Bed of Spices

Rodin's Sculpture Garden at Stanford

2011-10-24T16:45:00.000-07:00

Took a visit to Stanford University in Palo Alto, California recently - I'd heard so much about French artist Auguste Rodin's sculpture garden there which houses a collection of his castings. I've always thought of Rodin as an interesting character and, okay I'll admit it, I'm intrigued by the story of his collaboration/relationship with artist Camille Claudel.

Stanford's Rodin Sculpture Garden was dedicated in 1985 and designed by architect Robert Mittelstadt to evoke the style in which Rodin exhibited his public art during his lifetime in Paris. The garden fronts the Cantor Arts Center which houses a large collection of Rodin's work in bronze, plaster, ceramic, stone and wax.

The garden has a collection of Rodin's Burgher busts.

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One large piece in the garden is "The Gates of Hell" which features scenes from Dante's Inferno. The Gates was created as a portal for Paris' future Museum of Decorative Arts (which was never built). It looks a bit like a collection of miniature figure studies all stuck onto a giant set of cast doors. There, his "Thinker" sits at the top of the gates, and you can see many of Rodin's future sculptures as studies on the Gates: The Three Shades, and The Kiss, Ugolino, Fugit Amor, The Falling Man, and The Prodigal Son.

Detail from "The Gates of Hell"

And the famous "Burgher's of Calais"...

covered in blankets to protect against construction activity.

Happy Weekend!

2011-10-21T14:03:00.000-07:00

Hello all!

Found this cool cast iron hitching post hidden in the garden of a project site. I figure it is possibly mid-1800's - could not find any marks on it but there is record of others with the same form created by a foundry in Oakland, California.

Horse hitches were ubiquitous across America until the advent of the motorcar. In fact, the first recorded automobile accident in the U.S. was in 1891, when John William Lambert hit a tree root and ran into a hitching post. You can read more about the art of iron hitches and casting in general at Horsing Around.

Love the folk art style...

Have a great weekend!

Hello Autumn!

2011-10-20T22:11:00.000-07:00

With autumn comes changing leaves and our beautiful wine country late-season warm weather. Work begins to slow down (a bit), and I get a hankerin' to break out the camera again! I've missed the "focus" and learning that writing in my online garden journal brings and look forward to getting back to it.

This past weekend, we spent a gorgeous fall day in Healdsburg, California...

We stopped in at Francis Ford Coppola's winery. An unruly ornamental herb garden greeted us at the main gate, starring dark purple Basil and Rudbeckia.

The long line of pool cabanas were nifty looking.

Inside the winery is a museum of objects from the director's films: Tucker, Apocalypse Now, Dracula. And fantastic replicas of french ships created for Sophia Coppola's Marie Antoinette.

Just a mile or so south on the highway, we lunched on the lovely Healdsburg town plaza, with a slew of new garden and home shops that I would love to dig into.

Sketchbook Monday

2011-03-07T10:02:00.000-08:00

I'm starting a new regular post topic, "Sketchbook Monday," in which I'll be posting a sketch that I whipped out in my sketchbook over the weekend. A disclaimer, these sketches will not be suitable for framing!

But hey, I love to sketch and would like to improve my skill - and you'll see, there is plenty of room for growth here. This also encourages me to photograph/sketch on the weekend with my family. The kids love to draw and it's a great way to get them out of the house.

Sketching is a great alternative to photography - it really helps you understand your subject, whether it be a flower or a landscape or a face.

Above is my weekend Peony (taken from an old photograph - it was raining all weekend)...

Happy Monday everyone!

Today's Plant Combination

2011-03-04T15:08:00.000-08:00

Now that I've waxed on and on about beautiful flowers, I wanted to make note of one of my favorite things to do in the landscape, which is to create great compositions strictly through the use of contrasting foliage color. In this way, your plant palette can be enjoyed in all seasons. Maybe a little static, yes? But it works great in high-profile areas where you can't afford to have an "off-season."

This is one of my most favorite plant combinations. Along the plain, white wall that approaches the front door, we used...

Anigozanthus 'Bush Diamond'

Aeonium arboreum 'Atropupureum'

Senecio mandralisceae, and

Sedum makinoi 'Ogon'

The success of this combination is almost entirely in the foliage color, although the Anigozanthus has a lovely white/light green bloom.

All of the plants are very happy in this sunny, warm and protected spot...which I hope, by the way, is where I'll be spending my weekend (and you, too!)

The Roses of Chateau Malmaison

2011-03-03T15:07:00.000-08:00

Rosa 'Empress Joséphine'

I am again writing about roses, I must be ready for spring to begin! But, as promised, I wanted to jot down what I've learned about Joséphine Beauharnais and her rose empire at Chateau Malmaison.

Joséphine was not only the Empress of France and the first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte, she was an avid collector of beautiful rare, and unusual plants. Joséphine's 18th Century chateau, it's name meaning something to the effect of "estate of bad luck" (I've read it had once housed a leper colony?), Chateau Malmaison had a wonderful garden which came to be considered the finest of it's day in France.

She introduced many exotic plants to Europe that had been gathered abroad and shipped, literally, back to France during Napoleon's campaigns. In fact, battles were temporarily halted to allow safe passage of a new specimen then carried back to France. I've read also that Malmaison featured a heated orangerie filled with hundreds of varieties of pineapples.

Joséphine collaborated successfully with her landscape architect Louis Martin Berthault, in the design of her garden and grounds. At its height, her extensive rose garden contained in excess of 250 varieties, many lost in modernity. Her goal was to collect every known rose species, her rosarians hybridizing new varieties constantly. The tea rose, which is in the parentage of many modern roses, was developed at Malmaison.

Rosa 'Madness at Corsica'

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Joséphine and her family are immortalized by their namesake roses. There are two roses in existence named 'Joséphine de Beauharnais', and one named 'Empress Joséphine' shown at top.

Napoleon has three roses to his name. The 'Napoleon' also called 'Madness at Corsica' (1835), bred by Jean Laffay - is named after Napoleon's birthplace of Corsica and, well, possibly Napoleon's general demeanor, although who am I to say.

In addition to the Napoleon and Joséphine roses, there are a pair of cultivars named after Josephine's children. Jean-Pierre Vibert, the breeder who produced 'Joséphine de Beauharnais', also bred 'Hortense de Beauharnais', another pink rose. During her stepfather's reign, Hortense, who was famed for her beauty and charm, was forced to marry Emporer Napoleon's younger brother, Louis. The marriage was unhappy, but produced Louis Napoleon Bonaparte who went on to rule France as Napoleon III.

Rosa 'Eugene de Beauharnais'

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'Eugene de Beauharnais', named after Joséphine's son, is a mauve climber. With its strong fragrance and tendency to bloom repeatedly, 'Eugene' may just be the best of the Bonaparte roses.

Pierre Joseph Redouté
Empress Joséphine commissioned the Belgian botanical artist Pierre-Joseph Redouté to record her roses and other favorite blooms, in a series of plates that immortalized her collection.

The plates illustrated two books by Redoute documenting her collection: Jardin de Malmaison and Description des Plantes rare cultivees a Malmaison et a Navarre, but Redouté's most famous published work was published in 1835, images are below...

Redouté's book "Choix des plus belles Fleurs- 1835"

Plate 132 - Blush Tea China Rose

by Pierre-Joseph Redouté

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Plate 94 - Peach

by Pierre-Joseph Redouté

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While bare root season in Northern California has already passed me by, I may still celebrate spring's arrival by planting a rose for Joséphine.

Calvin

2011-02-24T08:30:00.000-08:00

Wow. Work has been super busy lately, thank goodness. I hope this is a sign of a reviving economy.

We're doing a lot of exciting work right now that I can't wait to see completed.

Of course, there's always time to play frisbee with our little Westie Calvin.

He always puts his own personal spin on the game...

Have a great day!

Valley Vines in Snow

2011-02-23T17:35:00.000-08:00

Well, not real actual snow. We haven't had snow in a decade. I took a picture of these vines up at Francis Ford Coppola's winery - this was the only "snow" we'd seen - a blanket of gorgeous white wildflowers.

By the way, construction of Francis' newest winery "Rosso & Bianco" is finally finished and it is a fantastic place to visit in Alexander Valley. The winery's swimming pools open in the Spring! Bring the kids! Here's a photo...

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Speaking of snow...this weekend we may be getting snow in the San Francisco Bay Area all the way down to sea level!!! We are at 84-feet above, so we are very excited about the possibilities/photo opportunities.

Unfortunately, I have to go out and cover up my entire garden. Everything is budding and it would be sad for it all to freeze. I need a 10,000 square foot tarp. Anybody? I know the wineries are dreading this weather - they've had bud break at all of the vineyards in the Valley.

My daughter felt this vine was sad and needed cheering up!

Photo Series - My View at Lunch

2011-02-04T21:20:00.000-08:00

I am a creature of habit. I often take my lunch break in the same spot at a little park
comprised of a bench, a path, and a grove of pear trees.

I've been taking photographs of these trees as they go through their seasons and I think my series is finally complete, with this week's picture taken on a sunny mid-winter day. Proof that we do (sort of) have seasons in California!

Here, for your enjoyment, is my view at lunch...

Have a great weekend!

Napoléon's Joséphine at Chateau Malmaison

2011-01-20T21:44:00.000-08:00

In my recent meeting with a sage rosarian at Luther Burbank Gardens we observed the old rose, Rosa francofurtana, or "Empress Joséphine" (a hearty, heavily blooming, bright pink cottage-garden style rose). This sparked my interest in reading up on the Empress, her beautiful manor garden and her rose collection.

Joséphine de Beauharnais was born Marie Joséphe Rose Tascher de la Pagerie - renamed Josephine by her second husband, General Napoléon Bonaparte. Joséphine had two children, Eugéne and Hortense with her first husband, Alexandre de Beauharnais, who was guillotined during France's Reign of Terror.

As Napoléon's wife and the first Empress of France, Joséphine was popular with the public but beset by scandal. From the book, Josephine: A Life of the Empress (1999), I learned that she had difficulties coping with the social demands made upon her. As Napoléon's career expanded, she was expected to launch herself into the social activities expected of a famous general's wife, which she found exhausting, and she and her new husband were mostly apart.

Much to Napoléon dismay, Joséphine purchased a run-down 150-acre manor just outside of Paris while he was on campaign in Egypt. Joséphine spent a fortune renovating the house and property, Chateau Malmaison, creating there a "delicious spot" where she and her husband were to be very happy.

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Joséphine sought to transform the estate into "the most beautiful and curious garden in Europe, a model of good cultivation," gathering plants from her native Martinique and from other places around the world. She acquired exotic birds and animals that roamed freely around the grounds. At the height of her days at Malmaison, Joséphine kept kangaroos, emus, black swans, zebras, sheep, gazelles, ostriches, chamois, a seal, antelopes and llamas. From the foreword to Jardin de la Malmaison (1803):

"You have gathered around you the rarest plants growing on French soil....as we

inspect them in the beautiful gardens of Malmaison, an impressive reminder of the

conquests of your illustrious husband."

The property achieved great acclaim for its rose garden. Joséphine had some 250 varieties of roses on the property, and her rosarians created an extensive collection of new roses, which I will write on in my next post.

Napoléon left Joséphine in 1810 due to her inability to produce an heir, and she retired to her Malmaison, where she died in 1814. Napoléon returned to Malmaison after his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 and before his exile to the island of Saint Helena.

Chateau Malmaison Today

The School Garden - Part 2

2011-01-12T07:38:00.000-08:00

Our school garden construction is nearing completion. We're fortunate to have a parent who is a talented carpenter/woodworker and he's done wonderful work on the fences, arbors and gates. The perimeter deer fence is mostly in place, the galvanized metal tubs are set, with irrigation stub outs to each one. Three inches of playground mulch covers all of the pedestrian areas.

The middle school children have been working to finish up the garden during their after-school hours and it's really looking nice.

Donations to the garden project have been brisk, with our wishlist of tools already fulfilled. Our teachers have been developing ideas of how the garden might assist them with their lessons in science, geology, literature, etc.

Irrigation is set to be completed this winter, and fruit trees for our bosque have been donated. Some planting should begin in the spring! I will keep you posted. Here is a sketch that I put together to assist in the garden's construction...

Galvanized planting tubs have been set and filled with soil

The 5'- 6" tall hogwire deer fence is nearly complete

An interior arbor

An arbor marks the entry to the garden. We've discussed planting it with interesting gourds as we have a

parent who is a skilled gourd artist and the children love to work on gourd projects.

Should be interesting to see if this is a success!

Winter Rose Pruning 101

2011-01-10T09:13:00.000-08:00

We share a motley row of shrub roses with our next door neighbor. The roses are actually on our property, they were planted by our neighbor before we purchased the home. The row has been fortified over the years by this neighbor, possibly as a prickly barrier against my dogs and children. My neighbor and I share the responsibility for the roses' care.

There was no design in the selection of these particular roses; I believe they were the variety featured that week at the local hardware store. The shrubs are spaced unevenly, of varying types, sizes and structure and in a rainbow of colors: deep red, coral pink, silver, white, orange, lavender and yellow.

In spite of their lack of refinement, I love the blooms, using them in loose bouquets during the spring, summer and into the fall. Realizing this past season that my pruning techniques were likely not helping matters...I decided that I needed some expert advice.

January is the month most gardeners prune their roses in our zone (Sunset 15/USDA 9). February already starts to see new growth, which we don't want to prune off. There are many free rose pruning demonstrations throughout our county during January.

So, this weekend I attended my first official winter shrub rose pruning class, held at the Luther Burbank Art & Garden Center in Santa Rosa and hosted by the Redwood Empire Rose Society, a lovely group of knowledgeable and generous men and women who are passionate about roses and willing to brave the chilly morning in unselfish service to others. Their advice was extremely helpful and I learned, like many gardeners, I have been waaaaay too conservative in my pruning.

Here are my notes from class...

Pruning is intended to remove old, non-productive wood and encourage new canes to establish. But, don't do what I've done and mistake a cane for a sucker. As roses grow older, their old wood produces inferior flowers...new canes are what keeps the rose producing great blooms. A sucker, if left alone, will quickly grow much taller than the rest of the plant, and the leaves look different.

First step, remove all dead wood and weak twiggy branches. If an old cane produced only twiggy growth, remove that cane at the bud union.

The cut should be made diagonally at a bud union to avoid creating dead wood above, as nutrients will only go up as high as the last bud union (see photo below). Buds facing toward the outside of the plant are ideal to maintain the plants shape.

A good bud union cut

After pruning a branch, look at the center of the cut branch's wood. You've cut down far enough if the center is clear, with no dead tissue visible.

Dead tissue visible

A clear cut

All branches crossing through the shrubs interior should be removed. The idea is to leave the center of the plant open, with blooms on the outside of the plant.

A rule of thumb is to prune shrub roses at about knee height.

Finally, remove leaf and debris buildup at the base of the rose and surrounding area.

Methods and timing of pruning particular types of roses (Old Garden Roses, miniatures, climbers, etc.) vary greatly. I will list some of these specific recommendations in a later post.

Thank you to the Redwood Empire Rose Society rosarians for your expertise! And thanks for the hot chocolate!!!

Dreams of Toyland

2011-01-06T07:00:00.000-08:00

A world of gnome-filled landscapes, a hedgehog family in the kitchen, a miniature candy shop and a nutcracker fortress - a few of the more than thirty vignettes showcasing an impressive collection of holiday-themed Victorian toys and ornament currently on exhibit at the Napa Valley Museum in Yountville, California.

The installation represents only a part of collector Dolph Gotelli's antique toys, miniatures and figurines. Tens of thousands of pieces staged and curated by the collector himself who was on hand during our visit this past weekend and answered a few of our questions.

Mr. Gotelli said that the show's installation requires more than two weeks of detailed set up and that this is his last temporary show, which is sad because it is really a magical sight that should be enjoyed widely. Mr. Gotelli is looking for a permanent home for the collection, possibly as part of a toy museum, or with a municipality that has an appreciation for the history represented.

A wonderful treat not to be missed. On exhibit through January 23, 2011.

Above images by Caroline Thompson

Marie Antoinette

The Old Lady in the Shoe

Calandrinia spectabilis

2011-01-04T07:00:00.001-08:00

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I'm always on the lookout for that special plant. You know, the one that grows anywhere, blooms year round, deers don't eat it, non-invasive, beautiful with fabulous color and texture. I think I've found it...my plant of the moment. I'm hoping that nobody out there will find fault with it, because it can do no wrong in my eyes.

So, this plant I speak of is the Calandrinia spectabilis or Rock Purslane. A perennial shrub/ground cover, it's succulent mound of blue/green leaves reach about 18" tall and wide but it's pink/purple to fuchsia bloom rises on a narrow stem at least two foot above. It looks beautiful as a sun-loving stand alone, collected with other drought-tolerant species or en masse where the blossoms collect together for vibrancy and movement in the wind. I've seen it used by the seaside and in the interior California valleys, successful in both climates.

I think it looks fantastic combined with Arctostaphyllos 'Emerald Carpet' on a hillside, spilling over a wall, or along a border with other finer deep green foliage. It's blossoms are very attractive to birds, bees. The finished flower stems continue to produce blooms, so resist the urge to deadhead. Best of all, it requires no supplemental summer water so the Oaks love it, too! OK, you may need to protect it in dipping temperatures, but even if you don't...it'll be back in the spring.

The Calandrinia is presently the darling of San Francisco Bay Area plantspeople. I've found the plant at San Marcos Growers (under the new name Cistanthe grandiflora, variety 'Jazz Time') as well as other wholesale growers in California.

See this plant and other superior edible and ornamental specimen recommended by readers at the "How to Find Great Plants Issue #3" blog carnival on the "Appalachian Feet" blog.

Making Grape Jelly or Becoming a Crafty Mom

2011-01-01T21:09:00.000-08:00

To kick off the year, inspired by the delicious gift of homemade, organic Concord grape preserves that my sister and her family lovingly prepare every holiday season, here is a garden story from guest blogger MC...Enjoy!

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"Every August, our backyard begins to take on the smell of Purple. If you've ever wondered where they came up with the perfect grape/purple smell they use for scratch-and-sniff stickers, it's from the aromatic smell of ripe Concord grapes. Mmmmmmm. (I must note that since the grapes come ripe at the same time that the kids are due back at school, the smell is also bittersweet. For them.)

When my husband first planted the grapes, I was not enthusiastic. I am hardly a "do-it-yourself" Mom, never made play-dough from scratch, or paper mâché projects, but I live with a husband who is. He can make or fix anything and never undervalues a piece of otherwise termed "junk". For example, when our neighbors did a complete remodel, he kept a small drain catch from an old sink basin. We ended up putting it in our own drain two years later, "See, I knew it'd come in handy." Hmmmm. Guess he is right sometimes.

Still, the time came in August that first year when the purple smell called me outdoors with a curiosity as to what exactly fresh, homemade Concord jelly would taste like, and not a small amount of dread as to how much work would be involved when making the jelly with our 4 year old and 1 year old. (Because I had so much time on my hands that I didn't know what to do with it and I needed a big project to take on.)

My husband and I began the first batch of jelly with about three buckets full of ripe grapes, which yielded about 60 jars. We have a large extended family. (When I say large, I mean we have to do DNA testing before anyone marries to make certain there is no blood relation.). At any rate, we ended up making a really cute label for the grape jelly jars and gave them out for Christmas gifts to family. After a few years of this traditional giving, our family began making requests for how many jars they would need for the year, which required us to increase the amount of grapes in production (look out Smuckers).

Making the jelly at first was not a simple routine. You have to pick the grapes (spiders enjoy this habitat, so you are constantly swatting them away in the process, and remember, the weather is likely coinciding with the time of the Indian summer days -- not cool), de-stem the grapes, wash the grapes (your entire kitchen will be covered with grapes, stems, jars, sugar, etc., until the process is complete and your grout has that special purple tone to it in spots), press the grapes (we use a potato masher and cheese cloth), cook the grapes, drain the juice, remove the seeds and then you make the jelly. A jelly recipe can be found on the Sure-Jell pectin pamphlet. We just doubled the amount of grapes. The whole process requires about 3 full days to complete, including cooling and canning time. As my daughter says, "making the jelly isn't as much fun as giving and eating the jelly." And I have to say that during all that work time, the family togetherness quality time has been unexpectedly enjoyable and fulfilling, so I'm not quite sure she's completely right.

The first time we made the jelly, it was a lot of work. But as the kids grew, the work got easier, because they began doing all the picking, de-stemming and cleaning of the grapes. In other words, all of the real work. Now at the ripe old age of 44, I am enjoying the fruits of their labor and wondering why I didn't teach them the fine art of gutter cleaning as well."

- MC, January 2011

Joyeux Noel

2010-12-15T06:30:00.000-08:00

Seasons greetings to you, visitor!

I hope that your holidays are warm and peaceful

and filled with love and grace and joy.

School Garden Fruit Trees

2010-12-14T00:09:00.000-08:00

Our lovely school garden is nearly complete and ready for use as soon as the weather allows.

I will post new photos soon. We are featuring a fruit tree bosque as well as potted and espaliered specimen. One of the challenges in creating a workable school garden is selecting trees that fruit during the school year. Also, a crew of school parents should be on-hand to harvest the remaining ripened

fruit to avoid a messy ground.

I've put together a list of tree selections that could be considered for a children's garden, operating August through June. All trees should be semi-dwarf so that the top fruit are never too far out of reach.

In containers (Dwarf)

Lemon 'Eureka'

Orange 'Skaggs Bonanza'
Grapefruit 'Oroblanco'

Espaliered on Fence

Apple 'Golden Delicious'
Apple 'Gala'
Fig 'Brown Turkey'

In Tree "Bosque"

Cherry 'Lapins'
Cherry 'Stella'
Apricot 'Autumn Royal'
Pear 'Anjou'
Pomegranate 'Wonderful'
Persimmon 'Fuyu'

Henry Hall Outdoor

2010-12-10T11:42:00.000-08:00

Getting ready for spring and rolling out the pool chaise...here is a selection of some of my elegant favorites from the catalog of San Francisco's Henry Hall Designs outdoor furnishings.

Outdoor Cooking for Thanksgiving

2010-10-08T08:07:00.000-07:00

We may have passed the peak of barbeque season, but we are die-hard outdoor grillers...

Thanksgiving at our place: 2 grilled turkeys - we scoff at weather!

There's a new store in town called Outdora. So, I popped in a while back when it had just opened to
check out the merchandise.

Outdora has been online for some time (http://www.outdora.com/) and they sell via the internet everything under the sun for outdoor living from wind chimes to greenhouses, but this is their only brick and mortar...so pleased that they chose to open it here in our little town.

The Outdora shop focuses on outdoor grills and kitchens and has some lovely mockups in their small showroom. I took some images of what they had on the floor. Their italian pizza ovens were splashy...

They carry Lynx, of course, and a portable outdoor cooker called the "Big Green Egg" which calls itself the "world's best smoker and grill" - an American-made ceramic kamado-style unit. Here's a little decorative fire pit and a beer tap for the outside kitchen...

I liked this Fuego grill that was on the shop floor, a nicely-designed small freestanding unit...

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Dahlias

2010-10-01T09:02:00.000-07:00

Did you know that the dahlia is the national flower of Mexico and was adopted as the official flower of San Francisco in 1926? No? Me neither but I learned this and more about dahlias on...http://www.aztecdahlias.com/.

In the wine country, Aztec Dahlias is a roadside attraction and their growing grounds are open to the public from July through early November. Go there and Rosa O'Brien will greet you and tell you how to best care for her blooms. The O'Brien family website will tell you about the origin of the dahlia...

"The mountain regions of Mexico and Guatemala are the birthplace of today's dahlias where

they have been grown and used for countless generations from the time they were first

cultivated by the ancient Aztecs who ruled this region."

We took some Sunday photos and took home two dahlia bundles. I like the starry, creamy colored blooms although the golds and oranges look nice as early fall arrangements mixed with my changing maple leaves and drying hydrangeas.

Collarettes, Cactus, Novelty, Stellar, Water Lily, Decorative, Pom Pom, Mignon, Anemones - there are

twenty dahlia bloom classifications. I particularly admire their bold and fearless nature.

I've learned that dahlias grown in the garden need regular water, and the cuts don't travel well unless immediately put in water. For a continuous show of blossoms, spent buds should be removed immediately. Prune back side buds to promote a single giant flower, and pinch back early growth (at about one foot) to encourage a bushy habit with many blooms. Dig up your tubers in the fall and store to replant in spring. Tubers should go back into the ground about the same time as your tomato plants.

The American Dahlia Society (http://www.dahlia.org/) has a ton of information on the

fundamentals of growing dahlias.

Bedside Table - Grasses

2010-09-22T11:40:00.000-07:00

Here's a favorite book: Grasses - Versatile Partners for Uncommon Garden Design. It's been around for a while (2002) but I just rediscovered it in our library - it's a keeper.

Written by Nancy J. Ondra, photography by Saxon Holt. The book gets a bit into a range of topics, with helpful sidebars about grass culture, planting, a glossary on form and structure, maintenance, propagation, pests, invasives.

Selected grasses are identified for particular situations - more obviously ground covers, accents, etc., but also rose companions, low maintenance, water gardens.

While the book's focus is grasses it's really about beautiful plant material composition - use of repetition, texture, color - the macro and micro effect of grasses in the garden, and they do a great job of highlighting grasses in combination with flowering shrubs and perennials. Saxon Holt's photos are gorgeous as always.

Grandma's Old-Fashioned Chocolate Prune Cake

2010-09-19T23:42:00.000-07:00

Grandma, circa 1920

Hello! Here is my grandmother's fabulous prune cake recipe. I grew up with my grandmother and she would bake chocolate prune cake for me on my birthday or if she thought I needed cheering up. I love this cake. I would sneak thin slices off of the ends when nobody was looking. I convinced myself that it was okay to eat this cake for breakfast because it had prunes in it, and...that's a breakfast food, right?

The recipe is pretty basic, not hard to make, but the cake tastes like the most delicious chocolatey moist cake ever, nobody knows it has prunes in it. Sometimes my grandma mixed a couple tablespoons of black coffee into the icing which was delicious.

So, without further ado....

Ingredients:

(38) pitted prunes (yes, 38 exactly)

3/4 cup canola oil

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon each of: baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

Process:
First, cut each of the 38 prunes into 4 pieces with kitchen scissors. Place the prune bits into 1-1/2 cups hot water and simmer until the prunes are very soft and the liquid is reduced a bit. Strain the prunes and liquid into two separate bowls and let cool. You should have about 1 cup of prunes and 1 cup of liquid.

With a wooden spoon, mix the oil, sugar and eggs together in a large bowl. Mix the remaining dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. Into the oil, sugar and egg mixture, alternate adding in the flour, prunes and prune juice a little at a time, mixing thoroughly, untill all ingredients are mixed together.

Bake in a greased and floured 13x9 glass pan on 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until the center is springy. Ice with dark chocolate icing mixed with coffee.

I have not yet made this gluten-free, I'm afraid to mess with Grandma's recipe but will evetually get up the nerve and post results!

Drying Plums from the Garden

2010-09-08T22:19:00.000-07:00

Our lovely neighbor generously let us pick the little plums from his prolific plum tree (Italian plum, I think, Prunus domesticus). We obliged and began our harvest this past long weekend. I plan to use these home-dried prunes in baking my grandma's special chocolate prune cake. I'll post her recipe soon...in the meantime, the process I followed for drying our plums is below...

1. Sort and wash the plums, throwing in the compost any that are too ripe. If larger plums are used, they must be pitted, sliced and quartered first.
2. Prick the plums and cover them in a pot of cold water. Place the pot of plums on high heat until the water is on the point of boiling. Remove the plums from the hot water with a slotted spoon and immediately dip them in cold water, then drain.
3. You can now pre-treat the plums to prevent discoloration and vitamin loss during the drying process. Mix one part honey to two parts water and heat in a saucepan until the honey dissolves. Allow the mixture to cool completely. Soak the plums in this liquid overnight.
4. Select a drying rack that is oven-safe and has slots to allow for air circulation (cookie sheets are not recommended). Cake cooling racks work well. Place the pre-treated plums on the rack in a single, well-spaced layer.
5. Set your oven to it's lowest heat, right around 120-degrees, and pop in your plum racks. If drying more than one rack at a time, make sure the racks are spaced at least 2" apart vertically. Leave the oven door open a bit to allow the moisture to escape. You can even place a fan in front of the door to circulate the air. Increase the temperature of the oven to about 140 degrees over the next few hours. Rotate the trays, and stir the fruit every 30 minutes or so.
2. OK, I didn't actually photgraph these prunes, mine are not quite so photogenic...

The Enchanted Florist

2010-09-02T21:48:00.000-07:00

Walking through downtown Ashland I spotted two of my favorite things: chocolate and flowers, together under one roof! Woohoo! The Enchanted Florist (http://www.chicfloral.com/) is a shop on Main Street that I'd like to own, or at the very least, visit regularly.

Owners' Leslie and Brandon Kirkland tell a sweet story on their website about how they got started in the floral business on a very thin budget (using their college financial aid money, actually), with a dream of bringing art back to the floral world/fight back against cookie cutter floral design!!!!

All of their flowers are organic or VeriFlora certified. VeriFlora is a sustainability certification program for the floral industry which ensures that quality flowers are produced using sustainable crop production methods, protecting ecosystems, conserving resources, and ensuring fair labor practices. A sample of two pretty designs (photos by Enchanted Florist)...

We tried two ounces of their more mild liquid artisan chocolate, which we split four ways and it was so rich we couldn't finish it. Took away a bar of Dolfin Belgian chocolate which was eaten by the children tout suite...

The chocolate bar wall

Another cool thing about Enchanted Florist's website is a link to their favorite floral design websites, at least 200 of them, lots of inspiring designs: http://www.chicfloral.com/fun-stuff/chic-sites

Downtown Ashland

2010-08-31T23:34:00.000-07:00

Hello reader! Here are some snapshots of our recent trip to the little hamlet of Ashland, Oregon. A lovely town to visit, lots to do and see (even if you don't make it to the Shakespeare Festival).

Downtown Ashland is a great example of successful town planning.

Lithia Park with it's ponds, gardens, public spaces, outdoor stage and hiking trails makes up a large part of the downtown and extends up Ashland Creek. The park was designed by John McLaren, who was instrumental in the development of Golden Gate Park.

Near the Shakespeare Theater is a public green just full of people hanging around enjoying the summer evening. We had the best homemade potato chips at Cafe Greenleaf (www.greanleafrestaurant.com) on the Plaza with outdoor seating that borders the Creek.

Ashland seems to value their public art, lots of it to be found...

I found a unique call for artists at the City of Ashland's official site...

"A Blank Slate"

"Local artists are invited to submit designs to be painted on the large utility box located at the corner of Helman and Hersey Street. Local Ashland business, Dreamsack, in cooperation with the Public Art Commission is sponsoring the painting of the box.

Only one design had previously been submitted for this particular box and the Public Art Commission is seeking additional submission before the Selection Panel makes a final recommendation."

More of Ashland...

Historic Ashalnd Springs Hotel

A boulder-built amphitheater near Ashland Creek

A cool quilt

A model of the theater

Fancy goods & fine furnishings

http://www.prizeshoppe.com/

Louie, Louie

2010-08-27T16:30:00.000-07:00

Look here! We've got a new puppy running around in our garden, scaring away the birds! Meet Louie...he's a very sweet Cardigan Welsh Corgi.

Louie's hobbies include eating rocks and pulling up Geraniums. He enjoys relaxing in the Lamb's Ear.

A Bug's Life

2010-08-26T22:46:00.000-07:00

I'm researching the best ways to attract beneficial bugs to a vineyard which is currently under construction.

Beneficial bugs (ladybugs, predatory mites, soldier beetle, mini-wasps) are those that feed on bad bugs (aphids, whitefly, leafhopper, thrip). Fortunately, we have a great local example of a biodynamic farm, Benziger Winery, that uses specific plant material to provide host environments for these beneficial bugs (and bees, birds, moths, bats, too).

Benziger Winery, Glen Ellen, CA

Biodynamics is a pretty complex method of organic farming which I'd like to get into further, but for now I'm focusing on its pest control methods. I visited Benziger's "Insectory" and took the self-guided tour of their well-designed demonstration garden - which has an interpretive component (botanical tags, placques, etc. - btw, I really love that the Benziger family has invested so much to educate visitors about their farming practices).

The insectory successfully showed that these host plants can be combined in ways that are both useful and beautiful.

To naturally eliminate pests, the insectory planting masses are spread throughout the winery, especially near plants that traditionally have pest problems.

Insectory plants that I encountered in my visit include:

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia)

Angelica

Salvia leucantha

Tansy (Tanacetum)

California Poppy (Escholzia)

Dandelion (Teraxacum)

Miscanthus sinensis

Santa Barbara Daisy (Erigeron)

Senecio mandralisceae

Verbena bonariensis

Aster novi belgii

Queen Anne's Lace (Daucus carota)

Lavender

Salvia 'Bergartten'

Euphorbia wulfennii

Penstemon pseudospectabilis

Catmint (Nepeta)

Russian Sage (Petrovskia)

Prarie Coneflower (Ratibida)

California Fuchsia (Zauschneria garetti)

Sunflower (Helianthus)

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Weekend in West Marin

2010-08-18T22:09:00.000-07:00

Another cool summer 2010 day on a weekend drive through West Marin, California.

As far out as you can drive to the tip of the peninsula that forms the Tomales Bay estuary, there is open wilderness so serene it's impossible that you are less than an hour away from downtown San Francisco. A herd of nearly 500 Tule Elk roam in the hills. Our visit happened to fall during the rutting season, the bugeling elk bulls surrounded by their harems.

We travelled along Pierce Point Road to the beautiful Pierce Point Dairy Ranch, abandoned since 1973. Considered one of the finest examples of a nineteenth century dairy ranch, it has been protected by the government since 1985.

Opened in 1857 the dairy marketed its superior quality butter and cheese under a Point Reyes brand to San Francisco. "The grass growing in the fields on Monday is butter on the city tables the following Sunday," as the 1880 History of Marin County reported. The stark white buildings central to the dairies operation were said to be "as clean as a woman's boudoir."

And views from the highest point of Pierce Ranch overlooking Tomales Bay are breathtaking.

And finally, on to the Point Reyes Lighthouse

PEI Preserve Company

2010-08-05T23:45:00.000-07:00

In New Glasgow, Prince Edward Island, there's a little shop called the PEI Preserve Company http://www.preservecompany.com/. We visited on our way to Anne's House in Cavendish. They are the premier purveyor of island preserves and teas.

The company began in 1985 when a failed restaurant business and 200 lbs. of unused frozen strawberries resulted in 450 jars of their first preserves: Strawberry and Grand Marnier. Now PEI Preserves sells over 150,000 jars annually, produced iin small batches by hand using the best quality PEI fruit they can procure.

Enter the gift shop where all of their preserves are available for testing. They also have an extensive tea selection.

Their Cinnamon Apple Curd is one of the best things in the world...it's like the inside of an apple pie. On scones or toast or as a filling it would be fabulous!

Also notable is the PEI Preserve Company's Gardens of Hope. The gardens were built in 2004 along the River Clyde and are operated by the Country Gardens Foundation of Hope, Inc., a non-profit organization. The gardens' intention is as a source of peace, refreshment and inspiration. A "Respite Cottage" is planned within the gardens, to be used as a retreat by families dealing with terminal illness.

The Gardens at Green Gables

2010-08-04T10:38:00.000-07:00

"My future seemed to stretch out before me like a straight road. I thought I could see along it for many a milestone. Now there is a bend in it. I don't know what lies around the bend, but I'm going to believe that the best does. It has a fascination of its own, that bend...I wonder how the road beyond it goes - what there is of green glory and soft, checkered light and shadows - what new landscapes - what new beauties - what curves and hills and valleys further on."

- L.M. Montgomery, from Anne of Green Gables

Green Gables, Cavendish, Prince Edward Island

To the Haunted Wood...

Little Pond, Prince Edward Island

2010-08-03T22:34:00.000-07:00

The red dirt and unlimited shades of green and blue meant we were finally back on PEI. It's been ten years and things have changed, but not that much, eh?

The view over Little Pond in Eastern Prince Edward Island

The family church, St. Francis de Sales, 1863

Passing Through Maine

2010-08-02T22:41:00.000-07:00

From Portland to the Canadian border on our way to the Maritimes for a little vacation. Had to see some of the roadside attractions along the way...

"Eartha," the world's largest revolving and rotating globe, constructed at 1:1,000,000 scale or 1"=16 miles. Located at the Delorme Map headquarters in Yarmouth, Maine. Look, there's our house!

A beautiful little shop called "Blessings", with lovely window boxes filled with Dusty Miller

Dropped by author Stephen King's place in Bangor, the old William Arnold House, built in 1856. The bat finial detail is from the posts on either side of the spooky front wrought-iron gate.

And finally, public art...The (reputedly) largest Paul Bunyan statue in the world at 31-foot tall. Stephen King brought this particular Paul Bunyan to life in his book, "It." Here he is, in silhouette.

David Austen Roses

2010-06-18T08:52:00.000-07:00

This is where I express my love for David Austin's English roses. Their graceful shape, muted color, and mass of cupped petals on a repeating bloom blend perfectly in mixed herbaceous border with lavender, sages, scented geranium, iris. David Austin breeds their roses to combine the best of ancient and modern rose qualities. Below are a few that interest me in particular.

A Shropshire Lad

Abraham Darby

Crown Princess Margareta

Glamis Castle - Just planted in my back garden!!!

Harlow Carr

Mme Alfred Carriere

Not a garden-variety rose (pardon the pun) - you'll want to put a little botanical garden plaque in front of these.

View the collection at www.davidaustinroses.com. The website assists the user in selecting from their over 200 varieties based on specified criteria. Their handbook, which may be ordered free online, also provides helpful tips on the care and maintenance of the roses.

The petal density, unique shape and marked fragrance of these "Old Roses" are especially beautiiful in arrangements and are often used in wedding florals.

All photos by David Austin Roses

A French Market

2010-06-17T23:24:00.000-07:00

Before too much time has passed, I wanted to post images from the French Flea Market held in mid-May in the back garden of the always-beautiful-and-interesting French antique shop, Chateau Sonoma. Very popular among locals, weekenders and visitors again this year...

Cheery Brooches

2010-03-24T00:32:00.000-07:00

I just want to walk out of the house with one of these big, bright, felt flowers pinned on my lapel. Found them on Etsy. All are made from repurposed wool and cashmere clothing. These were my favorites, from Emiko Keller Designs, and Cherry Pips.

New Season - New Post

2010-03-23T23:00:00.000-07:00

Well, it's Spring and I'm seriously considering coming out of my blog-writing hibernation. I've changed the look of the blog temporarily - it is being permanently redesigned by Kelly at fabulouskcreative, and hopefully will be unveiled in the summer. Kelly is a talent when it comes to blog design, she cranks out new blog designs and each one is cuter than the last. I've been playing around with using a collage of photos as the banner, just to see what the style looks like, and I'm experimenting with colors. Don't really know what I'm doing so it looks a little goofy.

Work is extremely busy, haven't had much time to take photos - feel like I've missed so much and that the season is passing me by! I need to get away from the drafting table and get out there!

Winter Light

2010-02-21T18:11:00.000-08:00

My entry into this month's Gardening Gone Wild photo contest. This image was taken last weekend, just after the rain had ended, up at Coppola Winery in Geyserville, California. Formerly Chateau Souverain, Francis Ford Coppola purchased the winery in '05 and is turning it into a wine wonderland. Beautiful setting with the Mayacamas Mountains in the background. The sun was dropping down and the old vines were in shadow. The light was so pretty and gold on the old, mossy Oaks. Not snow-covered, but our winter none-the-less. And I like it.

New Book for the Wishlist - "Power of Gardens"

2010-02-06T13:00:00.000-08:00

A new book for my library wish list. All Valentines Day gift buyers, heads up!!!!! Though chocolates and roses are still acceptable.... "Power of Gardens" a beautiful art book by Santa Monica-based designer Nancy Goslee Power is a compendium of some of her best works. She is a master to be sure.

A Children's Learning Garden

2010-02-03T22:56:00.000-08:00

In the beginning...there was a visit to Alice Waters' Edible Schoolyard, a one-acre garden and kitchen classroom successfully established by the Chez Panisse Foundation at Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School in Berkeley, CA.

So, a group of us parents have begun an effort to get some outside garden space for use by our children, as their teachers see fit. We don't have a full kitchen, or a staff interested in such an integrated garden curriculum as Alice Waters' envisioned, but...

I would like to see our campus more visually interesting and varied, regardless of how the garden is used by the teachers. Right now, there is asphalt and tons of water-sucking turf. It would be great if kids could go into the garden at recess and sit, or pick an apple, or read a book, or escape the dreaded dodge ball.

I've prepared preliminary drawings as part of a collaborative design effort with other parents on the team, after we met and talked about an initial program for the garden. Phase One includes metal planting troughs, space for outdoor learning with seating, deer protection, drip irrigation system, a water source for washing up, tool shed and storage, compost, some fruit trees, etc.

In "Part One" of the chronicles of a school garden, I have identified the initial steps that we will be taking to be get the garden through the conceptual phase:

1. Get approval from administrator for a site on campus that works (check);

2. Form an advocacy group of parents with teacher(s) represented, board member, administrator/principal (done);

3. Develop a mission statement, goals, a program - for how this garden could be used, and maintained (check);

4. Sketch up preliminary design options, see sketch vignettes...

Next Step:

Present ideas to teachers...

Meyer Lemon Curd

2010-02-01T17:51:00.000-08:00

In spite of the frost, I'm already getting some stellar fruit from my old Meyer lemon tree.

So today, we prepared a sweet/tart and creamy lemon curd, also known as lemon honey and lemon cheese. I am serving the lemony deliciousness on Whole Food's gluten-free Cream Biscuits, warmed. In my opinion, these biscuits are indistinguishable from wheat-based biscuits. Unfortunately, Whole Foods charges a ton for them.

You can also use lemon curd on pancakes or crepes, stir in whipped cream for a fluffy treat, use it as a topping for ice cream or cheesecake, and even stir in other fruit preserves for a swirly parfait.

We chose lemons that were heavy and bright yellow with smooth skin and no green patches.

On to the recipe...

Ingredients:

- 3 large eggs

- Juice of 3 lemons

- 1 tablespoon lemon zest

- 3/4 cup fine baker's sugar, or more to taste

- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

Process:

Melt sugar, butter, lemon zest and half of the lemon juice in a bain marie - a non-reactive (very important!) pot set into a warm water bath. Stir until all ingredients are dissolved. Add the beaten eggs and remaining lemon juice. Heat on low, stirring constantly until the curd thickens enough to coat the back of an inserted spoon. Strain the curd before storing to remove any lumps.

Lemon curd keeps in the fridge for less time than jams, due to the butter and eggs. So, jar up the rest of your batch and give to friends. It can also be frozen and used later.

Wildwood Farm Nursery

2010-01-31T15:56:00.000-08:00

The sun came up this afternoon and we took off trying to get in a walk or a run or a drive before it started raining again.

We drove up Highway 12 through the Valley of the Moon to look at the vines and ended up at Wildwood Farm Nursery in Kenwood. They specialize in rare and unusual Japanese Maples, with 4 acres of gardens and grounds and over 300 cultivars of Acer palmatum. They have a beautiful setting next to the Kenwood Inn and Spa.

Weeping pine on an old iron gate

A family-run business, Wildwood has been in Kenwood for 35 years. Owners Ricardo and Sara are eager to help and very knowledgeable about their stock, which can be hard to navigate without a guide. I have several of their trees in my back garden, including an Acer 'Bloodgood' and 'Dissectum' which I purchased during one of their annual sales (going on tomorrow through the end of February).

I was searching for a smaller, green Dissectum for a client and liked the shapes of the Acer 'Green Filagree', 'Green Hornet' and 'Green Mist'. They are not in leaf so some imagination is required, but you really get a sense of the branching and structure of the different species when they have only buds out. I also liked the symmetry of the 'Peaches and Cream' variety, an Australian introduction, heavily variegated, even form up to 6', a very nice-looking small tree for a large planter.

Wildwood Farm also features a sculpture garden with eclectic, contemporary garden sculptures for sale, including a "Fantasy Insects" exhibit of giant, iron garden bugs.

Wildwood is having a tree shaping workshop on March 20, 2010 from 10a-2p. Cost is $20 and includes a tree to take home.

Thoughts on pots

2010-01-28T23:11:00.000-08:00

My favorite Siebert & Rice handmade Impruneta terra cotta pots are...

Grey Bowl on Stand

Grey Elliptical

Hartford Pot by Guy Wolff

Molded Rolled Rim Vase

A Succulent Gift

2010-01-25T09:29:00.000-08:00

Succulents are great container plants to work with in the winter. Here's a little housewarming gift I put together this week- three tiny succulents in a little 4" x 6" hypertufa planter. I've just learned how to make hypertufa containers and will discuss in a later post. For the planting I used:

- Aeonium arboreum

- Sedum mexicanum and;

- Crassula deltoides

Cute and easy to transport.

Cheers!

Out for a walk

2010-01-24T10:26:00.000-08:00

I love our town and enjoy walking it...alot. I've walked a marathon of miles in some weeks. I feel like I know every square inch of town.

On one morning walk, I looked up and there was a huge buck standing a few feet from me, staring at me, he had a badminton net wrapped around his antlers, it looked like he had on a turban. It took me forever to figure out what I was looking at.

Now I bring my little camera with me. I'm even beginning not to care that people think I'm a tourist. On my weekend walk today I found...

News from California...

2010-01-20T11:27:00.000-08:00

We have a new skylight in the kitchen!!!!

Donate!!!

2010-01-19T20:53:00.000-08:00

Click the link below to donate!

American Red Cross - Haitian Relief

Planting Up

2010-01-19T18:23:00.000-08:00

Vertical gardens are certainly all the rage these days...

From the California Academy of Science's Rainforest Exhibit, two mixed vertical gardens. I'll admit, the jumble of textures is really hard for me to follow in a vertical format. It seems that there's no place for the eye to rest, or something. Although, I do like the lower wooden planter connecting to the upper vertical frame.

From The Moss Room Restaurant in San Francisco...what looks to be a cultured stone wall with fern-planted niches. In past photos of the restaurant, the wall was covered in moss, but the moss has been removed.

Since we were spending the day in S.F. we made the trek to Flora Grubb Gardens to pick up bromiliads and snap some pictures of their work. Two wooly-pocket-planted vertical gardens with more compatible textural combinations.

And, of course, the succulent wall out in the back garden, which looks lovely with its fall color.

The Mother of All Green Roofs...

2010-01-15T22:55:00.000-08:00

...is located at the California Academy of Science in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, which we visited just today.

The Academy's "Living Roof" is 197,000 square feet of undulating, native-planted, urban-heat-island-combating rooftop. The green roof keeps the building's interior an average of 10 degrees cooler than a standard tar-and-asphalt roof would...and it sends oxygen rather than heat into the atmosphere.

The extreme topography required a new method of attaching the plants to the structure to keep everything from sliding. Hence, the BioTray® was born. 50,000 biodegradable trays made of tree sap and coconut husks cover the rooftop like tiles, allowing the roots to intertwine, binding the trays together.

An observation terrace allows visitors to be surrounded by the roof garden - without threatening the tray structure, which I can imagine is fairly fragile.

The mounds have operating skylights, allowing sunlight into the museum below

The roof's nearly two million native plants were specifically chosen to thrive in the foggy climate of Golden Gate Park. The Academy experimented with thirty-five native species. The selected nine, self-propagating species, which cover 90% of the roof, are all tolerant of the windy, coastal conditions and require little supplemental water.

The four perennial species selected were:

Fragaria chiloensis (Strawberry);

Prunella vulgaris (Self-Heal)

Armeria maritima ssp. californica (Sea Pink), and;

Sedum spathulifolium (Stonecrop)

The fiive annual wildflowers chosen were:

Layia platyglossa (Tidy Tips);

Lasthenia californica (Goldfield);

Lupinus nanus (Miniature Lupine);

Eschscholzia californica (California Poppy);

Plantago erecta (California Plantain)

In addition, seventy native species fill the area directly around the observation deck - Penstemon, Aquilegia, Polystichum, Achillea, Erigeron, Sisrynchium, Mimulus, many others...

The photos show the garden on a grey winter day, but still a spectacular landscape...

Floral Design without Peat

2010-01-12T00:00:00.000-08:00

So, it finally began raining last night. Maybe this is a magic blog - everything we wish for will come true. The comments form is now open for your wishes...

On another note, I've recommended using coir in the construction of a living wreath described in my recent post. Coir is considered a renewable alternative to sphagnum or peat moss. Since the "living wreath" will eventually be entirely covered by plant material, a decorative, green-tinted peat moss base is not really required.

Below is an excerpt from the document 'Bogs - A Global Issue' by Lori Bartley - discussing the impact to bogs of peat mining (http://www.geog.ubc.ca/richmond/city/AGlobalPerspective.html):

"The use of peat for horticulture is of worldwide concern. It is used as a soil supplement to enhance water retention and plant growth and as a soil base for greenhouse production. To harvest a bog for peat moss, it must first be drained, dried and then cut. The resulting fields can be too dry for Sphagnum to regenerate and even if the water level returns to normal, it can take years for bogs to return to their former state.

Technically peat moss could be referred to as a renewable resource if one is willing to wait thousands of years for the resource to be renewed. Canada ranks second in the global production of horticultural peat after Germany. Canada currently produces 22% of the world’s horticultural peat with a market value of 170 million dollars. Of Canada’s 113 million hectares of peatlands, 17,000 hectares are being used for peat harvesting, employing about 1600 rural workers (Daigle and Gautreau-Daigle, 2001).

Mining peat for fuel is another issue facing bogs. Ireland has depleted nearly 90% of its peatland as a result of peat mining for fuel in addition to draining for agriculture (Irish Peatland Conservation Council, 2001). In the United Kingdom the statistics are equally grim and Eastern Europe is aggressively mining peat to provide a source of home heating, as well as fuel for power plants. In addition to these threats, peat is being used in alcoholic drinks, environmental improvements and purification systems, oil spill clean ups, spa therapies, medicines and pads (Statement on the Wise Use of Peatlands, 2002).

Loss of biodiversity is a direct result of the destruction or alteration of bogs. Populations of plants and animals can disappear. Rare and endangered species in Canada that use peatlands include Whooping Cranes, Piping Plovers, Trumpeter Swans and Wood Bison. Many plants can only live in bogs and will not be found in any other ecosystem. These include insect-eating plants such as sundews and pitcher plants. They occupy a niche that few other species are suited to."

Coconut coir - ground coconut shell fibers

If anyone is aware of another sustainable medium that can also be used to construct a succulent wreath, I'd be interested to hear.

Thanks!

Mustard in January?

2010-01-11T09:09:00.000-08:00

We always have beautiful fields of wild mustard here in the North Bay Area, it's also a popular cover crop in vineyards. I can't say that I remember it ever blooming as early as January 5, but that is when this photo was taken:

Stage Gulch Road, Petaluma, CA

The sky has been grey for days, but no rain, no rain, no rain. I hope this isn't another dry year although it's shaping up to be one.

A Living Wreath

2010-01-09T10:51:00.000-08:00

I've nearly completed a sedum and succulent "living wreath." Using the plant material purchased recently (see Sedum Babies) I have high hopes for the future of this one. This time I'm using more sedum, so we'll see how it takes over time.

Materials:
- Two-piece angled wreath frame, any shape
- Coir or sphagnum moss
- Potting soil
- Floral wire - green
- Floral pins
- Succulents, lower leaves clipped so that there is sufficient stem to root
- Spray bottle/mister

Process:
1. Lay down a 1/2" thick layer of coir on the work surface, in the shape of your wreath frame, plus an inch on the inside and outside. Place one half of the wreath onto the coir and shape the coir around the frame.

2. Lay potting soil into the wreath frame to about 1/2" thickness, careful to keep the soil within the coir limits. Lay another 1/2" of coir on top of the soil. Mist the entire wreath and form it into shape by hand.

3. Pin the coir into place just enough to hold it together. Lifting each side gently, wrap the wreath with floral wire to hold the coir in place. Tie off the wire in a loop for hanging.

4. Arrange the succulents approximately where they will be installed into the wreath, prepare them so that there is adequate stem (and some root, if possible) to insert into the moss & soil.

5. With a chopstick, poke a hole into the wreath where each plant stem will go and insert, packing the coir in around the stem to hold it into place. Install plant stems until front, top and sides are fairly filled, allowing for some growth.

I used a 12" circular wreath frame which results in about a 15" wreath once all of the plant material is put in. The remaining plants have gone into my greenhouse to be used in future wreaths or to be put into containers once it warms up.

The wreath needs to set in a sunny, frost-free spot for 4-6 weeks at least to let root before it's ready to hang. I will mist it with water often, but it should be dipped in a shallow pan of water weekly to soak.

Once I finish this wreath up, I'll be trying a succulent "kissing ball." I'll post photos of this wreath again once it's rooted a bit.

The Garden Globe - Part 1

2010-01-05T21:24:00.000-08:00

When I was little, there was an old white Victorian mansion near my house - you could visit its gardens on open days. The estate had belonged to a wealthy early settler of the town and was surrounded by a beautiful garden and acres mostly planted in cherry trees. The family had long since moved on and the estate was left in the care of the city.

In the center of the mansion’s front garden, directly opposite the front door, was a silver gazing ball mounted on a white pillar. I thought the gazing ball was the coolest thing; mysterious, probably warding off evil spirits, I thought. I’ve read there was a practical purpose for the mirrored ball, allowing the resident to see visitors approaching from all angles –like a simple security camera.

I’ve been noticing the globe shape more and more as garden ornament these days, mirrored, as well as in porcelain, terra cotta, concrete, ceramic, moss, glass, stone... They represent earth, longevity, eternity. I think they're peaceful, and still mysterious.

Here’s a few of my other recent “garden globe” pics, more to come:

Amusing Cupcakes

2010-01-04T23:06:00.000-08:00

Not at all garden-related, but...

My 11-year-old daughter just created a batch of cupcakes that she felt was deserving of a wider audience. I believe I have a food blogger in the making.

So, without further ado, here they are:

Sketchbook - Dry Creek

2010-01-03T15:52:00.000-08:00

Dearest reader...Happy new year! I hope that 2010 is a peaceful and prosperous year for us all.

Just finished some quick sketches for a friend's small back garden space that they'd like to bisect with a dry creek. They'll use soil from on site to bring up the elevation at planting areas near the perimeter path. Boulders terminate the creek at both ends and bridge at a mulched path.

Suggested low-growing drought-tolerant, sun-lovers to plant:

Arctostaphyllos 'Emerald Carpet'

Carex buchannanii

Ceanothus 'Carmel Creeper'

Cistus salvifolius

Correa pulchella 'Dusky Bells'

Epilobium septentrionale 'Mattole'

Helictotrichon sempervirens

Nepeta x faassenii

Rubus pentalobus 'Emerald Carpet'

Heirloom Seed Bank

2009-12-29T00:30:00.000-08:00

Fittingly, heirloom seeds are called so because they've been passed down from generation to generation. I believe they produce a more colorful and tasty crop than the hybrid versions on many grocery store shelves. Baker Creek Heirloom's new Seed Bank offers a line of 1275 non-GMO heirloom vegetable and flower seeds, the largest collection I've ever seen (this side of Missouri, where Baker Creek's home store is located). Their catalog is fantastic, containing rare varieties I never knew existed. Read about the unique and beautiful french melon "Pescott Fond Blanc" whose flavor "is very rich...and fragrance is heavenly" - the variety dates back beyond the 1860's and presently it's nearly unheard of in this country.

The Seed Bank opened its California storefront in the summer of 2009 - housed in the gorgeous old Sonoma County National Bank building which had been vacant for far too long - at 199 N. Petaluma Blvd. in downtown Petaluma, CA. Visiting the seed bank, I was amazed at the rows and rows of wooden shelves filled with thousands of seed packets - sort of like a library catalog. Hundreds of tomatoes, melon, squash, bean varietals, you name it. The seed packet designs are simple and compelling. The ornate Victorian interior of the old building leaves an impression.

We purchased seeds of Opopeo Amaranth, Black Hollyhock, Small Spoon and Big Apple Gourds, Orange Master Pomegranate, and Purple Podded Pole Beans. The woman who helped us tossed several other seed packets from Culinary Couture (Charentais Melon, Beurre de Rocquencourt Beans, and Thai Green Eggplant), into our sack - at no charge. The staff was extremely knowledgeable and didn't seem to mind that my kids pulled out one of every other seed pack to examine.

Flora Grubb's December Bouquet

2009-12-27T11:16:00.000-08:00

The December Bouquet, by Susie Nadler at Flora Grubb Gardens
(photo from Flora Grubb Gardens website)

I'm infatuated with Flora Grubb Gardens - the business, design work, nursery - everything about the place.

Her "cutting garden" features florals by designer Susie Nadler, the above photo is of one of her seasonal winter bouquets. They are so casual and beautiful - an inspiration... Each time I pop onto Susie's blog each of her designs is even more gorgeous than the last. More than any others', her arrangements are like portable gardens in their texture and composition.

This place is a must-see! Flora Grubb Gardens is located at 1634 Jerrold Avenue in San Francisco's Bayview neighborhood.

Lemon-Glazed Persimmon Bars

2009-12-23T22:20:00.000-08:00

While a Fuyu persimmon can be eaten off the tree like an apple, a Hachiya, if eaten unripened, will put you off of persimmons for good. For baking, Hachiyas are preferred, but they need to be super ripe until they're almost jelly-like for the correct flavor. Hachiyas can be ripened at room temperature or stored in a paper bag with a banana to speed up the ripening process. They can also be frozen (a week or more for ideal flavor and texture). After the fruit is thawed in the refrigerator, the pulp will be ready for use.

Our neighbor's old persimmon tree, loaded with fruit, provided the persimmons for our newest winter tea goodie. The recipe is inspired by the Rhodes Family Farms' website, which is chock-full-o' yummy persimmon dishes.

I adapted the Rhodes' recipe to accommodate the needs of those with celiac disease (like moi) with great success. But you can use regular wheat flour as well (see substitution in ingredients list below). If you do go the wheat-free route, nobody will ever know you did. All the fruit makes this bar so moist and delicious.

Gluten Free Lemon-Glazed Persimmon Bars

Bar Ingredients:
1 cup persimmon pulp
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. baking soda
2 cups gluten free all-purpose baking flour, i.e., Bob's Red Mill (or 2 cups white flour)
1/2 tsp xantham gum (disregard if using regular wheat flour)
1 tsp ground cloves
1 large egg
1 tsp. salt
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup baker's sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup finely chopped walnuts

For the lemon glaze :
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tblsp lemon juice

Process:
Mix the persimmon pulp with baking soda and set aside. In a large bowl, lightly beat the egg, then stir in the sugar and oil. Sift dry ingredients and add to the mixture. Stir in persimmon, raisins, and walnuts. Spread evenly in a greased 10" x 15" pan. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes. Cool before cutting. Drizzle with lemon glaze while still a bit warm. Makes 3 dozen bars.

Winter Solstice

2009-12-22T23:48:00.000-08:00

I've always thought of winter solstice as a beginning…the days ahead will be getting longer and longer, and we can officially start planning for our garden's "rebirth."

I read in the news that druids and pagans flocked to Stonehenge to celebrate at the ancient monument. Since I’m not a pagan nor do I live near Salisbury, England, I decided to come up with some of my own rituals for celebrating the winter solstice with friends and family…

Way back when, if you reached the solstice and hadn’t yet prepared for the long winter ahead, you were sunk. So, I like to put out wild bird feeders in the garden and keep them filled with seed & nectar through the winter (I even saw a hummingbird or two at my feeder last week) – to help our little wild birds get through the cold season.

Building a winter wreath is a family ritual. Each person contributes something to the wreath that has important meaning to them. For example, juniper represents eternity, bay symbolizes prosperity, sage represents wisdom, and mistletoe gets people to kiss you, although I don’t know why.

I also like to build a Yule fire by tossing dried herbs on the flames - lavender, rosemary, sage, thyme. It fills the house with good, wintry smells. Or, if it's a spare the air day - we light candles and steam herbs in a pot on the stove, invite some friends over, drink some wine and talk about what a great year you've had (right?)!!!!

Happy holidays!

Black and White

2009-12-20T17:14:00.000-08:00

Wow, I look at all that snow back east and feel bad complaining that my toes are a little chilly. I have to admit, California is a fantastic place for garden designers. Even in the dead of our winter, the work we installed this summer is still colorful and gorgeous. We're spoiled...

This time of year is when designing for foliage contrast really pays off. Most of our summer flower color has passed, and the boldly-colored foliage items are now carrying the garden - still really eye-catching.

Ophiopogon 'nigrescens' beneath Birch trees

Phormium 'Platt's Black'

This garden surrounds a modern structure. The view beyond is of miles of misty hills covered in Oaks. The simple, bold colors and textures draw the eye to the foreground. We used black mondo at the base of the birch trees, the bark is beautiful and white right now and the little Ophiopogon 'Nigrescens' are really happy under its lightly-shaded canopy.

We included a grid of grey Senecio madraliscaea, and... it's like a grisaille painting.

Sedum Babies

2009-12-19T08:58:00.000-08:00

The pic below shows my newest little guys...

Sedum 'Murale', 'Ogon', 'Pork & Beans' and 'Aurora'. Also...Echeveria elegans, Sempervirens 'Moss Rose', 'Bagdad', and 'Lavender & Old Lace'.

Aren't they cute?

I picked them up today at Sonoma Mission Gardens and I plan to use them in the living wreaths I'll be gifting this year. Customers were cooing over them, "Aren't those beautiful!" "What sweet little plants!" I was so proud.

They had some nice container sedum collections, mixed in with grasses and other surprising stuff. Here are my notes...

Love the bowl within a bowl

The arctostapylos in the foreground of this container is a nice contrast

Sonoma Mission Gardens' mascots

Bedside Table

2009-12-18T00:14:00.000-08:00

For your reading pleasure...two books that I've found inspiring. A link to the particular publication can be found just above its image.

Current Read: John Greenlee's

American Meadow Garden - Creating a Natural Alternative to the Traditional Lawn

Beautiful photographs, very readable text. I'm working on seeding a native meadow hillside presently and the imagery in this book is inspiring. Will convince those who haven't already gotten on the "lose the lawn" bandwagon.

______________________________________________

Valerie Easton (Author) & Jacqueline M. Koch (Photographer)

The New Low-Maintenance Garden: How to Have a Beautiful, Productive Garden and the Time to Enjoy It

Loved the simple designs of small, personal spaces. Not a lot of fuss, which is the message she is conveying. Some very interesting planting combinations and lots of foliage contrast. The quotes from professionals in the margins are very interesting and led me to more designers' work.

______________________________________________

Tea Time!

2009-12-16T23:00:00.000-08:00

Afternoon tea with my two kids...

Both my son and daughter have been tea drinkers since they were tiny tots. My son came home from Montessori school one afternoon asking for oatmeal tea. "You put oatmeal in a sock, mom, and then you pour hot water in the sock and it comes out into a cup and then you drink it." Doesn't that sound delicious? I have to admit (though we used a strainer) hot water through oatmeal with a little cinnamon and sugar is kind of tasty.

A kitchen herb garden - even window sill herbs - is great fodder for interesting new teas. And it's fun to make fresh herb tea with the kids. We're always on the lookout for garden-inspired flavors to use in our tea experiments.

Our latest discovery comes from my new Golden Door Cooks At Home cookbook (by Golden Door chef Dean Rucker) and it is very nice...

Fresh Lavender and Orange Chamomile Tea with Honey

Ingredients:

1 orange, sliced 1/4 inch thick

6 chamomile tea bags (you can use 1/4 cup loose dried chamomile flowers when in season)

4 sprigs fresh lavender, about 3-inches long

1/4 cup local honey

Process:

Bring 6-1/2 cups of water to a boil and remove from heat. Stir in the orange slices, chamomile, and lavender. Cover the pan and let stand for 6 minutes. Strain the tea and stir in the honey. Warm to just below a simmer if necessary. Serves 6 immediately.

Winter Trees

2009-12-15T23:45:00.000-08:00

Spring rules the garden but, even though it's chilly (well, by California standards) and a little grey, winter can really be a show-off. Persimmon, Oak, vibrant red berries, pink Acer palmatum branches - there are some fabulous colors out there right now.

Bright green moss on the north side of a mature Coast Live Oak

I think I know where the whole Christmas ornament idea may have come from...

Love the narrow shape and berries of this delicate Hawthorne tree - Crataegus monogyna 'Stricta'

A Sango-kaku, when hand-selected for optimal shape, is a great sculptural element in the winter...also adds color and focus while the rest of the garden is sleeping

On the other hand, our California citrus trees have taken a beating from the latest frost and I've had clients with fruit and foliage damage. My notes on protecting citrus from frost damage...

- Not only is it important to keep plants covered, heat from the day needs to be retained during the cold night. Old sheets can be used as a "tent", letting the sheet drop to the ground so the heat from the soil can be trapped inside.

- A younger tree can be trunk-wrapped to protect its "vital parts". Cobble (or even mulch) placed a the base of the trunk will retain heat which will be released at night.

- Citrus shouldn't be pruned until late spring, after the last frost. It's tempting to trim off damaged foliage, but that forces new growth which is tender and vulnerable. Citrus trees that seem to have given up are rarely as badly damaged as they look - come spring, they bounce back. Particularly well-irrigated, non-stressed trees which tend to do better. Frost rarely kills mature trees.

- Lemons are more sensitive to frost than oranges (+/- 5 degrees).

- If fruit has been damaged by frost, pick it and use it right away, decay happens quickly - frost causes water loss and the fruit dries out.

- Citrus shouldn't be sited in a garden's low spot, cool air collects there. Protected courtyards are a good site, as well as locations under eaves or overhangs. Next to a warm south-facing wall. Or even better, large (wheeled?) containers, moved to a more protected spot in the winter...think Orangerie at Versailles (scale accordingly).

Stay warm!

"Be Awake!"

2009-12-13T00:38:00.000-08:00

My children have asked me why I've begun doing this blog thing. So here's my answer...

Recently, I read a quote by Bay Area-based artist and landscape design guru Topher Delaney. She faced and beat breast cancer and was asked by an interviewer about the experience. She said, "It’s important for people to know. Getting breast cancer was a gift from God. It opened my heart and made me understand that I have a gift. I am still alive, I believe, because my work is not done. Having cancer completely changed me. I have become very passionate about two things: being of service—and being awake to life."

I'm always looking for new things to share and in the process, I am grateful. And I hope I'm teaching my kids about being awake in their lives.

Shoppe Around the Corner

2009-12-11T21:09:00.000-08:00

I suppose I don't post as often as one should on a blog. But, I've committed to using my own photos (as I'm working on my photo-taking skills) and sometimes, it's just too dang cold outside to take pictures.

So, I'm posting here about a commercial garden I completed in town not too long ago, and I'm using a picture of the project that reminds me of a warm springy day.

This is a home furnishings/gift shop in a restored early 1900's bungalow. There was very little budget and the client wanted limited paving material. We did a simple colored concrete walkway to the front porch and used boxwood and myrtle hedges to frame the front area, which was divided by the walkway. A grid of lavender on each side. A pistache tree in the corner. The hedges are more sculpted now, which looks nice against the loose lavender and white roses.

The Garden Conservancy

2009-12-09T23:27:00.000-08:00

My membership to The Garden Conservancy is due - just in time for Christmas (HINT!!). What a great gift this is (just $50) for our garden-loving friends and family (moi). I'm so looking forward to the 2010 Open Days. The Conservancy's Open Days allow people like you and me to visit fabulous private gardens not normally open to people like you and me. We can snoop around, take notes, sketch, photograph, ask questions - fun! In 2009, they opened to the public over 300 gardens in 22 states.

Here's a list of slated West Coast tour locations and dates (from the Garden Conservancy website):

California (Los Angeles): May 8
California (Marin County): June 5
California (Pasadena): April 25
California (San Francisco East Bay): TBA
California (San Francisco): May 22
California (Saratoga): May 2
Nevada (Las Vegas): TBA
Oregon (Eugene): TBA
Oregon (Portland): June 5
Washington (Bainbridge Island): June 26
Washington (Olympia): August 21
Washington (Seattle): May 23, June 12

I plan to do all tours in the Bay Area (making time for the Venice Garden Tour on Saturday May 1, 2010 benefitting Las Doradas Children's Center in Venice, CA) and maybe even try to get to Portland/Washington in the summer.

The Garden Conservancy's noble mission is, "to preserve exceptional American gardens for public education and enjoyment...and to develop and deepen public appreciation of gardens as integral elements of our national artistic and cultural heritage." The Conservancy has sixteen major preservation projects underway right now in the United States. Historic Alcatraz in San Francisco is an example (one I will be photographing in the not-so-distant future).

A membership gets you the Open Days Directory, discount admission tickets, their newsletter, special events, lectures, etc.

A bargain, good cause, and a great gift!

The Olive

2009-12-06T18:36:00.000-08:00

Sonoma Valley is Olea europaea central and right now is the height of harvest. Father Kelly's annual blessing of the olives was held before a packed crowd at the Mission church yesterday. Hopefully everyone hurried home and cleared their trees because it's expected to snow(!) tomorrow morning.

If you can devote a Saturday to climbing up your olive tree and picking the little buggers, you can contribute your olive harvest to the community press at the Olive Press out on Highway 121.

A minimum 5 lbs. worth of olives is required, perfect for the gardener with a few trees, the cost is $.60/lb. Each contributor gets their share of the pressed oil based on a percentage of total weight. Or, if you can come up with 800 lbs worth, you can schedule your own private press. We visited The Olive Press today for a first hand look at a large community pressing.

Some say if you harvest two weeks early you can avoid serious fruit fly damage, and oil quality will not suffer. A pricier option is to apply a product by DowAgro called GF-120 Naturalyte containing Spinosid, which is listed for use in organic production. The product is applied according to label with a tank sprayer weekly just before the tree begins to fruit, through harvest.

Chateau Sonoma

2009-12-05T23:32:00.000-08:00

A favorite of mine is the french antiques importer Chateau Sonoma. We stopped by to peek at their annual jewelry trunk show. I always like to step out into the back courtyard garden. In May it bustles with a french antique flea market. This time of year, though, the garden is quiet. Occupied only by St. Joseph, a fountain cupid, and many birds (real and iron).

Chalk Hill Estate

2009-11-22T23:05:00.000-08:00

Chalk Hill is one of the most beautiful properties in Sonoma County. We visited on a misty morning to view the dry-set, handcrafted site stone walls that snake through the 1,500 acre estate. The mason used native field stone with large boulders to terminate the walls.

Chalk Hill was named by its owner for the layer of chalk-colored volcanic ash that lies under the topsoil. It's varied terrain is planted with sixty vineyard blocks. Reds and whites - including a sauvignon blanc which was delicious even at 9:30 a.m.

A Stipa-bordered allee leads to a spectacular equestrian center. Native grass on either side of the Yosemite random stone path is filled with pink tulips in the spring. The main structure is a glass observation lounge enclosed by a massive covered arena.

Project Gallery

2009-11-21T20:17:00.000-08:00

UNDER CONSTRUCTION!