Gardening Articles
Graywater for Gardeners
By Gail Fanning
The State of California adopted regulations that allow us to legally, without permits, re-use our graywater for landscape irrigation! This is a HUGE step forward in reasonable water use policy by the State, and will go a long way toward conserving our limited water resources, while maintaining fruitful and beautiful gardens.
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350 Garden Challenge Sonoma County
Imagine a garden on every block in Sonoma County! On a single ambitious weekend, May 15th and 16th, we will transform 350 Sonoma County landscapes into bountiful gardens, which save water and emissions, grow food and habitat, and promote greywater and Low Impact Development (LID). Daily Acts, GoLocal, and iGROW Sonoma, with the generous support of Sonoma County Water Agency and countless community partners and the cities of Sonoma County are spearheading this initiative to involve everyone in homegrown food production! By choosing the number 350, we’re participating in the international campaign to unite the world around solutions to the climate crisis.
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Sudden Oak Death in Sonoma County
Where is Sudden Oak Death in Sonoma County?
A wet winter and spring is good for plants and it’s good for pathogens, too. The sudden oak death (SOD) pathogen requires water and temperatures around 70 degrees F to spread naturally. Some years are “good” for the pathogen, and some are dry and not good for the pathogen. The weekend of April 17th we are going to find out if conditions are “good” for (SOD) to once again spread through our county. And you can participate… read on.
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Earth Day & Arbor Day 2010
Gail’s Gardens – April 2010
By Gail Fanning, Blue Hill Design
Wild Roses add sweetness to any garden
April is a special month: the first frost-free day, Earth Day, and Arbor Day. The perfect time to start your veggies, rejuvenate your flower garden, and plant a tree!
Earth Day is special to me because it falls on my daughter’s birthday, April 22. It is a day to celebrate the wonders of our planet, and to make at least some small steps toward keeping it healthy. Can you recycle more, drive fewer miles, bring your own shopping bag, or buy local? Each one of these small acts has the potential to benefit the planet, ourselves, and our descendants.
“Each generation takes the earth as trustee” J. Sterling Morton
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The Real Value In Buying Locally Grown Plants
Healdsburg Nursery educates as well as informs with their plant identification tags
By Michael Skurtun, Healdsburg Nursery
In today’s economy it seems that every dollar becomes harder to hang on to or to spend efficiently. I find myself thinking through and weighing some of the most seemingly simple and inexpensive purchases.
What I hope to learn in the process is not to jump at price without thoroughly examining the product. To me, this is where real value is determined. I don’t want to be caught in that cliché of being “penny wise and dollar foolish.”
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Tree Care 101
by Jeff Rebischung, Fine Tree Care
Fine Tree Care Guide to Identifying Problems with Your trees
Fine Tree Care Guide
Download and print PDF of Guide »
We like to have trees around us because they make life pleasant. Trees are more than beautiful. They provide a multitude of environmental benefits and serve a variety of practical functions as well. Most importantly I think, the quiet strength and endurance of trees impart a sense of serenity, bring peace, and instill tranquility within our lives. In the years I have spent working professionally with trees, I have grown a deep sense of admiration for the perseverance trees demonstrate when they make the most of any chance to grow and prosper despite an often adverse environment. Read the rest of this article »
Native Plants & Alien Invaders along our Creeks and River
Wetland taken over by Ludwigia, photo by Julian Meisler courtesy of Cal-ipc
By Emma Kohlsmith, Russian Riverkeeper Intern
Crouched down on our knees in the dirt on a hot summer day while digging out thorny, tenacious Himalayan blackberry, a student asked why there are so many non-native invasive plants along the Russian River? In pondering the question it seems that alien plant invaders are everywhere, yellow star thistle in the pastures, scotch broom along our roadways and oxalis (sourgrass or Bermuda sorrel) in our gardens but nowhere is the alien plant invasion more intense than along our waterways.
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Sustainable Gardening
Using Corn as an Example
By Robert Kourik
In a sustainable garden, the ultimate goal would be to eliminate all imported nutrients. Horse manure, cow manure, sacks of bone meal, blood meal, green sand, bat guano, phosphates, etc., all add additional fertility and qualify as “natural” or organic. However, each comes with various environmental costs attached, such as mining, transportation, energy use, and wasted bulk. Corn, as an example, needs lots of nitrogen in one form or another. Read the rest of this article »
Adventures in Intensive Backyard Farming
By Becky Wells
A Little History
Intensive Backyard Farming is an old and practical idea. During WW-II, French people started growing crops in their backyards to fill in gaps when farmers were drafted. Thus, the French re-invented backyard farming by growing much of their produce in small spaces. Using composted manure, organic amendments, rain barrels and old farming methods not dependent on machines, the French created local produce for their communities. With this community feeling, they helped each other in their backyard gardens and created successful local farmers markets. Read the rest of this article »
The History of Hydroponics
Hydroponics basically means working water (“hydro” means “water” and “ponos” means “labor”). Many different civilizations have utilized hydroponic growing techniques throughout history. As noted in Hydroponic Food Production (Fifth Edition, Woodbridge Press, 1997, page 23) by Howard M. Resh: “The hanging gardens of Babylon, the floating gardens of the Aztecs of Mexico and those of the Chinese are examples of ‘Hydroponic’ culture. Egyptian hieroglyphic records dating back several hundred years B.C. describe the growing of plants in water.” Hydroponics is hardly a new method of growing plants. However, giant strides have been made over the years in this innovative area of agriculture. Read the rest of this article »