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composting build better soil naturally

Composting Is the Secret to a Beautiful Home Garden

Are you tired of throwing all your kitchen scraps into the garbage? Food waste is a huge issue, but there’s a simple answer to reducing its impact: composting. It’s slightly more complicated than throwing everything in a bucket – but only slightly. It will also benefit [...]


Assorted fresh and roasted vegetables

It’s Fall Harvest Time For Home Gardening

One look at your home garden will let you know that summer is gone, and the fall harvest is ramping up. This is the time of year that always puts me in the mood for hearty vegetables roasted in the oven, blended into soups or served up alongside a beautifully-crisp [...]


Reviewing the back of a Monrovia plant label, examining the front of a small plant label and looking at a Sun Shrub sign at SummerWinds store

Not Everything You Need To Know About Plant Care Comes On The Tag

Think back to the last time you bought a plant from a nursery. Did you look closely at the plastic plant care tag that was stuck haphazardly into the dirt? Or did you just pull it out (if it even had one) and toss it aside? Especially for experienced gardeners, [...]


Understanding fertilizers and putting them to work in your soil

How to Interpret Fertilizer Labels: No Degree Required

Fertilizer labels can be intimidating. They are standardized by a code of numbers that are supposed to tell you the percentages of nutrients in them. These nutrients, known as NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium), are essential for plants to grow, but different plants need [...]


3 different types of flowers, one of which has a butterfly

The Best Plants to Handle California’s Summertime Heat

Summers in California’s Mediterranean climate are stressful for garden plants that lack heat-resistant qualities. However, landscaping with species from other hot or dry environments can keep your garden vibrant as ever. As we approach the hottest days of the year [...]