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Articles available here have been published in the Leaflet e-newsletter. Leaflet subscribers receive emails with seasonal advice, gardening tips and fact-based information on how to deal with pest and garden problems. To do a search of past Leaflet articles, use the search widget at the top of the web page.

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Marin IJ "Ask a Master Gardener" Column Archive

Fall 2025

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Manzanitas take a bow in winter and early spring

October 13, 2025

Like people, some plants demand center stage. California poppies and lupine are springtime darlings, followed by fragrant sage in summer and crimson maples in fall. But what about the supporting players who work hard but never seem to get the limelight? Cue the manzanitas. Manzanitas, aka Arctostaphylos…

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Focus on Crocus

October 20, 2025

Blooming in shades of purple, white, yellow, pale pink, and anywhere in between, crocus are cheerful additions to any garden. While many species bloom in early spring, some, such as saffron crocus (Crocus sativus), bloom in autumn. These different species need different care, but there’s sure to be at…

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Gardener's checklist for fall

September 3, 2024

It's a dry year, no doubt about it, but there are still apples to harvest, bulbs and cover crops to plant, and tools to clean. Here's a a month-by-month to-do list to keep your garden in tip top shape in the fall.

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Summer 2025

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Goldenrod (Solidago): a beam of sunshine for the summer-fall garden

June 9, 2025

Goldenrod (Solidago) is a striking California native perennial that’s easy to grow in sunny gardens. A member of the Asteraceae (sunflower) family, it is recognizable by its masses of bright yellow flowers that bloom profusely in late summer and fall. The cheery blooms are a delight in the garden as many…

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Vine maple

August 11, 2025

Vine mapleAcer circinatum Vine maple is a California native deciduous tree or shrub that typically grows 10 to 20 feet tall. In sunny settings it grows bushy and upright, but in shadier locales it spreads and sprawls closer to the ground. Vine maples grow moderately slowly. They prefer moist, shady…

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Gardener's checklist for summer

June 20, 2024

More heat, less water. This year it's more important than ever to keep a layer of mulch in the garden, pluck water-hogging weeds, and thin fruit on fruit trees. Keep up with garden chores for your best summer garden ever.

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Spring 2025

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A Westringia for every garden

April 14, 2025

Looking for an attractive plant that uses little water, is pest and deer-resistant, looks good year-round, and can serve a variety of garden purposes? Westringia may be just the plant for you. This easy-care evergreen shrub has gray-green to green or variegated foliage. Westringia is native to…

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Penstemon: too good to be true?

April 14, 2025

Foothill penstemon is a true blue California native that blooms profusely yet needs little water. It also attracts bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds – but deer stay away. This beautiful perennial has close relatives available in many colors: white, yellow, pink, purple, and red. Penstemon is the…

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Gardener's checklist for spring

April 14, 2025

MARCH Maintenance and preventionChop up cover crop foliage into small pieces if you grew a cover crop. Turn under or add the clippings to your compost pile.Replace path mulches that have been washed away by heavy rains.Apply two to four inches of mulch where existing mulch is thin…

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Winter 2024-25

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Abutilon

December 17, 2024

Abutilon is a beautiful shrub with maple-like leaves and flowers that resemble papery lanterns. Common names include Chinese bellflower, flowering maple, and Chinese lanterns...

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