About Sierra Foothill Garden
Hello!
Like many of you, I got my passion for gardening from working and playing in my mother’s garden. . I received an education in art, design and photography at Cypress College in Southern California and had a long career as a wedding photographer there.
In 2000, Tractor Man and I surprised ourselves and bought property in a mountain community where we vacationed for 12 years. After five years of ‘camping’ here, I now work and play, tending two of seven acres near the Sierra National Forest, while acting as the Madera County Gardening Examiner.
My friend, Maggie, and me
Impressed by the natural beauty and many community events here, I enthusiastically research gardening in snow and deer country and am surprised and delighted every season by my new garden. My Corgi, Maggie, is my garden companion. I’ve only been writing this blog since summer of 2010, but enjoying it immensely…always thrilled to read comments! How fun! You may also email me at sierrafoothillgarden at gmail.com
WesternSierra Nursery-Oakhurst, CA
Dave's Garden Plant search
Intermountain Nursery-Prather, CA
Sierra Foothill Garden 
Hi Maggie–I am enjoying your web blog—my wife and I have a place at about 2900 feet near Somerset ca–have rolling hills oaks, pines, cedar–I’m becoming uncharacteristically more and more obsessed with the flora on my 15 acres. example–last summer I got out of bed at 7am and snuck out of the house to watch the sun rise on one of my meadows near the access road to my property –I stared at the most recent crop of STAR THISTLE–and promptly went back to the house–got 10 garbage bags and hand pulled that Australian (or wherever) foreigner out of my meadow—I filled up the trunk of my car and drove with it back to Walnut Creek where I put it in the Green garbage can. Amazing how GOOD I felt. Anyway I am looking to plant NATIVE wildflowers at my place in the foothills and from time to time –when I am not acting as a busy lawyer and family man, look forward to interacting with you for advice etc….you are way ahead of me on development of gardens–but you have inspired me—and thought I’d let you know–best to you in this late WINTER we seem to be having–I actually love it–I hide from the blistering heat–probably my Saxon /Scottish genes–best–Ron
Hi Ron, yes we fight poison oak in the same way. Have to make it safe for kids running around. Wildflowers are better! I’ll have to look up where Somerset is.
Hi Sue, great to see you are a fellow traveler from Southern California who remembers “H” bees and do you remember eating “Sour grass?” I now live in Thousand Oaks and I have never seen an “H” bee. I had not see any where we used to live in Brea, CA. Where are H bees found now?
-Narda
Hi Narda, thanks for visiting my blog. I’m not sure where the H bees are besides in my garden in summer. I was glad to see them again! From what the entomologist said, they are found many places,…it’s just a few that know them as H bees. I think you have to be a child.