The Mountain Gardener: Dramatic grasses serve function, add beauty
One of the most dramatic sights in a garden is an ornamental grass backlit by late-afternoon sun. They seem to come alive as their tawny flowers spikes glow and sway in the breeze.
The Mountain Gardener: Properly remove cover crops to reveal better soil
Orin Martin of the Alan Chadwick Garden on the University of California, Santa Cruz campus is widely admired for his incredible knowledge and skills as a master orchardist, horticulturalist and teacher. I was lucky when, a couple of years ago, he visited a group of fellow designers and brought his favorite russet apples. Another time, he brought a dozen different kinds of potatoes that we roasted, critiqued and thoroughly enjoyed.
Mountain Gardener: Peace found in garden design
A garden has many purposes. It's a place to grow delicious tomatoes and mouthwatering fruit picked ripe off the tree. It's a place to read your favorite book on a comfy chair in the shade. It's a place to watch birds and butterflies when they visit the flowers you've planted just for them. It's a place to go when you need to get away from all the hustle and bustle of daily life. And it's a place of healing.
Let’s go fishin’: Are salmon stocks as strong as predicted?
Salmon counts fueled some high expectations and liberal seasons were set for commercial and sport fishing, and so far, plenty of fish are hitting the docks. During all this excitement, we may ask, are there as many salmon as expected?
New Scotts Valley Council members look forward to making their mark
After first-place finisher Donna Lind, the incumbent for Scotts Valley City Council, local voters selected Steve Clark—a retired law enforcer, known for volunteering around...
