Need some help in the garden? Tony Tomeo is here for you

Shade trees are no longer appreciated like they had been. Only half a century ago, they were important components of suburban landscapes. Big …

Wildflowers have been quite a fad. Relative to most fads, they are not so impractical. For some situations, they are a good excuse to waste le…

Weeds are constantly a problem here. There is no season in which every sort of weed is inactive. As some annual types finish dispersing seed a…

No one really hibernates here. Well, ground squirrels might, but they are unlikely to be a problem in refined home gardens. Winter weather is …

Cool season (or winter) vegetables are now finishing their season. Some continue to produce later than others. Eventually though, they all suc…

Spring bulbs lack immediate gratification. They will, of course, justify their habitation of the garden as they bloom next spring. For now, th…

For centuries, fruit trees have been bred to produce unnaturally abundant and unnaturally big fruit. That has worked out well for those who en…

Early spring bloom is best. That is simply how the schedule of the majority of flowers works. The priority of flowers is pollination. Pollinat…

Forests lack gardeners. In the wild, there is no one to rake fallen leaves or blow them away. Foliage falls from trees and onto the ground, wh…

Fertilizer, in simple terms, helps plants grow. It provides a bit more of what growing plants crave. In some situations, it compensates for nu…

Weather has no thermostat. There is no automation. It is naturally variable. Weather is constantly changing like, well . . . the weather. We t…

Broccoli grows slowly from seed. Whether it goes directly into the garden, or into flats for later transplant, broccoli seed should get sown b…

Many who enjoy gardening appreciate fragrant flowers. Many grow particular flowers specifically for their fragrance. Yet, not many consider wh…

Seed that is available in hardware stores and nurseries came from somewhere. Plants just like those that such seed grows into produced it. Som…

California native plants are logical options for the gardens and landscapes of California. It is only natural. They are already happy with the…

Those who enjoy gardening where winter weather is harsh likely know what sun scald is. It happens late in winter, if exposed bark warms enough…

With few exceptions, plants dislike confinement of their roots. They prefer to be in the ground where they can disperse roots freely. Housepla…

Bedding plants that go into the garden in spring are generally warm season or summer annuals. They should perform through summer until the wea…

Vegetation make people feel closer to nature. It is, after all, what most of us expect to see out in the wild. Most vegetation that is observe…

None of the most problematic rodents here hibernate completely. Only ground squirrels hibernate, but they are rare, and tend to avoid home gar…

Weeding is not much fun. Some of us might enjoy the relaxing monotony of productive weeding. Realistically though, most of us would prefer to …

Contrary to what the pleasant weather suggests, it is still winter. Most plants are resisting the temptation to break dormancy prematurely. Th…