What might you do to gain gardening knowledge? Congratulations! You are doing it! 65% of people prefer visual information, so reading helps most of us. Apart from learning new things, reading activates our cognitive brain functioning and staves off decline. We become changed people.
Some of the best aspects of learning can be to view it as a journey, becoming surprised by the joy of the serendipitous discoveries along the way. Here is a smattering of search sites and resources as trusted guides for travel. Choose the best websites to use as resources and to avoid gardening myths and companies' sales tactics.
.edu
Websites ending in .edu signal a page from a college or university. Sites associated with those institutions' extension departments can be a gardener's dream! Like UC Davis, land-grant (or Extension) universities are institutions that provide research-based programs and resources for residents within their state. There is at least one land-grant institution in every state and each one is designated by the state legislature or Congress to receive benefits. The initial intention of having land-grant universities was to provide practical education to agriculture and industrial workers. Now education resources are much broader and available to the public. Relevant topics may include beekeeping, pest management, weed and plant management, tree species and information, water-efficient landscaping, youth gardens, yard and garden resources. Educational courses and tips and counsel are offered through free tips through emails, social media, websites, video tutorials, courses, and events. All this readily available and practical research interfacing through caring and knowledgeable people like your county Master Gardeners!
cagardengardenweb.ucanr.edu “Advice to Grow By...Ask Us!”
ipm.ucdavis.edu “Solve your pest problems with UC's best science.”
ucanr.edu “Garden Notes: San Joaquin Master Gardener Learning Landscape” How about a full sensory learning experience? Visit The Learning Landscape located at the Robert J. Cabral Agriculture Center, 2101 E. Earhart Avenue. Themed gardens: Entry Garden, Foliage Garden, Arboretum All Stars, Edibles Garden, Pollinator Garden, Mediterranean Garden, California Natives, and Cutting Flowers Garden
arboretum.ucdavis.edu This enriching site introduces our next category of knowledge growth.
.gov
Websites ending in .gov are pages from U.S. federal, state, or local governments. Here's a couple that popped up when searching gardening topics (and adding .gov in the search bar).
Usda.gov Oakland, CA City Slicker Farms People's Gardens
Started in 2009 by then Secretary of Agriculture and named in honor of Abraham Lincoln who created the USDA and called it the People's Department. The People's Garden celebrates gardening and educates the Public: Gardening Advice, Soil Health, the importance of pollinators, People's Gardens Webinars: Composting Awareness, Pollinators, Gardening to Bring Cultures and Communities Together, Climate Smart Agriculture
Betterhealth.vic.gov.au Gardening for Children Topics: Children Learn From Growing Things, Getting Children Interested in Gardening, Child Safety in the Garden, Plant Selection for Children, Different-aged Children in the Garden, Activities for a Child in the Garden.
Ncbi.nim.nih.gov an interesting and affirming abstract titled Gardening for health: a regular dose of gardening.
Podcasts
On Tuesdays, UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden Superintendent Emeritus Warren Roberts joins the podcast Garden Basics to discuss his plant of the week. Other days Farmer Fred, a U.C. Certified Master Gardener since 1982 discusses the likes of: Codling Moth Controls for Apples, which aired 5 days ago as of this writing.
And lastly:
unexpected places! This from a not-so-local local store flyer:
“Our organic cranberries are cultivated in colder regions...where sandy soil allows roots to grow deep, even though the cold weather inevitably comes early. While this makes for a shorter growing season, it naturally permits fewer insects—eliminating the need for insecticides.”