Summer 2023

Editorial Notes

"In summer a song sings itself"
— William Carlos Williams

It doesn't feel much like summer yet, does it? Because of the relatively cold weather in Contra Costa County, our growing season started later than usual. This might cause you to grow a bit impatient, especially when you have just planted the new seedlings you bought at our Great Tomato Plant Sale. Rest assured however that with warmer weather and more sunshine on the horizon, more vigorous growth will follow.

Like in previous issues, we’d like to stress the importance of using CA native plants and pollinator plants as well as paying attention to Climate Change. Pollination is such a crucial ecological survival mechanism and there is a lot more that we can do to remedy Climate Change – so let’s start in our own backyard. 

As UC Master Gardeners of Contra Costa County, it is our mission to extend research-based knowledge and information on home horticulture, pest management, and sustainable landscape practices to YOU. Feel free to reach out when you see our tables at local farmers markets; attend talks, classes, and webinars; visit school, community, and demonstration gardens; or do some problem-solving with our helpdesk.

Hedwig Van Den Broeck and Robin Mitchell, editors