Portrait of an Empress, August in the Garden & North State Calendar of Regional Gardening Events

I never did get a get picture of her. Not a drive-by snap shot, not a proper portrait. Despite regularly remarking on how lovely she was. And now that she’s gone – with the others – I go out of… Continue Reading

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Unity of Opposites: July in the Garden & North State Calendar of Gardening Events

“I hear my mother calling when the summer wind blows, Go out into the garden in your old, old clothes…” Rosemary Wells, “First Tomato” The garden in the height of summer is a source of deep comfort for me despite… Continue Reading

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June in the Garden & North State Calendar of Gardening Events

Sometimes I’m really organized as a gardener and sometimes I’m just not. Take for instance the deadheading that is now in progress among my early summer blooming perennials – sometimes I get everything in order in advance: I get my… Continue Reading

March in the Garden & North State Calendar of Gardening Events

PHOTO: Native Salvia dorrii, in bloom at Gateway Science Museum’s Native Plant Pollinator Garden. The garden has received no supplemental water since November of 2013. It never seems to fail that despite plenty to do in the garden in January… Continue Reading

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Walk This Way: Wild Food Wanders with Wolfgang Rougle

Local farmer, author and wild food advocate Wolfgang Rougle will join up with Slow Food Shasta Cascade to offer two upcoming walks open to the public in Chico’s Lower Bidwell Park in the coming weeks. PHOTO: Delicious and nutrient-rich miner’s… Continue Reading

December 2013 & North State Calendar of Gardening Events

It is the eve of December. The first frosts arrived on the valley floor only recently, but multiple hard frosts that will knock our tender plants down is in the forecast for the coming week. The air is crisp, the… Continue Reading

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September’s Seeds for a New Season & North State Calendar of Gardening Events

Photo: Oak leaves turning colors with the season. The beginning signs of a change in seasons – such as the falling acorns of last week, always seem to precipitate a bout of nostalgia in me – a longing look back… Continue Reading

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A Mast Year? The Form and Function of the Iconic Acorn

Photo: Acorn from a blue oak, or blue oak hybrid (Quercus douglasii). Note the stout, rounded body of the acorn and the well-fitted cap. Who doesn’t love an acorn? Who can resist bending over to pick up a fresh acorn… Continue Reading