It would be nice if plant availability and the optimum planting season coincided, or if planting time on a project were planned for cooler weather. They’re not. Since we’re not in an ideal world, things sometimes must go in the ground during hot weather. The trick, then, is to develop techniques that ensure a highContinue reading “Planting sedge plugs in summer”
Author Archives: mike
Scary Monsters!
This is not, strictly speaking, a tomato worm. It’s the larva of Manduca sexta, the dreaded Tobacco Hornworm. Nor is it a worm. It’s a larval insect that could more properly be termed a caterpillar if not for the image of caterpillars being cute and worms being ugly. Anything capable of stripping the leaves ofContinue reading “Scary Monsters!”
Let a bit of ecological healing happen
When we redesigned our back yard, we decided to let some volunteer native oaks live. Some that were too much in conflict with the design were removed, but in other cases the design was modified to allow the trees to remain. Since we stopped mowing a patch of weeds in the front yard, another oakContinue reading “Let a bit of ecological healing happen”
Beware of the Grout!
That fancy colored grout that you have your heart set on might have a little secret: it fades in the sunlight. These two photos show the same grout, applied at about the same time one year ago. As you can see, the color is almost gone on the table mosaic, although some traces of blueContinue reading “Beware of the Grout!”
WIld Ginger (Asarum caudatum) having a tough establishment period
Wild ginger (Asarum caudatum) is a California native that grows under redwood trees in coastal valleys. This alone should have given me pause before planting it here in the Central Valley, yet I was told that it does grow here. I was letting it go fairly dry between waterings, since it is a native plantContinue reading “WIld Ginger (Asarum caudatum) having a tough establishment period”
Honey, I saw a spider!
You make sure there are no pesticides, poisons or toxic substances in your garden. Your vegetables are organic. You’ve created a wonderful oasis of nature… then you look next door. There’s a Poison Man spraying who knows what all over their house. I imagine it’s to kill a spider or two. Impossible to talk toContinue reading “Honey, I saw a spider!”
Testing a new plant: Dicliptera suberecta
Uruguay. I’ve never met a plant from there before, yet there it was at the nursery: Uruguayan Firecracker Plant (Dicliptera suberecta). The plant, in a four inch pot, was covered with bright red-orange tubular flowers, the type that shout, “hummingbirds!”. It has fuzzy gray leaves, suggesting that it might be a water conserving plant. OtherContinue reading “Testing a new plant: Dicliptera suberecta”
Moved for a happier festival.
Cordyline Festival Grass isn’t really a grass. It’s more like an exotic agave, in fact. A happy plant has long, grassy leaves (hence the name) that are wonderful shades of glossy deep red and magenta. They don’t revert like some New Zealand flax varieties, so the color you get at the nursery is the colorContinue reading “Moved for a happier festival.”
Plein air art at the Fair
Although it was only 8:30 in the morning, the sun was already risen well into a hot blue sky. People led cows into the livestock building, hitched them to the cow wash. Goats bleated. The smells of barbecue and livestock mingled in the warm air. The fair was definitely afoot. The California State Fair invitesContinue reading “Plein air art at the Fair”
First harvest
Our community garden plot is starting to produce. Tomatoes are rampant on their wire cages; beans twine up corn stalks while squash grows beneath. Peppers hang from their plants, basil puts forth leaves waiting for pesto and other uses. Purslane spreads between the watermelon leaves, and the hollyhock leaves multiply in the warm summer sun.Continue reading “First harvest”