Our huge Agave bloomed. In After 11 happy years in our yard, our Agave -- which I thought was a Mr. Ripple but is some kind of Mexican Agave hybrid with rippled edges -- started its shoot last spring. Agave flowering stalks are habitat heavens, so we watched the wildlife parade come through. It …
Garden Takeaways at Season’s End
It’s finally cooled down here in California and fall is a great time to reflect on what’s done well and what hasn’t in our yards. And also ponder what we might do differently. In Southern California - unlike in the Midwest where I grew up - there’s no rest for the weary since fall through winter are …
Habitat Gardening (Part 2): Butterflies, Moths, Flies and Favorite Plants
My last article on habitat gardening introduced some basics and exciting things I learned about beneficial insects in gardens. This was after attending an all-day Habitat Gardening workshop given by Frederique Lavoipierre, Director of Education at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. This column …
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Habitat Gardening: Resources
These are resources recommended by Frederique Lavoipierre, Director of Education at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden to accompany my two Habitat Gardening articles - Part 1 (Beneficial Insects) and Part 2 (Butterflies, Bees, Flies and Favorite Plants) ‘Bee Basics – An Introduction to …
Habitat Gardening (Part 1) – Insects are Good!
I recently attended an all-day workshop on Habitat Gardening that covered our birds and butterflies and pollinators. It also focused on how to welcome beneficial insects to combat pests, therefore avoiding the use of pesticides. Led by Frederique Lavoipierre, Director of Education at the Santa …
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Tapping Beneficial Insects to Combat Pests (Including the Asian Citrus Psyllid)
Add plant diversity to your gardens. Also make sure you have flowering plants year-round. Those are key recommendations of ecologists for enlisting natural predators to combat pests in our garden and orchards. These tips can even help ward off pests such as the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), which …