Auburn had it’s harvest festival Saturday. I wa…

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Auburn had it's harvest festival Saturday. I was invited to be a guest on the KAHI 'Garden Guru Show', featuring Don and Chere Yamasaki. We did a live 'feed' from the festival, where Don was to judge the biggest pumpkin contest

These things are huge! The largest one weighed in at 1001 lbs. It was grown by a man in Santa Rosa who trucked it in for the contest. He won a $1000 first prize, which explains why he would transport it around.

The event was fun and it really is something to see such freakishly large fruit.

Fall in the foothills rocks. These trees are Sass…

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Fall in the foothills rocks. These trees are Sassafras (Sassafras albidum), The sassafras tree is native in Eastern North America from Maine to Ontario and Michigan then as far South as Florida and Texas. Tea, dye, lumber, and fuel are made from the outer bark and roots. The roots are also used to flavor soups and stews. Oil from this tree is also used in perfumes, soaps, lotions, and to flavor medicine.

When I was first made aware of these trees I had a hard time identifying them. They are not listed in Sunset's Western Garden Book. They are very hard to propagate, which is why they are impossible to find in almost any garden center.

These pics are of trees growing at Marshall Rd. and Empire Cr. about a 1/4 mile south of Lower Main St. in Georgetown. In about a week or two they will be about the brightest fall color trees you have ever seen. I'll try to post some pics of them when they are in full color.

The Lotus we have had in our water garden departme…

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The Lotus we have had in our water garden department has finally bloomed. The first picture was taken just a day before the last two pictures.

I brought the lotus into the garden center just so we could enjoy it. We haven't carried lotus in the past, but after watching this one we will carry a selection next season.

The lotus is winter hardy, as long as the tuber of the plant is kept below freezing water.

Alas, we won't be able to enjoy the flower any more as a customer bought, and took it to her pond, which happens to be located in our neighboring town of Lotus.

The El Dorado Master Gardeners held their annual p…

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The El Dorado Master Gardeners held their annual picnic at The Garden Center, "Under the Oaks". It's nice to see that our picnic area is getting lot's of use.

Forty Master Gardener's had lunch, and enjoyed the beautiful setting. We hope to have many more such events at The Garden Center.

The Golden Gecko carries the most healthy, divers…

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The Golden Gecko carries the most healthy, diverse selection of annuals and perennials around. One reason is 'Blooms' wholesale nursery in Glen Ellen. We have been doing business with the Bloom brothers for the past ten years. This is one of the smallest wholesale nurseries you can imagine. Operating on just a few acres, they produce the healthiest and most diverse plants in the business. They also grow the bedding plants outside, not in greenhouses. This means their plants are hardier, and won’t go through the shock that greenhouse grown plants do.

Sha is our delivery person from Blooms. She makes the once a week trip up the hill to see us. Sha is artist, and has quite a flair when it comes to her style.

After us it’s back to Glen Ellen. She will be taking some time off, since she will be having a baby in a couple of months. We wish her well, and hope to see her when she returns to work.

Can you i.d. this tree? It is growing on the hi…

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Can you i.d. this tree? It is growing on the hill just below Main St.,in Georgetown. One of our customers bought a home that is on the site of an old dairy. Lots of very old walnuts, filberts, apples, and this strange tree.

O.k., it's is not really a tree, but a 'standard' Algerian Ivy. The stump is an old cedar tree, and ivy has over the years grown into this 'tree'. Really quite a sight.

One of the neat things about the nursery busines…

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One of the neat things about the nursery business are our fellow nurserypeople. Steve is one of those people. Steve's business is Lone Pine Gardens. They grow some great bonsai starters and accent plants.

We have been doing business with Steve and his family for about 15 years. Steve,s father Ian founded the business. I remember when Ian would deliver the plants and tell about his latest trip to the far reaches of the world. He would travel
all over, collecting the plants that are the foundation for Lone Pines Business. Lone Pine Gardens is a small, family run business, commited to the finest quality.

Lone pine is in Sebastapol and when Steve makes the trip he brings his dog 'Gus'with him. See you later Steve.

I am always glad when Don Yamasaki, Host of "The…

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I am always glad when Don Yamasaki, Host of "The Garden Guru Show", asks me to appear on his show. "The Garden Guru Show" is on KAHI AM 950 every Saturday from 9 am to 10 am. We have sponsored the show since our days at The Happy Frog Garden Center.

Don and his wife Chere, 'The Misses Garden Guru', always put on a lively, interesting show concerning gardening in The Foothills. That's Dave, the engineer, to the left.

Doing a radio show has always been fun, but somehow that microphone is intimidating.

I think Don was asking me a question, but I am to busy smiling at the camera.

Don has some interesting vegetables. They almost beg for further investigation. Strange things going on at 'The Gu's' place.

Now that we are in the thick of summer I thoug…

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Now that we are in the thick of summer I thought some pictures of our little section of Empire Creek during the heavy rains this year might provide some perspective. When all is said and done, I prefer the heat over the flooding. We came two feet from the top of the bank.