Chiles’ spicy heritage is a lesson in how to flourish By Julio Estrada (This article originally appeared in the June 13 edition of the San Diego Union-Tribune) Some folks call it a short circuit; I prefer to think of it as “associative thinking,” a gloriously nonlinear way of processing the universe where a single spark […]
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 […]
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 Lynn O’Shaughnessy and Sharon Reeve (This article originally appeared in the November/December edition of California Garden) Do you ever gaze at your front or backyard and wish it looked like one of those luscious photos in a garden magazine? Plenty of us surely feel that way, here is the good news: Getting from blah […]
By Vince McGrath, UCCE Master Gardener of San Diego County Several years ago, the mantra for San Diego homeowners was “Toss the Turf!” The reason was to stop wasting water that we did nothave on water-guzzling lawns. Water agencies were asking their customers to restrict water usage. The newer catch phrase was “Be water wise.”We […]
