Author Archives: Kathy Ikeda

How many times have you wandered into your garden on a cool weekend morning, only to discover telltale slime trails, holes chewed in the leaves of just-planted ornamentals, or vegetable seedlings chewed to the ground? Or worse yet, walked unsuspectingly down a pathway only to smash a slimy slug or crunch a juicy snail beneath [...]

Lavender is one of the most beloved and oft-used plants in the history of human civilization, and its name has become synonymous with a light shade of purple. Nowadays, its delicate foliage and beautiful, distinctively scented flowers make it a garden favorite. The genus name of lavenders, Lavandula, means “to wash” in Greek. Known for [...]

This spring season promises to be a glorious time to enjoy the outdoors. Drought-stressed plants have been rejuvenated, and their blooms should be spectacular. Yet despite last winter’s unusual deluge of rain, water conservation should continue to be a priority for all Californians, both in the home and in the garden. We’re fortunate to have [...]

Spring is almost upon us, and with the season comes a rush of new plant growth and the urge to spend time in our gardens. Although fertilizer might seem a dry topic, give it some thought before you visit your favorite nursery. Fertilizing plants is often equated with “feeding” them, but plants produce their own [...]

Earthworms. They’re so small and seemingly insignificant that we hardly give them a second thought. These squirmy denizens of the dirt usually go about their lives unseen—they’re revealed to us only when upturned in a shovelful of soil or when stranded on pavement after a drenching rain. (Worms crawl out of the ground during heavy [...]

With the arrival of drenching fall rainstorms, soils are replenished with moisture and mushrooms pop up with abandon, seemingly overnight. “Are they bad?” you ask. The answer: it depends. There are more than 100,000 species of fungi worldwide. Approximately 10 percent of them cause plant diseases, while only one-tenth of a percent are harmful to [...]

A persimmon tree in fall is a splendid sight. Its leaves turn vibrant shades of yellow, orange, and red, and once they drop the decorative, bright orange fruits remain hanging from the bare branches like well-placed ornaments. The two most common persimmon varieties, and one lesser-known one, are: Fuyu: The medium-sized, flattened fruits of this [...]

Crisp cool air and shorter daylight hours are harbingers of one of Nature’s most spectacular gifts: leaves in all their autumn glory. Fall is a welcome time of transition, when hot temperatures subside and foliage slowly transitions from the vibrant greens of summer to hues such as yellow, gold, orange, red, burgundy, and purple. Although [...]

Some people have a magical touch and homes overflowing with thriving greenery; others just can’t seem to keep an indoor plant alive. Even if you’re cursed with a “black thumb,” there’s still hope. Houseplants are incredibly diverse, and although some come from climate zones like ours, most popular species are native to warm, humid, tropical [...]

This coming Sunday, September 4 is National Wildlife Day. While this name might conjure up images of animals living in pristine natural areas and parks far from home, wildlife can (and should) be an important component of our gardens. The San Joaquin Valley used to support vast herds of tule elk, sky-darkening flocks of migratory [...]