Author Archives: Arvind Kumar

About Arvind Kumar

Native plant gardener in San Jose, CA. I have been growing native plants since 2000 in a tract home lot front and back.

The Fine Art of Edge Mulching

Posted on October 22, 2016 by 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 →

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First Rain of the Season

Posted on October 16, 2016 by Arvind Kumar

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 →

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The Joy of Mulching

Posted on October 1, 2016 by Arvind Kumar

  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 →

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Weeding in an El Nino Year

Posted on May 15, 2016 by Arvind Kumar

Thanks to the El Nino rains this winter, the native plants are doing well in the Native Garden. So are the invasive annuals. Open areas in garden beds are overrun with invasive annuals like slender oat (Avena barbata), ripgut brome … Continue reading →

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1st Day of Spring Bird & Plant Identification Walk

Posted on March 21, 2016 by Arvind Kumar

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 →

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PHHS Red Cross Club Conquers Invasives Again

Posted on January 16, 2016 by Arvind Kumar

This Saturday, January 16, Piedmont Hills High School Red Cross Club returned to the Native Garden on a visit scheduled by Albert Duong. The team of seven volunteers, along with Xin and Arvind, mulched large beds overgrown with invasive annual … Continue reading →

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Piedmont Hills High Red Cross Club Conquers Invasives

Posted on January 10, 2016 by Arvind Kumar

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 →

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Planting Deergrass

Posted on January 5, 2016 by Arvind Kumar

Saturday, January 2, 2016, was a cold, winter day in San Jose. It was cloudy but dry, the air was still, the temperature outside a chilly 41°F. In spite of that, a record number of volunteers showed up for the … Continue reading →

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Proposed Expansion

Posted on January 4, 2016 by Arvind Kumar

A plan for expanding the Native Garden at Lake Cunningham Park has been submitted to park staff. Under this plan, the garden would expand to cover the remaining area between the Park Road and Inner Lake Path, from the dirt … Continue reading →

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Volunteers at Work

Posted on January 2, 2016 by Arvind Kumar

Last week, volunteers Fran and Chris pointed out that when we are working in the native garden, many people pass by us without a second glance in our direction; they mistake us for park staff doing our job maintaining the … Continue reading →

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