How We Curate What You See
A local-first scoring system tuned for Tuolumne County, the Sierra Foothills, and Northern California.
The internet is flooded with gardening advice, but very little of it applies to our specific corner of the world. What works in a humid English cottage garden or a lush Oregon valley will often fail in our hot, dry summers and granite-heavy soils.
Foothill Field Guide is not trying to be an exhaustive encyclopedia of every plant on Earth. Instead, we are building a focused field guide for the Sierra Nevada foothills. We filter out the noise so you can find what actually thrives here.
We prioritize local relevance over viral popularity, and seasonal practicality over evergreen fluff. If a piece of content appears on this site, it’s because we believe it will help you grow a better garden right here, right now.
The Scoring Rubric
Every piece of content—video, article, or plant profile—is evaluated against these six criteria before it makes it into the guide.
Local Relevance
Does this specifically address our region?
What we look for
- Mentions Tuolumne, Sierra Foothills, or NorCal
- Addresses our specific climate (Zone 9b) & elevation
- Discusses local soil (clay/granite)
What we filter out
- Generic advice for 'temperate' climates
- Focus on humidity-loving plants
- Advice for distinctively different zones (e.g. desert, tropical)
Ecological Accuracy
Is it biologically sound and environmentally responsible?
What we look for
- Native plant focus (Oak woodland, chaparral)
- Firewise / defensible space awareness
- Water-wise & drought tolerant practices
What we filter out
- Recommends invasive species
- Encourages high-water usage lawns
- Misidentifies local flora
Seasonal Alignment
Is this useful right now?
What we look for
- Matches current weather patterns
- Timely planting or pruning advice
- Forward-looking planning guides
What we filter out
- Planting tomatoes in November
- Pruning oaks at the wrong time (risk of SOD)
- Evergreen content with no seasonal context
Practical Usefulness
Can you actually do something with this?
What we look for
- Clear, actionable steps
- Demonstrates real outcomes
- Troubleshooting specific problems
What we filter out
- Purely 'inspirational' montage
- Vague advice like 'water well'
- Focus on aesthetics over plant health
Source Quality
Who is giving this advice?
What we look for
- Local creators & master gardeners
- Experienced growers in similar climates
- Trusted nurseries and stewards
What we filter out
- Content farms
- AI-generated voiceovers
- Big box store marketing
Noise Reduction
Does this distract from local success?
What we look for
- Filters out trend-chasing
- Removes 'hack' videos that don't work
What we filter out
- Generic '5 tips for every gardener'
- Clickbait titles
- Advice that contradicts local ecology
What Happens When We Review a Video
The Content
"How to Prune Fruit Trees for Maximum Harvest"
Uploaded by a popular gardening channel based in Vermont.
The Evaluation
- Local Relevance Score: LowThe creator is in Vermont (Zone 4/5). Their timing for pruning is months behind ours.
- Practical Usefulness: HighThe technique is solid, but the context is wrong for us.
- !Verdict: Filtered OutWe would instead prioritize a video from a grower in the Central Valley or foothills who understands our chill hours and pruning windows.
Human-Guided Curation
While we use data to help find content, the final decisions are tuned by humans who actually garden here. We constantly adjust our scoring based on feedback from the community and the changing realities of our seasons.
This isn't a black box algorithm chasing engagement. It's a digital reflection of the advice you'd get leaning over the fence to talk to a neighbor.
"Gardening is an act of care, and so is curating."
Our Boundaries
Not Global
We don't try to serve everyone. If you're gardening in Florida or Maine, this guide won't help you much.
Not Influencer-Driven
Follower counts don't matter here. Only the quality and relevance of the advice counts.
Not Finished
Our climate is changing, and so is our understanding. This guide evolves with the seasons.