John Miller CA, Author at Complete Gardening

Plant Care

This California Lizard Hunts The Black Widows In Your Shade Beds, But Homeowners Clear Away The Leaf Litter It Needs

Most California homeowners know the spiky blue-bellied lizard doing push-ups on the back fence, but there is a…

By John Miller CA · Aug 7

Plant Care

California Honeysuckle: A Native Climber That Can Support Hummingbirds On A Modest Pergola

If you have been eyeing your pergola and wondering whether a California native vine could do the same…

By John Miller CA · Aug 7

Plant Care

This California Alligator Lizard Eats Black Widows And Snails, But Homeowners Kill It On Sight By Mistake

A long-bodied lizard with a large head and short legs sometimes shows up in California yards, garages, and…

By John Miller CA · Aug 7

Plant Care

The California Bushtit Quietly Strips The Aphids And Scale Off Your Shrubs, But Homeowners Prune Away The Cover It Needs

A tiny bird is working through your shrubs right now, and most California homeowners have never noticed it.…

By John Miller CA · Aug 5

Plant Care

The California Towhee Quietly Eats The Snails And Slugs Shredding Your Seedlings, But Homeowners Rake Away The Cover It Needs

Every California gardener knows the heartbreak of checking on new seedlings in the morning only to find ragged,…

By John Miller CA · Aug 5

Plant Care

The California Barn Owl Quietly Clears The Rats And Gophers No Trap Can Touch, But One Yard Habit Drives It Off

Somewhere in a California yard tonight, a barn owl is gliding silently over the grass, hunting by sound…

By John Miller CA · Aug 5

Plant Care

The California Praying Mantis Isn’t It – This Tiny Garden Spider Quietly Kills The Aphids Wrecking Your Beds, But Homeowners Sweep It Away

Every spring, California gardeners grab a broom and knock down the small webs strung across their raised beds…

By John Miller CA · Aug 4

Plant Care

The California Western Bluebird Quietly Eats The Caterpillars And Grasshoppers Wrecking Your Beds, But Homeowners Tear Out The Nest Spots It Needs

A small, bright-chested bird called the Western Bluebird has been quietly hunting insects across California yards, parks, and…

By John Miller CA · Aug 4

Plant Care

The California Praying Mantis In Your Garden Quietly Hunts The Aphids And Grasshoppers Wrecking Your Beds, But Homeowners Toss Its Egg Case Every Fall

Walk through your yard this fall and you might brush past a small, papery lump stuck to a…

By John Miller CA · Aug 4

Plant Care

How To Keep California Fence Lizards In Your Yard, Where They Quietly Clear The Ticks That Spread Lyme Disease

A small lizard sunning itself on your backyard fence might be doing something remarkable inside the ticks that…

By John Miller CA · Aug 4

Plant Care

The Alligator Lizard In Your California Yard Quietly Eats The Ticks And Snails Wrecking Your Beds, But Homeowners Kill It On Sight

Spot a long, scaly lizard moving through your garden beds and your first instinct might be alarm, but…

By John Miller CA · Aug 4

Plant Care

The California Gopher Snake In Your Yard Quietly Hunts The Rats And Gophers Wrecking Your Beds, But Homeowners Kill It On Sight

Spot a thick, patterned snake moving through your California garden and your first instinct might be to grab…

By John Miller CA · Aug 4

Plant Care

The California Toad Under Your Porch Quietly Eats The Slugs And Earwigs Wrecking Your Beds, But Homeowners Keep Sealing It Out

A small, warty toad sitting under your porch steps might be doing quiet work in your garden beds…

By John Miller CA · Aug 3

Plant Care

The California Ground Beetle Quietly Eats The Snails And Cutworms Wrecking Your Beds, But Snail Bait Kills It Too

Snails and cutworms can hollow out a seedling overnight, and most California gardeners have reached for bait or…

By John Miller CA · Aug 3

Plant Care

The California Scrub Jay Quietly Eats The Grubs And Grasshoppers Wrecking Your Beds, But Homeowners Keep Chasing It Off

That bold, blue-and-gray bird hopping through your raised beds is not just making a mess. The California Scrub-Jay…

By John Miller CA · Aug 3

Plant Care

How To Support California Praying Mantises That Occasionally Eat Garden Pests Without Expecting Them To Clear Your Beds

Spotting a praying mantis perched on your tomato cage feels like a small win, and it is. These…

By John Miller CA · Aug 3

Plant Care

That Spiky California Bug Crawling On Your Roses Is A Baby Ladybug Eating The Aphids, But Homeowners Squash It By Mistake

A small, dark, spiny creature crawling through the aphids on your rose bush may look alarming, but squashing…

By John Miller CA · Aug 3

Plant Care

The California Alligator Lizard Quietly Eats Black Widows and Snails, But Homeowners Keep Chasing It Off

A scaly, quick-moving reptile slipping under your garden gate might look alarming, but it could be one of…

By John Miller CA · Aug 3

Plant Care

The California Kingsnake: A Native Predator That Sometimes Eats Rattlesnakes

A striped or banded snake slipping through your garden beds might look alarming, but that snake could be…

By John Miller CA · Aug 2

Plant Care

The California Toad Homeowners Might Accidentally Harm When It’s Quietly Helping With Snails and Slugs

A small, warty toad sitting still in your flower bed at dusk might not look like much, but…

By John Miller CA · Aug 2

Plant Care

The California Native Vine That Pulls Hummingbirds Off The Feeder And Onto Your Fence Instead

If you have a hummingbird feeder in your California yard, you already know the joy of watching those…

By John Miller CA · Aug 2

Plant Care

That Shiny Lizard in Your Yard May Be a Western Skink – a Native Generalist Predator Worth Getting to Know

A small, shiny lizard with a brilliant blue tail darting under your garden bed is enough to make…

By John Miller CA · Aug 2

Plant Care

The California Alligator Lizard Homeowners Chase Off Their Woodpile Is Quietly Thinning The Ticks Near The House

Many California homeowners spot a thick-bodied alligator lizard near the woodpile and assume it must be doing something…

By John Miller CA · Aug 2

Plant Care

The California Snake Homeowners Kill By Mistake, When It’s Actually Eating The Gophers Wrecking Your Beds

A large, patterned snake turning up near your raised beds is enough to make most California homeowners freeze,…

By John Miller CA · Aug 2

Plant Care

What It Really Means When Alligator Lizards Lay Eggs Under Your California Woodpile, and Why You Want Them to Stay

Moving a log in your California backyard and finding a cluster of small, oblong eggs underneath is one…

By John Miller CA · Aug 1

Plant Care

The Drought-Proof California Native Shrubs That Replace Crape Myrtle And Actually Feed The Birds

Crape myrtle looks pretty in summer, but it drinks up water and gives almost nothing back to California’s…

By John Miller CA · Aug 1

Plant Care

How To Keep California Alligator Lizards In Your Yard, Where They Quietly Hunt The Pests You Can’t See

Southern alligator lizards are some of the most useful native animals a California homeowner can have passing through…

By John Miller CA · Aug 1

Plant Care

California Alligator Lizards Eat Snails and Arthropods, but Their Role in Tick Control Is Unresolved

A long, keeled lizard slipping under your garden shed can stop a homeowner cold, especially when it moves…

By John Miller CA · Aug 1

Plant Care

What It Really Means When Bats Start Hunting Over Your California Yard at Dusk, and Why They’re Quietly Clearing the Mosquitoes Off Your Patio

Most California homeowners who spot bats swooping over their patio at dusk feel one of two things: relief…

By John Miller CA · Aug 1

Plant Care

What It Really Means When Cliff Swallows Build Mud Nests Under Your California Eaves, and Why They’re Quietly Clearing the Mosquitoes and Gnats Off Your Patio

Mud-plastered bumps appearing under your eaves one spring morning are not random – they are the work of…

By John Miller CA · Aug 1

Plant Care

The California Native Shrubs That Replace Thirsty Crape Myrtle Along Your Fence Line and Never Notice a Dry Summer

Crape myrtle looks pretty, but it drinks a lot of water during California’s long, dry summers, and that…

By John Miller CA · Jul 31

Plant Care

What It Really Means When a Gopher Snake Turns Up in Your California Yard, and Why It’s Quietly Thinning the Gophers Wrecking Your Roots

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

By John Miller CA · Jul 31

Plant Care

What It Really Means When a Kingsnake Turns Up in Your California Yard, and Why It’s Quietly Eating the Rattlesnakes You Fear

Spotting a boldly banded snake gliding through your California yard can stop you cold, especially if rattlesnakes live…

By John Miller CA · Jul 31

Plant Care

What It Really Means When Bushtits Swarm Your California Yard, and Why They’re Quietly Stripping the Aphids Off Your Roses

A small, restless cloud of birds sweeps through your rose bushes, hangs upside down from the stems, and…

By John Miller CA · Jul 31

Plant Care

A Toad in Your California Yard at Night May Be Eating Some Garden Pests – Here Is What That Sighting Actually Tells You

Finding a warty, slow-moving toad in your California yard after dark is the kind of moment that makes…

By John Miller CA · Jul 31

Plant Care

What It Really Means When Alligator Lizards Show Up in Your California Yard and Why They May Be Quietly Eating the Black Widows You Fear

Spotting a scaly, thick-bodied lizard crawling through your garden can catch any California homeowner off guard, especially when…

By John Miller CA · Jul 31

Plant Care

The Ground Beetles Patrolling Your California Yard at Night Eat the Slugs and Cutworms Wrecking Your Seedlings, but Raking Away Their Cover Drives Them Off

Tiny black beetles are quietly hunting through your garden beds every night, and most California homeowners have never…

By John Miller CA · Jul 30

Plant Care

What a Gopher Snake in Your California Yard May Mean for Rodent Control, and Why You Should Think Twice Before Removing It

Finding a large, patterned snake coiled near your garden bed is enough to make anyone freeze. Most California…

By John Miller CA · Jul 30

Plant Care

The California native groundcovers that replace thirsty lawn on slopes and green up without a single summer watering

If your grassy slope drinks water like it is going out of style, there is a better way…

By John Miller CA · Jul 30

Plant Care

What It Really Means When Praying Mantises Show Up in Your California Yard and Why They’re Hunting the Pests You Hate

Spotting a praying mantis on your tomato cage or rose bush is one of those moments that makes…

By John Miller CA · Jul 30

Plant Care

The California native shrubs that replace crape myrtle along your walkways and feed pollinators through the dry summer

Crape myrtle looks pretty, but it drinks a lot of water and does almost nothing for California’s bees…

By John Miller CA · Jul 30

Plant Care

California barn owls hunt the rodents no trap or poison can reach, but homeowners keep removing what would make them stay

Barn owls have a reputation in California wine country as nature’s rodent patrol, and the research behind that…

By John Miller CA · Jul 30

Plant Care

What it means when California quail start visiting your yard in coveys, and why you want them scratching through the beds

A small group of California quail bobbing through your yard on a quiet morning is one of those…

By John Miller CA · Jul 29

Plant Care

The California garden spider quietly traps the aphids and mosquitoes ruining your yard, but homeowners keep sweeping its web away

Every fall, colorful orb-weaver spiders show up in California yards and start spinning large, circular webs across garden…

By John Miller CA · Jul 29

Plant Care

The California alligator lizard quietly eats the snails and slugs wrecking your garden, but homeowners keep clearing away its hiding spots

A scaly, slow-moving lizard that slips under your garden debris might be doing more for your yard than…

By John Miller CA · Jul 29

Plant Care

What it means when a hummingbird builds its walnut-sized nest in your California yard, and why you shouldn’t touch it

Spotting a tiny, cup-shaped nest tucked into a branch of your California yard is one of those surprises…

By John Miller CA · Jul 29

Plant Care

What it means when a praying mantis shows up in your California yard, and why you should let it stay

Spotting a praying mantis perched on your tomato cage or rosebush can stop you in your tracks. Most…

By John Miller CA · Jul 29

Plant Care

The California native milkweed you plant instead of tropical milkweed that keeps monarchs healthy through winter

Many California gardeners plant tropical milkweed with the best intentions, wanting to help monarch butterflies survive and thrive.…

By John Miller CA · Jul 29

Plant Care

How to support the California scrub-jay that quietly clears the caterpillars and grubs out of your garden

That loud, blue-and-gray bird raiding your tomatoes might actually be doing your garden a favor. The California Scrub-Jay…

By John Miller CA · Jul 28

John Miller CA

The California Native Tree To Plant Instead Of Crape Myrtle That Shades Your Patio Without The Aphid Mess

This California Lizard Hunts The Black Widows In Your Shade Beds, But Homeowners Clear Away The Leaf Litter It Needs

California Honeysuckle: A Native Climber That Can Support Hummingbirds On A Modest Pergola

This California Alligator Lizard Eats Black Widows And Snails, But Homeowners Kill It On Sight By Mistake

The California Bushtit Quietly Strips The Aphids And Scale Off Your Shrubs, But Homeowners Prune Away The Cover It Needs

The California Towhee Quietly Eats The Snails And Slugs Shredding Your Seedlings, But Homeowners Rake Away The Cover It Needs

The California Barn Owl Quietly Clears The Rats And Gophers No Trap Can Touch, But One Yard Habit Drives It Off

The California Praying Mantis Isn’t It – This Tiny Garden Spider Quietly Kills The Aphids Wrecking Your Beds, But Homeowners Sweep It Away

The California Western Bluebird Quietly Eats The Caterpillars And Grasshoppers Wrecking Your Beds, But Homeowners Tear Out The Nest Spots It Needs

The California Praying Mantis In Your Garden Quietly Hunts The Aphids And Grasshoppers Wrecking Your Beds, But Homeowners Toss Its Egg Case Every Fall

How To Keep California Fence Lizards In Your Yard, Where They Quietly Clear The Ticks That Spread Lyme Disease

The Alligator Lizard In Your California Yard Quietly Eats The Ticks And Snails Wrecking Your Beds, But Homeowners Kill It On Sight

The California Gopher Snake In Your Yard Quietly Hunts The Rats And Gophers Wrecking Your Beds, But Homeowners Kill It On Sight

The California Toad Under Your Porch Quietly Eats The Slugs And Earwigs Wrecking Your Beds, But Homeowners Keep Sealing It Out

The California Ground Beetle Quietly Eats The Snails And Cutworms Wrecking Your Beds, But Snail Bait Kills It Too

The California Scrub Jay Quietly Eats The Grubs And Grasshoppers Wrecking Your Beds, But Homeowners Keep Chasing It Off

How To Support California Praying Mantises That Occasionally Eat Garden Pests Without Expecting Them To Clear Your Beds

That Spiky California Bug Crawling On Your Roses Is A Baby Ladybug Eating The Aphids, But Homeowners Squash It By Mistake

The California Alligator Lizard Quietly Eats Black Widows and Snails, But Homeowners Keep Chasing It Off

The California Kingsnake: A Native Predator That Sometimes Eats Rattlesnakes

The California Toad Homeowners Might Accidentally Harm When It’s Quietly Helping With Snails and Slugs

The California Native Vine That Pulls Hummingbirds Off The Feeder And Onto Your Fence Instead

That Shiny Lizard in Your Yard May Be a Western Skink – a Native Generalist Predator Worth Getting to Know

The California Alligator Lizard Homeowners Chase Off Their Woodpile Is Quietly Thinning The Ticks Near The House

The California Snake Homeowners Kill By Mistake, When It’s Actually Eating The Gophers Wrecking Your Beds

What It Really Means When Alligator Lizards Lay Eggs Under Your California Woodpile, and Why You Want Them to Stay

The Drought-Proof California Native Shrubs That Replace Crape Myrtle And Actually Feed The Birds

How To Keep California Alligator Lizards In Your Yard, Where They Quietly Hunt The Pests You Can’t See

California Alligator Lizards Eat Snails and Arthropods, but Their Role in Tick Control Is Unresolved

What It Really Means When Bats Start Hunting Over Your California Yard at Dusk, and Why They’re Quietly Clearing the Mosquitoes Off Your Patio

What It Really Means When Cliff Swallows Build Mud Nests Under Your California Eaves, and Why They’re Quietly Clearing the Mosquitoes and Gnats Off Your Patio

The California Native Shrubs That Replace Thirsty Crape Myrtle Along Your Fence Line and Never Notice a Dry Summer

What It Really Means When a Gopher Snake Turns Up in Your California Yard, and Why It’s Quietly Thinning the Gophers Wrecking Your Roots

What It Really Means When a Kingsnake Turns Up in Your California Yard, and Why It’s Quietly Eating the Rattlesnakes You Fear

What It Really Means When Bushtits Swarm Your California Yard, and Why They’re Quietly Stripping the Aphids Off Your Roses

A Toad in Your California Yard at Night May Be Eating Some Garden Pests – Here Is What That Sighting Actually Tells You

What It Really Means When Alligator Lizards Show Up in Your California Yard and Why They May Be Quietly Eating the Black Widows You Fear

The Ground Beetles Patrolling Your California Yard at Night Eat the Slugs and Cutworms Wrecking Your Seedlings, but Raking Away Their Cover Drives Them Off

What a Gopher Snake in Your California Yard May Mean for Rodent Control, and Why You Should Think Twice Before Removing It

The California native groundcovers that replace thirsty lawn on slopes and green up without a single summer watering

What It Really Means When Praying Mantises Show Up in Your California Yard and Why They’re Hunting the Pests You Hate

The California native shrubs that replace crape myrtle along your walkways and feed pollinators through the dry summer

California barn owls hunt the rodents no trap or poison can reach, but homeowners keep removing what would make them stay

What it means when California quail start visiting your yard in coveys, and why you want them scratching through the beds

The California garden spider quietly traps the aphids and mosquitoes ruining your yard, but homeowners keep sweeping its web away

The California alligator lizard quietly eats the snails and slugs wrecking your garden, but homeowners keep clearing away its hiding spots

What it means when a hummingbird builds its walnut-sized nest in your California yard, and why you shouldn’t touch it

What it means when a praying mantis shows up in your California yard, and why you should let it stay

The California native milkweed you plant instead of tropical milkweed that keeps monarchs healthy through winter

How to support the California scrub-jay that quietly clears the caterpillars and grubs out of your garden