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Village Harvest Distributes Surplus Fruit (outdated)

Fruit trees are famously productive here.

(This is an old article with outdated information.)

The vast orchards that formerly inhabited the Santa Clara Valley were here because this is among the best places on Earth to grow apricots, cherries, prunes, almonds and walnuts. Actually, there are not many fruit trees that would prefer to be somewhere else. Home gardens continue to produce the many traditional fruits, as well as many other types of fruit that were not so common in the orchards; such as citrus, figs, apples, pears, persimmons, avocados, peaches, nectarines and too many more to fit into a brief list.

Those of us who enjoy growing fruit trees do not need to be reminded of how well they do here. Some trees produce too much and  can become overwhelming. It is not always possible to can, dry, freeze or share with friends and neighbors all the fruit from the more productive trees. Leaving the fruit out in the garden is not only wasteful, but also bad for the garden, attractive to vermin, very messy and smelly.

Besides, there are other people in the community who could use it. During this past year, Village Harvest has harvested from local gardens, and distributed to those who can use the produce, approximately 156,000 pounds of fruit. The record for distribution of produce may be exceeded this year after apples, persimmons and citrus are harvested.

Volunteers make Village Harvest possible, by collecting excessive fruit from home gardens. Some of the people with productive trees like to retain some of the fruit. Volunteers are also welcome to take some of the fruit. The vast majority of fruit gets dispersed to others in the community who can use it.

The next apple harvest event in the Cupertino orchard on October 22 may no longer be able to accommodate additional volunteers; but the next major apple harvest in the Woodside Orchard on October 29 may still be in need of volunteers. Harvests take about three and a half to four hours, between 9:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.. Volunteers must be at least sixteen years old.

Volunteers can register for harvest events, or get more information at villageharvest.org. Early registration is recommended since space is limited. Volunteer instructions, including meeting location addresses will be e-mailed to volunteers a few days prior to each event. Those of us with excessively productive fruit trees who happen to be within range of harvest events can possibly make arrangements to get fruit harvested.

The next few neighborhood harvests will be on October 25 in Central San Jose, October 31 in Sunnyvale, November 1 in Central San Jose, November 6 in Mountain View, November 8 in Central San Jose, and November 14 in Sunnyvale. Sunnyvale harvests begin at 8:00 a.m.. Some harvests are repeated. For example, the Central San Jose harvests are weekly on Tuesday.

Posted on by tonytomeo · 9 Comments

Horridculture – Gophers!(?)

Who took the Louisiana iris?!

This is more infuriating than the rat or rats who ate the tops off of my rare young banana trees. I do not actually know who the culprit is, but can only guess that it is a gopher or a few gophers. Initially, I thought that it was someone who intended to pull weeds, but instead pulled the beloved Louisiana iris. All I know is that the iris were growing well, and are now completely gone!

These Louisiana iris were a gift from Tangly Cottage Gardening in Ilwaco, so were extremely important to me. After bringing them here at the end of last winter, I split and groomed them, and plugged them into a single row that was about thirty feet long. This row was on the edge of a pond, where I hoped they would form a network of rhizomes to help contain the shifting mud. It was an ideal situation. I watched them grow through the year, and expected them to bloom next season. They were totally awesome!

There is no indication that they were pulled or dug. Nor is there any indication that they were pulled downward from below. Although I found a few gopher tunnels, such tunnels were not sufficiently extensive to reach all of the rhizomes of the Louisiana iris.

Only four very small plugs remained. I dug and canned them to protect them from whomever or whatever took the rest of them. Although they can grow and multiply very efficiently, they will not replace the thirty foot long row for several years. Besides, even when they do proliferate, I do not know if I can safely install them back onto the edge of the pond. Without knowing what happened to the last colony, I can not protect a subsequent colony from the same fate.

Posted on by tonytomeo

Daffodil

Daffodil will bloom months from now.

They may seem to be unseasonable now. Their flowers will not bloom until early spring. It is getting to be about time to install their dormant bulbs, though. Daffodil and all related Narcissus enjoy chilling under damp soil through winter. In fact, established bulbs bloom better after unusually chilly winters. Plump bulbs of some types are conducive to forcing.

The names for daffodil and Narcissus seem to be interchangeable. Narcissus is actually the Latin name of daffodil. It mostly applies to those with smaller but more abundant and fragrant flowers. Most with bigger but fewer and scentless flowers are daffodil. Narcissus are mostly white, but may be yellow. Daffodil are mostly yellow, but may be white or pink.

Some of the fancy varieties of daffodil bloom with billowy double flowers with two colors. Simpler Narcissus are more likely to naturalize though. Taller varieties of both can bloom nearly a foot and a half high. Their narrow and bluish green leaves stay somewhat lower. Foliage deteriorates after bloom, but lingers to sustain new bulbs until summery warmth.

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Early Spring Bulbs Start Now

Early spring bulbs appreciate winter chill.

Halloween seems to be an appropriate time to bury early spring bulbs in shallow graves. The season begins about now, and continues until about the end of the year. Installation of new bulbs might initially be ungratifying. There is nothing to show after their interment. Their spectacular bloom during late winter or early spring should more than compensate.

Freesia, narcissus, crocus, hyacinth and tulip are the most popular of early spring bulbs. So are anemone, ranunculus and several iris, although they may also be summer bulbs. Not all of such bulbs are actually bulbs. Several are corms, rhizomes, tubers or tuberous roots. Like bulbs, these store resources through dormancy to grow and bloom in season.

Early spring bulbs, unlike summer bulbs, prefer to be in their garden prior to winter. They enjoy rain and winter chill. Those that originate from nurseries are prechilled so that they bloom well regardless. After their first season though, some might not perform as reliably. Some bulbs can be slightly less than satisfied with winter chill within such mild climates.

However, a few types of early spring bulbs can naturalize. After their primary bloom, they produce new bulbs to replace the originals. Colonies of prolific bulbs eventually become crowded enough to inhibit bloom. Division of superfluous bulbs while dormant alleviates crowding. Also, it relinquishes a few bulbs for relocation. Freesia might be nicely prolific.

Early installation of early spring bulbs promotes early bloom. Obviously, later installation delays bloom. Therefore, installation in phases throughout the planting season prolongs bloom. For example, as one phase of daffodil finishes bloom, the subsequent phase can begin. This is effective only for their first season though. Bloom synchronizes afterwards.

Because winter weather is so mild locally, some early spring bulbs bloom a bit too early. Also because winter weather is so mild, premature bloom may not be a serious problem. Nonetheless, later installation may be preferable for some bulbs. Heavy rain may thrash tulip or freesia. Like phasing though, delaying bloom is only effective for the first season. Naturalized bulbs as they please.

Posted on by tonytomeo · 4 Comments

PruneYard

No more prunes.

Ulmus parvifolia, Chinese elm extends most prominently into the picture from the right, with another bit from the left of the upper margin. Platanus X acerifolia, London plane extends into the picture from the right of the lower margin, with another minimal bit from the upper left. Otherwise, no other vegetation is visible. This is not exactly a horticultural topic.

The PruneYard Tower 1 is the big and dark skyscraper above the elms and planes. For a few years, it was the tallest skyscraper between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Like many major urban developments, it and its associated complex of buildings is named for what it displaced.

The PruneYard really was what its name describes, a large yard for drying prunes, as well as apricots, from the formerly vast orchards that surrounded it. Because the primary PruneYard complex of buildings is almost as old as I am, I can not remember it not being there. However, I can remember the ruins of some of the associated facilities nearby, as well as abandoned remnants of orchards. The stouter PruneYard Tower II was added in about 1976. The PruneYard Place was added in the early 1990s.

Nowadays, the name of the PruneYard must seem silly to those who are unaware of its history. Few are aware of the difference between prune and plum. Even those of us who can remember the last scraps of orchards find it difficult to believe that, not only were orchards here, but that they were formerly much more vast, and occupied most of the Santa Clara Valley. Just as tourists go to see the fall color of New England, tourists formerly came here to see the spring bloom. It is no wonder that the Santa Clara Valley was also known as the Valley of Heart’s Delight.

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From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah

Well, . . . it is not exactly on the muddy banks.

Kurt Cobain was here. So was I. That is how I got this picture of this English holly in this awkward situation within Kurt Cobain Memorial Park, on the muddy banks of the Wishkah River. I wrote about other pictures from there at my other presently discontinued blog, ‘Felton League’, a bit more than a year and a half ago. This particular picture was omitted because it was irrelevant to that particular post. It is more relevant to this horticultural blog.

‘From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah’ is, incidentally, the second album that the band Nirvana recorded without Kurt Cobain.

English holly is more naturalized on the muddy banks of the Wishkah River and throughout coastal regions of the Pacific Northwest than it is here. There are not many ecosystems that it can not migrate into there. Here, it can infest only ecosystems that retain sufficient moisture through summer to sustain it, such as riparian or coastal ecosystems. Even within such ecosystems, it would not likely survive on top of a piling such as this specimen.

Some of the most prominent vegetation of the coastal ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest is surprisingly similar to vegetation here. Douglas fir, which is sporadically native here, is the most prominent species within the forests there. Bigleaf maple is likewise more common there than here. Naturalized Himalayan blackberry is even more common and more wicked there!

However, to me, the entire region seemed to be riparian. Nothing was far from some sort of waterway. I encountered nothing that resembled a familiar chaparral ecosystem. Someone who is more familiar with the region could distinguish between the various local ecosystems. I should be more observant about the diversity of the ecosystems and their associated vegetation, both native and exotic, when I return late next winter.

Posted on by tonytomeo · 18 Comments

Six on Saturday: Chuck’s Grandparents

‘Charles Grimaldi’ is likely the most popular angel’s trumpet. It is very vigorous and very fragrant, with cheery yellow bloom. I plugged several cuttings last autumn, but then very unfortunately neglected to protect them from our unexpectedly and unusually cold frost. Of only two survivors, one grew so splendidly that it is now prominently displayed in the landscapes, rather than ignored in the nursery. It has an amusing history. (The first two pictures are not mine.)

1. This pair of ‘Charles Grimaldi’ angel’s trumpet might be familiar to those who watched television in the early 2000s. They were prettier while GreenArt managed the landscape back then. They are gone now. This was the best picture that I could find of them online. The third specimen that was omitted after it was delivered now inhabits Brent’s garden.

2. This omitted third specimen of ‘Charles Grimaldi’ angel’s trumpet is more impressive within Brent’s Dreamscape at the Jungalow. A picture of its bloom represents its species in the Sunset Western Garden Book from several years ago. It is the source of my copies.

3. This copy grew more than six feet tall from a cutting that I plugged last winter. Its can sits on the bottom of its big urn. Its bloom was too pretty to leave unseen in the nursery.

4. Bloom, which began only recently, will not likely continue much longer. The specimen might return to the nursery for winter, and then be installed into a landscape afterward.

5. A comparably tall copy of an unknown cultivar with orange flowers is about to bloom. Unfortunately, the weather will likely become too cool for these buds to finish blooming.

6. Young banana trees are likewise too striking to leave unseen within the nursery. Their cans were placed within more appealing pots within the landscapes at least until winter.

This is the link for Six on Saturday, for anyone else who would like to participate: https://thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com/2017/09/18/six-on-saturday-a-participant-guide/

Posted on by tonytomeo

King Palm

King palm prefers frostless climates of Southern California.

Where it grows wild in rain forests of eastern Australia, the piccabeen or bangalow palm, Archontophoenix cunninghamiana, is a strikingly elegant tree that gets to about fifty feet tall on a clean, slender trunk. The six to ten foot long feather fronds (pinnate leaves) form a light but distinctive canopy about ten to fifteen feet broad. Smooth green petioles (leaf stalks) encase the upper few feet of crownshaft, eventually peeling away cleanly to reveal the smooth trunk as it grows below. A juvenile king palm does not bloom, but eventually flaunts adulthood with softly pendulous ‘graduation’ tassels of profuse but tiny purple tinged white flowers.

Locally, this palm is known more commonly as the king palm, and does best as a large houseplant or where it is protected from frost. Outdoors, it seem to be happiest close to the San Francisco Bay where it is somewhat insulated by all the water, but can unfortunately get smacked about by the wind there. A mature tree is somewhat more tolerant to frost than a young tree is, but can be damaged or even killed if it gets cold enough.

King palm fortunately does well in the partial shade of larger adjacent trees or buildings that might shelter it from frost. However, it can not be pruned down for clearance from higher trees, ceilings or any other overhead obstruction (including utility cables), so should be planted where it has plenty of room to grow vertically, or where no one will mind it getting removed when it gets too tall after many years.

Unlike most other palms, king palm does not transplant easily when mature. It has no problem getting planted from a pot to a larger tub or planter, or into the ground. Once in the ground though, it is there to stay.

Posted on by tonytomeo · 10 Comments

Autumn Foliar Color Takes Planning

Some Norway maples are colorful through summer, and then turn yellow for autumn.

Spray paint is no way to get good autumn color in the garden. The healthy rich green king palm out front would look ridiculous and be very embarrassed, not to mention unable to breath, if it were painted yellow, orange and red, like the sweetgum trees that will soon be getting so colorful in the neighborhood now that the weather is getting cool.

Just like every other feature in the garden, autumn foliar color takes proper planning. Most of the plants with the most impressive autumn color happen to be substantial trees, so are not as easy to accommodate in as many situations as flowering annuals are. There are a few smaller shrubby plants and perennials that provide autumn foliar color, but almost all are deciduous, so defoliate to leave bare branches through winter.

Boston ivy (which is not really ivy) is probably the most colorful of climbing vines. It is a bit too aggressive for small spaces though, and damages painted surfaces and just about anything that it gets a hold of. It is best on concrete walls, which is why it is so prominent on freeway soundwalls and overpasses. Grapevine and wisteria are only moderately colorful.

Currant, crape myrtle, pomegranate, smoke tree and redbud are a few of the shrubby plants that provide good color in autumn. Crape myrtle and Eastern redbud are actually more commonly small trees. Many of the Japanese maples with good autumn color are small trees that stay smaller than most shrubbery.

Sweetgum, Chinese pistache, flowering pear and maidenhair tree are the best trees for autumn color, though maidenhair tree turns only bright yellow without the oranges and reds that the others get. Where well exposed, Japanese persimmon is comparable to Chinese pistache. Fruiting pear, apple, apricot, plum, prune and almond trees are not quite as colorful.

Several of the North American and European maples are remarkably colorful, but do not hold their foliage as long as sweetgum does. Silver maple and box elder (maple) happen to be less colorful than the other maples. Various poplars and locusts, as well as tulip tree and black walnut can almost get as bright yellow as maidenhair tree does.

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Horridculture – Rats!

Darla would not have allowed this!

Darla would be very disappointed. Rodents were not a problem while she was here. Since her retirement, they have proliferated. I do not mind if they get into the compost or even the trash. The problem is that they now inhabit portions of the shop buildings and the nursery where we grow a few items for the landscapes.

They are rudely bold about their infestation too. They know that I can not catch them like Darla would, so they are in no hurry to evade me if I encounter them while working late. They ruined a bag of seed for erosion control vegetation. Although the top of the bag was wide open, they chewed through the bag so that the contents spilled out onto the floor.

Worst of all, they chewed the tops of a few of the more unusual items within the nursery. They ruined a few of the Heliconia that I brought from Brent’s garden, and then chewed the tops off of two young banana trees. All affected specimens should recover, but I am very annoyed by the damage nonetheless. I do not put so much effort into growing such vegetation just to feed rude rodents! Besides, the banana trees are of an uncommon cultivar. I am concerned about others that are quite rare.

Rats would not be such a problem if only they were not so rude. There is plenty of vegetation, including blackberries, for them to eat within surrounding forested areas. They insist on coming inside to damage important vegetation instead. That is why I do not feel at all guilty about putting traps out.

Ultimately, I should be more diligent about hiring a feral kitty to dissuade rodent infestation. I have not yet heard back from the agency that procures employment for such feral kitties.