Home Landscaping

Here we provide useful tips on creating and maintaining a beautiful and sustainable home landscape, with special emphasis on what works well here in Contra Costa.  Our most recent publication is Trees Suitable for Planting in Lawns in Contra Costa County , which we hope you will find useful.  Questions about information in any of our publications can be directed to our Help Desk.  And, be sure to visit our Sustainable Gardening page for several articles about the foundations of your garden: soil, compost, mulch, and water.

Since 2014, we've gotten more and more questions about the drought.  Here are some tips pulled together by our UC Master Gardener volunteers here in Contra Costa.  Additional articles are located on our Contra Costa Drought Tips page

Your Landscape During Drought
Your Irrigation System During Drought
Your Lawn During Drought

Some FAQs and Contra Costa Times articles are listed below that address home landscaping questions we receive often. 

Soil Testing Labs
Water Testing Labs for Home Gardeners
Starting New Plants Off Right
Resources for Growing Herbs
About Soil Testing
Hiring an Arborist
Gravel Pathways in the Garden
Give Bees a Boost
UC Davis Arboretum All-Stars
California Natives-Water or Not
Growing Coast Redwoods
Growing Acid Loving Plants
Pruning Hydrangeas for Best Bloom
Growing Oaks from Acorns
Turf Selection

Boron in Irrigation Water
Managing Fire Blight
Horticultural Oils for Insect Control
Weeds & Weed Seeds
Wood Ashes Change Soil Chemistry
Black Soldier Fly Larvae in Worm Bins
Mulch Combustibility
Diatomaceous Earth for Pest Control
Anthracnose on Sycamore
Fungus Disfigures Camellia Blooms
Mistletoe Infestations in Trees
Powdery Mildew on Crape Myrtles
Wilt Threatens Japanese Maples
Lawn Thatch Buildup
Solarization for Bermudagrass
Fighting Bermudagrass
Frost Protection for Tender Plants
Protect Plants from Sunburn
Managing Oxalis (Bermuda Buttercup)
Deer in the Garden
Birds Munch Zinnia Leaves

Find out more about the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County and the educational and community outreach services we provide by visiting the top navigation links on this site.