This past Master Gardener Christmas Wreath Workshop I happened to purchase some of the old electrical insulators that caught my eye.  I like old stuff and cool stuff and the insulators along with the threaded wooden dowels that came with them fit the bill:  cool and old!!!

photos by Ken Williams

I took the dowels and soaked them for 24 hours in Thompson's Water Seal to hopefully protect them from rot while close to the earth for as long as possible.  After letting the dowels dry out I was thinking of some way to support them in the ground but not actually have the dowel itself in the ground.  I decided to use some old aluminum arrow shafts that my friend Jim Darling had left for me.  I cut the aluminum shafts off about nine inches long.  Then I drilled a hole in the dowel just a bit larger than the aluminum shaft diameter.  Next I filled the hole up with a good portion of hot glue, stuck the shaft into the hole before the glue cooled and eureka I had a perfect support for the dowel and insulator.

I put the “Insulator Tulips” in my front yard garden and they make a perfect statement; “Recycle, Reuse, Repurpose and Beautify”

This is another road trip installment as we decided to make a quick trip to Fort Bragg before I go back to work.  We normally head to Fort Bragg in the late summer / early fall to escape the heat and enjoy the beautiful California coast.  This is my first trip up at this time of year and I was more than pleasantly surprised.  The weather is cool, but beautiful and clear.  On the drive up, the hills green and flowers of all kinds in full bloom.  I was amazed at the wisteria ( Family: Fabiaceae) that were in full bloom and had been woven together to form trees or were so mature that they were actual trees!  (I always wanted them, but never had much luck.). The closer we got to the coast the more rhododendrons I saw in various stages of blooming.  Before we left home, I had checked mine and noticed buds, so have been waiting to see blooms.  Then we checked into the camping park and the rhododendron are simply everywhere!!!  And they are not little shrubs, THEY ARE SMALL TREES!!!!!  Beautiful flowering trees!

I was inspired, and looked on-line at Wikipedia, The American Rhododendron Society, and Gardening Know How.  They all have great pictures, but the American Rhododendron Society has the most extensive and thorough information which is written for all levels of gardeners.  The Gardening Know How site is short and thorough with a planting and care guide.

Here's a bit of what I learned: 
Rhododendron is the genus name and is a part of the Heath family (Ericaceae) and the name is derived from the Ancient Greek for "Rose Tree".  It is a very morphologically diverse family of woody plant with 850 - 1024 identified species!  It is either evergreen or deciduous, varies in size from shrub to small trees, although a couple varieties get very tall.  They bloom from late winter through early summer.  The flowers are actually inflorescences.  The "rhodie" is the national flower of Nepal, where it is considered a culinary delight in many forms despite its sour taste.  It is also the state flower of West Virginia and Washington.  In mythology, it is the symbol of danger.

Linnaeus first described the "rhodie" in 1753 as separate from azaleas, but around 1800, other botanists began to question that distinction.  In 1836,  azaleas were incorporated with rhododendrons and the genus was divided into 8 sections.  With all the scientific advances and molecular research done in the 20th century, there have been reclassifications and movement of some species into different subgenera.

"Rhodies" can be found pretty much all over the world due to their diversity through mountainous to tropical areas.  In Ireland and some parts f the UK, they are considered invasive in the woodlands.  However, they can be suffocated by other plants and evergreens which block the sunlight.  Then, they are prone to being devoured by varieties of weevils and caterpillars, specifically Lepidoptera, and some butterflies and moths.  They are also prone to fungal infection.

It seems, by looking around here, that care is pretty easy.  They like well drained, acid soil.  Soil can be amended with pine compost (compliments of Mother Nature in these parts) or put in raised beds or containers with acidified soil.  "Rhodies" are easily propagated by air layering or stem cuttings and also self-propagate by sending up shoots from the roots.

There is a long history of medical use documented.  The plants contain flavonoids, phenolic compounds and saponins which have anti-inflammatory and hepato (liver) protective effects.  However, some species produce a toxin in their nectar and pollen which are poisonous to some grazing animals, especially horses.  People have become ill from eating honey made from bees that feed on these species.  One must always be careful about this.

In case you are interested,  the Rhododendron Festival is scheduled for the weekend of April 22 and 23.  I can only imagine how beautiful the botanical gardens will be at that time! 

The picture of the pink and white "rhodie" was taken at a storefront in Mendocino and the red one is by our camp.  That plant is at least 8 feet tall.

This time last year, we were pulling out our dead, brown front lawn and replacing it with drought tolerant plantings.  That venture went well. We have enjoyed the lush plantings, many of which are blooming now. 

This spring has been very different.  It started innocently enough with a desire to replace our two sliding glass doors that lead to the patio, since one had begun to stick.  We also knew that our home was long overdue for an outside paint job, so we decided that should be done this spring as well.

The process started in early February; it took some time to have evaluations and estimates done.  Once decisions had been made, the delivery of the new doors was delayed a bit due to winter storms. Finally they arrived.  Furniture, decorations, and plants within 3 feet of the doors, inside or out, had to be moved. Okay, it would just be for a short time, right?

Once everything got started, though, wood rot was discovered in 2 places. Work stopped while a water intrusion specialist was called in. He determined parts of the door frame, floor and siding would need to be replaced.  More plants were moved off the patio to accommodate more equipment.  I worried about my plant babies as I scattered them throughout the back yard.  Some of them had spent their whole lives under our protective patio cover.  I couldn't count on my usual, routine care as the plants were now experiencing altered conditions: more exposure to wind, rain, sun and temperature changes.  Luckily we did not have any freezes during this time.

With the initial repairs complete, the glass people were able to come in and finish putting in the replacement doors.  Now we moved on to the painting.  The painting company found several more areas that needed the siding replaced before painting could begin.  More plants, three wooden plant shelves, and a potting bench had to be moved into the back yard. Now the entire back wall of the house was clear.

They also mentioned that the shrubs on the side of the house would need to be pruned back away from the side of the house so the painters could get in.  It made sense. I got out loppers, pruning saws and hand pruners to cut back Tagetes, Euonymus, Holly, Pomegranate and Grevillea.  I decided to take off some of the height as well as trim their backsides, so they wouldn't look completely out of proportion.  As I worked I remembered the pruning rules; after the primary removal of dead and diseased branches, the next instruction was to prune for form and function.  Well, in this case, I was pruning to help improve the function of the painters!

The power washing is due to be done towards the end of April.  The painting is to start May 1^st and take about a week. We have decided to leave the plants and plant stands where they are until the painting is completed, as we just can't face moving them back and forth again.

With our rains, the hand watering hasn't been too onerous, but I have had to make sure some pots weren't getting too much water in some of our downpours.  It looks like our story will wrap up in May which means it will have lasted for 4 months.  My “spring gardening” has not been at all what I had planned.  I haven't planted a single tomato.  I have had to pay more attention to detail as my plants deal with their new conditions.  It has required more hands on, up close and personal, interactions with my plants.  This  has had its own rewards; a sparkling drop of dew on a succulent, seeing bees so close up that I can see their pollen sacs. It has also required more time reaching for the Tylenol bottle and ice packs for the knees and back.

I love all things bee-related.  I recently came across an announcement for the inaugural California Honey Festival that is to take place on Sat, 5/6 10 am - 5 pm in Historic Downtown Woodland, California.  This event is put on in partnership with the Honey & Pollination Center at the Robert Mondavi Institute at UC Davis.  From researching the festival's website, there seems to be something for everyone.  For those who like to eat, restaurants participating at this event will be featuring honey-centric cuisine.  For those who enjoy alcoholic beverages, there will be bars and local breweries offering mead or honey-laced beer on tap.  There will be lectures on bees and beekeeping, gardening education demonstrations on how to attract bees and other pollinators into your backyard, as well as small garden displays. 

If you are looking for something to do this weekend, consider supporting this local festival.  For more information, please see: http://californiahoneyfestival.com/