February Checklist: Start seeds indoors, dormant spray fruit trees.
Tuolumne Blooms - Foothill Field Guide

Sierra Nevada Foothills Gardening Guide

Your guide to gardening in the Motherlode

How I planned my California native garden and overview of the first year in the Sierra foothills
Featured GuideSierras

How I planned my California native garden and overview of the first year in the Sierra foothills

"A first-year Sierra foothill native garden plan with real-world context on site conditions and what actually worked."

Yuletide Camellia
Evergreen

Yuletide Camellia

Camellia sasanqua 'Yuletide'

The Christmas camellia that lights up winter gardens with vibrant red blooms when everything else is dormant. Perfect for festive seasonal interest.

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Zone 9b

Elevation Gardening

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Rooted in the Region

Gardening here is different. We navigate hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. We share our soil with granite and clay. This guide is built specifically for our elevation and climate, focusing on plants that don't just survive, but thrive.

Zone 9b
Foothills
Mediterranean

Stewardship First

We believe that gardening is an act of care—for the land, for the wildlife, and for our neighbors. By choosing plants adapted to our region, we reduce water usage and support the local ecosystem.