Winter Blooming Pink-flowering Currant

Pink-flowering Currant, Ribes sanguineum

This deciduous California native offers a show of pink pendants that is simply spectacular this time of year. Resident hummingbirds and honeybees benefit from the early flowers that supply a nectar source. The berries that come later in the season are edible, although a bit tart for my palette.   

According to Bernstein, Fross & O’Brien in California Native Plants for the Garden, “Currants and gooseberries are an excellent choice for gardeners who want to attract birds. Their shrubby form provides avian shelter, and their small berries appeal to

Companion Planting for Edible Gardens

In high school environmental science class, I remember having an “ah-ha!” moment when learning about the different relationships between organisms. There was “mutualism”, which occurred when both organisms benefited from one another (also called symbiosis), “commensalism”, where one organism benefited from the relationship and the other was indifferent, “parasitism” where one

Ten Backyard Tips from Pluck and Feather Farm

Growing your own food and raising animals is challenging, fun and greatly rewarding. If you have never done it before and are inspired to start your own backyard farm, here are ten tips to get you started.

1. Prepare yourself for the adventure of trial and error.
2. Make sure you can make the time commitment. How much time depends on how big your space and how much you take on. General rule of thumb: start small and start simple.

Charting the Rains

Here comes the rain, again. The 2^nd and 3^rd grade students at the Pacific Community Charter School began tracking rainfall in October with the first rain of the season. Each week two students check to see how much water is in the gauge and then take that information back into the classroom for sharing (not much to share during this past dry spell!).

Each student plots the information on graphs kept in their garden journals. As one of the first graph projects for these student, they are

Tour Registration Open!

The 8th annual Garden Tour celebrates Bay-Friendly with a new crop of home gardens in Alameda, Napa and Santa Clara counties. Tours are scheduled for Sunday, May 1 in Napa, and Sunday, May 15 in Alameda and Santa Clara.

This year’s host gardens run the length of the Bay Area, from San Jose to Napa. They also

Planting Under Redwoods? It’s Easier Than You Might Think.

When my partner Hugo and I decided to move to the East Bay eight years ago, it was four towering coastal redwood trees (Sequoia sempervirens) that convinced us to put down an offer on a 1929 Tudor in Oakland’s Maxwell Park. We have fond memories of entering the home’s garden gate and looking skyward in amazement at the grove of trees that loomed over the 4,500-square foot lot. Not having even stepped inside the house, we were already sold.

Providing for Wildlife in Fremont

When asked how she created her teeming wildlife garden in Fremont, Kathleen McCabe-Martin answers simply, “I planted flowers and trees and shrubs that attract more wildlife.” She wanted to increase plant food sources and, she says, attract insects that could be food to birds. 

McCabe-Martin recognizes that wildlife includes not just charismatic animals, but humble ones as well. Small creatures, from soil microbes to pill bugs, are a vital part of any

Pruning – In the Beginning

Natural pruning

There is an underground organization called the Pruning Police or the PP. A common lament, “Oh, oh, here comes the PP, and they’re going to want to know why I just made that pruning cut.” 


Before you start, you need to know what your objective is in pruning—aesthetic, provide

A Mid-Winter’s Boost

Honeybees are out and about with pockets full of pollen, ribes are busting out with pretty pink blooms, daffodils are emerging—is spring already upon us? While many parts of the country are under snow, here we sit in the midst of our mid-winter ‘thaw’. This past weekend’s rain, and the calendar, is a reminder that it is indeed still winter. But that shouldn’t hinder our garden ambitions; there is still plenty to do.

The bramble cuts on my hands are testament to the fact that I’ve