clay in 2017, our mission has…

  • backyard vineyard
    How-To

    How to Grow Grapes for Your Own Backyard Vineyard

    Have you always longed to make wine from tasty sun-warmed grapes gathered from your own backyard? While I live in the ideal wine-growing region (USDA Zone 9b) near the well-known…

  • close up of a sunflower
    How-To

    Tips for Preparing Your Garden to Thrive Through Summer Heat in NorCal

    As summer approaches it will bring with it long and sunny days, increasingly warmer temperatures, and scorching conditions that can tip our region into heatwave territory. Here on the Pacific…

  • small floral arrangement with zinnias and asters
    Design

    The Best Filler Flowers for Beautiful Cut-Flower Bouquets

    They may not be the prime focus of a floral arrangement, but filler flowers can be just as important as the stars of the show in a bouquet’s overall design.…

  • invasive plants to avoid
    How-To

    Invasive Plants to Avoid in Northern California

    Invasive plants are nonnative introductions that have the ability to germinate, establish, thrive, reproduce, and spread to other areas without any help from humans. They're the tough, rugged trespassers that…

  • close up of Lungwort flowers
    Design

    Dry Shade Plants That Thrive in Northern California

    Gardening in dry shade is often considered a challenge, yet shade is actually a major plus for any gardener concerned with Northern California's ongoing water concerns. Surprisingly, even though they…