Home & Garden

Sustainable Horticulture

There is no doubt about it: weeds are sustainable. Otherwise, they would not be weeds. By definition, they grow where they are undesirable. Less sustainable vegetation should be less invasive. Also, it should be less resistant to eradication than most familiar weeds are. [...]

Kitchen personalization

Kimberly Ewertz is a freelance writer for South Valley magazine and Gilroy Dispatch.
Kimberly Ewertz
Latest posts by Kimberly Ewertz (see all)
In today’s world, home delivery is not only a convenience—it’s essential, and Gilroy resident and entrepreneur Ann Marie McCauley of Lazy Suzan Designs has provided that convenience to her clients since 2005. “I felt it would be much lower overhead to do a mobile [...]

Growing vegetables in containers

Kate Russell is a UCCE Master Gardener in Santa Clara county.
Latest posts by Kate Russell (see all)
Radishes, beans, salad greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, garlic and many other edible plants can be grown in containers, given enough sunlight. Without enough light, plants will not produce a harvest. Plants use sunlight, or artificially created sunlight, to create sugars using [...]

Getting help in the garden

Kate Russell is a UCCE Master Gardener in Santa Clara county.
Latest posts by Kate Russell (see all)
Gone are the days of barn raisings and community grain harvests, but that doesn’t mean you have to do all your garden work by yourself.  Let’s face it—gardening is work. It’s work that we enjoy, certainly, but sometimes we need a helping hand. Knowing where to look [...]

Sunnyvale spotting of Asian gypsy moths has local gardeners worried

Kate Russell is a UCCE Master Gardener in Santa Clara county.
Latest posts by Kate Russell (see all)
Asian gypsy moths have just been spotted in Sunnyvale and officials are worried. You should be, too, because these invasive new pests can fly to the South Valley. A single Asian gypsy moth caterpillar can eat one square foot of foliage in a single day. Fruit and nut trees are [...]

Evaluate your home’s protection against embers

By Dwight Good Editor’s note: The recent wildfires, from Paicines to Morgan Hill, are a somber reminder that we live in a region that is susceptible to these devastating blazes. According to Cal Fire, the number of wildfires and acres burned so far this year in the state have [...]

Tips for a tranquil garden

Kate Russell is a UCCE Master Gardener in Santa Clara county.
Latest posts by Kate Russell (see all)
Your garden can be a bright, cheery, busy place, or it can provide the tranquility you need after a busy day. Transform your garden into a tranquil refuge with these easy tips: Keep it simple. Get rid of clutter. Remove plants that are not thriving. Use simple decorations. Leave [...]

Garden themes

Kate Russell is a UCCE Master Gardener in Santa Clara county.
Latest posts by Kate Russell (see all)
Avoid compacting your wet clay soil by staying indoors and planning a themed garden. Traditional garden themes include floral cottage gardens, manicured Renaissance gardens and classic kitchen gardens, with their successive plantings of vegetables, fruits and herbs. Garden [...]

Trees must be properly cared for during winter

Latest posts by Erik Chalhoub (see all)
Winter begins Dec. 21, which means it’s time to batten down the hatches. Homeowners should clear gutters of any debris, make sure their heating system is in top working order, and stock food and other supplies in the event of a power outage. But what about those trees in the [...]
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