SUMMER 2020

Ready for fire season?
Did you know that 80 percent of Marin County has a moderate to very high fire-hazard severity rating? Fortunately, making small changes can significantly increase your garden's fire resistance. It's not just about choosing or removing certain plants. It means looking at your landscape with new eyes and keeping up on basic maintenance. It's easier than you think! Here's a video to get you started, filled with proven strategies for creating beautiful gardens that provide critical defensible space.  
 
Choose plants like a pro

If a trip to the nursery feels overwhelming, you're not alone. Marin's sublime climate allows us to grow thousands of plants. Question is, which ones should you choose? We've made that decision easy by creating lists of easy-care, eco-friendly plants that thrive in Marin. Whether you're in fog or heat, in the shade or on a slope, or even among deer, here are  plant lists that take the stress out of nursery visits.    
What's in a name?
Pelargonium vs Geranium

Geraniums and pelargoniums are summer standouts – even if it is hard to tell them apart. Regardless, they can be counted on to provide carefree color and fragrance for months on end. Here's more on growing gorgeous pelargoniums and geraniums .
Ask the Experts
Not wild about turkeys

Turkeys may look odd and out of place and garner some laughs, but many homeowners don't find them a laughing matter because of the havoc they wreak. Luckily, there are strategies to discourage turkeys from taking over your garden.
The sting (and bite) of yellowjackets

 If you've ever had the unfortunate experience of disturbing a yellowjacket nest, you know how aggressively they defend their home. Although they help eliminate other pests, it's hard to warm up to these annoying insects. Here's how to manage yellowjackets .
Seasonal Advice
 Bring on the butterflies

A garden filled with nectar-rich flowers is a butterfly's delight. Did you know that butterflies see well but have a poor sense of smell? They also use flowers as landing pads and sip water from shallow spots. Best part? It's easy to  attract butterflies to your garden.  


Grow your own bouquets

Whether you're into large mixed bouquets or a single stem for a bud vase, there's nothing like fresh cut flowers. The majority of store-bought arrangements are imported, but you can buck that trend by  growing your own cutting garden . 
Gardener's
summer checklist

As the thermometer rises, so do garden chores. Now's the time to snip off spent blooms, feed container plants, and pick up fallen fruit. Here's a full list of  chores for the summer garden.
Growing Edibles
Recovery Gardens:
A new kind of Victory Garden

Home gardeners helped the war effort in the 40s by growing Victory Gardens, which fed families across the U.S. and were emblematic of a cause. Today we're fighting a different enemy – a virus – and we're growing Recovery Gardens to show our strength and optimism that our nation will fully recover. Join gardeners around the country who are digging into food gardening as a sign of health, solidarity, and overcoming unsettling times. Here's how to  get started with food gardening.

Basil: the fragrance of summer
From pizza to vodka gimlets, basil is a summertime sweetheart. There are many types of basil available, all easy to grow in warm, sunny gardens. Join gardeners everywhere who  grow delicious, fragrant basil.
Upcoming garden talks and events
UC Marin Master Gardener regular in-person speaker events are currently cancelled, but we are pleased to announce our live online talks and socially-distanced in-person events scheduled below! Please click on the topic for more details and to register, and check our events calendar for updates.

Live online talks

Saturday, June 27
Planning the Fall-Winter Vegetable Garden in July , Interview with Marin IJ Author Jane Scurich
11am to 12pm

Saturday July 11
11am to 12pm
Succulent Plant Sale!
Saturday, July 11
8am to 12pm
Falkirk Cultural Center
1408 Mission Avenue in San Rafael
Over 60 varieties of succulents and drought-tolerant plants and gorgeous potted arrangements - Check out the list!
Look for these online talks through the Larkspur Library

Saturday, July 25
Lawn Alternatives with Marie Narlock

Saturday, August 15
Ordering Bulbs, Interview with Marin IJ Author Jane Scurich

Saturday, September 19
Growing Persimmons, Interview with Marin IJ Author Julie McMillan

Saturday, October 10
Fire-Smart Tips Using Plant Spacing, Interview with Marin IJ Author Fay Mark

Saturday, October 24
The Benefits of Keeping a Garden Journal, Interview with Marin IJ Author Dot Ingels
What's that plant?
This groundcover boasts 2-3' upright spires of deep fuchsia flowers that hummingbirds adore, and fruity, fragrant foliage that deer avoid. A California native, it prefers cooler settings or part shade where summer sizzles. It spreads by rhizomes and is drought tolerant but appreciates occasional summer water. What's that plant?
Love the Leaflet?
Forward to a friend!
The UC Marin
Master Gardener role  
Wondering what Marin Master Gardeners do? A 3-minute video highlights who we are, what services we offer, and where you can find us. Our trained group of 300+ volunteers is busy providing research-based gardening advice as part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) and UC Master Gardener Program.   Watch us at work .
Photo credits
Turkeys - Kirk Thornton, Unsplash
Yellowjacket - Thomas Millot, Unsplash
Butterfly - Aaron Burden, Unsplash
Dahlia bouquet - Pxfuel
Garden tools - Eco Warrior Princess, Unsplash
Planting - Unsplash
Basil - Markus Spiskeng, Unsplash
Violas - Roberta Sorge, Unsplash
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