- Author: Karen Norton
A recent article in the July-August Smithsonian magazine, “Cultivating Art” talks about early American fruit growers enlisting artists to make hand colored lithographs of their fruit. This was done to protect their new varieties of fruit. In 1848, several Eastern seed and nursery leaders initiated what became the first national organization of fruit growers, the American Pomological Society. In 1852, Charles Harvey gathered a series of prints to publish The Fruits of America, Vol. 1, because patent protection did not extend to living organisms. It wasn’t until 1930, that Congress passed the Plant patent Act. This act authorizes a patent to anyone who invented, discovered, or asexually reproduced a distinct and new variety of plant.
- Author: Betty Victor
I have a new addition to my garden, Cuban oregano, not knowing anything about this very fragrant succulent I started to learn what I could.
Cuban oregano (Plectranthus amboinicus) is related to Coleus and has several common names: Spanish thyme, Indian borage, and Mexican mint.
It has thick gray-green saw-tooth leaves that are fuzzy underneath. My plant is young so it has not bloomed, but next summer when it does, its blossoms could be white, pink, lilac or purple. Like most succulents it is easy to grow. This oregano needs shade in the hottest part of the day, but will not do well in very cold weather, so it will need protection from the frost. You can grow it in a container and then when winter arrives, move it inside.
Sunset Western Garden Book says that it is used in Cuban cooking but too much of the herb will overpower other ingredients.
- Author: Sharon Leos
I enjoy watching the wildlife in our suburban garden, so when a squirrel appeared at our bird feeder, I was very excited. We have lived in our house for more than fifteen years and this is only the second time we have seen squirrels in our garden. The first sighting was not long after we moved in, so I think the current visits may be due to our recent addition of the bird feeder.
I checked the UC Integrated Pest Management website and found the squirrel in my photo is probably an eastern fox squirrel (Sciurus niger), a type of tree squirrel. Tree squirrels are active during the day all year-round (they do not hibernate) and enjoy eating a variety of items, several of which are found in the garden. So far, the squirrels in our yard have only eaten bird seeds, so I don’t mind them visiting - emphasis on visiting. I do not want a squirrel population explosion, like we seemed to have had with rats this summer, but that is a story for another day.
Keeping squirrels out of a garden or away from bird feeders can be challenging because they are very smart creatures. I will move to the birdfeeder farther from the fence, hopefully out of squirrels’ reach. The squirrels in our backyard do not like the presence of dogs, so our dogs will be outdoors more in the coming days where I know they will enjoy more time under the Solano sun.
For more information on managing tree squirrels in the garden visit the UC IPM website: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74122.html
- Author: Karen Metz
I've always been enchanted with Naked Ladies, the pale pink flowers that seem to magically appear in late summer. Several years ago they were offering bulbs at a Master Gardener Plant Exchange. I picked up one of the coconut sized bulbs and decided to give it a try.
I did some research and found the experts said the bulbs didn't like to be moved so it might be a while before they bloomed. Okay... Next year lovely strap like leaves, but no flowers. Ditto for year number two. This year, lovely spring leaves that died to the ground, and then, in August , stalks with large terminal bulbs seemed to appear overnight. The stalks shot up rapidly then beautiful pink flowers unfurled.
The common name, Naked Ladies, comes from the fact that there are no leaves present when they bloom. The plant is also known as Pink Lady, Resurrection Lily and Magic Lily. It's not a lily, but is in the Amaryllis family. I'm just happy the ladies finally arrived!
- Author: Sally Livingston
After attending a session on succulent container gardening at UC Davis, I decided to try it. This is my first attempt. When I purchased the succulents, I thought it would be too crowded in the planter but there is space. As they grow, I think it will fill it, but if not I plan to add some other succulents.
There are many kinds of succulents and I just got a few different ones. They have shallow roots so I put rocks in the bottom of my planter. Then I used packaged soil designed for succulents or cactus mix. It is more porous that the usual potting mix and helps retain water for longer periods. This one is located at the entrance to our gazebo and gets morning and early afternoon sun then some shade. It seems to be doing well. I water it about every two weeks slowly with at least a quart of water. But if I forget they are very forgiving. This winter I will move them to a sheltered area when frost is in the forecast.
You might want to try this type of gardening. There are so many different and variety of plants that it is fun to select a interesting combination for your container. And it doesn’t require a lot of care or frequent fertilizing.
