October 2025 – Master Gardener Association of San Diego County

Hillsides and How to Tame Them

October 29, 2025Drip Irrigation, Hillsides, Irrigation, Native Grass, Slopes

By Cindy Bruecks On our Master Gardener Hotline, we often get questions about hillside management: “I just took out the ice plant on my slope, and I’m wondering what I should do next? What to plant? See my photo.” It helps to step back and consider what are the issues when planting on a hillside. […]

The truths, and the myths, about ravens in the garden

October 11, 2025Birds, Corvids, Crows, Pests, Ravens

By Michael Harrelson (This article originally appeared in the October 11, 2025 edition of the San Diego Union-Tribune) The narrator of Edgar Allen Poe’s poem, The Raven, struggles to deal with the loss of his love, Lenore, and is haunted by her death. The presence of a raven at his window adds a sinister element […]