Eighty years later, my father still remembers hollyhocks in his grandmother's garden, now long gone. Tall, fuzzy stalks with bright blossoms and large, palm-shaped leaves towered ten feet tall, or at least they seemed that high. The ruffled flowers had wide, cherry-red petals and sunny yellow pistils that beckoned every bumblebee and butterfly that passed.
Even those who grew up without a grandmother's garden might remember Peter Rabbit's hollyhock patches or “Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary” nursery-rhyme illustrations. Nodding wands of hollyhocks have lined paths, guarded secret gardens, screened neighbors' views and adorned sides of barns for a long time.
Hollyhocks (Alcea rosea) are members of the Malvaceae, or mallow, family. While other members of the mallow family, like marsh mallow, are grown specifically for their culinary or medicinal qualities, garden hollyhocks are usually grown simply for their cottage-garden charm.
Like their medicinal cousins, all parts of garden hollyhocks are edible. The petals make a mild addition to a salad or a colorful garnish.
Keep dogs away from hollyhocks, however. I have read several reports of dogs occasionally digging up and eating hollyhock roots with resulting trips to the vet. These are anecdotal tales, but worth paying attention to.
Hollyhocks are easy to grow, although many varieties are biennial and take two years from seed to flower. Some bloom the first year if planted early enough, and other varieties are considered to be short-lived perennials. Cut them to the ground after they flower, continue to water and feed them, and they will often bloom once or twice more that season. Cut again at the end of the season and they should come back for several more years.
Hollyhocks often self-sow, producing a legion of volunteers the following year. Whichever type of hollyhock you choose, August and September are good months to plant from seed or to transplant seedlings.
Hollyhocks are not fussy and survive in many spots but do best in soil that has been amended with compost. They do not like dry soil. With adequate moisture and good drainage, hollyhocks can thrive in full sun or partial shade. Try them in a few different spots in your yard and see where they are happiest.
Hollyhocks typically grow five to six feet tall, although shorter varieties like the Celebrity, Queeny or Majorette series reach only about three feet tall. Consequently, these latter types can be grown in small beds or even containers. Some towering varieties can reach ten feet and are hummingbird heliports in colors ranging from lemon yellow, apricot and blush pink to almost black. They can reach halfway up a barn wall.
For fall planting, prepare a bed, mixing in plenty of compost and leaf mold. These amendments provide nutrition for what will become a large plant and also help your soil retain moisture.
If you buy hollyhocks at the nursery, transplant carefully, trying not to disturb the roots. Starting from seed gives you more choice. Swallowtail Garden Seeds has a good selection on its website.
Start hollyhock seeds in two-inch cell packs or pots, indoors or outdoors. Transplant when seedlings are a few inches high. Alternatively, sow seeds directly where you want them to grow, in the nice, cushy beds you prepared. If direct planting, sow groups of three or four seeds, two to three feet apart, depending on how large a variety you are planting. Press seeds into the soil and cover lightly with soil, if at all.
When seedlings are up and established, thin each group to one plant so it has room to grow. Good air circulation discourages rust and mildew, which can infect hollyhocks in moist, crowded settings. If your plants develop these ailments, carefully clip away the damaged leaves and throw them away. Always water hollyhocks from below; keeping their leaves dry can help keep rust and mildew at bay.
Hollyhocks flower on the top one and one-half to two feet of their stalk, with blossoms opening from the bottom to the top. To collect seed, wait until the petals have fallen and the flat, blackish seeds have formed. Hollyhocks are open pollinated and will usually come true from seed, although wonderful variations can always surprise you the following year.
Tree Walk: Join U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County for a free guided tree walk through Fuller Park in Napa on Monday, September 12, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Registration is recommended as space is limited. Meet at Fuller Park, corner of Jefferson and Oak Streets. Online registration or call 707-253-4221. Trees to Know in Napa Valley will be available for $15. Cash or check payable to UC Regents. Sorry, we are unable to process credit cards.
Workshop: U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County will hold a workshop on “Growing Bulbs” on Saturday, September 17, from 10 a.m. to noon, at Mid-City Nursery, 3635 Broadway Street, American Canyon.Bulbs are among the easiest plants to grow and deliver a welcome dose of color and scent, often when the winter is dreary. Master Gardeners will showcase a variety of bulbs, rhizomes, corms, tubers and stolons. Learn how to plant for successive bloom; how to care for, store and divide bulbs; and how to force blooms and encourage rebloom. On-line registration (credit card only); Mail-in/Walk-in registration (cash or check only).
Master Gardeners are volunteers who help the University of California reach the gardening public with home gardening information. U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County ( http://ucanr.edu/ucmgnapa/) are available to answer gardening questions in person or by phone, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to Noon, at the U. C. Cooperative Extension office, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Suite 4, Napa, 707-253-4143, or from outside City of Napa toll-free at 877-279-3065. Or e-mail your garden questions by following the guidelines on our web site. Click on Napa, then on Have Garden Questions? Find us on Facebook under UC Master Gardeners of Napa County.
Long ago (2737 B.C.) and far away (ancient China) Emperor Shen Nung – already an herbalist – observed that people who boiled their drinking water remained healthier than those who did not. On one of the Emperor's trips around his realm, his servants set up a fire and began to boil water. A few leaves blew into the pot. Attracted by the fragrance, the Emperor “tasted it and found it good” as the saying goes. Someone determined that the leaves came from an ancient camellia, eventually named Camellia sinensis (meaning from China), and cultivation of this shrub began.
Interest in tea eventually spread to Japan and the rest of the Far East. The beverage came to England sometime in the 1660s by way of Dutch traders travelling from the Orient. One of the earliest tea parties recorded in America was held in 1674 in the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam (New York today). A hundred years later in 1773, The Sons of Liberty brewed up the most memorable tea party in Boston Harbor as a response to prohibitive British taxes, especially on tea. Tea cultivation in India, now one of the most prolific growers, didn't begin until 1832, courtesy of the British.
Camellia sinensis is the source of white tea, green tea, oolong and black tea, including orange pekoe. The original Camellia sinensis has a small leaf; Camellia sinensis var. ‘asssamica' has a much larger leaf. Sinensis is partial to China and Japan, where it enjoys high altitudes and misty mornings and evenings. The assamica variety is grown primarily in India, Africa and Sri Lanka.
The type of tea produced from Camellia sinensis depends on when the leaves are harvested and whether they are fermented.
White tea is “bud” tea made from the tips of the plant. It's called white because of the small white hairs on the leaves. It makes the sweetest and most subtle tea and also the most expensive, once reserved for royalty. It is thought to have antibacterial, antioxidant and stimulant properties. The buds are minimally processed by dehydration; they are not fermented.
Green tea is made from young leaves that are blanched to retain their green color and then dried to retain antioxidants. Buddhist monks devised a complex grinding process to make matcha, the popular green tea, and developed the ritual to prepare it. Green tea retains some caffeine but it is released slowly for the body to absorb. It also contains vitamins and iron, and it may help lower cholesterol and slow aging.
Oolong tea lies somewhere on the spectrum between green and black teas. To make it, the leaves are semi-fermented or oxidized. Oolong tea has the health properties of both green and black teas; it is rich in antioxidants and polyphenols and contains some caffeine.
Black tea is made from fully fermented or oxidized leaves. The leaves are picked early in the morning and allowed to wither until they are limp enough to roll. The rolling ruptures the cells, launching fermentation and oxidation. After fermentation, the leaves are fired to dry them. Brewed black tea is dark and has a strong rich flavor.
Orange Pekoe is a term applied to some black teas from Sri Lanka and southern India. The name is actually a grading measurement, further broken down into specific subgrades: flowery orange pekoe, etc. These tea leaves undergo extensive processing before reaching market.
You might be surprised to learn that you can grow tea plants in Napa Valley. Fair warning: Starting from seed is a long, tedious project. If you have time on your hands, go ahead. But first check out some of the online videos about the process and you might change your mind. The good news is that California-grown plants can be ordered from local nurseries in one- and five-gallon containers.
Betty Viktor, a Master Gardener in Solano County, has an eight-year-old Camellia sinensis on her back deck. According to Viktor, the shrub does not have big, showy spring flowers. Instead, it has a small, white fragrant flower with yellow stamens. It blooms in late fall or early winter and reaches four to six feet here but is known to reach sixty feet in the wild. As with most camellias, it likes part shade to full morning sun.
Camellia sinensis needs well-drained soil that is rich in organic matter. You can grow it in a container but make sure the pot is large enough for future growth. If you plant in your garden, do not plant too deep. The roots grow horizontally and can smother from lack of air circulation. Never dig around a camellia once it's planted or you may disturb the shallow roots. And never let the soil dry out, especially in summer.
From spring through fall, fertilize every three weeks with an acid fertilizer diluted to half the recommended strength. Prune when dormant for shape, opening up the interior to keep the plant healthy. You can propagate cuttings treated with rooting hormone and kept at 72°F. Patience is key, says Viktor.
We should thank that Chinese emperor from long ago for discovering such a wonderful, healthy beverage to enjoy hot or cold, summer or winter. As Soshitsu Sen XV, the retired Grand Master of Urasenke School of Tea in Kyoto, said, “A cup of tea is a cup of peace.”
Tree Walk: Join U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County for a free guided tree walk through Fuller Park in Napa on Monday, September 12, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Registration is recommended as space is limited. Meet at Fuller Park, corner of Jefferson and Oak Streets. Online registration or call 707-253-4221. Trees to Know in Napa Valley will be available for $15. Cash or check payable to UC Regents. Sorry, we are unable to process credit cards.
Workshop: U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County will hold a workshop on “Growing Bulbs” on Saturday, September 17, from 10 a.m. to noon, at Mid-City Nursery, 3635 Broadway Street, American Canyon.Bulbs are among the easiest plants to grow and deliver a welcome dose of color and scent, often when the winter is dreary. Master Gardeners will showcase a variety of bulbs, rhizomes, corms, tubers and stolons. Learn how to plant for successive bloom; how to care for, store and divide bulbs; and how to force blooms and encourage rebloom. On-line registration (credit card only); Mail-in/Walk-in registration (cash or check only).
Master Gardeners are volunteers who help the University of California reach the gardening public with home gardening information. U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County ( http://ucanr.edu/ucmgnapa/) are available to answer gardening questions in person or by phone, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to Noon, at the U. C. Cooperative Extension office, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Suite 4, Napa, 707-253-4143, or from outside City of Napa toll-free at 877-279-3065. Or e-mail your garden questions by following the guidelines on our web site. Click on Napa, then on Have Garden Questions? Find us on Facebook under UC Master Gardeners of Napa County.
[Ed note: Pictures of their favorite flowers and the associated butterflies are posted in the order listed by Penny Pawl.)
This has been a beautiful, bountiful year for butterflies in my garden. I have been hand-raising butterflies for many years now. It's my effort towards giving them a better chance at life.
Butterflies start in March when the flowers and vines begin to put out flowers and leaves. The Dutchman's pipevine (Aristolochia macrophylla ) puts out its little pipes in March. These blooms are pollinated by gnats. The leaves start to grow about the same time, and the Pipevine Swallowtailbutterflies are programmed to leave their pupae at this time. Most of them have been waiting almost a year to complete metamorphosis and are happy to be flying in the sun, gathering nectar from flowers and laying eggs.
When I see a female laying eggs, I search through the vine and usually find eight to ten little golden eggs in a cluster. Before a predator can get to them, I take the eggs in the house and put them in a small container. The container keeps them and the leaves from drying up. In less than a week, the tiny caterpillars are born. At that point, I know that I am committed for five weeks before they will make a pupa.
Once I commit to raising them, I clean their containers daily and make sure they have plenty of pipeline leaves, their preferred food. Occasionally I run out of leaves from my vine, but I know where another vine is and I will 'borrow' some of its leaves.
Monarch butterflies make their first flight through Napa Valley in April and May, heading north. To be ready for them, I grow a number of types of milkweed (Asclepias) that bloom at different times in spring and summer. The native milkweed (Asclepias speciosa) is usually growing when the Monarchs pass through. They may lay eggs if the plant has tender young leaves.
This past spring I gathered about 20 Monarch eggs. They are small, white and found on the underside of milkweed leaves. When I gather the eggs, I take a piece of leaf with me so when the eggs hatch they have some food. Right now the butterflies are ignoring Asclepias speciosa as the leaves are old. Instead they are laying their eggs on narrow-leaf milkweed (Asclepias fascicularis). I have lost count of the number of Monarchs I have raised in my house this year, but it must be around 50.
I was gone for a couple of weeks in June when another group of Monarchs came through the garden. Every milkweed variety that I grow had been munched. I found caterpillars of various sizes and took them inside to complete their growth. Monarchs take less than three weeks to mature and become a pupa. They will emerge from the pupa in another two weeks. Since they are hatching in my yard and I have plenty of flowers, they stay a while and lay more eggs.
Anise Swallowtail Butterflies feed on fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) and members of the parsley and carrot family. My fennel had struggled for years as gophers love it, too. I finally put the plant in a large pot to protect the roots and sunk the pot in the ground. The roots grow out the holes in the pot and the main plant is saved. This seems to work, and I have found tiny caterpillars on the fennel. So far this year, I have more than 20 that are either in pupae or eating fennel like there is no tomorrow.
All three of these members of the Swallowtail family taste bad to birds. However, that does not stop spiders, wasps and native bugs from dining on them. Lizards also like them. A few years ago, small parasitic flies laid eggs in one group of Anise Swallowtails I was raising. This killed the caterpillars when the eggs hatched.
These butterflies live only six to eight weeks. During that time they will lay 500 to 600 eggs. Not all the eggs are fertile; some are defective and the newborns die before they mature. But by hand-raising them, I am giving more butterflies a chance to have their flying days. In nature, only a small percentage make the transition.
When I started raising the Pipevine Swallowtail, I saw only a few, but now many visit my vine all summer long. Last year, in late September, two large Pipevine caterpillars were still feeding on the vine.
You don't have to hand-raise butterflies as I do, but you can help them survive by planting nectar plants. Grow native Pipevine, native milkweeds and other plants that butterflies need to lay eggs and feed. Never use pesticides; butterflies are not immune.
Gardening for Butterflies is an excellent resource. You'll also find a lot of good information on the life cycle of butterflies online.
Tree Walk: Join U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County for a free guided tree walk through Fuller Park in Napa on Monday, September 12, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Registration is recommended as space is limited. Meet at Fuller Park, corner of Jefferson and Oak Streets. Online registration or call 707-253-4221. Trees to Know in Napa Valley will be available for $15. Cash or check payable to UC Regents. Sorry, we are unable to process credit cards.
Master Gardeners are volunteers who help the University of California reach the gardening public with home gardening information. U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County ( http://ucanr.edu/ucmgnapa/) are available to answer gardening questions in person or by phone, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to Noon, at the U. C. Cooperative Extension office, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Suite 4, Napa, 707-253-4143, or from outside City of Napa toll-free at 877-279-3065. Or e-mail your garden questions by following the guidelines on our web site. Click on Napa, then on Have Garden Questions? Find us on Facebook under UC Master Gardeners of Napa County.
You live in beautiful Napa Valley surrounded by wineries and vineyards. Some of your friends and neighbors have a few grapevines or a small vineyard and make a little bit of wine each year with a label that declares it's their wine from their vineyard.
You're smitten. You have a little room in the backyard and think it would be a perfect location for a few dozen or maybe a few hundred grapevines.
When my wife and I bought our home in 1998, it was surrounded by an acre or so of weeds. Nothing of interest had grown there since a prune orchard had been ripped out years before. We were just a few years removed from living in Chicago so grape growing was not something we knew anything about, but we loved wine and had delusions of viticultural grandeur.
Our journey began at a fundraiser auction to which someone had donated everything needed to plant a 200-vine vineyard. We bid but didn't win. Shortly afterward, I told a new friend, a vineyard manager, about the auction lot we didn't win. Don't worry, he said. I can plant a vineyard for you.
Our new friend visited our property to get a feel for what we could plant. Visions of growing grapes and being a home winemaker danced in my head. To make a barrel of wine, we would need about 250 vines. No problem; we had plenty of room. In fact, we had enough room to plant 1,000 vines and sell excess grapes to other home winemakers.
What about planting our septic field? No problem. Now we could plant 1,400 vines. We decided to move full speed ahead.
What was wrong with this decision? Lots. First, we had no idea how much it would cost to plant 1,400 grapevines. A little research indicated it might be $20 to $25 per vine. A little pricey but probably no more expensive than landscaping.
Second, I knew nothing about growing grapes so we would need someone to take care of the vineyard initially. Again, we had no idea of the labor cost or the maintenance time involved. Third, home winemakers are cheap. They do not pay as much for grapes as wineries do, if they pay anything at all. Plus, we didn't even know any home winemakers.
Last but not least, I had no idea how to make wine nor did I own winemaking equipment or know how much it would cost.
Our vineyard was planted in 2002. By 2005, we had enough of a harvest to make two barrels of wine. The wine was quite good. In fact, we still have a few cases left and it continues to be enjoyable. So far, this is the only wine we had made from our grapes.
In 2006, we were able to recruit friends who had winemaking equipment or knowledge. Truly, it takes a village. Although we enjoyed the winemaking experience, we determined that it was not something we wanted to do regularly. We found it was easier to give a winemaker a half-ton of grapes and get a few cases of wine in return.
Planting a vineyard was a great learning experience, to say the least. A few of the lessons: It cost much more than anticipated. (I could have been driving a Porsche for the last 14 years.) Grenache won't ripen in Carneros. Our well can't pump enough water to adequately irrigate the vineyard so we now use city water for irrigation.
Like other plants, grapevines die for no apparent reason and must be replaced. Birds like ripe grapes, requiring netting every year. Mother Nature is inconsistent. Some years we harvest in early October, but most years it's early November when that phenomenon called rain has started and we have to worry about moldy grapes. Vineyard end posts will topple in an earthquake.
The moral of the story is: know what you're doing before you do it. Know how much it costs to plant grapevines. Join a winemaking group before you plant to make sure you really want to be a home winemaker. Plant varietals that grow well in your area. Ask questions. The Master Gardeners have a resource group called the Integrated Grape Team that can help you with your decision making.
I have no regrets about planting a vineyard, but if there is a next time, I hope I take off the rose-colored glasses first.
Workshop: U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County will present a workshop on “Home Vineyards: Part Two” on Saturday, August 20, from 9:30 a.m. to 11: 30 a.m. followed by a field trip from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Location is 1107 State Lane in Yountville. Learn what to do and what to look for and how to plan for harvest and crush in the vineyard, testing the must, managing the vines after crush, and preparing for winter and the next growing season. A special team of home vineyard Master Gardeners will present this workshop and answer your individual questions.On-line registration (credit card only) Mail-in/Walk-in registration (cash or check only)
Tree Walk: Join U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County for a free guided tree walk through Fuller Park in Napa on Monday, September 12, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Registration is recommended as space is limited. Meet at Fuller Park, corner of Jefferson and Oak Streets. Online registration or call 707-253-4221. Trees to Know in Napa Valley will be available for $15. Cash or check payable to UC Regents. Sorry, we are unable to process credit cards.
Master Gardeners are volunteers who help the University of California reach the gardening public with home gardening information. U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County ( http://ucanr.edu/ucmgnapa/) are available to answer gardening questions in person or by phone, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to Noon, at the U. C. Cooperative Extension office, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Suite 4, Napa, 707-253-4143, or from outside City of Napa toll-free at 877-279-3065. Or e-mail your garden questions by following the guidelines on our web site. Click on Napa, then on Have Garden Questions? Find us on Facebook under UC Master Gardeners of Napa County.
All too soon, it seems, the seasons pass by. While we are harvesting summer peaches, we need to start planning for the fall. Fortunately, Napa Valley's mild Mediterranean climate gives us some flexibility in planting dates. Nevertheless, planning now for cool-season crops will allow you to maximize limited space, invigorate your soil and try new vegetable varieties.
Whether you garden in a full backyard, a few raised beds or just some pots on the patio, you can still experiment with a variety of cool-season crops such as carrots, radishes, spinach, kohlrabi and cabbages.
Cool-season vegetables like broccoli and kale thrive when the average daytime temperature is 55°F to 75o F. Warm-season vegetables—think tomatoes, peppers and eggplants—prefer daytime temperatures from 65°F to 95oF. Pound for pound, we get more food from cool-season vegetables because we eat the vegetative part and not just the fruit. A cabbage, for example, is entirely edible, whereas we eat only the fruit of the pepper plant.
And like the gardener who enjoys the slower pace that cooler weather brings, many pests take a break as well. Some go dormant or simply reach the end of that season's generation. This slowdown can make it easier to garden without pesticides when the weather cools.
The workload may be less intense in fall and winter, but you can still be an active gardener. Growing legumes such as fava beans and peas will not only provide delicious fare for your table but also replenish your soil with precious nitrogen and other nutrients.
By keeping your beds planted, you provide habitat for beneficial insects, soil micro-organisms and earthworms. Any leftover plant material from summer, like tomato vines, can be composted and returned to the soil to nurture future crops.
When it comes to cool-season growing, the options are vast. Some fast-growing root vegetables, such as carrots and radishes, can be closely planted. In warm soil, they mature quickly so you can inter-plant with vegetables that grow above ground, such as lettuces, to maximize space. By picking only the outer leaves of lettuces rather than uprooting the entire plant, you can extend the harvest considerably. Peas are another great fall crop, and they can utilize vertical space—a boon for gardeners with limited square footage.
Seed companies such as Johnny's Selected Seeds, Territorial Seed Company and John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds offer almost limitless choices for the fall and winter garden. In a couple of weeks, local nurseries will have good selections of vegetable seedlings for late-summer planting.
Remember, too, many cool-season vegetables are not only edible but stunningly beautiful. Kale, mustard and chard come in striking colors that can add eye appeal to a patio, walkway or planting bed.
Of course, even vegetables that thrive in cooler weather need sunlight, water, appropriate soil conditions and nutrients. You can prepare yourself for success at the upcoming Master Gardener workshop on cool-season vegetables (details follow) and plan now to ensure a healthy and abundant harvest this winter.
Workshop: The U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County will host a workshop on “Growing Fall and Winter Vegetables” on Saturday, August 13, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., at the University of California Cooperative Extension, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Napa. Discover the joy of harvesting vegetables from your own garden in fall, winter and early spring. Topics will include timing, watering, fertilizing, managing pests and harvesting. On-line registration (credit card only). Mail-in/Walk-in registration (cash or check only).
Tree Walk: Join U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County for a free guided tree walk through Fuller Park in Napa on Monday, August 8, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Registration is recommended as space is limited. Meet at Fuller Park, corner of Jefferson and Oak Streets. Online registration or call 707-253-4221. Trees to Know in Napa Valley will be available for $15. Cash or check payable to UC Regents. Sorry, we are unable to process credit cards.
Master Gardeners are volunteers who help the University of California reach the gardening public with home gardening information. U. C. Master Gardeners of Napa County ( http://ucanr.edu/ucmgnapa/) are available to answer gardening questions in person or by phone, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to Noon, at the U. C. Cooperative Extension office, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Suite 4, Napa, 707-253-4143, or from outside City of Napa toll-free at 877-279-3065. Or e-mail your garden questions by following the guidelines on our web site. Click on Napa, then on Have Garden Questions? Find us on Facebook under UC Master Gardeners of Napa County.
