Hello and welcome back for another week of gardening advice from the Aspiring Gardener. We’re continuing last week's topic and talking about native plants. It comes as no surprise that many of the plants native to Butte County and Chico are drought tolerant, which makes them prime choices for your garden and lawn into something a little less water-intensive. For trees, there are several oak species, including valley oak and interior valley oak, that are drought...

Hello, and welcome back! This week in the Aspiring Gardener, we’re going to talk about lawn conversion. With no end in sight to California’s drought, it becomes all the more important for us, as gardeners, to make sure our lawns and gardens are as water-efficient and drought-tolerant as possible. If you’re having second thoughts about converting, Cal-Water is offering various rebates to help reduce water waste in the home and garden, including a $3 rebate...

Slow Cooker Chicken Pot Pie Ingredients: 2 tablespoons of olive oil. 1 pound of chicken breasts, about 2 large breasts. 1 celery cup, cut into 1-inch pieces. 1 carrot, cut into 1-inch cubes. 1 cup finely chopped onion ½ tablespoons of garlic, finely minced 2 cups of Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces. 1 cup Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered so they can be removed at the end 1 teaspoon of pepper...

Hello again and welcome back to another bout of plant advice! This week we’re talking about pests. There are many different kinds of pests, from the smallest aphid to that deer that keeps chowing down on your cabbage. Depending on the pest, different measures should be taken. Deer, rabbits, and other similar pests can be stopped by placing a fence around your garden. For deer, the fence must be at least eight feet high to...

This summer seems to be flying by, but it's not over yet. 'Tis still the season for swimming, sunshine, and BBQs. Over at our kitchen store, we have some items that can help you out with that.  In fact, we have everything you could need. BBQ tongs, Jackson-Rosewood spatulas, slider presses, thermometers, and so much more! We even have local products like a delectable pomegranate marinade from Sky Lake Ranch. Make the most of your...

Ingredients for Broccoli Salad: 8 servings 2 lbs. of broccoli florets (8 cups) 1 pound of cooked and minced bacon, ½ cup of minced red onions, and ½ cup of sunflower seeds 1 cup raisins (golden or brown) Dressing: 1 ½ cups mayonnaise ⅓ cup sugar 3 tablespoons of sugar. 3 tablespoons of lemon juice. 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, ½ teaspoon of salt Directions: In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, sugar, lemon...

Darby S. has competed in the Special Olympics for seven years now. Although he has played basketball in the past and is now branching out into golf, Darby’s main sport has been track running. Darby enjoys competing because of the physicality of it. He likes working out, working hard, and feeling in shape. To this end, Darby practices quite a bit during the week. He sets aside time for running, golf, and basketball.