UC Gardening Blogs

Gomphrena

Gomphrena is a super fun addition to the garden. It is in the Amaranthaceae family and is commonly know as globe amaranth. It comes in pink, purple, orange, red and white. It is native to Central and South America. It likes well-drained soil, and does best in full sun, where once established is a drought tolerant plant and deer resistant. It is a prolific bloomer and attractive to bees, butterflies and hummingbirds and will bloom from summer well into fall. It is considered an annual, but I have had mine in pots for years and grow three different varieties. It's flowers resemble a clover, but with dried bracts in the various colors. It does great as a cut flower or you can use them in dried arrangements. The first one I got was from Annie's Annuals, the 'Fireworks' variety is a bright purple airy and grows 2' x 3'. I fell in love with it's beauty and started growing more colors. I have used this a lot in my floral arrangements and find I love the red one the best!

photos by Heather Hamilton

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Posted on Tuesday, April 30, 2024 at 12:00 AM

Author: Heather Hamilton

The Day That Barbie, Bugbie and Bugs Swept Briggs Hall

Think pink? Of course! Marielle Simone Hansel Friedman, a second-year doctoral student in...

Marielle Hansel Friedman of the Emily Meineke lab talks about scorpions to visitors at Briggs Hall during the UC Davis Picnic Day. In back is Em Jochim of the Jason Bond lab. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

In the pink! Staffing the Entomology Graduate Student Association booth are (from left) Marshall Nakatani, Curtis Carlson and Richard Martinez. The T-shirts were among the top three best sellers of the day. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Posted on Monday, April 29, 2024 at 6:08 PM

Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey

California Honey Festival Is the Place to 'Bee'

Show me the honey? Show me the California Honey Festival. The annual event, which emphasizes the...

Bee observation hives attract attention at the annual California Honey Festival. Visitors delight in pointing out the queen bee and checking out the workers and drones. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Bee observation hives attract attention at the annual California Honey Festival. Visitors delight in pointing out the queen bee and checking out the workers and drones. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

"Queen bee" Amina Harris, retired director of the UC Davis Honey and Pollination Center that she founded in 2012, also co-founded the California Honey Festival in 2017. In this archived photo from last year, she offers attendees a taste of honey. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

At the 2023 California Honey Festival, Wendy Mather, co-program manager of the California Master Beekeeper Program, delighted in greeting the crowd and posing for photos. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)