Resources
Some resources for orchids and other plants. Right now I'm learning how to care for orchids and get them to rebloom, and what I've picked up so far is on the orchid page. I learn from many sources. I use Pinterest a lot: it's a great place for gardeners sharing their experience. I learn from YouTube videos and others on my feed. I also use other online resources, and some links are shared here.
UC Master Gardeners of San Mateo & San Francisco Counties
Call (650) 276-7430 or email [email protected] with a garden question. Volunteers trained by the University of California answer it for free.
Volunteering at the Arboretum
I volunteer with the San Mateo Arboretum Society. I'm on the Education Committee, and I help out in the propagation greenhouse, where new plants get their start.
In September 2026 the committee hosted a seminar, Growing Orchids: Tips for San Francisco and the Bay Area Climate, with orchids for sale. It's where I learned to keep orchid pots small. Watch the recording (opens in a new tab), and see how I'm using it on my orchid page.
This is my personal site, not an official Arboretum page. For events, membership, and plant sales, see sanmateoarboretum.org (opens in a new tab).
Apps I Use
Seek (opens in a new tab) is my favorite plant ID app. It's built on iNaturalist (opens in a new tab), a citizen science app I use a lot. I've been posting observations there since 2019. You can browse my observations (opens in a new tab) or follow me as critterclatter (opens in a new tab).
Seek by iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)
iNaturalist (nonprofit), iOS and Android
Point your phone camera at a plant, insect, or bird to identify it. No account needed, and photos aren't uploaded.
iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)
iNaturalist (nonprofit), Web, iOS, and Android
Citizen science app: record the plants and animals you find, and the community helps identify them.
Nurseries & Plant Sales
San Mateo Arboretum Society (opens in a new tab)
San Mateo Arboretum Society
Arboretum home page: events, seminars, membership
Grassroots Ecology Native Plant Nursery (Foothills) (opens in a new tab)
Grassroots Ecology, Foothills Nature Preserve, 3300 Page Mill Rd, Los Altos Hills, CA 94022
Grows locally native plants from seed and cuttings collected in San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz counties. Order by email ($50 minimum) and pick up at the preserve.
- Contact
- [email protected]
Learning & Education
UC Master Gardeners - Ask a Master Gardener (opens in a new tab)
UC Master Gardeners (UC ANR), California
Send a gardening question online
- Contact
- Helpline (650) 276-7430
USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (opens in a new tab)
USDA Agricultural Research Service, US
Official USDA hardiness zone map (2023)
Calscape (opens in a new tab)
California Native Plant Society, California
Find California native plants that grow near an address or ZIP code, with the pollinators they support
Garland Daisy (Glebionis coronaria) Profile (opens in a new tab)
California Invasive Plant Council (Cal-IPC), California
Cal-IPC rates garland daisy Limited: invasive, escapes gardens, and can form dense stands that crowd out native plants
California Native Plant Society Chapters (opens in a new tab)
California Native Plant Society, California
Find your local CNPS chapter: plant sales, field trips, and garden tours across the state
Permaculture & Regenerative Farming
Permaculture Principles (opens in a new tab)
Permaculture Principles (David Holmgren), Australia
David Holmgren's twelve permaculture design principles, each with a short explanation
Hidden Villa (opens in a new tab)
Hidden Villa (nonprofit), 26870 Moody Rd, Los Altos Hills, CA 94022
Nonprofit organic farm and education center with trails, farm programs, and an organic pollinator garden
- Contact
- (650) 949-8650
Grow Biointensive (opens in a new tab)
Ecology Action of the Mid-Peninsula, Willits, CA
Small-scale growing method that builds fertile soil, gets high yields, and saves water. Free mini-handbook, how-to videos, and self-teaching booklets, plus workshops and courses.
- Contact
- Contact form on the site
Kiss the Ground On-Demand Courses (opens in a new tab)
Kiss the Ground (nonprofit), 4505 Glencoe Ave, Los Angeles, CA
Online courses on soil health and regeneration. Regenerative Agriculture Essentials is a free 90-minute course; there's also an advanced regenerative gardening course.
UC Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Program (UC SAREP) (opens in a new tab)
UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, UC Davis, Davis, CA
University of California program on sustainable farming, now joined with the UC Organic Agriculture Institute, Small Farms Network, and Master Food Preserver Program. Free guides on organic farming, cover crops, hedgerows, soil, and urban agriculture.