Plant Care

Click on each list and then click on each photo to learn more. Whether you're planting a new garden or refreshing an existing landscape, there is a world of horticultural beauty at your fingertips. Shrubs, perennials, groundcovers, and grasses form the backbone of many gardens.

Redwood trees need moisture from rain and fog. Photo: Public Domain Coast redwood trees (Sequoia sempervirens) only grow on the Pacific coast from Big Sur to southern Oregon, where their need for mass quantities of water is met from winter rain and summer fog.

We offer a wide selection of delicious tomato seedlings, from huge beefsteaks to bite-size cherry tomatoes, both heirloom and modern varieties, in a rainbow of colors. All have been trialed by UC Master Gardeners and chosen for great flavor, productivity, and vigor.Public Tomato TrialIn addition to the…

Correct awareness of our consumption and use of water are the key factors that affect water use behavior. We can efficiently provide water to our plants in ways that allow us to have a beautiful garden and landscape while minimizing our use of water. Managing water use for plants changes throughout the year…

A male Annas hummingbird can't resist Saliva clevelandii Pozo Blue, an easy CA native. This plant looks best with fall pruning. Photo: Bob Mauceli Native plants are easy to grow so long as you don't overdo it with soil amendments or other unnecessary additions.

You can get a jump start on new plants by growing them from seeds indoors. This is a good way to grow edible plants, because there are many more varieties available from seed. Learn more about growing edibles from seed.

With layering, stems are induced to produce "adventitious" roots while they remain attached to the parent plant. Adventitious roots are those produced in an unusual time or position. Blackberries are great candidates for tip layering.

Celery is challenging to grow in most of Santa Clara County. It grows best at 60–65ºF though it will tolerate temperatures from 45–75ºF. But it is difficult to find a four-month growing period in Santa Clara County that stays within that temperature range.

Transplant into the garden February–April, September (maybe August or October). Plants are ready to transplant 8 weeks after seeding. Harvest when the heads are of good size, usually 5 to 6 inches in diameter and still compact.

Marin's beauty is vast and varied. Where else can you visit a coastal bluff, redwood forest, and oak woodland all in one day? In our gardens, the varied topography, microclimates, and proximity to open space can be a challenge especially when it involves clay soil or a steep hillside.