Napa

What makes a berry a berry? Recently, the host of a new cooking show asked if a cranberry (the key ingredient in a cooking challenge) was really a berry. Her question piqued my curiosity. Although I like berries, my attention to them is usually limited to their use as a yogurt topping or dessert.

Hi, my name is Wanda/Willie Red Wiggler Worm (Eisenia fetida), and I live in a worm bin. The bin is cared for by a local garden lover who uses the end product to fertilize her plants.

I went to the Santa Cruz farmers market last week and meandered over to a plant stand. Someone was selling lemon balm in a pot for four dollars. Why would anyone pay for one of those? I mused out loud. I have hundreds I would gladly give away.

Fascination with gardens can be traced to the earliest stirrings of civilization.

For many years I've heard about carpenter bees, but this year my relationship with these amazing bees became close and personal. On one side of our 100-year-old house is a peach tree that stands about seven feet tall in summer. The trunk curls around in a pleasing shape.

Here is this week's plant quiz: What plant genus has square branches, comes in an enormous variety of sizes and flower types and is drought tolerant once established? The answer is Salvia, a large group whose members we commonly refer to as sages.

Napa County home gardeners are fortunate to have a variety of gardening resources at their fingertips. The UC Master Gardeners of Napa County website has a lot of helpful information if you know where to look. Check out the website at https://napamg.ucanr.

As an ergonomic consultant, I have worked with businesses whose employees perform a lot of tasks requiring manual dexterity. Construction sites, wineries and high-tech clean rooms are good examples. Almost without exception, these workplaces present situations that require gloves.

I love propagating plants and I have used several methods with success. As I walk around my garden, I can see the results of this pastime. Some of my propagating efforts have grown into full-size plants.

One of the great pleasures of gardening is the reward and satisfaction of walking among your plants and seeing the unique way you have displayed your horticultural talents. A garden is a gift you give to yourself as well as to all those who take the time to appreciate your handiwork.