GardenZeus receives commissions for purchases made through links in this post. There is no additional cost to you. With the holidays now firmly in the rear view mirror, gardeners have time to focus on the rest of their January to-do lists; for many that list includes purchasing bare-root roses. Others may be selecting from among […]

California Master Gardener Handbook, 2nd Edition Edited by Dennis R. Pittenger, 2015 GardenZeus receives commissions for purchases made through links in this post. The California Master Gardener Handbook is a comprehensive, science-based reference book on horticulture and other related topics written for participants in the California Master Gardener program during and after completing their local […]

What is the most popular holiday plant in the United States? The easy answer is Christmas trees for their traditional role as the holiday centerpiece, but by total annual sales of individual plants, the correct answer would be poinsettias. With sales in excess of 30 million plants annually, poinsettias are easily the most popular houseplant […]

GardenZeus receives commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Many of us get lost in the constant process of remaking and redefining our small urban spaces, forgetting that nature has always been the best and most spectacular garden designer. Released concurrently with the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, Treasured Lands is […]

You locate the romaine lettuce for your dinner salad in the back right corner of your refrigerator, just behind the apples, but alas, you notice brown spots on the lettuce ribs. What is the culprit? Most likely, it is ethylene gas. Ethylene is a natural plant hormone that is released as gas. It regulates many […]

The terms “summer squash” and “winter squash” have confused many a gardener; they refer to the time of year that the different squash varieties are traditionally eaten. These terms for squash don’t have a clear or precise botanical or taxonomic meaning. The terms “summer squash” and “winter squash” do NOT refer to: the season when […]

A tomato is a tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and corn is corn (Zea mays), but what about a winter squash? It could be any of 5 or more different species. The term “winter squash” doesn’t have a precise botanical or taxonomic meaning. Getting to Know Winter Squash by Species: There are 5 main species in the Cucurbit […]

Those attractive Chinese Lantern Plants found in grocery stores and garden centers about this time in fall are nightshades, part of the Solanaceae family of over 2500 species that includes important garden vegetables, such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, potatoes, and tomatillos; major agricultural crops such as tobacco; as well as poisonous plants, weeds, medicinal plants, […]

Now that you have carved your jack-o’-lantern, should you save the seeds to grow next year’s pumpkins? If there were a vegetable comedy about garden pumpkins making seeds, it would have to be titled It’s Complicated. Saving pumpkin seeds that will produce quality and true-to-variety pumpkins for next year’s garden is not as simple as […]