Animals ... Arboretums ... Forests ... Gardening ... Internet ... Magazines ... Nurseries
Ornaments ... Organizations ... Parks ... Soil ... Watering
Warm Climate Gardening
It is my working notebook, forever changing and expanding.
Avian Species of Management Concern: Mill and Deer Creek Drianages,
Tehama County, California. By A. sidney England, Mark K. Sogge, and
Charles van Riper III. Cooperative National Park Resources Study Unit, University of
California at Davis, 1988. 56 pp, approximately 50 pages of appendics, maps, charts.
A detailed field study.
Birds of the Trinity, Shasta-Trinity
National Forests. 6 pages. Prepared by the USDA Forest Service.
The Birdwatcher's Companion: An
Encyclopedic Handbook of North American Birdlife. By Christopher
Leahy. Illustrated by Gordon Morrison. New York, Hill and Wang, 1982.
917 pages, appendices, and an extensive bibliography,
Birds in Our Backyard in Red Bluff, California
The Naturalist's Garden. By Ruth Shaw Ernst. Emmaus, Pennsylvania, Rodale Press, 1987. 272 pages, index, bibliography, resources.
Local Travel - The Red Bluff Notebooks
Redding has a fine park, museum, and arboretum at Turtle Bay near downtown Redding.
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Books
Gardening Books, Magazines and Newsletters
The Complete Guide to Northern California Gardening. By Maureen Glimmer. Dallas, Texas, Taylor Publishing Company, 1994. Index, appendices, 235 p.
The Dry Garden: A Practical Guide to Planning and Planting. By
Mark Remarry and John E. Lesley. Wayside Gardens Collection. Sterling
Publications, 1995. 128 pages. ISBN: 0806938315.
Dry-Land Gardening: A Xeriscaping Guide for Dry-Summer, Cold-Winter Climates.
By Jennifer Bennett. Firefly Books, 1998. 176
pages. ISBN: 1552092216.
A Gardener's Companion for the San Joaquin Valley.
By the Master Gardeners of Fresno County. Box 1361, Sanger, CA 93657; 1999;
$25 including shipping.
Gardening in Dry Climates. Created and Designed by the
editorial staff of Ort Books. Editor: Quadric Crocker. San Ramon,
Monsanto Company, Ort Books, 1989. Index, appendices, 112p.
Heat Zone Gardening: How to Choose Plants that Thrive in Your Region's Warmest
Weather. By Marc Cathy. With Linda Belay. New York,
Time-Life Books, 1998. Index, 192 p. A new plant heat zone map developed
by the American Horticultural Society based on the average number of days in the year that
the temperature is above 86ºF.
North Valley Rancher Magazine. A Special Publication of the Tri-County Newspapers. About 16 pages. Monthly. Useful information on a vareity of agricultural topics.
Northern California Gardening: A Month by Month Guide. By
Katherine Grace Edict. San Francisco, Chronicle Books, 1996.
Index, mail order suppliers, resources, bibliography, 328p.
Oaks of California. Written by Bruce M. Pelvic, Pamela C. Muck,
Sharon G. Johnson, and Marjorie Popper. Published by Cachuma Press and the
California Oak Foundation. Los Olives, Cachuma Press, 1991. Indexes,
glossary, bibliography, maps, 184 pages. Outstanding color photographs, detailed
illustrations and maps, and excellent information. The Blue Oak Savannah and
woodlands around Red Bluff are covered in detail.
Plants for Dry Climates: How to Select, Grow and Enjoy. By
Mary Rose Duffel and Warren Jones. Tucson, Arizona, Fisher Books, 1998 Revised
Edition, 1992, 1981. Index, 192 p. This book has excellent
color photographs of the plants, detailed information on the cultivation of each type of
plant, planting ideas, problem solving, and very good descriptions of the plant.
Red Bluff, California, is considered to be in their "medium zone
climate" with, generally, mild winters, 220 to 242 frost-free days per year, and with
long dry periods during the summer months.
Trees for Redding. By Turtle Bay Museums and Arboretum on the
River. Written by Arboretum staff and Marc Soares. Edited by Carol Cochran and
Chris Gray. Illustrations by Noreen Braithwite and Rachel Taylor. Funding
provided in part by the California Releaf/National Urban Forestry Grant Program and the
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the Elizabeth G. Hyatt Trust.
Turtle Bay Museums and Arboretum on the River, P. O. Box 992360, Redding,
California 96099-2360. 24 pages.
Sunset Western Garden Book. By the Editors of Sunset Books
and Sunset Magazine. Menlo Park, California, Sunset Publishing Corporation,
1995. The 40th Anniversary Edition. 6th Edition in 1997. Detailed
indexes, 624 pages. One of the best standard reference works for California
gardeners. Every nursery that I have ever visited has a copy or copies of this
outstanding reference book on hand. Useful anywhere in the world!! ISBN:
0376038500. Of
great value!
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California's Wild Gardens: A Living Legacy. Edited Phyllis M. Faber. California Native Plant Society, 1997. 500 photographs and 100 essays by botanists. Over 6,000 species of plants are native to California, and more than 2,000 of these are found nowhere else in the world.
Local Travel - The Red Bluff Notebooks
Oaks of California. Written by Bruce M. Pavlick, Pamela C.
Muick, Sharon G. Johnson, and Marjorie Popper. Published by Cachuma Press and the
California Oak Foundation. Los Olivos, Cachuma Press, 1991. Indexes,
glossary, bibliography, maps, 184 pages. Outstanding color photographs, detailed
illustrations and maps, and excellent information. The Blue Oak savannah and
woodlands around Red Bluff are covered in detail.
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California Gardening: Garden Web Forum Questions and answers, group discussions.
California Plants and Habitats. By CalPhotos, UC Berkeley. Over 16,000 images of California Plants.
Digitalseed: A Southern California Gardening Resource
Garden California This is an excellent site with lots of information for the home gardener.
Gardening in Central California By Teman Johnson of Merced.
Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County
Maureen Gilmer's Landscape Garden Forum Noted author on California gardening. Website has outstanding notes on western gardening catalogs and nurseries. "Maureen Gilmer is California's most widely published landscaping author and the nation's foremost writer concerning serious issues facing today's homeowner and gardener."
Mediterranean Climate Gardening Heidi Gildemesiter
Modesto Garden Club "The Largest Garden Club in California."
Oregon Natural Resource Council
Red Bluff Area Business Directory
Small Farm Center - University of California at Davis
The Spirit of Gardening on the Net Links to garden literature and quotes.
Sunset Magazine - Northern California Edition
Trees and Orchards - The Red Bluff Notebooks
Vegetable Index. Oregon State University. Excellent!
Vegetable Research and Information Center. University of California at Davis. Outstanding.
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As we visit different nurseries in the area we will write up our observations. Both Chico and Redding have many interesting nurseries that we have not yet visited.
Darrow's Triple Tree Nursery. On Highway 99, south of road from Corning to Woodson Bridge. P.O. Box 81, Vina CA 96092. 530-839-2836. Outstanding selection of bare root trees in January. This nursery is unshaded.
Goodin's Rock Garden Nursery. Highway 99 West, 1 block south of Las Flores avenue in Proberta. 530-527-2411. A variety of trees and shrubs for landscaping. Cathy Goodin is always very helpful, friendly, and knows about the plants she carries. A good selection of bare root trees in January - moderate pricing. You can find many very good 1 and 5 gallon specimens for the absolutely lowest prices in the area. A large collection of trees for landscaping in 5 gallon pots. The nursery is unshaded. Cathy's husband, Davis, can provide you with truckloads of rock, sand, and soils.
Home Base. Chico. Redding. Fairly large inventories of basic plants: bedding, vegetables, shrubs, vines, and a few trees. These major stores have all kinds of gardening, watering, and home improvement supplies as well as equipment. These nurseries are shaded. Moderate pricing on 1 and 5 gallon plants.
Lassen Ranch and Home Nursery. 22660 Antelope Blvd., Red Bluff. 530-527-6960. Trees, shrubs, and the very best garden art, fountains, and garden ornaments selection in the area. The manager, Rick, is very knowledgeable, helpful, a gentleman, and very experienced (he has his own home greenhouse). A unique selection of evergreens of all types (e.g., redwoods, pines) and a nice variety of trees and shrubs for landscaping. This nursery is shaded and has a very artistic layout. A good selection of bare root trees in January - moderate pricing. Some summer vegetables. High quality specimens of 1 and 5 gallon plants at moderate to high prices. The main store, Lassen Ranch and Home, has all types of gardening and watering supplies.
Martin Gardens. 530 Solano, Corning. 530-824-2131. An outstanding selection of perennials. Nice selection of summer vegetables. A variety of common shrubs and trees. Semi-shade and full shade in this nursery. Helpful and knowledgeable staff. Moderate prices. Some interesting garden art.
Red Bluff Nursery. 766 Antelope Blvd., Red Bluff, next to fairgrounds. 530-527-0886. Flowers, vegetables, perennials, shrubs, some trees, and basic gardening supplies. This nursery is mostly unshaded. A nice selection of plants at moderate prices. Helpful staff. Moderate prices on 1 and 5 gallon plants.
Wal-Mart. 1025 S. Main Street, Red Bluff. The nursery is shaded. Moderate pricing on mostly 1 gallon plants. A modest selection of the basics: bedding plants, shrubs, and a few trees. Sometimes they have a very good vegetable selection. A wide variety of gardening and irrigation supplies in the main store at probably the lowest prices. Some garden art is available.
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Anderson Valley Garden Club. Ann Capes 530-378-2339.
California Gourd Society - Redding Division. Coleen Wogoman, 530-357-3477
California Native Plant Society - Shasta Chapter. Sue Molter, 530-275-9545
Cascade Wonderland Iris Society. Linda Harding, 530-224-1588
Cottonwood Garden Club. Beverly Miller, 530-365-5363.
Herb Society of Northern California. Dorothy Link, 530-549-3502.
Red Bluff Garden Club
Redding Bonsai Club. Harry Maguire, 530-246-2704
Shasta Iris Society. Linda Harding, 530-224-1588
Shasta Rose Society. Peggy Heidrich, 530-241-4998
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Red Bluff has a park near the downtown area. It is adjacent to the Sacramento river and has boat launching. It also has a public swimming pool. The local farmer's market is open on Saturday morning at the park.
Also, just two miles southeast of downtown is a large park next to Lake Red Bluff. The park is next to the Sacramento river and features the Shasta Vista Trail for walking and biking amongst willows and oaks, a small natural history museum- The Discovery Center, a salmon viewing area by the diversion dam for the Colusa canal, and lovely camping sites by the river. I really enjoy taking a 80 minute walk in this area during the early morning hours.
Local Travel - The Red Bluff Notebooks
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Soil testing at our home in Red Bluff indicates we garden in soil composed: 57% clay, 37% sand, and 6% silt. We used the soil test recommended in Improving the Soil by Erin Hyenas (1994).
Gardening in Clay Soil. By Sara Pitzer. Pownal, Vermont, Storey Books, 1995. A Storey Country Wisdom Bulletin. 32 pages. Storey Books also offers "Gardening in Sandy Soil."
Improving the Soil. By Erin Hynes.
Rodale's Successful Organic Gardening Improving the Soil. Emmaus, Pennsylvania,
Rodale Press, 1994. Index, 160 pages. ISBN: 0-87596-617-9.
The Nature and Properties of Soils. By Nyle C.
Brady. New York, Macmillan Publishing Company, 1984. Ninth Edition.
Index, glossary, 750 pages. Mr. Brady is a professor at Cornell University and
member of the United States Agency for International Development.
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Planting for Dry Summer Climates
Be sure to plant trees and shrubs that can tolerate the high summer temperatures in the
North Sacramento Valley, California, Zone 9. The Shasta Gardening News,
Volume 4, Number 3, pp. 7-15, has an excellent article on 'Plants for Arid Gardens."
They recommended such plants as: Gaillardia, Marigold - Tagetes,
Verbena, Rosemary - Rosemarius officinalis, , Wild Lilac - Ceanothus,
Bottlebrush - Callistemon, Heavenly Bamboo - Nandina domestica,
Oleander - Nerium oleander, Strawberry Tree - Arbutus unedo, Eucalyptus,
Oregon Grape - Mahonia aquafolium, Cape Plumbago - Plumbago auriculata,
and India Hawthorne - Rhaphiolepis indica. The Shasta Gardening News,
Volume 4, Number 4, pp. 5-15 covered: Sedum, Pink Trumpet Vine, Bearberry, Zinnia,
Mexican Sunflower, Coreopsis, Watsonia, Lilly of the Nile, Jupiter's Beard, Red Hot Poker,
Yucca, Escallonia, Crape Myrtle, Broom, Incense Cedar.
We, and our neighbors, have had success with: Eucalyptus, Rosemary, Pyracantha, Arizona Cypress, Hollywood Juniper, Italian cypress, Pines, and Oleander. The bottlebrush, one of my all time favorites in Los Angeles, seems to have a rough go in the high winds when young; but, I have high hopes for this plant in the future. All are also evergreens. With a little extra drip irrigation, everyone has very good luck here with the deciduous cottonwoods.
The most informative book I have read on the topic of gardening in dry climates is:
Plants for Dry Climates: How to Select, Grow and Enjoy. By Mary Rose Duffel and Warren Jones. Tucson, Arizona, Fisher Books, 1998 Revised Edition, 1992, 1981. Index, 192 p. This book has excellent color photographs of the plants, detailed information on the cultivation of each type of plant, planting ideas, problem solving, and very good descriptions of the plant. Red Bluff, California, is considered to be in their "medium zone climate" with, generally, mild winters, 220 to 242 frost-free days per year, and with long dry periods during the summer months.
Note References to Books and Magazines Above
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Green Way Research
Presented by Michael P. Garofalo
Ways to Communicate with Mike
Red Bluff, California
The Red Bluff Notebooks - Gardening Resources, References, Readings:
30K, 3 October 1999, Version 1.13.
Red Bluff, Tehama
County, North Sacramento Valley, Northern California, U.S.A.
Cities and small towns in the area: Oroville, Paradise, Durham, Chico, Hamilton
City,
Corning, Rancho Tehama, Los Molinos, Tehama, Proberta, Gerber, Manton,
Cottonwood,
Anderson, Shasta Lake, Palo Cedro, Igo, Ono, Redding, CA, California.