John Miller CA

Gardenias have a way of looking perfectly healthy right up until the buds hit the ground. In California,…

By John Miller CA · Aug 20

If you have ever hunted for a real California native plant at a big-box garden center, you already…

By John Miller CA · Aug 20

Pull back a rock or dig into a garden bed in California, and you might come face to…

By John Miller CA · Aug 20

A silvery-leaved herb has been making the rounds online as a secret weapon against roof rats, and the…

By John Miller CA · Aug 19

Summer in California brings long, dry days and the occasional heat wave, and many homeowners start noticing spiders…

By John Miller CA · Aug 19

Spotting a coyote trotting through your California backyard can stop you cold, and the first instinct for many…

By John Miller CA · Aug 19

Rosemary is one of the most popular plants in California gardens, and for good reason. It smells great,…

By John Miller CA · Aug 19

Most California gardeners who spot a long-legged, sharp-beaked bug stalking their tomato plants reach for a shoe first…

By John Miller CA · Aug 19

Growing a water-wise, wildlife-friendly yard in California starts with the right seeds, and you might be surprised that…

By John Miller CA · Aug 19

A small lizard with coppery stripes and a flash of blue tail may be slipping through your garden…

By John Miller CA · Aug 18

Spotting a thick-bodied, rough-scaled lizard working its way along your fence line can stop you mid-watering. Alligator lizards…

By John Miller CA · Aug 18

California quail are one of the most recognizable birds in the state, with their bobbing topknot feathers and…

By John Miller CA · Aug 18

Most California homeowners grab a broom the moment they spot a large circular web stretched between the fence…

By John Miller CA · Aug 18

Spotting a large snake gliding through your California garden can stop you cold, especially if it looks a…

By John Miller CA · Aug 18

Step outside on a warm California evening and you might spot a small, sticky-toed frog clinging to your…

By John Miller CA · Aug 18

Most California homeowners know the western fence lizard, that bold little reptile doing push-ups on every sun-baked wall…

By John Miller CA · Aug 17

Spotting a small covey of California quail picking across your yard on a hot July morning is genuinely…

By John Miller CA · Aug 17

Dragonflies are one of the more satisfying things to watch in a California yard, and they do eat…

By John Miller CA · Aug 17

Most California homeowners who spot a large, patterned snake in the yard reach for a shovel without a…

By John Miller CA · Aug 17

Barn owls are one of California’s most effective natural hunters of small rodents, and a well-placed nest box…

By John Miller CA · Aug 17

A small brown bird scratching quietly under your backyard shrubs might be doing more than looking for lunch.…

By John Miller CA · Aug 17

Spot a small, quick spider darting across your tomato leaves or crouching on a sun-warmed garden wall, and…

By John Miller CA · Aug 16

Mosquitoes are a real problem in California yards, and it makes sense to want nature’s help dealing with…

By John Miller CA · Aug 16

Barn owls are one of California’s most effective nocturnal hunters, quietly patrolling open fields and vineyard edges in…

By John Miller CA · Aug 16

Finding a California quail nest tucked into a corner of your yard this summer is one of those…

By John Miller CA · Aug 16

Somewhere in a California backyard right now, a southern alligator lizard is working its way through the leaf…

By John Miller CA · Aug 16

Western fence lizards are a familiar sight on California fences, garden walls, and sun-warmed rocks, and there is…

By John Miller CA · Aug 16

Bright orange-and-black orioles showing up in your yard feel like a reward for doing something right, and more…

By John Miller CA · Aug 15

Spotting a small frog clinging to a tomato cage or tucked behind a pot on a warm July…

By John Miller CA · Aug 15

Most California gardeners have squashed a spider in their vegetable bed without thinking twice, not realizing they may…

By John Miller CA · Aug 15

Spotting a group of California Quail moving through your backyard this summer can stop you in your tracks.…

By John Miller CA · Aug 15

Most California homeowners never think of dragonflies as a tool for managing mosquitoes, but these insects have been…

By John Miller CA · Aug 15

Spotting one or two western fence lizards on a sunny afternoon is a familiar California moment, but when…

By John Miller CA · Aug 15

Every late summer, certain California gardens light up with a flash of wings around one unassuming native plant.…

By John Miller CA · Aug 14

Spotting a small, sandy-gray frog tucked behind a rock or nestled under a leafy shrub in your Southern…

By John Miller CA · Aug 14

Most California gardeners have squished a tiny spider on a rose stem without a second thought, not realizing…

By John Miller CA · Aug 14

Spotting a crowd of California Quail bobbing through your yard on a summer morning is genuinely exciting, but…

By John Miller CA · Aug 14

Barn owls are one of California’s most effective nocturnal hunters, quietly patrolling fields and open yards for mice,…

By John Miller CA · Aug 14

Spotting a praying mantis perched on your tomato plant feels like finding a tiny garden bodyguard, and plenty…

By John Miller CA · Aug 14

Many California homeowners kill the one native snake that may eat both rattlesnakes and rodents, mistaking a harmless…

By John Miller CA · Aug 13

Most California homeowners who spot a large, patterned snake in the yard reach for a shovel before they…

By John Miller CA · Aug 13

Most California homeowners walk right past one of their yard’s most active ground-level foragers without a second glance.…

By John Miller CA · Aug 13

Finding a small frog clinging to a pot or tucked under a garden bed edge on a July…

By John Miller CA · Aug 13

Spotting a praying mantis perched on your tomato cage or kale plant feels like a small garden miracle,…

By John Miller CA · Aug 13

A small, restless flock moves through your garden shrubs like a wave, picking at leaves and twigs before…

By John Miller CA · Aug 13

Every California rose grower knows the frustration of finding a new flush of growth coated in sticky, crowded…

By John Miller CA · Aug 12

Spotting a white wading bird stalking through a wet corner of your California yard feels like a small…

By John Miller CA · Aug 12

Most California homeowners who spot a large, hissing snake in the yard reach for a shovel, not a…

By John Miller CA · Aug 12

That plain brown bird kicking through the leaves near your fence is not just passing through. The California…

By John Miller CA · Aug 12