Sprawling oaks and sycamores aren’t suited for small urban lots, but several other native trees are good candidates. Some to consider for patio and street trees are the heat-loving desert willow (Chilopsis linearis) with its rosy-pink blooms; shiny-leaved Catalina cherry (Prunus ilicifolia ssp lyonii) with white flowers followed by red berries; western redbud (Cercis occidentalis) with deep […]
The Importance of Insects in Our Gardens By Valorie Shatynski November 2023 Most of us enjoy the sight of a butterfly flitting and lilting from blossom to blossom in our garden, but what about those less glamorous insects and other garden critters? Why should we not only tolerate spiders, pill bugs, aphids, bees or […]
California native plants a waterwise option right under our noses BY LUCY WARREN (This article originally appeared in the San Diego Union-Tribune September 9, 2023) As gardeners, we are drawn to the latest, brightest varieties of thirsty, exotic species for our gardens, always chasing the new and unusual. As our world heats up with climate change, […]
Getting rid of sod takes effort, patience, but the low-water rewards are worth it BY LINDA BERRY STEWART San Diego is paradise. Warm days, no snow, minimal frost, and an average of 146 sunny days surrounded by 117 partly sunny days. That leaves only 84 days without some sun. Not counting this weird spring, we live […]
By Joan Herskowitz Creating a garden hospitable to birds is not only a personally gratifying connection with nature and opportunity to beautify the home environment, it is also important for sustaining resident and migratory bird populations. Due to habitat loss, native plant gardening is important for maintaining biodiversity. Doug Tallamy, ecologist and author, writes that […]
