- Author: Mike Gunther
Natures Freedoms Ring
Planting, Growing, Harvesting
Conserve Its Future
- Author: Betty Homer
In May 2016, I went on the Capay Valley Mother's Day Garden Tour. All proceeds from this tour go towards establishing and enhancing garden projects in Esparto and Capay Valley, including the restoration project at Grange Hall, a historic landmark in Guinda. I visited all the locations for this year's tour and will present one of more sites on this blog as appropriate. Various classes were also included on this tour such as learning how to make rose petal infused ice cream, silk screening, learning how to assemble bouquets, corsage making, lessons in modern suburban homesteading, and leaf and flower printing for children.
For this blog, I will feature the grandest of all the sites, in my opinion, which was at Full Belly Farm, which is one of the largest organic local farms in our area. There are a number of different gardens visitors can wander through—gardens which feature edibles, decorative/ornamental plants, drought tolerant garden featuring California native plants, a succulent garden, a rose garden, a cut flower garden with perennials and annuals in full bloom, and lavender fields. There are also plenty of farm animals for viewing—sheep, chickens, cows, and pigs. There is also a straw bale house on the farm which is an example of a sustainably built structure which requires minimal heating and cooling. I especially loved the beautiful farm stand which featured farm products and eggs.
If you missed this year's tour, fear not, as the tour is returning next year for Mother's Day as well. For more information, see http://www.capayvalleygardentour.com/workshops.htm.
- Author: Karen Metz
Amidst the chaos of planning and preparing for a road trip, I sought solace in the garden. I wandered over to my blueberry bushes. I have been waiting for the berries to ripen for weeks. They were still there, big and green, darn it. My sweet peas hadn't bloomed yet either. In my sunny back yard their bloom season is usually very short as they dry out in the heat. I just knew that they would probably bloom while I was on the trip and then be gone by the time I got back.
I looked over in another part of the yard and spotted the first gladiola bud showing its first hint of color. Looked like I would miss it all. When you have cared for plants all year long you hate to miss their big peak. Bummer, bummer, bummer.
But then we had a spurt of warm weather. I was actually able to eat five blueberries. My sweet pea plant produced one beautiful, fragrant blossom for me to admire. The gladiola exploded into bloom along the entire flower stalk with show-stopping red and yellow.
Life is truly good. Now I could begin my road trip, 1,200 miles in three days, with a light heart.
- Author: Sharon L. Rico
Last Saturday, June 25th, Kaiser Permanente in Vallejo, hosted their annual Celebrate Life event for cancer survivors, medical staff and the public. The event highlights an assortment of departments at Kaiser and outside wellness groups. Some display booths are very technical and some are just plain fun.
Celebrate Life is a well-organized educational day honoring and celebrating cancer patients and survivors. Those who have had experience with cancer know it's a maze of information and resources along the journey. From 10AM to 2PM Kaiser offers classes, table displays and booths, foods, massage and the opportunity to ask questions of a panel of oncology doctors.
This year a “Strollin' Colon” blow-up display encouraged everyone to have a colonoscopy. One could walk through this tunnel and observe what different cancers look like inside the colon. There were samples of plant based diet recipes one could sample. I had taken a class on this subject just the week before. Aaron the comfort dog was there. Aaron travels to visit medical Centers and patient providing calming comfort to cancer patients.
Other booths displayed aromatherapy for healing, cosmetic dermatology, Life Care planning, a juice bar and the Master Gardeners, among many. During lunch, a panel of 12 oncologists answered questions from the volunteers and guests. They were introduced along with their specialty. It was interesting to learn that Kaiser is doing clinical trials and research. One of the oncologists was Ernie Bodai, who became frustrated with the lack of funding for breast cancer and that led him to convince Congress and the US Postal Service to issue the Breast Cancer Research Stamp. This is the only stamp that sells for more than face value (60 cents). The excess funds have raised over $95 million for cancer research. One person can make a huge difference in the world.
This was the second year my husband and I have volunteered at this event. My husband, a cancer patient, was there to answer questions with his cancer support group. I was with the Master Gardeners who offered plant advice and answered gardening questions. Along with plant/pest information, we handed out seed cards and succulent cuttings. We listened to stories from survivors and heard about the healing role flowers and plants play in lives. It was a touching day that I was thankful to play a part.
- Author: Jenni Dodini
The picture below was taken in Grand Teton National Park during our recent foray to Yellowstone. I kept seeing these two, along with lupine (Lupinus), larkspur (Delphinium) and blue eyes (Nemophilia menziesii) all over the hillsides. Curiosity overcame me, no surprise there, and I had to find out about them. The purples and blues, along with these two plants was just breath-taking!
The white shrub is called Tartarian Honeysuckle, or Tatarian, depending on where you look. Its formal name is Lonicera tatarica, and is of the family Caprifoliceae. As with all honeysuckle, it is a fragrant perennial, deciduous shrub. It is native to Siberia and was introduced t they US in 1752. It flowers in May and June, and has beautiful 5 lobed showy flowers producing flowers from white to deep pink. The bulk of the flowers that I saw in the forest were white. The berries are produced in the fall and are paired, bright red and juicy. The shrub grows up to 10 feet tall and 8-12 feet wide. It can persist throughout the winter. I would put money down on a bet that the winter in the Rockies is every bit as cold as the winter in Siberia!!
In all the websites I looked at, this is listed as an invasive species. It will readily invade undisturbed sites. The seeds are dispersed by birds and mammals in the usual manner. It grows in full sun to part shade with medium moisture in well drained soil. It requires very little maintenance. (Sounds like the perfect place to grow is a forest.) It can form a very dense thicket that impedes the growth of native plants and tree seedlings. Such a bummer that a plant so beautiful can be so harmful to an environment.
The yellow flowers are natives. They are called Arrowleaf Balsamroot, formally, Balsamorhiza sagittata, of the family Asteraceae. The common name is "Oregon sunflower". It is common to the cold, dry areas of the West. It grows in stands in the mountain fields as well as the understory of the conifer forests. The flowers are actually inflorescences composed of many tiny flowers. The leaves are arrow shaped and can be 8-20 inches long. It has a long,large taproot that can go several feet deep. The thick portions of the root have a bark covering. There is resin in the root which the "balsam" part of the name is derived from. The native Americans used all parts of this plant both for food and medicinally. The plant contains flavonoids and acids similar to those in Echinacea. It boosts white blood cell activity and was used in various forms for its anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, anti fungal, disinfectant, and expectorant properties. It was frequently used to treat cough and sore throat as an elixir. Aside from all this, it is a good browsing food for all the forest wildlife.
As you can see from the growth at the edge of this hiking trail, the hike is worth the view.