- Author: Gerry L Hernandez
Travelling to Southern California soon?
Sunset magazine had a great article on places to visit in the area of Palm Springs and when we were there for the holidays recently we decided to take in one of the places – Thousand Palms Oasis. The picture in the magazine showed a dinosaur like group of monsters with shaggy fronds reaching the ground. It is the Washington filifera, California's only native palm in its natural habitat. Some of these palms could have actually been alive when George Washington was president. As we drew closer we could see the large grouping of the trees standing sentry in the desert surroundings as if they were plucked out of an old science fiction movie. The docents at the oasis explained that the palms sit on top of the San Andreas Fault and allow water to seep up from below and give them the ideal conditions they need to survive. Our daughter and her husband walked to the opposite side where McCallum Grove ends in an actual lake surrounded by the dense forest of palms. At that point we were standing on the continental plate and they were across the fault standing on the Pacific plate just a few yards away. Now, maybe this kind of thing doesn't blow your skirt up like it does mine, but you have to admit that it is worthy of the short drive from the golf courses and Gucci bags. The Cahuilla Indians lived here in ancient times and surviving off the wildlife it attracted as well as the fruit of the palm which was ground and provided some protein. There is no cost to visit and if you go early in the morning you will be amazed at the wildlife that still uses the palm skirts for refuge. Even in the hottest part of the summer it will be 10-20 degrees cooler in the grove. Google this great spot and give it a try. It will be less busy in a couple of months when people have forgotten about the Sunset article!! It has increased the visitors by about 10-fold.
- Author: Gerry L Hernandez
We are starting a new series of articles called "Master Gardener Travels". Of course, when we travel we always look at plants. I can't tell you how many times I've gone to Hearst Castle can came home with pictures of plants. Crazy, right?
The Ozarks
For most of my life I have visited the Ozarks but for the last 38 years I have been visiting on a regular basis. You see my family moved there from California. I've been there in all 4 seasons and what a difference each season presents.
In California we are very spoiled. Our winters are grey but not harsh. Winter in the Ozarks is cold, grey and not snowy. The trees are dormant, the grass has gone away and it's dry. Sometimes an ice storm comes through and breaks limbs from the trees.
One spring I visited about two weeks after a severe ice storm. Everywhere you looked the tops of the trees had been snapped off. It was quite an eerie sight. Now in California, March is a buzzing time. Many plants are blooming and greening up. In the Ozarks, the redbuds are blooming. They are blooming against a background of leafless trees which makes their color stand out.
Summer is full of many shades of green because of summer rains. The Ozarks are home to the largest hardwood forest in the US. As we drive the hilly, twisty roads the horizon is full of trees and patches of grass. The patches of grass are really pastures for dairy cows. One of my most memorable plants is seeing the beautiful peonies. Right in the middle of my Mom's lawn is a patch of beautiful soft pink peonies. Another landscape plant I don't see here often is coleus. Lots of landscapes had coleus in them.
Fall is my favorite time of the year in the Ozarks. The weather is mild with chilly mornings and warm afternoons. Remember the largest hardwood forest in the US? Well, fall is it's time to put on a colorful show. It is said that the fall color in the Ozarks are just as good as the New England color. It's also time for pumpkins. This is no different than California but my Aunt and Uncle have a pumpkin patch and corn maze! It has been voted one of the 10 best pumpkin patches in Missouri! They have a greenhouse and grow plants year round but fall is best for them with the pumpkins and huge mums. Plus there is a bonus; my Aunt is a Master Gardener.
- Author: Gerry L Hernandez
I thought this month would be a good start to introducing the communities to the new Colusa Street Tree List that goes to the council in November for approval. One of the most exciting is a really drought tolerant tree that is a cross between the old catalpa and the desert willow – we have ended up with a lovely 20-25 foot tree with magnificent blossoms, greenish tinged bark, broken shade and once established as drought tolerant as anything you might want to have around. It's really exciting to see a new tree break into the spotlight and take care of the old nuisance parts of the catalpa – no beans!! Its name is x Chitalpa tashkentensis.
Among the best features of 'Pink Dawn are abundant clusters of showy pale pink flowers with each cluster containing from 15 to 40 flowers. The 1 inch long flowers have a funnel-shaped throat with conspicuous purple nectar guides that line the inside and emerge to give orchid striping to the flared pink petal lobes. Flowering begins in May-June in California and continues well into late fall.
Unlike either of its parents, Chitalpa is a hybrid and is sterile and produces no messy seed pods. Additionally the flowers dry on the plant rather than fall fresh and so do not become a slick safety hazard on a walkway or patio.
So if you are looking for a new introduction to you yard and not wanting to spend a lot of our precious water – try this new hybrid cross.
Submitted by Cynthia White
- Author: Gerry L Hernandez
The drought has been hard on our trees. Even if you watered your trees throughout the summer, our trees have suffered. As we have heard, it should be a wet year. This can cause our trees some problems.
November is a great time of the year to inspect our landscape trees for hazards. Most of the leaves have fallen, leaving a clear view of the tree structure. Although some tree failures are not predictable and cannot be prevented, many failures can be prevented. By inspecting trees for common structural defects, many potential failures can be corrected before they cause damage or injury.
Stand back and look at the whole tree. Thoroughly inspect the tree for defects in the following order.
Lean
Multiple trunks
Weakly attached branches
Cavities and decay
Cracks in the trunk and branches
Hanging or broken branches
Dead branches
For details and pictures, click here. Pages 6 and 7 have detailed pictures.
- Author: Gerry L Hernandez
This is part 3 of a 5 part series on the benefits of trees.
