- Author: Diana Bryggman
I recently transplanted a shrub that had been a mystery to me for the four years I have been gardening on an old property in Solano County. I have been trying to introduce more natives into my garden and was pleased to find Calycanthus occidentalis, known commonly as Spice Bush or Western Sweetshrub, at the UC Davis Arboretum Plant Sale last spring. Sunset claims this plant grows in Sunset Zones 4-9 and 14-24, in sun or shade. Other resources indicate it is often found near streams in the Coast Range and Sierra foothills. I planted my Arboretum purchase on the east side of the house, where it resides with some other natives, Carpenteria californica and Mahonia pinnata. While my Calycanthus has not bloomed this year, it has grown and seems healthy. I continue to wait for the small, dark red flowers that will supposedly produce an interesting fragrance akin to that of an old wine barrel.
As it happens, while I was weeding another area of the yard, I realized that my mystery shrub must also be Calycanthus. Of course that specimen was right where I did not want it, so I decided to transplant it to the west side of the house, in hopes that more sun would yield those reddish flowers that all my botanical resources assure me look like miniature red water lilies. I am happy to report that my transplant subject had a very healthy root system, and while it did go through a bit of a shock period, in which it shed all of its leaves, it is has now accepted its fate and is putting on new leaves. Native Americans apparently used this plant as a cold remedy, for basketry, bows, whistles, toys and arrows. I am told it makes an excellent stabilizing plant for banks, and the roots I discovered upon digging it out certainly indicate that should be the case.
While investigating the range of this native plant, I learned much more about Willis Linn Jepson, really California's first known and most acclaimed botanist. Turns out he was born in Vacaville, and collected many of his specimens here in Solano County. I was familiar with The Jepson Manual, a revision of Dr. Jepson's 1925 work, Manual of the Flowering Plants of California, but somehow never knew that our foremost expert on natives was himself a native! I find myself further inspired to incorporate more natives as I expand my garden, and hopefully identify some other mystery plants on my property that may date back 100 years or more.
- Author: Launa Herrmann
Whatever our hobby or area of expertise, eventually we can expect to encounter a word we don't know. But nothing quite prepared me for that first hour of the first day of the 2012 Master Gardener Training Class. Pomology. Olericulture. Biromial. The rapid fire unfamiliar nomenclature was mind-boggling — and humbling.
Here I was, a gardener all my adult life. During my 30-years as a court reporter, I'd heard plenty of words, even written several thousand myself as a book author and freelance writer, and had taught writing workshops on weekends. Surely my work and life experiences count for something.
Nope. The unfamiliar words kept coming. One Friday morning during the training class, fasciation was mentioned. I'm so glad I was paying attention because that word was not only the answer to the “Internet Question for Final 2012” but also explains a couple anomalies I've observed in my own garden since then. Perhaps you've seen a similar distortion in a blossom, stem or leaf in your vegetable or flower bed.
To illustrate what I mean, take a look at the photos below. When you compare the first two photos of a normal geranium leaf with the three photos of an abnormal geranium leaf, the anomaly is unmistakable. The cells malfunctioned. The leaf is distorted.
But the good news here is my geranium plants are just fine. Fasciation is not a big deal. While some fasciations may be the result of a viral or bacterial infection, others are genetic. In the majority of cases, however, the cause is unknown.
However you choose to describe this leaf distortion, whether odd or beautiful, you have to admit the shape is both captivating and unique for a geranium. Simply stated, fasciation is fascinating.
- Author: Toni Greer
Saturday, September 19th, from 9:00-12:00, is our Master Gardener Plant Exchange and Marketplace!
Bring a plant that you would like to share and take home a few with you. For those of you who don't have plants to share, attend with a $1 entrance fee which entitles you to take up to 3 plants it you would like.
The items for our Marketplace are starting to arrive in the office. Oh what fun we're having seeing what has been created for you to buy for yourself or as a gift!
Bird Feeders and bird houses, hand knitted cloths, butterfly
Houses, beautiful painted window, handmade aprons. I could go
on and on as the list of special items is long and wide!
The items have been handcrafted and are donated by Master Gardeners for this event. Come shop at the marketplace while you find your perfect plant or plants at the Plant Exchange. Shopping at the marketplace allows the Solano County Master Gardener program to provide more programs within the county. 100% of what is earned goes directly to our local programming! We thank you for the past successes of our marketplaces and want to see that continue.
As always we can only take cash or check. Location: 501 Texas St. Fairfield , (look for the signs)
Remember that the doors are open at 9:00 a.m. We look forward to seeing each and every one of you for a morning of fun. We can't wait to help you find not only those perfect plants but that amazing Marketplace find as well! We will be happy to help you shop too!
- Author: Trisha E Rose
For the life of me, "why am I so confused identifying yams vs sweet potatoes"? My husband usually does the grocery shopping because he can stay with the list and not get distracted by the many tempting offerings ex-list. So when he came home with a bag of sweet potatoes the other day I though "great, something different". The bag had a little pamphlet provided by A.C. Thomas Produce of Livingston, California, that offered the following information.
What is the difference between a sweet potato and a yam? (OK, I'm hooked please explain). Although orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, Ipomoea batatas, (see note below) have traditionally been referred to as yams in some areas in the U.S. and Canada, they are not in the part of the same family, therefore they are not true yams.
Here is the list of edible sweet potatoes offered:
Diane/Garnet, Covington/Beauregard, O'Henry/Golden Sweet, Oriental/Murasaki, and Stokes Purple.
Yams are cultivated in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean and Oceania and not traditionally in the U.S. or Canada.
So next I pull out my trusty copy of The Sunset Western Garden Book, which I rely on as my basic go to resource. Uncharacteristically, I find sweet potato listed with its common name Sweet Potato rather than the botanical Ipomoea batatas. Most plants are listed with the universal botanical name in the 2012 edition, I imagine this exception is explained somewhere in the book, but that will be the subject of another discussion. I find that sweet potatoes are part of the Convolvulaceae family and are related to Morning Glory vines. It goes on to list many varieties and explains that the sweet yellow-orange types are commonly and incorrectly sold as yams.
So now for some information on Yams, harder to find in Sunset as the common name isn't in the index in either the 2012 or as far back as 1979. Most probably because these tuberous plants are native to the tropics which is outside the purview Sunset. On-line at "botanical-online.com" I found that the common name "yams" extends to all plants if the genus Dioscorea, which derives from the Greek physician and botanist Dioscorides. There are 600 species of yams, 12 are edible. They are a good source of carbohydrates and B vitamins and serve as an important source if nutrition on tropical climates. I imagine yams are available at any number of the many ethnic grocery markets in our area. I'll look next time.
So after my journey into sweet potato vs yams, my guess is regardless of how my local grocery stores label these vegetables, they are most likely sweet potatoes. I wonder if botanical labeling will ever become commonplace in our local Safeways or Raleys?
- Author: Betsy Buxton
Well, in my last blog I was busily moving, cutting down, and otherwise getting my house ready to get a new coat of paint. Moved the plants, their stands, and the bench off the front porch – check! Removing the large Mexican clay pots full of Clivia (Clivia miniata) from the side of the porch foundation –check! Picking up the various concrete garden goodies and marking where the sprinkler risers are with bright blue flags – check! However, trying to find enough shade in the front yards to hold all of my horticultural “treasures” was not so check!
Having plants in pots is the easy way to display and care for them most of the time; but when they need to be moved en mass, it becomes “interesting” to say the least! Right now the porch plants are cozied under the tall shrubs way by the back fence. I've lost 2 fuchsias that didn't like being moved from their deep shade until late afternoon but the succulents have made themselves to home under the curly willow tree and have actually started to bloom again.
In the backyard area, all the hoses have been taken off their hose bibs so that painters can get down between the house walls and the taps; hostas and ferns have been moved to the other side of the hawthorn (Crataegus laevigata) where they are actually taking off and holding the snails and slugs at bay! The seating on the sides of the higher deck ( to make sure no one walks off the deck ends and 3 feet down) have been removed and the Rubber Maid® seat/locker is also down on the lower deck. Oh, and let's move the swing off the deck too. At this point, I knew that house would never be painted as more and more “valuable” stuff had to be moved. Bruce was most helpful, but he left 2 days before the painters came and wouldn't be around to help put the heavy stuff back.
On the appointed day, the house was swarmed by a crew of 12 who painted, sprayed, and rolled on paint for 8 hours straight. Never having had a house painted before, I must confess to more than a little panic when the windows went opaque with plastic and the doors were also sealed. Ever had somebody knock on the door and have to wave his arm so you knew where he was standing?
With the dog barking all day while locked in the bedroom and the cat locked in another bedroom doing who knew what and where, it was a most “interesting” time that I do not wish to repeat anytime soon.
Now I sit in my “new” light coral house with 2 shades darker trim and the fabulous “fireweed” front door and wonder why we didn't do this sooner. After almost 25 years living in a vanilla house with the same color trim, it's amazing to see the difference a colored background makes in viewing the front yard. The roses, lantanas, and the red nana oleander pop their colors for the eye to take in; butterflies and hummingbirds have started to find their way. I LOVE it, but the only comments I've gotten is “it's kinda shrimpy colored” and the best one: “you need to plant more purple in the yard”. The true test will be when Bruce comes home and sees it; hopefully, I won't have to hand him his sunglasses!