Home Ground Launch Day May 14, 2022
Home Ground Habitats Nursery Tour Register now for our Launch Day Tour Date & Time: May 14, 2022 from 10 AM to 4 PM This outdoor event features:...
Collecting Seeds
As a propagator, I often try different approaches to germinating seeds of certain species. Sometimes I get such a definitely positive response to...
Seeds: Save or Share?
The only seed I’m still collecting now that the rainy season has begun, is from Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia); I’m picking handfuls of bright red,...
Dreaming of California Truffles
I’m quick when it comes to spotting potentially edible foods in the wild; partly from lots of reading about California flora, and how the native...
Poison Oak and Its Relatives
A native plant that we all know (or certainly should!) is Poison Oak (Toxicodendron diversilobium) because it is so widespread in the Bay Area. Many...
Two Redbuds
Early in March, the Redbud is ready to burst into bloom; the beautiful zig-zagging tracery of its branches soon to be disguised in a cloud of pink...
Managing Compostables for a Healthier Ecosystem
From November through February my chipper pile grows steadily bigger. I begin cutting back perennial plants and shrubs as the fall blooming...
Thinking About Weeds and Wildflowers
Micro-Habitats; Knowing Your Land My husband and I live on a south facing hillside situated above the Novato Creek floodplains; it’s a beautiful,...
The Family Asclepiadaceae
The genus name, Asclepias, derives from the Greek god and healer, Asclepios. The Roman god of healing and medicine was named Aesculapius, and there...
The Other Monarchs on our Hill
In early October, I’m monitoring larvae in all stages on the narrow-leaf milkweed that grows in several large stands on my property. But Monarchs...
Our “Torties”: California Tortoiseshell Butterflies
I’m seeing more California Tortoiseshells (Nymphalis californica) than usual; it’s a high population year for these butterflies! During the summer...
An Ode to Elderberries
Elderberries and Other Native Fruits of Summer California native plants provided a rich and varied diet for the native peoples; this is a flora of...