Author Archives: Arvind Kumar

Mulching with woodchips is a great way to control weeds, retain soil moisture, keep plant roots cool, and add slow-release organic nutrients to the soil. To be effective for several years (in a low-maintenance garden), the mulch should be at … Continue reading →

This weekend brought the first major storm of the season to the Bay Area. It rained off and on all day Saturday and Sunday. Despite the drizzle and the rain, volunteers from Foothill College, West Valley College, and Milpitas High showed … Continue reading →

  Although summer has yielded to fall, the Loma Prieta fire still raging in the Santa Cruz Mountains is a reminder that fire season is not yet over. Fire, an integral part of California’s ecology, can still wreak havoc after … Continue reading →

Vicki Silvas-Young is a lifetime birder and native plant aficionado active in both Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society and the California Native Plant Society. When she offered to lead a beginner’s bird and plant identification walk at Lake Cunningham Park, … Continue reading →

This wet year has brought much needed moisture to California. The native plants love the moisture; so do the invasive plants. In particular, the park has invasive grasses from the Avena, Bromus, Loleum, and Hordeum genera. These sun-loving grasses germinate … Continue reading →