Equinox Landscape

Last week's heat wave did wonders for the tomatoes. They're ripening up beautifully! What's happening in your veggie garden?

The coming Super El Niño is predicted to produce a lot of rain this winter. A LOT. Don't let it all go down the storm drain! A rainwater harvesting system captures that roof runoff for irrigating your garden the following dry season.

The heat is on in the North Bay! These next few days are scorchers, so treat your gardens with some TLC. DON'T water in the middle of the day. DO water in the early morning, evening or overnight. Keep birdbaths clean and replenished with fresh water. Pull up a chair near your garden and enjoy these fog-free, balmy late-summer evenings!

This is a rain chain. It artfully directs water from your gutters down the chain and into the awaiting rain garden. Water slowly soaks into the earth, replenishing the water table instead of flowing out the storm drain. El Niño is coming, and it's predicted to be a big one. This is just one of many ways to manage all that rainfall in your garden. More to come.

Big news! Equinox Landscape won the 2026 Judges Award for Sweepstakes Best in Maintenance, bestowed by the California Landscape Contractors Association, Northern California chapter. Our team of fine gardeners swept the Maintenance award across residential, commercial, large- or small-scale categories, and we are so proud of them.

Our showcase project that wowed those judges is a gorgeous property in Corte Madera, Marin County, that was once the home of the Meadowsweet Dairy company. Originally founded in the 1920s, the dairy site is now privately owned by a local family, dedicated to creating a haven of diverse, textured gardens that supports pollinators and other wildlife. More pics to follow.

Our July Plant of the Month is the fiery gorgeous nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus). Native to mountain forests of South America, nasturtiums are particularly well-adapted to the SF Bay Area. They like cool nights, mild days and—believe it or not—poor to average soil. Yep, if you fertilize and amend your soil too much, your nasturtiums won't be happy. Bonus: they make excellent companion plants in the garden, often used as a trap crop to lure aphids away from your veggies. Another bonus: they're edible and make elegant additions to your salads, desserts and any other dish you want to fancy-up.

You don't need an entire swimming pool to add a refreshing element to your landscape. The right fountain in the right place will bring a cooling feature to your yard or patio, with the added serenity of that gentle burbling sound.

Summertime, and the stone fruit is bursting off the trees! Our June Plant of the Month is the aprium, a hybrid variety that's 75% apricot, 25% plum. These delightful fruits take a little TLC, but are well worth it. Unlike many fruit trees that are pruned in the winter months, apricots and apriums must be pruned in the summer, after fruiting. Don't forget a winter-time ring of nutritious duck p**p fertilizer applied around the outer edges of the branches (the drip line). Come June, you get a sweet, juicy treat that's equally good baked into a fruit crisp, or eaten straight off the tree.