Garden

Pinch chrysanthemums back to 6 inches every month through July. Trim dead flowers but not leaves, from spring bulbs. Mulch cane berries, cut out all old canes and reset new canes in twine. Cultivate and pull weed seedling now to prevent bloom.

Let us help you with your gardening and horticulture questions, and learn from our classes, presentations, and newsletters.

Erik Mclean, Unsplash Water new plants frequently, especially during hot, dry weather. Wet the root ball directly; avoid ponding water around the trunk and avoid wetting the trunk. Allow the soil surface to dry between waterings.

It's easy to invite bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other welcomed winged visitors into the garden. Just provide the food, water, and shelter they need to feel at home. This is called habitat gardening, and it's a satisfying way to choose plants.

Be sure to grow what you and your family like to eat. Marie Narlock It's possible to eat fresh from the garden all year long in Marin. Doing so takes a fair amount of planning. Here's how to determine which crops will suit your climate, space, and palate.

Click on image to view or print full pdf Climate change refers to long-term alterations in our average weather patterns. Human activities, primarily fossil fuel burning, have increased greenhouse gas levels in Earths atmosphere. Greenhouse gasses trap heat.

Alstroemeria aurea 'Saturne'. Photo: Wikimedia Commons Perennials are flowering plants that live longer than two seasons. Some are evergreen; others die back at the end of the flowering season and then regrow from the same roots the following year. Perennials are dependable and easy.

Create new planting areas by sheet mulching over weed patches or unwanted lawn. Photo: Courtesy UC Regents Maintenance and prevention Mulch bare soil to hold in moisture, keep out weeds, and prevent compaction by hard rains. Clean up the garden before the rains begin.

Here are recommended tools and basic pruning techniques for maintaining the health of a plant and for accentuating key attributes, such as leaves, bark, branch structure, flowers, fruit, or other desirable characteristics. Bypass pruners or shears BYPASS SHEARS Bypass shears are like scissors.

Compost benefits the garden as well as the environment. Photo: Pixabay.com The process of composting is good for your garden and for the environment. Home composting allows gardeners to recycle organic material while conserving landfill space and reducing reliance on fossil fuel.