An empty greenhouse stands beckoning in your yard, waiting to be stocked with plants, but you aren’t sure what plants to choose. Don’t allow yourself to go into “brain freeze”. Starting asking questions: Do you fill your greenhouse with orchids, other flowering plants, fruiting vines, cactuses, herbs, vegetables, or even small fruit trees? There are […]

August is back-to-school time. For an increasing number of children, school will involve gardening. But they need the help of experienced gardeners—especially those who know what to do with a cold frame. School gardens are one kind of volunteer project that Master Gardener volunteers like me often help with. Experience has shown that there’s a […]

In this year of epic drought in the West, conscientious gardeners collect dish-washing rinse water for their plants. They take showers with buckets around their feet to catch any excess. And in many communities, if they use a hose, gardeners are mandated to deliver water by hand. Statistics show that hand irrigation can be more […]