Whether found at a Flea market, craft show or in a friend’s garden, most fun garden signs can easily be made yourself with a few simple materials. I love clever garden sayings and also thoughtful quotes I find for garden signs. “Live for today” is a favorite! Also, I like Thomas Jefferson’s quote, ‘Though an old man, I am but ...

Most of you have heard of the need for decluttering when staging a house for sale, thanks to HGTV and other design TV programs. Decluttering is crucial when listing a house but it’s also important in the homes where we dwell. As we live our lives, most of us accumulate a lot of stuff. When we cannot find space to ...

How is California’s record drought affecting your pines and oaks — and what can you do about it? That’s the topic of a free Mariposa County Master Gardeners workshop on Saturday, July 12, from 10 a.m. to noon at Lake Don Pedro Elementary School, 2411 Hidalgo Road, La Grange. Please register so there are enough materials to go around. Register ...

Beginning July 3, the northern Mariposa County Master Gardener answer line is changing its office day to Thursday, and walk-ins are welcome. For help with home gardening problems, advice on what to plant or for information on plant care, the help line is staffed from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Lake Don Pedro Community Services office, 9751 Merced Falls ...

Written by Theresa Catlin MARIPOSA – Wanting to eat more locally grown food and support local food in your area? There is no food more local than stepping out into your own yard and picking fresh fruit and vegetables year round, and that’s what is possible in our climate.

Create a birdcage planter for your patio… You have seen them,…rusty, dusty birdcages, pushed to the back of a thrift shop shelf. Next time, snap one up! Spray paint it, or not, depending on the finish, then fill it with fresh flowers!

Recycled Garden Project: Dressers! Like these creative gardeners, turn a dresser into a garden potting bench, planter box or ‘stage’ to display garden treasures. Linda Gladman’s dressed up dresser

Upcycle a Vintage Cast Iron Claw-foot tub for the garden No matter the condition of the bathtub, you can transform it into a conversation piece planter that is as practical as it is funky. How much would it cost you to buy, much less plant up a planter this size? A LOT! I’ll show you all the tricks we used ...

Written by Theresa Catlin What do gardening, raising chickens and designing a greenhouse have in common? They all fall under the definition of “permanent agriculture” or Permaculture. Bill Mollison, an Australian and one of the founders of permaculture, describes it this way: “Permaculture is a philosophy of working with rather than against nature; of protracted and thoughtful observation rather than ...

Wow! Butterflies love these plants! Grow any of these for instant results and each is matched with the perfect plant combinations for color and growing conditions. Many are easy to grow from seed!