Local gardeners face many challenges, not the least of which are hot days and no precipitation between May and late September. Soon we will have water meters and thirsty yards will run up the water bill. The local area has also seen a decrease in a number of beneficial native insects, such as bees, butterflies and many of the native flies that aid pollination. Many gardeners have been complaining that their vegetables and fruits aren’t setting, and even though they had lots of blossoms they had few zucchinis, tomatoes, apples etc. Many of these problems can be remedied by re-introducing local California natives to your yard. The natives from this area tend to be very drought tolerant and

Leaving the house can be somewhat of a chore. Some days it's nice to be secluded in my apartment, reading or watching television. However, once I step foot outside of the apartment, I immediately feel a warm pleasantness come over me. Rick's garden sprawls across the small front yard. The garden is an explosion of all kinds of different plants, colors and textures. With every new day of spring and summer, there is always something new and interesting blooming, making for a pleasant surprise. There are traditional beauties like roses and irises, but also plants to satisfy unusual tastes such as Mullens, which grow over six feet and are covered in pods and look as if they arrived from anoth