written by Haydee Pampel

When you purchase a tomato plant or grow one from seed, there are many things you will want to consider to have the best possible result. Here are some tips that may help!

Learn how to have a beautiful garden while conserving water in SLO County. Includes many example photos of tours and galleries, plant lists, fact sheets, resources and watering guide.

Part 1 of this flyer explains how trees fight climate change and improve the Earth's environment.

Part 2 of this flyer explains how to choose a tree for your site, and how to plant a tree for greatest success.

This talk by Master Gardener Elaine Parker will explain how to landscape your yard in fire-prone areas, considering design and planting choices.

Learn all the steps to successful tree planting by National Gardening Association Editors.

Our National Parks are too small and separate to adequately preserve the native trees, plants, insects and animals that our ecosystems depend upon to survive and thrive. The idea for the Homegrown National Park: a national challenge to anyone with some soil to plant in - to extend our national parks into our yards, communities, and surrounding lands by planting native and removing invasive species. 

Learn how to create amazing soil by building a bioreactor. How-to for a No-Turn Composting System that produces a SUPERIOR, microbially-diverse and fungal-dominant compost. This compost can be used to restore biological functionality to soils from small to large farming operations and from simple to advanced agroecosystems.

Learn how to do your part to create habitat for these beautiful and endangered butterflies. From a talk by Jessica Griffiths, professional wildlife biologist. 

Learn from this Xerces Society information sheet which plants will support pollinators and beneficial insects throughout the year. 

A detailed booklet on selecting pollinator plants for California Coastal, Chaparral, Forest and Shrub Province written by the Pollinator Partnership (www.pollinator.org), and the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC–www.nappc.org).

Learn how to plant and care for California Native Plants, by Kim Wilson, UC Master Gardener, UCCE Master Gardener Program, San Luis Obispo County

Several helpful resources are listed for learning about how to plant native plant gardens on the Central Coast. 

Learn how to be successful when you plant California Wild Flowers from this Theodore Payne Foundation flyer. 

Learn your most likely first and last frost dates by entering your zipcode. Data is provided by the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information.

Learn some tips for growing great Dahlias from Cory Kelso, UC Master Gardener - SLO County

Learn how to be successful growing citrus trees in containers, by National Gardening Association Editors. 

See lots of examples and resources on how to convert your lawn into a food garden. This site has some really good resources for learning about and getting started with permaculture gardening. All the resources on it are free, including an ebook, courses, forums, etc. Donations are voluntary.

Topiary is the horticultural practice of training perennial plants by clipping the foliage and twigs of trees, shrubs and subshrubs to develop and maintain clearly defined shapes, whether geometric or fanciful. Topiary designs can be a truly amazing art form. Learn which plants make the best topiaries. 

From ideas as small as adding a bird bath to as large as planting a native oak tree, Doug Tallamy gives you 10 suggestions on how to make a difference in the lives of local wildlife.

Randi Gunder is an experienced Landscape Designer, whom specializes in California's Native Plants. In this video, she breaks down her design process and guides us through her professional tips to help you create your ideal native landscape.

 A rain garden collects rainwater, but it does much more. Besides promoting better absorption into the soil, rain gardens can also filter harmful pollutants before letting the water pass back into the ground. Rainwater gardens also help recharge stores of groundwater in aquifers. Learn how you can install a rain garden on your property.