Non-GMO, Heirloom, Open Pollinated, Organic and Biodynamic Seed
by Margie Siegal So there you are, poking through the seed racks at Ploughshares Nursery or Encinal Nursery, and trying to figure out what variety to buy, or scrolling around all the different seed companies on-line, reading through the descriptions and trying to figure out what variety to buy. Once upon a time, vegetable seeds...Continue reading→
Gardening for Birds with California Native Plants
October 19, 2021 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm on Zoom You can have a beautiful native plant garden that attracts amazing birds, butterflies and other wildlife. Learn about the benefits of local, native plants and some of the wonderful birds that are drawn to this place and to these plants. We will discuss what...Continue reading→
7 Go To Books About Fruit Trees
by Marla Koss, ABG Board member If the best part about having a fruit tree in your yard is enjoying the fruit itself, then the satisfaction of watching it thrive year after year has got to be a close second. Whether you have just one — or a half-dozen — fruit-bearing trees in your yard...Continue reading→
The Time to Plant Onions is NOW!
by Birgitt Evans, Master Gardener and ABG Board Member Last year I took a class from Master Gardener Guy Duran and finally perfected my onion growing technique. This year I grew big, fat onions, some weighing in at 15 ounces! Onions are biennial, producing bulbs in their first year to store energy for flowering the...Continue reading→
Planting Natives
by Linda Carloni, Master Gardener and ABG Board Member Plants that are native to California are becoming more and more popular, both as part of an established garden or as a replacement for a lawn. There are lots of good reasons for the increasing interest in native plants. Why Plant Natives First, studies have shown...Continue reading→
Free Seed Library in Webster Street Healing Garden
Check out the beautifully crafted seed library installed by Alameda Backyard Growers in the Healing Garden, 1435 Webster Street last weekend. Many thanks to Jake Myers and Troop 1015, Ken Carvahlo, Jim Myers, and to WEAD board member Michael Towne, who heads up the team of garden volunteers in the community garden.
Healing Gardens Offer Solace
Alameda Sun – Wednesday, September 8, 2021 by Kristen Smeal, Board member of Alameda Backyard Growers, Master Gardener and Garden Science teacher at St. Philip Neri School in Alameda Nestled in the vibrant Arts District of the West End of Alameda is a quaint, quiet garden called the Healing Garden. The Healing Garden is on...Continue reading→
Saving Your Trees in a Time of Drought
by Birgitt Evans, Master Gardener and ABG Board Member Trees are the largest living organisms in the landscape and the most important. Trees take carbon out of the atmosphere and store it in their roots and tissues, they cool the ground and reduce the heat island effect, they slow, sink and spread rainwater to prevent...Continue reading→
Preserving Your Harvest
by Margie Siegal One of the (few) positive side effects of the current pandemic is a renewed interest in self sufficiency. One way to become more self-sufficient is to learn to preserve food. By preserving, you take food that is easily available in large quantities for short periods (for example, the fruit from your backyard...Continue reading→
Don’t Wash Away Beneficial Insects
Alameda Sun – Wednesday, August 11, 2021 by Alison Limoges, Board member of Alameda Backyard Growers and Master Gardener When I was growing up in New York state, my brothers and I spent more than a few summer hours picking hundreds of hungry, non-native beetles off of our few fruit trees. With no effective natural...Continue reading→