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 […]
A look at soil, plant choices, erosion and fire risk By Michael Harrelson (This article was originally published in the March 14, 2026 edition of the San Diego Union-Tribune) From its 70 miles of coastline to the 43 square miles of open desert in Borrego Springs, San Diego County’s topography is widely varied, […]
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. […]
