SUMMER 2012

We're about 1/2 way through summer and wonderful things are happening in the garden.  Plants we've tended so carefully year round are truly performing for us and I get to take credit in my community of gardens.  Sunflowers stand tall, with their heads bowed in subservience to the bright summer sun that's feeding all beings, both plant and animal.  Rudbeckias make a complimentary carpet in sunny beds.  Penstemen and daisies offer a range of color to blend in with the rich saturated hues of our Bay Area gardens.  Hibiscus shrubs take advantage of the warm weather that reminds them of their tropical homes and provide rich salad plates of color (see also smaller H. subdifera for crimson flowers to be dried for Tea).

All the warm weather turns our attention to irrigation, and this summer the City of Oakland is offering a subsidy program for Rainwater Harvesting barrels free of charge (pay only tax).  Local irrigation/lighting resource Urban Farmer in Richmond provides free pick up and provides calculation assistance for your rainwater volume estimations on their website.

http://www.urbanfarmerstore.com/rainharvest/rainharvest.html

Spring Approaches...

Next Tuesday is the 1st official day of spring...and the much needed rains are arriving (albeit a bit too late).  We can probably look forward to a drought year due to the lack of rainfall.  A great way to prepare for a dry summer (besides the forethought of a beautiful native/mediterranean drought tolerant garden) is to distribute a thorough top-dressing of compost, providing healthy nutrients, and a 3" layer of mulch to minimize the evaporation of our precious resource.  Berkeley residents can enjoy a free self-serve compost pile, last Sat. of every month at the Berkeley Marina across from the Doubletree hotel (Feb.-Oct. starting at 8 a.m.).  When not under construction the BART tracks in Albany usually provide free mulch piles courtesy of our local Arborists.

In the Edible Landscape we're harvesting the last of winters crops (or early spring carrots, radishes, onions, broccoli and cabbage).  We plant and plan support for beans and peas.  Tomato seeds can be started indoors, but possibility of frost limits their success in the ground this early.  Here in the bay we do better with smaller varieties of most fruits and vegetables, the biggest challenges being large Tomato varieties as well as Eggplant and Melons.

A quick note on Bare-Root season - An excellent opportunity to fill out the perennial garden with very affordable dormant Fruit Trees, usually begins in November and I've found that the stock simply dries up within 2 months.  Roses go even quicker (1 month), so be sure to place your orders ahead of time!

Plastic Eating Mushroom Discovered

Pestalotiopsis microspora is a species of fungus that has been discovered in the Amazonian Rainforest of Ecuador.  It is the 1st species able to survive solely on Polyurethane, one of our biggest and least bio-degradable waste products.  It is also able to exist in anaerobic conditions such as the depths of our landfills.  This fungus will now join others (there are oil eating species as well) in bioremediation projects that will hopefully steer our waste management in an eco-responsible direction.

Winter in the Bay

Strangely warm weather has persisited this winter resulting in some very confused  plant life.  Some deciduous trees and shrubs are eagerly budding out and producing tender fresh growth that will soon become vulnerable to the frost and cold.  The first freeze warning in some time has been issued for this morning of January 17th, and rains are on the way.

If you have Citrus trees, a simple blanket of an old sheet or tarp should be loosely staked down around them.

In the garden we are focusing on dormant spraying and pruning.  Organic oil rich sprays smother over-wintering pests while excessive growth is painlessly removed.

Bare root fruit trees are available for as little as 25% of the full cost this time of year and should be selected and ordered soon.

This is a path that I laid at the home of sculptor Stephen De Staebler and his wife Danae Mattes.  Stephen passed on May 13th last year and among the beautiful and varied sculptures he left behind, are the remnants and rejects of clay fragments (many beautifully painted).  My task was to create a path down to the studio using such fragments.  This was a fun project, not only for the artistic license afforded me...but the sense of collaboration and opportunity to hopefully honor such an esteemed artist!

2011 Sea Cliff Back Yard

 Here's an update  of the previous posting.  You can see that the purple Loropetalum hedge has filled in nicely along the driveway.  The 'Rodgers Red' grapevines blanket the arbor and follow the fence.  Their vigorous growth requires regular pruning to maintain just a few main branches. 

At the back of the garden is a hedge of Loropetalum x Ralphii.  This wonderful evergreen shrub is about 3'x8' and has very fine texture (tiny white flowers in spring).  It is flanked by Fremontodendron.

2009 Sea Cliff Back Yard

This is a design I did a few years ago that started with a meandering flagstone path that eventually became a green path irrigated by sub-surface irrigation.  Sub-surface irrigation is drip that is layed below ground instead of on top (requiring a flush system to prevent roots from clogging the emitters while the lines sit full).   This eliminates overspray and uses less water.  Curbstone stairs are meant to replicate the historic S.F. curbstone at the clients request.  A nearby former property of Ansel Adams provided the inspiration for the stair/paver combo set into the lawn path.   The property is lined with a 90' redwood fence and ends with an 8' tall arbor with 2 levels.  Initial plantings look minimal here.  Stay tuned for update photos!

October Rains

Periodic rains are beginning, and with it come crucial garden assessment decisions.  Left to their own devices, pests will overwinter and multiply come spring.  Easily noticed are the Ants marching in the house, not so easily noticed are the ones that are herding aphids.  Some species of ants "farm" aphids, protecting them on the plants they eat, eating the honeydew that the aphids release from the terminations of their alimentary canals. This is a "mutualistic relationship".  A similar relationship exists with scale as well.  If this infestation persists the health of the plant will surely fail.  One solution is a product called "Tanglefoot", which is a sticky resin you put in a ring around the base of the infected plant (especially check those citrus!).  This prevents the line of ants from ascending the affected plant.

Other pests such as spider mites can be kept in check with this organic concoction; 2 tbsp dish soap, 2 tbsp white vinegar in 1 gallon of water (non-edibles can use 1 tbsp of Murphy's Oil Soap as well).  Regular application deters the pests, while a simple hard spray with water once in awhile helps as well. 


More to come on Pest Control!

Eat Real festival 2011

City Slicker Farms was at the festival this year with veggie seedlings in tow.  City Slicker sets up back yard community gardens in low-income neighborhoods with the goal of establishing productive edible gardens to help supply local City Slicker farm stands.

http://www.cityslickerfarms.org/

Another great local business  (N. Oakland, Lake Merrit and Berkeley) was "The Beet Box", a local C.S.A. with weekly and  bi-weekly  boxes $24 full share and $14 half share

http://www.phatbeetsproduce.org/

Arctostaphylos 'John Dourley'

 Above is my favorite of the manzanita groundcovers, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi 'John Dourley'.  This variety tends to mound higher than the species or 'Emerald Carpet' which is pictured below.  It has a silvery sheen to it and the new growth on the ends of the spreading branches are an attractive crimson that matches the iconic manzanita branches.  It's size varies with climate but tends to be 3'h x 8'w.

                                 Arctostaphylos uva-ursi 'Emerald Carpet'

after

 I prepared 2 designs for this space from which the client chose a tasteful combination of Arizona Sandfire flagstone and Quartz lime select for the 12' circular patio.  I chose the color of the house to compliment the peachy sandstone path.  Subtle copper lighting fixtures (with uprights in the mature apples) and a simple obelisk water feature combined to give extra elements of enjoyment to this garden.  Not seen is the left fence with 6 in 1 grafted pear tree (espallier) and an overhead 'Rogers Red' grape vine.

before

This was a foundation to finsh house in Twin Peaks. The lighting transformer and irrigation timer were mounted on the opposite side of the house in the laundry room.  I wired both through the walls during this stage of construction. .

Dry Stacked Retaining Walls

This is a retaining wall we built about 4 years ago (update photo coming soon).  The stone is called Marco's Bluff and is no longer available through local suppliers.  The advantage of dry stacked walls are that moisture and rainwater are allowed to drain as opposed to backing up behind a mortared (or concrete) retaining wall.  Local stone suppliers offer a wide range of colors to accentuate the desired palette.

D.G. Planting

Planting directly into D.G. allows for many color contrast opportunities.  Soil beneath is ammended properly and covered with filter fabric.  Cut an X into the fabric and plant into soil allowing rootball to remain 3" above fabric.  Lay decomposed granite and compact, making sure to keep the D.G. off the base of the plant (to prevent root rot).  Any drip irrigation needs to be pinned UNDERNEATH the fabric

Indian Summer

September can be our hottest month!  As the Central Valley cools down, it no longer draws in the high blankets of fog that shield us for much of the early summer.  This allows for a nice strong finish on our summer bloomers.  It also gives us nice weather to prepare for the fall.

Cold season vegetable crops/seeds should be planted now.  Onions, shallots and garlic are best planted from "sets" which are easily ordered on line, while leeks  do best from starters or seed.  Beets are best in containers, lettuces and dark greens should be bedded while peas and beans need a support.

Bulbs are bought by the bag or the box, a hillside of narcissus will easily naturalize and fill in after just a few years.

This is also the best time of year to do planting.  Upcoming rains establish the young root systems to give them a head start come spring.  In garden planning we should take advantage of the fall color in our nurseries to pick the exact colors we expect to see this time of year.

Ciel in the Garden

My daughter, Ciel, in the backyard; tilling soil and planting sweetpeas, beets, greens and beans.

Spring in bloom!

Out of the doldrums of another weary East Bay winter, we're all glad Spring has shown her face. Now is the time for seed planting, composting, soil building, and general rejuvenation.