Home

Garden Highlights


  • NEW! We are pleased to announce a new section on the best plants to use with the least amount of care and water in our climate. Under Garden Help, click on Water Wise Plants. Photos and detailed info!
  • We are pleased to offer an update to Dr. Bob Raabe's excellent list of plants that are and are not susceptible to Oak Root Fungus. 
  • Gardening year round is easy and rewarding in our mild Mediterranean climate. We can help you succeed in your garden, see our Adult Education Page for details.
  • We are pleased to announce new Warm and Cool Season Vegetable Planting Guidelines that explain when to seed and when to plant various vegetables year round. There is a PDF version for printing too.
  • Cookbooks: Crazy for Citrus and Chile Head Sampler are both available now!
  • Read the latest "Ask a Master Gardener" column, originally published in the San Jose Mercury News.
  • There's still a quarantine due to the light brown apple moth in portions of Santa Clara County. Visit the Santa Clara County web site for more information.

    Homeowners: Based upon recent guidance from officials with the Federal / State Light Brown Apple Moth Project, non-commercial, home-grown fruits, vegetables, and plants are now allowed to move within a regulated area. However, homeowners are urged to self-inspect the items before moving them and not to move any plant products with small holes or signs of feeding damage caused by a caterpillar.

    Food Bank Charities: Fruits and vegetables grown by homeowners in the regulated area can move to food banks. However, we ask that this produce be self-inspected to ensure there are no signs of feeding damage caused by a caterpillar. These products can be distributed within the regulated county.

    Official inspection and certification is still required for commercial producers or when plant products leave the quarantined area.

  • Support the Master Gardeners by making a donation.

Becoming a Master Gardener

Are you interested in becoming a Master Gardener? The next application process will be in the summer of 2012.  

If you:

  • are a Santa Clara County resident who would enjoy sharing gardening knowledge, and
  • want to learn more sustainable gardening practices,

then you might be a good fit for the program. If you think it sounds interesting, learn more about the process and ask us to be notified about information meetings for the 2013 class.

MG Handbook

The California Master Gardener Handbook is an invaluable reference tool for all California gardeners. It's available for sale on-line or in our San Jose office.
MG Handbook