Locating a local landmark 7 Rock is a landmark referred to in the coverage of the recent Willow Fire, smoldering now, as this is written. Just where is 7 rock? ‘7 Rock’ is a granite formation surrounded by green pine trees, high on a mountain in the Sierra national Forest. It can be found when…
What I’m REALLY doing in the garden…last day of June I just came in from an hour out in the garden! Yep, from 6:30am to now, I puttered in the garden doing what I call ‘watering as needed.’ Lamb’s ears are a good ‘indicator plant’ for watering and when this VERY hardy plant droops, you…
Just came in from the garden,…perfect day to be out there, especially with my camera. There was really nice, even lighting. Come see what I’m doing in the garden and what is blooming now in June. I’ve been trimming the lower branches off oaks and manzanita, …I’ll pull all that ivy, (from 1 4″ pot!)…
Half the year is over and in the garden I’m walking around taking stock. June usually means the real riotous bloom of the Iris, fruit trees and bulbs is dying down. Now the dry garden can be the spotlight. Our climate is very close to that of the Mediterranean. We can grow all the plants…
A new column,”Sierra Foothill Gardener,” is debuting in today’s edition of the Sierra Star. Written by Sue Langley of North Fork, the column will provide valuable and informative gardening tips and ideas for Sierra Star and sierrastar.com readers. Langley was a member of the Oakhurst Mountain Laurel Garden Club for six years, serving as president…
“What’s blooming Wednesday” In the Sierra foothills, after the blues, of Lupine, Vetch and Blue dicks, the early Spring wildflowers: The blues, come the yellows and whites of April. Have you seen these? All over the roadsides now you’ll see blooming Elderberry bushes, with lemony white umbrel (Umbrella) shaped flowers. have you wondered about them?…
This Year’s Veg Garden Experiment: The last two years have been straw bale gardens with great success! This year, there is still so much straw that I decided to see how the tomatoes and peppers would do in the remnants of composted soil and leftover straw. When observing the garden for the first time after…
Driving the foothills: Stopping and turning around…. We had to stop and turn around to photograph this field of Lupine, Vetch and Blue dicks under the oaks growing thickly in a patch. Iridescent blues just glowed here in a flowery show right next to the roadside not far from our home near Oakhurst. To encourage…
In a series of Then and Now photos, it’s satisfying to look back nostalgically to see how far we have come. Bought in 2000, and in a completely natural area, we’ve striven to preserve the beauty of our 7 acres near the Sierra foothills of California, as we make a place for ourselves in this beautiful spot.…
A Winter walk-around What’s blooming? What’s happening? A walk through my garden just before Winter begins. First off, the patio has been cleared of summer projects, tools, soil and extra containers! I’ve put three sugar cones in three pots to act as a winter centerpiece for the table and all the cushions are in the…
Celebrating a fine nursery… Have you been here? I hope so! We are very fortunate to have a nursery nearby that purchases and grows plants that are perfect for our foothill gardens. Besides having a wide variety of California native and drought tolerant Mediterranean plants, Bonnie Bladen, her husband Ray Laclergue and their staff are…
October in the foothill garden Walking around the garden here in the foothills of Central California, I feel we’re really nearing the end of the gardening season. I’m tired. Tired of watering and ready to rake everything, gather up the rest of the clippings, neaten the garden and come in for some rainy days. I…
Now, is the time to plan Your meadow can be large or small …or even in a container, and the first step is to get you area as weed free as possible, and raked smooth. My garden is in the Oakhurst area, just like you! See how to ‘get’ your meadow! Weed and Rake Do…
In our third year of drought in the Sierra foothills, we search for ways to allow our gardens to survive. Here, you’ll see how to make your garden thrive! Learn which plants to grow, how to water and how to preserve that water once it’s in the soil. Included is a print and keep ‘ideal’…
What happens if you don’t trim lavender? You all may know I like garden experiments. For the last two years I’ve been experimenting with my Spanish lavender field and NOT trimming the blooms off. This is the field a week ago that I’ve not trimmed OR watered and as I went up to inspect, I…
November’s first rains start the season I call Clouds and Light. After months of brilliant blue, sunny skies, the weather and wildlife are the stars of the show… The garden is buttoned up, the last of the garden’s produce picked and there is a rest for the gardener, finally. With the Peckinpah Ridge as the…
How to clean a bird bath in twelve photos Keeping a birdbath sparkling clean is easy and it’s worth a bit of effort to keep your wild birds happy and healthy. Algae may be a natural thing, but it’s not attractive when your bird bath is within sight of your windows like you want it. …
In 2000, we moved from the city to the country of California in the Sierra foothills near Bass Lake. For five years, I planned the decoration of my dream, a casual camp-style ranch house on a pretty steep slope. In February 2004, the building began and that August we moved into our trailer to wait for…
