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 mgsmsf@ucanr.edu 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.
More Resources
San Mateo Arboretum Society (opens in a new tab)
San Mateo Arboretum Society
Arboretum home page: events, seminars, membership
San Mateo Arboretum Society - nursery (opens in a new tab)
San Mateo Arboretum Society
Greenhouse plant sales: orchids, dendrobiums, tropicals
UC Master Gardeners of San Mateo & San Francisco Counties (opens in a new tab)
UC Master Gardeners (UC ANR), California
Free research-based gardening advice, classes, and local guides
- Contact
- Helpline (650) 276-7430 路 mgsmsf@ucanr.edu
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)
Permaculture Principles (opens in a new tab)
Permaculture Principles (David Holmgren), Australia
David Holmgren's twelve permaculture design principles, each with a short explanation
Principle 10: Use and Value Diversity (opens in a new tab)
Permaculture Principles (David Holmgren), Australia
"Don't put all your eggs in one basket": diversity reduces vulnerability and builds resilience
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
Glebionis coronaria (crown daisy, garland chrysanthemum) 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
Principle 8: Integrate Rather Than Segregate (opens in a new tab)
Permaculture Principles (David Holmgren), Australia
Relationships between plants and elements make a garden work: the principle behind companion planting
San Mateo Arboretum Society - Seminar Recordings (YouTube) (opens in a new tab)
San Mateo Arboretum Society
Recordings of the Arboretum's seminars, including the Bay Area orchid seminar
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
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
My Vegetable Garden board on Pinterest (opens in a new tab)
Ideas I save for growing vegetables, from other gardeners' posts