- Author: Karen Metz
Just came back from Raleys, where for the first time, I saw Buddha's Hand, Citron Citrus medica var. sarcodactylis, offered for sale in the produce department. These were huge, lush and fragrant. These beauties are prized in the Far East where they are used in perfumes, as natural air fresheners, and in religious offerings. In the west, they are used more for their zest or in candied peel (think fruitcake).
Anyway, I had never seen them in a mainstream grocery store. I did a double take when I saw the price though... 12.99...not a pound...each. I have had a small, container grown Buddha's Hand for several years. I've only had fruit grow to maturity a few times. This year we fixed some watering difficulties we had with the drip system and all my citrus has done better. In the book Growing Citrus by Martin Page, he says that Buddha's Hand is not very vigorous and takes a long time to become established. He also mentions that it likes heat.
So after my trip to Raleys I had to come home and take a picture of my Buddha's Hand. I was thrilled with it before and now I am even more excited.
- Author: Kathy Thomas-Rico
It’s been just a few days since a grassfire and embers swept over a freeway sound wall and destroyed two homes in Fairfield. In a matter of minutes, a whole neighborhood had to be evacuated, lanes of eastbound Interstate 80 were closed, and firefighters from all over the area put it in high gear and won the upper hand on this fire. A cause may never be known. Amazingly, thankfully, no one was hurt.
But this fire illustrates how quickly things can go wrong. Our very dry winter and spring have left everything super parched — the wild grasses, landscape trees and shrubs, roofs and wood siding on houses. And it’s not even fire season in California yet.
So what are you doing about it? A recent editorial in The Reporter in Vacaville (“Give credit and take measures: Fire danger is high,” Aug. 29) put it well: “The fact that this happened in a residential neighborhood well inside the city limits should be a wake-up call to everyone who lives around here. No one can do anything about the winds that drove the flames — they show up just about every afternoon this time of year — but there are precautions property owners can take to reduce the chance of damage.”
Images of the massive Rim fire in Tuolumne County came to mind. Those firs and redwoods are going up like Roman candles. We in Solano County are justifiably proud of our big, beautiful landscape trees. But when it’s this dry, are they safe to have near your house?
The Reporter editorial goes on: “Start by looking at the trees in the yard. If the foliage is touching the ground, close to a bush or hanging over the house or patio, trim it.
“And consider what is planted in the yard. At different points Tuesday (the day of the fire), the fire got a boost from oily eucalyptus and flammable Italian cypress trees.”
The editorial suggested a visit to Cal Fire’s home-safety website, Readyforwildfire.org. I recommend we all take a look, and then stroll around our homes to see what we can do to reduce our risks of losing some or all of it.
- Author: Betsy Buxton
Today while going through my e-mail, one of them really caught my eye. It was the monthly newsletter from BIRDS & BLOOMS, a magazine dedicated to those who both garden and bird-watch. I first came across this magazine when my mother, who subscribed, gave me her copies. I always thought of it as one of those publications for the “older set” and didn’t give it much thought. After mom passed, the subscription still had 3 years left, so I kept getting it. The more I read it, the more interesting this magazine became!
So here it is 2013 and now I have my own subscription that is complimented by this monthly on-line feature. Sometimes the features are on target and other times they are not –when not, it’s usually big time: articles that pertain to the Mid West only.
Imagine my surprise when the topic for this month is “Plants for Clay Soil”. I had to read the article thoroughly in case it held nuggets of wisdom I should -- nay, must have! I feel better now, since most of the plants listed are in my yard! Asters were the first on their list (which is only correct as these plants are listed alphabetically). Not only it common name; botanical name (a real plus when you are actually looking for the listed plants!); hardiness, bloom season; size ( that’s another big plus to the list); flowers, both colors and shape; light needs; growing advice (this is necessarily somewhat vague when you consider that this advice is trying to cover the entire USA, but you can tweak it according to where you happen to be); and, finally, what is called the “prize picks” or listing of what the editors consider to be the best variety.
Of the plants selected, I have the day lily (hemerocallis), switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) Viburnum (Viburnum sps), and various ferns including the squirrel’s foot fern (Polypodiumspp.), which hangs from a piece of all-thread screwed into the pergola . Potentilla (Potentilla fruitcosa) is a favorite as a small ground cover in the side yard, running into the baby’s tears (Soleirolia soleirolii).
The entire list is Aster, Black-eyed Susan, Coreopsis, Daylily, Ferns, Japanese Iris (mine died a very painful death, at least to my wallet), Runner bean, Switchgrass, Potentilla, and Viburnum. How many do you have in your yard?
PS: To those of you who noticed that the Switchgrass was listed before the Potentilla, it’s because using botanical names, Panicum comes before Potentilla!
Now to go and unwrap and plant my new rose from Vintage Gardens. The last sale – until the management announces another release before they go out of business for good!
PPS: I guess I have joined the “older set”!
- Author: Karen Metz
When I heard that this year's Solano Fair theme was home grown fun and that Carolyn hoped we could grow some of our plants from seed, I knew I had to grow some crested Celosia, Celosia cristata. I had grown them before and really enjoyed their strangeness. I found a seed packet at the SF Flower and Garden Show and got them started.
With our cooler summer though, the plants took longer than I had anticipated to grow and when fairtime came around only one plant had a bloom bigger than an inch or two, so they didn't make the cut. Since they had missed their chance for stardom at the fair, I decided to put them in the blog. Celosias are a part of the amaranth family. Most people are more familiar with the plume form which is commonly available in many nurseries.
The crested form though is my favorite. It is fan shaped and velvety. The edges form convolutions that remind many people of brains. I am partial to the brilliant red coloration. I know from previous years that the red color holds with drying. I've used them in dried arrangements and as decorations on wreaths. This year I was hoping perhaps I might have enough to cover a small wreath form entirely with the dried blossoms. Although they were slow getting started they are blooming their hearts out now.
Celosia are annuals, which means they grow, set flower, then seed and die in one season. However, they are easy to grow from seed (After all, I grew them and I don't have much luck with seeds). They like full sun, they like water, and they grow well in containers. I have about six in individual pots and put several together in one pot. They are great fun and I think children might appreciate their velvety softness.
- Author: Bud Veliquette
The rose (Rosa) has an undeserved reputation of requiring a lot, in terms of time, chemicals, and trouble. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Here are a few tips to keep in mind if you are considering adding a rose garden, or even a handful of favorites to your existing garden.
Select for disease resistance
Find a variety that has a track record for resisting the “big three”: black spot, rust, and powdery mildew. Here, the AARS can be helpful. The All-America Rose Selections is a non-profit, which will list the top performers in 15 categories, including overall beauty, ease of maintenance, and the ability to resist disease.
Log on to rose.org/winning-roses/ and select “N. CA & Northwest”. Also, when you buy roses, go for Grade 1, which are usually found in nurseries, rather than the discount stores. This means that they must have three or more strong canes, well spaced around the graft. Also, don’t be afraid to do what is known as “shovel pruning”, meaning if a rose does not perform well in your particular area after one season, consider replacing it with something more reliable. One trick is to go for the glossy leafed varieties if you are buying during the growing season. The glossy leaves seem to repel most fungal infections.
Use beneficial insects
The most commonly known beneficial insect is the Lady beetle, which feed on aphids in both the adult and larval stages. But some of the lesser-known beneficial insects are also important, like the Leatherwing or soldier beetle, Syrphid flies, which are important predators of aphids, and predaceous mites. Thrips are a mixed bag, feeding on both plants and spider mites. And don’t forget that all spiders are predators, and are important in your garden. You can see them all in UC ANR’s Healthy Roses (publication #21589). Before reading this, I had been hand picking off Leatherwings, thinking they were harmful!
Use good cultural practices
First and foremost is the need for nutritious soil that’s fertilized on a regular basis and mulched, at least 6 hours sunshine minimum, and enough water. If you use drippers, roses can also benefit from weekly deep watering, and overhead sprayed water from the shower setting on a hose to keep the leaves free of aphids and mites, or even fungal spores, so long as the leaves are dry by sunset. Provide good air circulation by spacing roses at least 3’ apart, and trim out some of the bottom inside leaves for the same reason. Annual pruning will remove any damaged or diseased canes, as well as dead wood. At pruning time, all leaves should be stripped from the plant, so you can see what you’re doing, and cut out all unnecessary growth. If you are going for show quality roses, cut the canes down to 12-18”, which forces lush new growth in spring. The attached photos are some of my favorite blooms for cutting,Rosa floribunda ‘Hot Cocoa’, and R. ‘Brandy’, both grown without any toxics.