December Tips & Events for Santa Clara County | | |
“The love of gardening is a seed once sown that never dies.”
~Gertrude Jekyll
| | Quiz: What Is This Plant? | |
You may have come across this plant while hiking around the Bay Area. This California native has greenish-grey leaves and small flower clusters that appear at the tips of branches. Do you know what it is?
| | | Medfly Quarantine Area Expanded | | |
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) expanded the 2025 Mediterranean Fruit Fly Quarantine Boundary on November 13 (see current map and check your address).
Find out what to expect as these control treatments are deployed in our county:
The quarantine will remain until no new Medfly eggs, maggots, pupae, or adults are detected for three consecutive life cycles. This can take 6-9 months, as cooler winter temperatures will slow Medfly development. Home gardeners can help by looking out for and promptly reporting any Medfly sightings. CDFA flyers in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Tagalog, and Chinese are available to share with family and friends.
| | Image credit: California Department of Food and Agriculture | | |
The UC Davis Arboretum All-Stars plant lineup has been updated to help gardeners meet the challenges of California’s changing climate. All-Stars must have low irrigation needs or provide strong habitat value, like food or shelter for pollinators and wildlife. They must meet these key criteria:
- Attractive, with seasonal beauty or sensory interest
- Easy to grow, maintain, and adapt to local soil and climate conditions
- Heat and cold tolerant under current and projected climate scenarios
- Not invasive
Many offer added resilience in extreme climate events: tolerating seasonal flooding, providing shade, or being fire smart. Find the right All-Stars for your garden!
| | Image: The new Arboretum All-Stars logo features the flower of the California native blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium bellum), UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden | | While you are tidying up your ornamental garden this winter, consider leaving some leaves and plant material in your yard and waiting until late spring to remove them. Stems and blocks of wood give many native bees places to nest. Leaf litter offers extra protection and cover for hibernating bumble bees and beneficial insects overwintering in various stages of life. It also acts as natural mulch for your plants, providing weed suppression, moisture retention, and nutrients. In the food garden and orchard, do clean up plant debris and fallen fruit, as these materials can harbor overwintering pests. | | Photo: Fallen leaves cover a forest floor, Ying Chen | |
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Natural holiday decorations are a sustainable and creative way to bring cheer into your home. Harvest the diverse colors, interesting textures, and natural fragrances available in your garden. Some examples are rosemary (often found shaped like small Christmas trees at garden stores), pine or lemon branches, pinecones, berries, and acorns. For a more unexpected and long-lasting option, try incorporating succulents. Their durability and unique shapes make them perfect for modern, festive arrangements. For further inspiration, come to our talk on Succulent Yule Logs on Saturday, December 6, at the Sunnyvale Public Library.
Photo: Yule log succulent arrangement, UC Agriculture & Natural Resources
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Christmas cactus is a showy, easy-care indoor plant that can be a holiday stand-out in your home. Water plants only when the top one or two inches of soil are dry. They tolerate being root-bound and only need repotting about every 3 years in loose, slightly acidic soil. The cacti do best in bright conditions, but not direct sun, and need total darkness at night with cool temperatures to stimulate blooming. They can live outdoors in shaded areas if temperatures don’t dip below 50°F. Below that, bring them inside. Easy to propagate, these plants can live over 100 years, passed down through generations.
Photo: Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera bridgesii) blossoms, iStock
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Quiz Answer:
Buckwheat (Eriogonum)
| There are about 125 species of wild buckwheats native to California. Not to be confused with common buckwheats, Eriogonum are evergreen perennials that vary in color, size, and growth habit. They thrive in well-drained soil in locations with full sun or afternoon shade. They are drought-tolerant once established. Prune to shape them while they are young. The clusters of flowers stay on the plant for many weeks, providing nectar for a variety of pollinators. Deadhead the spent flowers or leave the seeds for wildlife. Some wild buckwheats are UC Davis Arboretum All-Stars and are great additions to your garden. | | Clockwise from top left: California buckwheat, Red-flowered buckwheat, Saint Catherine’s lace, Sulfur buckwheat. Photo credit: Ying Chen. | | More December Tips and To-Dos | | For more gardening tips and to-dos, visit the monthly tips archive on our website. It is perfect for browsing, and while you may recognize some of the content, you’re sure to find something new. It starts with to-dos for the month, just the thing to review before heading out to your garden. | |
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How Invasive Pests Are Managed in California, Wednesday, December 3, 11:00 am–noon, Online
How to Make Succulent Yule Logs, Saturday, December 6, 1:00–3:00 pm, Sunnyvale Public Library, 665 W Olive Avenue, Sunnyvale
Tips for Beginning Gardeners, Saturday, December 6, 2:00–3:30 pm, San Jose Public Library, 150 E. San Fernando Street, San Jose
Aquaponics: Growing Fish and Food in Harmony, Tuesday, December 9, 7:00–8:30 pm, Saratoga Library, 13650 Saratoga Avenue, Saratoga
MCP Last Minute Holiday Succulent Sale, Saturday, December 20, 9:00 am–noon, Martial Cottle Park, 5283 Snell Avenue, San Jose
Bringing Nature into Your Home with Houseplants, Saturday, January 17, 10:30–11:45 am, Willow Glen Branch Library, 1157 Minnesota Avenue, San Jose
Gardening in Our Changing Climate: An Overview on Ways to Respond, Saturday, February 21, 10:30–11:45 am, Willow Glen Branch Library, 1157 Minnesota Avenue, San Jose
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Check our calendar for the latest schedule of events. Videos of many past presentations are also available.
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University of California Master Gardener volunteers promote sustainable gardening practices and provide research-based horticultural information to home gardeners. Visit our website for more information including:
Have a gardening question? Ask us. We’re here to help!
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