Fresno Gardening Green

UC Master Gardener Richard Gillispie has two words of advice for Fresno County gardeners: plant lavender. That's what he did in a big way when the COVID-19 pandemic thwarted plans to travel in his brand new fifth-wheel RV during retirement.

As nights slowly get longer (by 2 minutes every 24 hours) and night time temperatures slowly begin to drop from the 70s into the high 60s, the plants that survived July's scorching temperatures slowly begin to come out of the state of semi-dormancy that is caused by high temperatures.

Ever see a white, cottony looking, waxy mess on the trunk of your grapevines? And other locations? No, it's not candle wax. This sticky, cottony mess is the secretion of a waxy material by vine mealybugs.

The coast redwood is an iconic native California plant. It thrives where marine fog and cool temperatures create a moist, lush forest environment. It's also commonly planted in Fresno County communities, where it has adapted to irrigated landscapes, growing tall and defining city skylines.

Looking for a salvia that's something out of the ordinary? Salvia Africana-lutea, or beach sage, is just that. Rarely seen in our area, beach sage is a very tough, drought tolerant shrub. Fragrant gray-green foliage is slightly ruffled and almost succulent looking.