by Ann Clary and C. Darren Butler GardenZeus receives commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Gardeners often think of growing vegetables in containers, but may not think of growing cool season vegetables in containers through fall and winter. In many mild-winter areas of California, containers are an excellent way to grow small […]

Seeds can be scattered at the rate of one seed every 2-3 inches or about 20 seeds per square foot, ideally just before fall or winter rainy periods. Leave seeds at the soil surface undisturbed, or rake gently into soil. While counter-intuitive for many gardeners, it’s best not to cover California Poppy seeds with soil. […]

California Poppy needs full sun during cool-to-warm weather. It is perennial, but also grows as an annual in gardens and in wild areas where summer temperatures exceed about 90°F for long periods or where winter temperatures drop below about 15° to 20°F. It grows and yields best at daytime temperatures of about 55° to 80°F. […]

California Poppy (Eschscholzia california) is among the most care-free and lovely California-native flowering plants, and among the easiest to cultivate in urban landscapes. See Planting and Growing California Poppy (Eschscholzia california) for more info about planting, environmental needs, and benefits it provides. Watering: The best method for watering California Poppy is generally drip irrigation, especially […]

GardenZeus receives commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Although cauliflower has a reputation as being one of the more difficult vegetables to grow and  is certainly vulnerable to both hot and cold temperature extremes, it can be grown successfully. GardenZeus expert Darren Butler recommends that you give it a try, despite its […]

GardenZeus receives commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Many California native plants that are adapted or bred for urban landscapes have a reputation for being fussy with special needs, or being difficult to grow. California Poppy is the opposite. It requires little more than scattering seeds from fall through late winter or […]

GardenZeus receives commissions for purchases made through links in this post. October is an ideal month to plant cool-season vegetables, herbs and annuals in Southern California’s areas of coastal influence. It’s an uncertain month for planting in inland areas due to possible further heat waves, but efforts to plant during cool-to-warm weather are often rewarded, […]

by C. Darren Butler and Ann Clary GardenZeus earns commissions on sales made through links in this article. There is no additional cost to you. Mantanghong radishes are the most popular of the Chinese radishes, growing up to 3 inches in diameter with a mild, sweet flavor in approximately 65 days. With light green exteriors […]

GardenZeus receives commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Garlic may be grown less-often than many other vegetables in the California home garden because of its long growing season of about 5 to 8 months and its sensitivity to soil and environmental conditions, especially to overwatering and wet soils, which can result in […]