How to Plant California Natives California natives are wonderful plants to have in the garden. They don't need a lot of maintenance once they are established. What they do need, is the appropriate installation to get them going and make them happy. Natives do not like to be fertilized.
Crabgrass season is off to an early start this year. If the seeds are present in the soil, the only requirement in our area is three days in a row of temperatures 50 -55 degrees for those seeds to germinate.
My husband and I just returned from celebrating our 25th anniversary in Maui. We had honeymooned there and celebrated my parents' 50th anniversary there, so Maui has always been special to us.
As a child, I enjoyed the mint growing underneath our kitchen window for its fragrance and flavor. It also was an excellent addition to mud pies and imaginary floral soups (and, no, I didn't taste those).
A while ago I was at a Master Gardener community gardening event, helping with some weed pulling, plant clipping, and handing out tasty harvested broccoli florets to some excited grade school students.
