About
Hi, I’m Adrienne!
Local, practical guidance for Santa Cruz County gardens, grounded in real microclimates.
I started Ambitious Harvest to help Santa Cruz and Bay Area gardeners grow food with less guesswork. If you’ve ever followed generic advice and ended up with plants that struggled in fog, wind, or dry summer heat, you’re not alone. This site is built around what actually works here, from coastal Aptos to sunny Boulder Creek and shady spots under the redwoods.
I garden in the Santa Cruz Mountains, where fog, shade, and dry summers don’t follow the rules in most gardening books. Through trial and error and careful attention to local data, I’ve learned what actually works here and how small adjustments can make a big difference in garden success.
I’m a Gardenary-certified consultant and have spent over 20 years gardening in Santa Cruz County, working with home gardeners across a wide range of microclimates. That experience shapes everything I share here, from planting timing to water use and fire-wise strategies.
I like gardening advice with receipts.
I’m a data-first gardener. When a recommendation matters, I want to know why it works.
You’ll see research links and practical references throughout my guides, a curated Local Resources page for Santa Cruz County, and a live dashboard that pulls in real-time data so you can plan with more confidence.
What you’ll find here:
Grow guides written for Santa Cruz County microclimates
Timing help: what to plant now, what to prep, what to avoid
Practical tools: printable calendars, checklists, and selectors
Water-wise and fire-wise strategies that match local realities
Local resources for plants, soil, and trusted community programs
A live dashboard with real-time conditions and planning support
How to use Ambitious Harvest
If you’re new here, start with the Garden Conditions page to understand your local microclimate. From there, explore the Grow Guides and Your Garden Toolkit for timing, planning, and troubleshooting support. When you’re ready to go deeper, the Local Resources page connects you with trusted nurseries, soil suppliers, and community programs across Santa Cruz County.
The goal is simple: help you make informed decisions that actually work in your garden.
Why this advice is different
Everything here is shaped by local conditions, real gardens, and data-backed decision-making. I cross-check recommendations against research, track local weather patterns, and test approaches in my own garden. If something works, I explain why. If it doesn’t, I say that too.
What you won’t find here
You won’t find one-size-fits-all planting charts, affiliate-heavy product roundups, or advice copied from climates that don’t resemble ours. The focus is on practical guidance, local relevance, and helping you adapt as conditions change.
Gardening here becomes far more rewarding once you learn how to work with local conditions instead of against them.
Explore current garden conditions.