Community

Gardens have different personalities.

 Spring is in the air, flowers blooming everywhere, birds singing in the trees, bees buzzing in the breeze. What’s a gardener to do on a day like this when just being outside is a celebration of life? Here at The Mountain Gardener headquarters - my office with the big picture windows overlooking the Blireiana flowering plum and several bird feeders, I’m taking my time to consider doing some gardening tasks this month. I will share my ‘to-do’ task list with you.

Eva Pacak of Scotts Valley grew up at a time when Czechoslovakia became a Soviet satellite country. Communism, the only powerful political system in the Soviet Bloc, was forced on the people. As a child, she was unaware of the injustices taking place.

When Sydney Gorham was five years old, she started her first business, “Sydney’s Outdoor Chore Service.” The tiny entrepreneur waddled throughout her San Jose neighborhood with a bucket of cleaning supplies and a stack of handmade business cards in hand; Gorham went door-to-door and...

Taking my traveling shoes down from the top shelf of my closet, I was surprised to find almost two years of dust had collected on their shiny beaded tops. These shoes have walked me through airport, ship and train terminals for almost 10 years....

Now that everyone has received a summer water bill or two, it’s hitting home about the need to conserve.

“My two sisters and I always wanted to swim, but I never dreamed that one day I’d be standing on top of the Olympic podium with the gold medal around my neck,” said Linda McGuire of Santa Cruz. “I felt overwhelmed with gratitude for my teammates, friends and coach—but especially for my dad. What he gave me was far better than gold.”

Throughout the year I am asked for design help and plant suggestions but especially in the fall I hear the request, “I’d love to add more grasses to my garden.” There’s no doubt that the movement and sound of ornamental grasses in the landscape adds another dimension to our experience. Many grasses and grass-like plants use less water than other plants, too.