An Auburn scene

On Linclon Avenue, Auburn Ca. That's a mural on the wall straight ahead. I like how it blends in with the landscape. 

Auburn courthouse

Auburn's courthouse was dedicated on July 4th, 1898. Still in use. More info here.

Looking east from Prospectors Road

When you reach the top of Prospectors Road, Garden Valley, this this is the view. Prospectors Road was used before Marshall Rd was built.  

Missing a smokestack?

Not so hidden behind a fence in Isletown sits, what appears to be, the smokestack from the old paddle-wheeler, "Delta King". How it ended up here, is a mystery. 

What happened to Arbor Day?

What happened to Arbor Day? I remember it being something the nursery trade joined in on. Checking today I see it’s been taken over by Calfire (our state fire agency). When you look up more information we’re directed to the National Arbor Day Foundation, out of Nebraska. Following the link, “View the California State Report”, we’re taken to a 2014 dated news release.

Depending on which state you live in, the day is celebrated at different times. Here in California the date is March 7, Luther Burbank’s birthday. Luther Burbank was California’s most famous horticulturalist, being responsible for developing hundreds of different types of fruiting plants, as well as ornamentals, think Shasta Daisy.

While Earth Day on April 22 is popular, it’s more of a broad area of interest celebration. Arbor Day, however, was made for the nursery trade. It’s a day when we are suppose to plant a tree! If there are any California nursery trade organizations left, and I don’t know if there are, why not take this up? If there are no trade organizations willing too, why not take it up on our own?

The message of planting a tree for the future is exactly the type of activity we need to encourage. Non-denominational, above politics, and something anyone can do. Live in an apartment? Plant a tree in a container, inside our out! Trees can be fruiting, ornamental, helpful for wildlife, or any other reason for planting a tree. I remember some nursery group trying a “Plant Something” campaign. I never liked that because it’s so open ended. Plant what? Here we have an opportunity to plant a very specific item, a tree.

The nursery trade always seems to be wondering how best to promote itself. Here we have a specific date, on which to do a specific thing, that will make a positive influence on the person planting it, the neighborhood, and the world. Why not promote this? If the trade won’t do it, I’m going to do it. How about you? Something as simple as letting people know in advance of this special date, how your store can help, and giving them the encouragement to “get it done”. You could even map out where these new trees are being planted, with pictures of the people planting the tree. Next year let’s check in and see how the tree is doing. Post more photos of that tree planted last year, and the new one they are planting.

A horticultural tradition is born!

Let's turn Sacramento into Silicon Valley East?

This article, which appeared in today's Sacramento Bee, say's, "the Farm-to-Fork boast is all wrong for a town that yearns to be Silicon Valley East...It’s time to step away from the world-class provincialism that has long constrained Sacramento. Let go of the images of our agricultural past, lest our economic future be limited to farm-to-forklift jobs."

The article describes how Silicon Valley, "which once laid claim to being the world’s canning and dried-fruit packing capital, shrugged off its rich agricultural heritage. Along with neighboring San Mateo County, it embraced a new moniker: Silicon Valley." 

Why do we want so badly to shrug off our rich agricultural heritage? We want the overcrowding, and sky high housing costs of Silicon Valley here?

I find it weird that a population that seems to thrive on the "idea" of local farming, and locally sourced food, would want to emulate Silicon Valley, a once wondrous farmland turned into sprawl. I have no desire to see our region turned into Silicon Valley East, though it's headed in that direction. Where shall we grow our food if all the best agricultural land is paved over? Sacramento needs to get over wanting to be "somewhere else" (Silicon Valley this time), and figure out how to be itself, in all its agricultural glory. 

Amazing camouflage!

Leaf or insect?

The photograph shows insect camouflage in the case of Zaretis ellops, or "The Seasonal Leafwing", a moth found in Costa Rica and Mexico.  The two little holes in the “leaf” don’t always occur with all members of the species, making each one quite unique. Check out the variations here. Amazing.

The rain continues here, with another 6 inches (15.24 cm) predicted for the next couple of days. Every now and then people wander into the garden shop picking up a few seeds, or seed starting equipment. Until the rain stops and we get some dry weather people seem hunkered down, waiting…

Another rainy friday

Another rainy day, with more to come. Now we hear that it may rain right through March, which doesn’t surprise this California native. Not so great for business, but in horticulture you have to roll with what Mother nature provides. Seen it rain right through May, and this would be the year it might happen again. This is now our rainiest winter, ever.

Here is a link to Ian Baldwins, “Reading the 2017 Tea Leaves”, concerning the up-coming year in garden retail. I found this quote most enlightening, “simply put, the biggest, most expensive end of the range of almost everything, sold out first. It didn’t matter whether it was wreaths for the front door, ‘everlasting’ Christmas trees or swag for the mantle, the most expensive selection sold out first. The $2000 everlasting tree sold before the $800 one, the new clever lighting set sold before the cheaper one designed five years ago and the biggest table-runners went first.” This has to be evidence from the most wealthy sections of our country? This is not what’s happening in central California outside the Bay Area, at least in my observations. I do wonder if we sometimes forget the part of the state that really hasn’t seen this kind of business. Do these various garden surveys tend to skew towards the more wealthy enclaves in the country?

Here is a video of a young horticulturist and her business in Britain. I like the enthusiasm and the pride of trade she exhibits. We need more young people to take up horticulture, and work in the garden.

Not much going on here at the garden center as it’s raining, and everyone around here is hunkered down waiting out the next storm, which the weather service named “Lucifer”. Sounds like trouble. I’ll let you know.

A new morning (or, “I’m alive!”)

After a few days of sunny and mild weather, the rain has returned for what appears to be the upcoming week, and beyond. It’s nice to have had a break in the rain, as we are now in record  breaking territory for the wettest year on record. However, the drought is not over according to the powers that be. Southern California, that oasis in the desert, has not gotten the required amount of rain to pull them out of drought. They don’t need to worry, since we have their water safely impounded behind secure dams, like Oroville. 

A Upworthy video popped up on my Facebook feed extolling the virtues of urban Gardening for food production. Most of these videos have a hopeful feel that we can feed the growing populations in the if we just bring food production closer to the people eating the food. It all sound great, and you might think we are making some headway here but, ¼ of all front gardens in Great Britain are being paved over for automobiles. Seems the idea of moving to the city and taking part in the public transportation system doesn’t fly when you have a car. Lot’s of hopeful wishes and happy videos out there.

We got ripped off a few weeks ago. Someone drove in, cut the lock on the gate, and drove off with 100’s of bags of our soils, drip irrigation equipment, etc. Amazingly the stuff was spotted by an alert deputy and much of it returned. The crook who took it is on the run, but the deputy seemed confident they will eventually be caught. So we have had to install security cameras, motion detecting equipment, and extra lighting. While I don’t like this kind of stuff, what can we do? No when the motion detector goes off I can quickly see, via our smartphone, all the different areas of the nursery. Seems thieving has been on the up-rise around here.

That’s all for today. Just waiting for the rains to let up so we can start planting for spring. It’s always too much, or too little water at planting season. Just the way it is, and what makes horticulture and gardening a challenge.

“Nearly one in four front gardens in the UK is completely paved

"Nearly one in four front gardens in the UK is completely paved over" according to The BBC. When did this happen? A country once filled with gardeners, and now ¼ of all front gardens are paved over? This despite evidence of the environmental, and health benefits, of gardens? The horticulture trade is partly responsible for this by feeding into the “instant gratification" desire.

When I started in the nursery business back in the early 80’s flowers were sold without blooms. We sold flats and flats of flowers with not one bloom, just a sign with a picture of what the flower would look like. People bought these, and patiently waited for the blooms, which came along quickly. Then the first flats of blooming flowers started showing up in the later 80’s. People naturally gravitated towards these flats of flowers as you could plant them, and voila, “instant” color. No more waiting for the blooms to come naturally, no planning ahead, just buy already blooming flowers. Problem? They don’t grow! They have been treated with PGR’s.

PGR’s, or “plant growth regulators” are used by growers to stunt the growth of the vegetative part of the plant, to promote earlier flowering. PGR's are applied as a spray, or dip. Growers have seen the results of selling these flats with already blooming flowers. Unknowing customers buy them up! Their lives seem so busy, and there is no time for patience, and they demand instant gratification. However, the plants don’t grow like they did in Grandma’s garden. The little flowers have blooms, but the alyssum doesn’t cascade over the wall like grandmas did. The marigolds never gain any height. The flowers bloom, but seem stunted. People figure they are doing something wrong, don’t have a “green thumb”, and give up.

Growth regulators are also used so the plants stay small enough to fit on the racks of the large semi-trucks that deliver the flowers. Uniformity of growth for transport overshadows growing healthy, various sized flowering plants. Again, this sells plants at the nursery, but doesn’t build a lifelong love affair with the garden. Hence, in our efforts to satisfy the ever demanding public, we have cut corners, and taken much of joy out of a once joyful hobby.

There is hope as some smaller growers do not use PGR's , and promote that. These healthier non-treated flowers will grow better, and flower longer. Most important the gardener will have success, and benefit from the patience that the garden use to teach those that listen. In the long run we may grow a whole new population of gardeners, who fall in love with the garden and continue that relationship far into the future, instead of paving that future over with asphalt.  

BBC article: http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-38772477

Geodesic dome protects cob house & family of 6 in Arctic Circle

Interesting concept that is at once beautiful, while being a bit disturbing to me. What's disturbing to me is the home placed inside the dome, while the dome acts as a sort skin, keeping the extreme winter elements out. If the dome was the home it might be more appealing to myself. It's the idea of a conventional looking home placed inside the dome that seems out of place. It's a sort of fantasy of living in a home that's in another climate than the one you actually live in. 

Some great pictures of the inside at the link. There is appeal to laying in that hammock, staring at the outside, while a blizzard blows outside the protective dome.  

What are you ingesting?

Some fantastic micro-photographs of marijuana leaves. This photograph stood out for me as it's a common point of discussion among'st growers. How to get rid of the chemical taste left after using synthetic fertilizers on your crop.

Most synthetic fertilizers leave a "salt/chemical" buildup which needs to be flushed out of the plant before harvest. If it's isn't flushed, chemical crystals remain giving the herb a "harsh taste". This picture shows why it might be wise to start growing all your edibles organically. When grown using organic fertilizers no chemicals are left in, or on the plant.

I would assume this same idea holds true for most crops grown with chemical fertilizers. This does not even take into account possible synthetic pesticides being used.

More photos here:http://www.leafscience.com/2014/04/22/heres-marijuana-looks-like-microscope/

A Magical Christmas

Father Christmas is out and about! It appears he has the help of some diminutive elves, who's small size seems compensated for by their large numbers. It's going to be a long night, but somehow they still manage to visit everyone who believes in the magic of the season.

Merry Christmas!

Father Christmas, 1907. From Arthur Rackham’s Book Of Pictures (1913)

Reach for the stars!

The sky's the limit!
 
3000 year old redwood trees (Sequoia sempervirens) reach into the stars, and infinity. We tend to forget our infinite qualities, focusing on shorter time spans. We cede our limitless minds to limiting thoughts of how to survive the upcoming week, and whether the boss is in a good mood, or not.
Rather, be like the trees, and reach for the stars.   
 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sequoia_sempervirens
 
Photograph by Beth Moon from her book, Ancient Trees Ancient Skies. *
http://bit.ly/2fhb376*