Happy is the meadow planter

First weeks of Fall in the Sierra foothills The season has changed in the foothills around Oakhurst. The fierce heat…

11 years ago

Straw Bale gardening in the Sierra foothills: Harvest

Harvesting the straw bale garden I call this experiment a success!   After reading and reviewing the book Straw Bale Gardens…

11 years ago

Manzanitas are not filled with fire popping sap

The Highly Valued Manzanita Manzanitas are typical and beautiful Chaparral plants in the Sierra foothills.  They, and the chaparral as…

11 years ago

Planting in an old wicker chair

I’m a fan of this chair! Take a couple old pieces of junk and transform them into into a tiny…

11 years ago

Kerckhoff, camping and blackberries

Testing,...both camping and blackberries... I did something today that I've wanted to do for years! Picked blackberries at Kerckhoff Lake. …

11 years ago

Deer in the foothills

Some of our deer friends... I still like the deer better than any one plant.  They are the best sort…

11 years ago

Why hate the beautiful Bull pine?

Myths and facts about the Sierra Foothills Bull pine From the time we moved into the mountains, I heard from…

11 years ago

Summer progress on the straw bale garden

Part Two: Summer In May, Tractor Man and I lugged four bales of hay down our slope and set them…

11 years ago

Tim and Barbara’s ‘ideal’ Foothill garden: One year later

Tim and Barbara's garden, one year later If you remember, Tim and Barbara Fruehe of Oakhurst, CA, renovated their entire…

11 years ago

Planting Dudleya in brick

Canyon Live-forever or Rock Lettuce, Dudleya cymosa, is a great California native for containers.  This container is a brick found…

11 years ago

Garden history: Gardens by the Season

I learned Latin names of plants from my mother at an early age and become a logophile, a lover of…

11 years ago

Trying out straw bale garden

A Straw Bale Garden?  Sure, I love experiments! Recently I decided to try the technique called straw bale gardening, after…

12 years ago

Our good Sierra foothill soil

Our 'bad' soil...? I get comments all the time from discouraged local gardeners about 'our bad soil' in the Oakhurst,…

12 years ago

Rainy Spring Walk with Maggie

On a rainy day in April, I still take Maggie for her daily walk in the garden.  It's not cold…

12 years ago

Secrets for weed free garden

One year of seeds brings seven years of weeds! Three things will make your life easier when it comes to…

12 years ago

Changes at Sierra Foothill Garden

Hello! Just wanted all my blog followers to know that I have switched from Wordpress.com to Wordpress.org and now my…

12 years ago

Grow the 7 most profitable vegetables in your garden

Sowing smart! What vegetables can you grow this year to save the most money at the grocery store? Yields per…

12 years ago

What to do in Winter in the Sierra foothills garden

Plant sweet peas. Between rains you can plant sweet peas along a fence or trellis.  It’s amazing how sturdy the…

12 years ago