Category: The Garden Guru

Hello again, Westside gardeners! Is it fair to say that in today’s world, landscape gardeners have abandoned the passion of the trade for money? My observation shows a trend of both. Yes, we all need money to survive, but I am...

As you all know, I am a certified master arborist and am offering my consulting services to anyone here in the Westside. Currently, I work with other arborists as far south as Fresno and Monterey Counties. These are levels of...

Hello again, Westside Gardeners! As you all know, I truly love my profession as a certified master arborist. When I go out for a risk tree assessment, it isn’t a gut feeling but a systematic process based on biology, physics and...

Hello again Westside Gardeners! Most urban green spaces today are under intensive maintenance practices, including mowing and/or chemical inputs, among many other practices. Much research on my side has me questioning the...

(Editor’s note: Several readers wanted to know more about the Garden Guru’s background. In response, Mark Koehler has written this column today.) Hello again Westside Gardeners! Most of you already know of me and my extensive...

Hello Westside Gardeners! Most recently, I was asked to come up with some ideas for a hedge line. This site was on a local suburban farm. The location for the hedge ran from the back of a barn to the neighbor’s fence line. I...

Hello Westside Gardeners! This article is a continuation from my last article, the many functions and drawbacks of turfgrass here in the Westside. Today, I would like to discuss practical solutions to create a garden with little...

Hello again Westside Gardeners! We are currently into spring, though other parts of the country are not. This means our daytime and nighttime temperatures have risen. Spring bulbs and fruit trees are blooming, and our lawns are...

Hello again, Westside Gardeners! As spring approaches, I would like to share some of my own secrets to better your garden. When amending the native soil, I like to mix a compost and sand loam blend with 5 to 10 percent screened...

Hello again, Westside Gardeners! This article is devoted to a drenching fertilization process I highly recommend for plants and trees. I would like to share my own recipe with everyone. It’s simply processed from high-quality...

Hello again, Westside Gardeners. I wish everyone a Happy New Year! January is an important month with much to do in your garden. First, let’s discuss pruning roses and stone fruit trees. Pruning too fast and hard is the number...

Hello again, Westside Gardeners! As we enter early winter, many of our woody, herbaceous perennials and shrubs still show signs of summer stress. Foliage is disfigured and burnt. Stems are discolored and weak. How can we help...