Our Journal

In case you nearly missed it, we’re just reaching the end of California Poppy season! This is Eschscholzia californica, California’s state flower and a familiar roadside weed. Plants reach only 1-2 feet tall, and they grow well without water or fertilizer in the Bay Area. Orange is the most common color, but you can find them in many shades, including red, pink, pale yellow, and even white. You sometimes hear that it is illegal to cut our state flower, but that’s not exactly true. State law says you need permission to remove / sell…

Our client asked us to come up with a solution for this sad slope between a fence and a sidewalk. Over time, soil can wash away or become too compacted to accept irrigation. Then you’re left with a steep slope with poor soil and just a few plants hanging on. One solution would be to take out everything and start over with concrete retaining walls, a new irrigation system, and lots of new plants, but that can add up to an expensive project for such an out-of-the-way area. We took a more economical approach, performing a tune-up…

We expect colorful flowers in spring and summer and vibrant, fiery leaves in fall. But what about winter? After the holiday decorations are gone, what will provide color? Never fear, winter bloomers are here! Camellias are tough, reliable shrubs with spectacular winter flowers in red, white, and all shades of pink. Easy to grow in the Bay Area. Rosemary’s Latin name means dew of the sea – and this tough little plant will thrive and bloom even on seaside cliffs. Choose from creeping and upright varieties. Hellebores are …

The term mulch applies to any material that is spread on top of the soil to retain moisture and discourage weeds. Mulches may be inorganic (gravel based) or organic (plant based). In most cases, plant-based mulch is best for planting beds. It breaks down naturally and acts as a slow-release fertilizer for the soil. It looks and acts just like the forest floor! Popular organic mulches include redwood bark, shredded cedar, and dyed wood (made from shredded pallets). Arbor chips (wood chips made from trees that have been run…

Ginkgo biloba is the only living tree species that shared the planet with dinosaurs. The fossil record shows they’ve been around for 200 million years, and there’s something prehistoric-looking about their flat, fan-shaped leaves. They unfurl a bright green color in spring, stay green all summer, and then in fall turn the most brilliant gold. Every leaf on the tree changes to exactly the same color, and they all drop within a few weeks of each other, giving the impression of a shower of gold. Tough and disease resistant, these make…