- Author: Kathy Low
I know this post will ultimately make a lot of you cringe at what I do. But just as art is in the eye of the beholder, the joy of gardening, whether done the right way or the wrong way, is in the hands of the individual. And as individuals, we often do things differently.
There are proper ways to stunt or control plant height and growth practiced by greenhouse growers. These methods employ either use of either a chemical plant growth retardant (http://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/HO/HO-248-W.pdf), or environmental or cultural control methods (http://extension.umass.edu/floriculture/fact-sheets/controlling-plant-height-without-chemicals). But what I’m writing about below is not the proper way to do things, but it’s what I do to suit my needs. So here goes.
For years I grew rows of Mammoth Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) in my backyard simply because the flowers are so cheerful. I love the structure of a sunflower, and don’t really care about the size of the flower or the seeds. But a few years ago when my neighbor stopped plowing my backyard for me because he stopped farming, I reached the point where I was tired of digging up the enormous sunflower plants and chopping up the thick ten to twelve foot stalks at the end of each season. I decided it wasn’t worth the physical effort to grow them in my backyard anymore.
So the last couple years I’ve been planting sunflower seeds in impromptu planters. No, not the seeds for dwarf sunflowers, but the seeds for full sized sunflowers. Why don’t I just plant the seeds for dwarf sunflowers? Two simple reasons: cost and availability. I can always buy a packet of sunflower seeds for a quarter or less at my local dollar store. The dwarf sunflower seeds, which produce beautiful lush plants and flowers, are more expensive and I usually have to hunt for the seeds at local retailers or end up purchasing them through the mail.
By planting the seeds for full sized sunflowers in planters, I intentionally stunt their growth so that I end up with miniature, albeit not the healthiest looking plants. But the plants take up little space and the baby sunflowers still make me smile. And since earlier this year a friend sent me some steaks that the company shipped in styrofoam coolers, I decided to recycle the bottoms of the coolers and turn them into planters. So I punched holes in the bottom of them, added some soil, and the photos below show my stunted sunflower plants which are just starting to bloom.
If you want to grow sunflowers in planters, you should purchase dwarf sunflower seeds suited for container gardening. The reason I shared with you what I do is to illustrate you should never be afraid to experiment in your gardening, be it trying a new method, or growing something you’ve never grown before. Adapt your gardening practices to meet your own needs. And regardless of whether something turns out right or wrong, gardening should always bring you joy. So have fun in your garden!
- Author: Betsy Buxton
Were you one of the smart gardeners who signed up to work with Ken Williams on the Vallejo Garden Tour? You weren’t – you didn’t? Boy, did you miss a great time touring through the selected gardens!
Lanie (newbie) and I (oldbe) were assigned a garden on Fern Place. Since this short street is right off Tennessee St near downtown, I figured that my directions were wrong; surely I didn’t err in following MapQuest! Nope, I correctly read the map, but what a difference 1 block off a main drag can make!
As I slowly went down the street, “casing the joint” so to speak, I began to forget the traffic noises and began to relax, enjoying the landscaping as I passed? Is this the place? NO!! Can this be the one?? NO!! Finally toward the street end, I saw the banana tree (Ensete ventricsum) with its deep red leafstalk and red-tinged leaves. I was there! Getting out of the car, I could barely wait to see what else was growing here!
Oh no, nobody answered the door! Was it the right day and wrong time or the wrong day and the right time? I squared my shoulders and walked down the driveway past the roses, past the gladiolas, and closer to the garage. There were pots of cacti, succulents, and other goodies that confirmed that no car ever went this-away!
There was my host, Mario, and his “helper” watering and weeding in honor of our visit. Apparently he figured that we would criticize if it weren’t “perfect”! With all the grassy weeds in my yard, I don’t point fingers at any one!
What a yard! The most gorgous exotic shade garden I have ever seen! There were pots (big ones) full of cannas; those wonderful striped leaf ones (the ‘Tiger’ series); ferns galore in even larger pots; Brugmasia, both in pots and in the ground; an enormous Philodendron bipinnatifidum with the deeply cut leaves at least 3 feet long and as wide at the stem!
All of this was growing in the shade of an Acacia tree, which was very well behaved – no suckering from the roots. Three water features, one with small koi swimming around in the basin, kept the noise from the side houses and the rear neighbor at bay.
I couldn’t understand why visitors kept mentioning how warm it was; my feet thawed out around 1pm! Looking from the shelter of the tree, I noticed just how sunny both neighbors’ yards were; I was comfy!
Leaving through the garden gate with its arch of grape vines (in barrels), the visitor was then amongst Mario’s collection of sun plants, including a Bougainvillea ‘Barbara Karst’, and then back down the driveway past the roses and to the street.
Having a river rock ground cover with both many large stepping stones and small intimate seating areas made the garden seem very large; of course, the large mirror pieces reflecting key pieces of garden statues and featured plants helped also!
Except for the large tree, this is a young garden! Mario and his life-partner, Calvin, told us that there was nothing in that back yard seven years ago when they moved in! All the work and all the planning was done by the two fellows with help from their large circle of friends! As I told them: “ya done good!”
PS: Mario asked me for a possible plant list to add to the already exotic look! I ended up trading him 2 Cymbidiums for 2 small Canna rhizomes! He thinks he got the better side of the trade. Boy, he doesn’t know!
On June 1, the entire group of volunteers goes on a “field trip” on all the gardens on the tour! I can’t wait!
PPS: Thanks to Ken Williams who coordinated this tour!
- Author: Kathy Low
This could be another bad year for rattlesnakes. I saw a baby one slithering by the base of one of my planters the other day. And my neighbor told me she heard one while walking down her driveway last week.
I live in an agricultural area of the county. Through the years an occasional rattlesnake would slither through my garden only every couple of years. Last year was the exception, which was a notoriously bad year for rattlesnakes. And I have to admit that rattlesnakes terrify me to the point that last year I wouldn’t go out into my garden for weeks at a time each time I saw a rattlesnake.
Beside the rattle on their tail, you can also identify a rattlesnake from the common garden snake by the shape of its head. Rattlesnakes have a triangle shaped head. But if you see a snake slithering by, you may just want to let it move along its path rather than getting closer to try to identify it.
The UC IPM Pest Note for rattlesnakes recommends clearing away any heavy brush, tall weeds, grass, rocks, logs, lumber piles and any other places where snakes can hide. Since snakes do not burrow, cover up any rodent burrows so the snakes cannot use them. And of course, getting rid of any rodents will remove one of their food sources from the area making it less hospitable to them. A snake fence can also be used to exclude snakes from an area.
Rattlesnakes are not considered threatened or endangered, so you are allowed to kill them on your property. But from foolish experience, I can tell you it is both difficult, and dangerous to try to kill a rattlesnake with a shovel. If the rattlesnake doesn’t move on to another area, it’s wiser to call a professional to remove the snake rather than trying to deal with it yourself.
If bitten, seek immediate medical attention. I always keep my cell phone in my pocket when gardening just as a safety precaution. In case of a garden accident or snake bite, I’ll be able to summon help immediately. Whenever you’re home alone gardening, consider keeping your cell phone within reach.
- Author: Dottie Deems
Sometimes you just have to get out of the house! Sometimes you have to get out of town! I did. I ran away to the Jack London State Park in Glen Ellen and took a docent led tour of the Cottage Garden.
The park is what remains of the seven ranches referred to as Beauty Ranch that author Jack London and his wife Charmaine purchased beginning in 1905 in The Valley of the Moon. The couple built their dream home, Wolf House, on the property, but shortly before they were to move in it burned to the ground. They lived in the Cottage until 1916 when London died. Charmaine continued to live in the cottage until 1934 when the House of Happy Walls was completed in 1934.
Jack London took up organic gardening while living at Beauty Ranch. He had a vineyard on the property, but there is no mention of him making wine.
The home farm portion of the ranch became a dude ranch between 1944 and 1946. It was operated by Eliza London Shepard, Jack's step sister and ranch manager.
Charmaine died in 1955 and the property was turned over to the State in 1960. In 1997, Jenny Randal took on the job of reviving the Cottage Garden. She remains today and led our tour.
Jenny treated us to a power point presentation of photos going back to the early twentieth century when Jack and Charmaine London created Beauty Ranch. Once Wolf House was destroyed and they were forced to make their home at the Cottage, they created the garden that Jenny has been working on for over fifteen years. Her research is based on photos, correspondence, and writings of the London’s.
The garden area was surrounded in those days by a snow fence. Perhaps this kept the deer and assorted critters such as bobcat and mountain lions away. The old photos show several large live oak and black locust trees and one huge palm tree adjacent to the garden. Most of the black locust trees are gone, but several young ones remain with the oaks and the even grander palm tree.
A pond was built in the garden and it was surrounded by cannas and Shasta daisies. It was filled with Koi then as it is now.
The daisies may have been a gift from their creator Luther Burbank, another resident of Sonoma County at the time. There are photos of the two men together on the Burbank website, but Jenny does not think the two men were close friends.
The garden that is there today is a "cultural garden" meant to depict what was probably planted there at the time the London's were in residence. If so, the list in a long one and includes many of the plants I have in my own garden. Even before the tour started I made a list of what I saw planted there. I think you will find most of these familiar to you:
yarrow, roses, California poppies, Salvia, daylilies, Clivia, iris, Agapanthus, peony, Nepeta, Bears Breech (Acanthus mollis), society garlic, Euphorbia, rosemary, callas, periwinkle, violets, nasturtium, bamboo, Shasta daisies, Santa Barbara daisies, scented geraniums, Penstemon, agave, ginger, Buddleia, lilac, Pride of Madera, fortnight lilies, lavender, Cistus, verbena, lungwort, nut sedge, California fuchsia, breath of heaven, and Gaillardia.
- Author: Sharon L. Rico
The Children’s Memorial Garden is a small garden (17x27 feet) in front of the Solano County Health and Social Service Dept. on Beck Avenue in Fairfield. Solano County Master Gardeners created this lovely garden in 2007. Carolyn Allen designed the garden and a crew of Master Gardeners dug holes and placed 1 and 5 gallon plants. The garden has evolved into a mini-sanctuary which the Solano Master Gardeners maintain. It is an educational garden with signs naming unusual plants and pests (such as spittle bugs).
On Friday, April 26th, the annual memorial ceremony was held in front of the garden. The Children’s Memorial flag had been displayed over the garden all month. The flag shows a chain of children holding hands with one child missing.
A group gathered consisting of county workers, Supervisor Linda Seifert, a couple of Master Gardeners, a minister and some loved ones to honor the twenty-two children in Solano County who died in 2012. The list consisted of two male teenagers who had died as the result of gunshot wounds, two female teenagers from an auto accident, three children as results of medical complications and fifteen babies (from SIDS and premature births). What made this event visually poignant was seeing the blanket with shoes from each child displayed, including the tiny knitted socks belonging to the babies.
Everyone attending was invited to fill out a cardboard cutout of a child attached to a stick and place it in the soil. Many wrote their message and silently placed their personal memorial. Later this month as the Master Gardeners work in the garden, the faded and water worn paper tributes will be collected as part of the maintenance of the garden.