Here are a few things that you could be doing in your native plant garden if you live in S. CA Cut back salvias by 1/3 - 1 half & in late summer, trim your cool-season grasses. Mulch your plants but more...1209

Here are a few things that you could be doing in your native plant garden if you live in S. CA Cut back salvias by 1/3 - 1 half & in late summer, trim your cool-season grasses. Mulch your plants but keep it away from stems, crowns & trunks. Weed. Get out the dandelion, filaree and other invaders before they set and distribute seed. And get after emerging winter pests before they take over your garden. Water. Only water when the top few inches of the soil are dry.

If you live in S. CA and want to use native plants in your garden, it's not too late to put some of them in but they will need extra water to get them through the summer. Here's a short list of more...1199

If you live in S. CA and want to use native plants in your garden, it's not too late to put some of them in but they will need extra water to get them through the summer. Here's a short list of possibilities:Chilopsis linearis, Artemisia tridentata, Calliandra californica. And for riparian species: Artemisia douglasiana,Platanus racemosa, Rosa californica & Sisyrinchium californicum. Shady areas: Salvia spathacea and ferns. Mulch but keep it away from the rootball and water as needed.

If you would like to prevent watering running off of your property, consider replacing concrete driveways and walkways with an impermeable surface. Here are some ideas: Stone or Concrete Pavers more...1182

If you would like to prevent watering running off of your property, consider replacing concrete driveways and walkways with an impermeable surface. Here are some ideas: Stone or Concrete Pavers Steppingstones or Pea Gravel Decomposed Granite Anyone of these will help keep water on your property, allowing it to soak into the soil naturally and support the growth of your plants. You can plant herbs or very low growing ground covers between the pavers for an extra lovely look & fragrance.

If you live in S. CA & enjoy native plants in your landscape, here are a few things to do in your garden before the heat of summer sets in. Sow warm-season grasses & slopes mixes & keep moist. Be sure to more...1163

If you live in S. CA & enjoy native plants in your landscape, here are a few things to do in your garden before the heat of summer sets in. Sow warm-season grasses & slopes mixes & keep moist. Be sure to weed by hoeing or hand pulling & check the moisture in the soil & only water when the top few inches are dry. Be sure to do some mulching as well & check with your local native plant nursery to see what you can still plant into your garden before summer "offically" arrives.

Did you know that there are several water districts in CA that will actually "pay" you to remove your lawn? If you have been thinking about taking it out and going more "native", you may want to contact your more...1127

Did you know that there are several water districts in CA that will actually "pay" you to remove your lawn? If you have been thinking about taking it out and going more "native", you may want to contact your local water district and see if you would be entitled to some money. Approx. 50% of the water used at each household, goes for landscaping, with lawns being the biggest consumer of all. You will cut back on your water use, save money and have a beautiful garden at the same time.

If your lawn mower kicks out unexpectedly and won't restart check the spark plug. If your mower vibrates a lot it can be easy for the spark plug to dislodge which will kill the mower.1117

If your lawn mower kicks out unexpectedly and won't restart check the spark plug. If your mower vibrates a lot it can be easy for the spark plug to dislodge which will kill the mower.

Do you know how important it is to have bees? Without them there would be no apples, blueberries, strawberries, chocolate (Yes, I said that), almonds, melons and the list of produce goes on and on. We need more...1115

Do you know how important it is to have bees? Without them there would be no apples, blueberries, strawberries, chocolate (Yes, I said that), almonds, melons and the list of produce goes on and on. We need these guys to pollinate plants that provide us with food but they are having a difficult time these days doing their jobs. You can help by not using pesticides in your garden & provide plants that they love to visit.

Do you like to grow plants in containers? The selection for the pot is crucial to the success for the plant to be healthy. You can use glazed ceramic, metal, thick clay & plastic pots but they retain more more...1033

Do you like to grow plants in containers? The selection for the pot is crucial to the success for the plant to be healthy. You can use glazed ceramic, metal, thick clay & plastic pots but they retain more water than terra cotta, so don't overwater them. Terra cotta allows plants to "breathe" and they won't drown in soggy soil. Just remember they do dry out more quickly, especially in direct sunlight & do have to be checked often during the hot summer months.

If you live in the southern California area and would like to know where you could travel and see wonderful displays of wildflowers, there is a great resource for this. The Theo. Payne Foundation has a more...1031

If you live in the southern California area and would like to know where you could travel and see wonderful displays of wildflowers, there is a great resource for this. The Theo. Payne Foundation has a Wildflower "Hotline" on their website that is continously updated with the locations. http://bit.ly/CvSfG

If you love to garden but don't want to use toxic chemicals for weed control, consider using natural horticultural vinegar. The acid rate is 20% higher than traditional vinegars and will kill those weeds. more...976

If you love to garden but don't want to use toxic chemicals for weed control, consider using natural horticultural vinegar. The acid rate is 20% higher than traditional vinegars and will kill those weeds. It's safer for your garden, yourself, your pets and wildlife because there is no exposure to any harmful toxins.

If you would like to replace your traditional lawn with more sustainable natives but still want "grass", here is list of suggestions from "The American Meadow Garden". Acorus Agrostis hallii Agrostis more...951

If you would like to replace your traditional lawn with more sustainable natives but still want "grass", here is list of suggestions from "The American Meadow Garden". Acorus Agrostis hallii Agrostis pallens anthoxanthum odoratum Bouteloua gracilis Buchloe dactyloides distichlis spicata Festuca Poa arachnifera Poa compressa

You are what you eat! Forget fad diets. Become healthy, change what you eat, change the world. Banish food miles, reduce your carbon footprint, visit the supermarket much less, save money. Use your own space to more...594

You are what you eat! Forget fad diets. Become healthy, change what you eat, change the world. Banish food miles, reduce your carbon footprint, visit the supermarket much less, save money. Use your own space to grow food - it can be in pots and tubs in small spaces ... on balconies, or in your own backyard, maybe your front yard too. Join with your neighbors, exchange any surplus. Do this, and you will truly know HOW TO SURVIVE.

Gophers are the scourge for any garderner and there are many opinions on how to manage the problem. Other than having a vegetable garden where this suggestion wouldn't work, make your own "gopher" cages. I more...568

Gophers are the scourge for any garderner and there are many opinions on how to manage the problem. Other than having a vegetable garden where this suggestion wouldn't work, make your own "gopher" cages. I have a native plant garden and I knew that the gophers would ruin my plants that I put into it if I wasn't proactive. That decision resulted in making cages from chicken wire to surround the root ball of each one gallon plant that went into the garden and each plant thrived.

Clay garden soil is not all bad. Clay soil is often rich and fertile and may be quite good for certain kinds of plants. Unfortunately, clay has a few major problems. The first is poor drainage. A related more...559

Clay garden soil is not all bad. Clay soil is often rich and fertile and may be quite good for certain kinds of plants. Unfortunately, clay has a few major problems. The first is poor drainage. A related problem is poor oxygenation. There are few air pockets in clay, which means the roots don't get the air they need. Clay is also too dense for good root penetration. Because of all of these issues, amending clay soil is better than using it as it is.

Cats can be a problem in a garden by using it as their personal potty place and it's difficult to discourage them from the practice once they get started. Try this and see what happens. It just might work more...532

Cats can be a problem in a garden by using it as their personal potty place and it's difficult to discourage them from the practice once they get started. Try this and see what happens. It just might work for you. Take very small containers such as baby food jars or yogurt containers and put them into a hole with the soil just up to the rim and then fill with household ammonia. Cats hate the smell of it and that should discourage them from making anymore "deposits"!