What is Hydrozoning and How Does it Work? Question: I’ve heard the word “hydrozoning” – what is it and how does it work? Answer: Hydrozoning is key for a healthy garden. Here’s why: Last month in “Dig It!” we provided a guide for assessing the effectiveness of home landscape irrigation in relation to optimizing plant […]
Working with California’s new ‘Zone Zero’ home fire safety perimeter By Susan Pransky (This article originally appeared in the May 9, 2026 edition of the Union-Trubune) Did you know that an exceptionally large percentage of home ignitions during wildfires are caused by embers landing near a structure? And that these flying embers can come from […]
Matilija Poppy: California’s Spectacular Fire-Following Flower By Kathy McKee, UC Master Gardener, San Diego (This article originally appeared in the May / June edition of California Gardens Magazine) Few plants capture the drama of the California landscape quite like the Matilija poppy. Striking in its display of large “fried egg” blossoms and deeply tied to […]
The Dilemma of Peat By Michael Harrelson The efficacy of using peat as a soil amendment for home gardeners may very well depend on where you live. There is no argument that peat increases soil viability and improves crop yields. Soil scientists estimate that one acre of harvested peat can account for 270,000,000 tons of […]
