Why do oaks drop more acorns some years and not others? If you have live or walk amongst an oak woodland you know what I’m talking about. Oak trees are the foundation of the landscape here in the foothills, providing food and shelter for squirrels, scrub jays, and acorn woodpeckers that store acorns for food.…
Wow! Butterflies love these plants! Grow any of these for instant results and each is matched with the perfect plant combinations for color and growing conditions. Many are easy to grow from seed! Butterfly Bush, Buddleia Butterfly bush is a full sized bush, 8-10′ tall, that’s covered in butterflies all summer long. An easy-care shrub,…
Foothill area history, discovered… The question was, ‘Does anyone know anything about this map?’ Found at a thrift shop or on eBay, I can’t remember, I put this map in a frame in 2005, and loved how it provided a context to the setting of our new home in the foothills. The map clearly shows Bass…
The stately sycamore With slanted and twisted trunks and mottled bark, the California Sycamore is a majestic curiosity. For me, this stately native marks nature’s cycle with beauty and grace and also reminds me of my childhood. Sycamore! I love this tree and grew up with one next to our lawn in suburbia. I used to volunteer to rake…
Call of the Wild! Attention, Four Wheel drivers… The view from the top of Bald Mountain, looking down on Shaver Lake is astonishing and awe-inspiring. The summit where the fire lookout stands is one of the highest places you can drive in the Sierra National Forest! Check out our four wheeling day up on Bald Mountain and the directions…
Attracting Hummingbirds to the garden… Plant a hummingbird garden and they will come! Lure them right into your own garden with a proper feeder or this list of plants so that you can enjoy them. Be sure to keep binoculars and a zoom camera handy. Hiding behind the drapery may become a habit when you begin attract these living ‘flowers’…
The Week that Was: My story of the 2015 Willow Fire I heard the news online and called my husband, Tractor Man to come look. We could see a column of smoke at the far end of the valley two miles away.. This would become the 5,700-acre 2015 Willow Fire, which began at 2:30 pm on…
Heavenly tombstones: Fun with Gold Country geology Field Trip! Have you ever seen these distinctive rocks on the back roads of the Sierra foothills? As you drive through the back roads of Gold Country on the west side of Hwy 49, you will see unique rocks that appear to be grave or tombstones. They are…
An easy tool to find CA native plants for you! Just enter your address into this database and all the CA native plants that are perfect for your garden are displayed with photos and descriptions. It’s easy and fun! Despite the wettest winter in five years, California remains in a drought which is motivating many…
Yosemite Nature Notes Yosemite Nature Notes is a video podcast series that tells unique stories about the natural and human history of Yosemite National Park. Produced by the National Park Service, this series features park rangers, scientists, historians and park visitors as they discuss the diverse plants and animals that make Yosemite their home, as…
Besides, talking bee and butterfly plants and using less pesticides at the last Garden Workshop in Oakhurst the other Sunday, I demonstrated how to make a garden apron from Tractor Man’s old jeans,… …in two minutes! It’s easy to make a garden apron from an old pair of jeans. You just need to know how…
Part 1-The whys and hows Working along with nature Instead of planting in the Spring and having to water your plants all through the Summer, why not rely on Nature to water them for you? Planting in the Fall, providing water just at the start, will allow the plants to establish deep roots before the…
Looking into the Sierra Foothill’s past Generations ago —women would gather at these spots to grind their acorn meats. “That’s where they would go get to work. That’s their kitchen — they would keep that very clean,” “You’ll find different holes at different depths. Traditionally, they like a shallower hole to pound the acorn flour.…
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…
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…
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…
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…
