The Real Dirt

A short drive around Chico will reveal that lawn is a prominent landscape feature for the majority of homes. Yet we seldom see people outside using their front lawns. Maintaining a lawn just to view wastes time, energy, water and money.

We have endured multiple years of drought, and are probably in store for more. For many of us, it makes sense to replace all or part of our lawn area with less water-intensive plantings.

Do you associate vegetable gardening with the heat of summer, like fireworks on the Fourth of July or the drone of air conditioners on an August afternoon?

Does growing a vegetable garden sound like something you'd like to do, but you don't feel equipped? So, here's the deal. Find some dirt, and then plant. It's that simple. If you want to grow food, the first step is to find some dirt. Consider the usable ground you have. Take a look around.

A new season of Master Gardener Workshops is underway! The series kicked off with Fall Vegetable and Seed Starting on August 23, and will conclude on December 6 with Gardening for a Lifetime. In all, this Fall Series totals 18 workshops, covering eleven all-new topics and seven important basics.