Botany for Gardeners

This is a great botany reference for gardeners. The book describes the basics of growth (cells, seeds, roots, and shoots), organization (inside stems, roots, and leaves), adaptations (for survival), functions (growth, water uptake, photosynthesis, respiration, nitrogen fixing, soil), and reproduction (flowers, pollination, propagation, genetics). The author is Brian Capon; the publisher is Timber Press (2005, third printing).

Some of my favorite sections:

• Adaptations – strategies for surviving poor soil, drought, short seasons, grazing
• Alkaloid-producing plants – plants with nitrogen-containing substances, used in medicine
• Meristems – bundles of cells that divide to produce stems, leaves, and roots
• Mycorrhizae – the beneficial soil fungi that forms symbiotic processes with roots

The book celebrates and acknowledges plants, and our reliance on them. It describes basic information in an accessible and understandable way, and inspires you to learn more. The book  scratches the surface for a botanist, but it is fascinating reading for a gardener who wants to know more.

Volunteering in the Regional Parks

Being grateful and counting your blessings is one way to make you feel better in tough times; another way is to do something for someone else. Volunteering your time is a great way to do something for others. The San Francisco Bay Area has many volunteer opportunities – serving food in a homeless shelter, working with at-risk youth, leading tours as a docent in a museum or gallery, or raising funds for scholarships or charity. Another option is to volunteer your skills and labor at a historical, botanical, or non-profit garden. With funding being cut at every level of government, organizations rely heavily on volunteers. You can help.

Non-native ice plant, brought in for freeway plantings, has "travelled" and
become invasive at Crown Beach in Alameda.

I spent a Saturday morning volunteering for the East Bay Regional Park, at Crown Beach in Alameda. I worked side-by-side with two high school students – one was an exemplary exchange student from Germany, another was a local student doing community service while reflecting on some poor choices. Together we faced the challenge of removing invasive, non-native ice plant from the beach. We worked out a system and removed 70 bags of plant material. At the end of four hours, I was exhausted, but I think we made the world a better place. Learn more: http://www.ebparks.org/getinvolved/volunteer.

Bags of ice plant removed from Crown Beach.

Thanksgiving

Rarely does life go according to plan; in fact, it is frequently the opposite! Let’s face it, life is hard as we face financial hardships, sickness, death, depression, and life-changing events. Add to that social and political upheaval on a global scale; fast-paced life styles with 24x7 demands, and instant communication anywhere, anytime. In seasons of sustained duress, it may seem impossible to be thankful.

But psychologists recommend just that – to practice being thankful. Gratitude can alter your physiology and emotions, and actually make you feel better. Being grateful forces you to slow down and reflect on all the good things and people in your life. This is what is behind the Thanksgiving holiday – to stop, take stock, thank God, and enjoy a feast with family, friends, and even strangers.



Several of the things on my "grateful list" - God and nature, family, and
shared adventures!

Add to that - interesting work, life-long learning, and friends with a sense
of humor. My husband keeps me laughing with his dry, clever wit.

Pumpkins

Pumpkin pie is a must-have at our Thanksgiving dinner. We enjoy the rich, spicy filling, baked in a crust, and topped with a dollop of fresh whipped cream. Nothing fancy for us - the recipe is straight from the Libby’s can. I’ve tried baking and mashing my own pumpkin; but it tastes the same, so I’m sticking with Libby’s.

Pumpkin vines can reach 10 - 25 feet, depending on the type.

Pumpkins are a warm-season, frost tender annual from the Cucurbitaceae family. Two major types are the Cucurbita pepo (small to medium size, used for Jack o’ Lanterns and pies) and C. maxima (the variety of winter squash that is often grown as a giant pumpkin). Pumpkins grow on prostrate vines with prickly stems and triangular leaves. Male and female flowers grow on the same plant – the male flowers supply pollen, female flowers bear fruit (look for the small bulb shape at the base of the flower). Bees pollinate the flowers. Pumpkins require the soil and air to be above 60°F (16° C), and take 95-120 days to mature.

Pumpkin flowers, seeds, and fruit are all edible. 

Pumpkins are “new world” plants – indigenous to the Western hemisphere, and thought to have been grown in North America for 5,000 years. The gourd family—Cucurbitaceae—is native to Central America and Mexico, and includes melons, cucumbers, and watermelons. Pumpkin-based dishes, such as soup, toasted seeds, baked or pureed fruit, pumpkin oil for dipping, and pumpkin pie, are fitting dishes at the American Thanksgiving feast.

Fall Foliage Arrangements

I follow the code of “use what you have” whenever possible. If you have a need, look around the house or yard, and see what you already have. Of course it is fun to buy “new stuff”, which I do, but it is also satisfying to take a look at what you already have, and put it to use.

Fall foliage cut from the yard.

Fall foliage arrangements fall into this category – take a look at your garden, and see what might make a good fall arrangement. You might use colored leaves, branches with berries or seed pods, dried grasses, herbs, cones. With a little imagination, plant material, an attractive vase, and floral wire or tape, you can assemble an attractive arrangement.

Dip the fall foliage in water to remove dust and insects,
and place in a bucket of water to keep fresh.

I had fun coming up with fall arrangements using plant material from my own yard – red Toyon berries, green ivy berries, hydrangea and maple leaves, and some green, glossy leaves. I'm ready to bring the outdoors inside, just in time for Thanksgiving.



Variations on a theme - four different arrangements.

Kaiser Meditation Garden in Pleasanton

That’s what I call it—the Kaiser Meditation Garden—but Kaiser may have another name for it (if it even belongs to Kaiser). I’m talking about the small landscaped area behind the Kaiser Pleasanton facility, that boarders Macy’s parking lot in the Stoneridge Mall. The garden includes a covered picnic table, paved walkway, and attractive planting of trees, shrubs, and lawn.



Meditation Garden at Kaiser in Pleasanton.
(Screenshot from Google map Street View).

I visited the garden as part of a class I attended at Kaiser about using breathing, meditation, and being present in the moment to mitigate stress. The garden provided a great spot to practice all three skills.

Paved walkway in the Kaiser Meditation Garden
in Pleasanton.

This is a great idea – for a business or corporation to provide a landscaped area as a type of “break room” for employees. Kaiser may have other uses as well, such as a therapeutic area to help patients recover from illness or injury. Shoppers or drivers also benefit by seeing the break in concrete, with a glimpse of trees and shrubs. Green zones benefit everyone, and provide space for relaxing, thinking, and reconnecting with nature.

U.C. Botanical Garden at Berkeley

The San Francisco Bay Area is fortunate to have several botanical gardens available, each with its own specialization. Typically plants are grouped, categorized, and marked with signs that identify the genus and species. Botanical gardens often offer classes, host plant sales, and rely on volunteer services.

Succulent collection at U.C. Botanical Garden at Berkeley.

The University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley includes specimens from all over the world, with a concentration of plants from Mediterranean climates (California, Chile, Australia, Mediterranean basin, and South Africa). It also includes specialty gardens for old roses, herbs, Chinese healing herbs, cycads, and palms. Green houses display carnivorous plants, succulents, ferns, orchids, and other tender plants.

New World desert collection.

Botanical gardens provide a great way to view a living specimen of a plant, and see an established plant throughout the seasons. This is a useful resource to learn more about a plant before adding it to your landscape. On my excursion to U.C. Botanical Garden at Berkeley, I was especially drawn to Arid House for the succulents, new world desert plants, and the Asian collection. To plan your visit: http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu/.

Monkey Puzzle tree.

Trees at Mills College

My Arboriculture class from Merritt College visited Mills College to learn how to evaluate trees (mature trees can add thousands of dollars to the price of a home), and how to assess trees that present a danger. Our guide was Judy Thomas, who worked at Merritt College for many years, developed much of its landscape horticulture curriculum, and now works as a professional tree evaluator. Our class was fortunate to have the opportunity to see the historic campus, known for its botanical collection and heritage.

Rothwell College Center at Mills College

Tree-lined path that follows Richards Road into the campus

Mills College was founded in 1852 as a Young Ladies’ Seminary, originally in Benicia, California, and then moved in 1865 to its present site in the Oakland foothills with the new name Mills College. The college developed a collection of native and exotic plants. In 1919, Mill’s botany professor, Howard E. McMinn, wrote A Manual of Trees, Shrubs and Vines of Mills College Campus, which provides plant identification for its 263 species collection. The book was updated in 2011 (both edititions are available on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&rh=n%3A283155%2Ck%3Amanual%20trees%5Cc%20shrubs%20vines%20Mills%20College%20Campus&page=1).

Leona Creek restored with native plants



A Eucalyptus tree that still remains

Mills College worked with Robert Sabbatini, ASLA, from 2006 to 2009 to update their landscape. They developed the Mills College Landscape Heritage Plan, which embraces current ideas in landscape architecture, and retains the College’s sense of place and botanical history. Part of this plan included restoring Leona Creek, which courses through the property, and replacing a landmark double-row of blue gum Eucalyptus trees, planted a hundred years ago, with another type of tree. To view the plan: http://www.sabbatini-loyd.com/r-Mills-Summary.pdf.

Sunset Magazine Contributions to Western Gardening

In 2008, I had the opportunity to interview a former Sunset writer who worked at the magazine in the 1960s. Charles (Chuck) Konigsberg has had a long career in landscape horticulture—as a writer, teacher, and landscaper. Chuck studied landscape horticulture at Cal Poly, then was hired by Sunset editor, Joe Williamson, to update the Sunset Pruning book in the early 1960s. Chuck worked at Sunset in Menlo Park for several years as a writer, and then moved into teaching. He taught landscape horticulture at Foothill College for over 30 years, and taught similar classes at Merritt College.

Chuck Konigsberg worked at Sunset magazine in the 1960s.

Based on our interview, we came up with a list of some of Sunset Magazine’s contributions to Western gardening:

• Modernized gardening – moved out of the realm of popular wisdom to scientific accuracy.
• Accurate plant names – insisted on accurate naming of plants (Joe Williamson, editor, hired a botanist).
• Sticklers for accuracy – writers sent articles to experts for review; cross checked facts.
• Promoted ecology – from 1970s to the present, have moved from old-style gardening (pesticides, lots of lawn, high water usage) to a more earth-friendly style.
• Promoted networking – encouraged networking between writers, landscapers, horticulturist, designers and experts in various fields.
• Regional publications – adapted information to regional climates where necessary.
• Promoted climate zones – moved to climate zones that reflected microclimates in the West, in addition to the USDA’s hardiness zones .

Sunset Magazine Test Gardens

I was curious to see the test garden at the Sunset Magazine headquarters. I wasn’t sure what to expect – a scientific lab, test tubes, and researchers wearing lab coats?

In the test gardens at Sunset Magazine - rose garden, turf,
garden art, and raised beds are all visible.

Instead we found an intriguing plot of land set apart from the regional gardens. The test garden was surprisingly small—about 3,000 feet square—but filled with container plants, and experiments in irrigation, hardscape, and interesting plantings. A small team of magazine employees discussed the details of an upcoming photo shoot. According to A Walking Tour of the Sunset Gardens, ideas are rigorously tested in the test garden; they use organic gardening methods; and about 50% of their pictures are shot in the test garden.

Flower beds, mulch, and a unique, circular raised bed in the
Sunset Magazine test garden.

A unique garden bed configuration with irrigation. The path in the middle
enables easy access to future plantings - a great idea for a vegetable garden.



Containers and experimental raised beds.

I suppose my garden is a test garden of sorts, with many experiments, some successes, and many failures! But the point is to envision, try, and learn.

Sunset Magazine Headquarters

My dad and I visited the Sunset Magazine headquarters in Menlo Park one fall, and took the self-guided tour of the grounds. The gardens were originally designed by Thomas D. Church (Western landscape architect, and author of Gardens are for People) in the 1950s, and then updated in 2000 to a more naturalistic style.

The Sunset Magazine headquarters and grounds in Menlo Park, CA.

The garden includes border plantings from each of the five regions the magazine represents - Pacific Northwest, Northern California, Southern California, Mountain, and Southwest and Desert. The border follows the San Francisquito Creek. The document, A Walking Tour of the Sunset Gardens, provides information about the garden, each of the regions, and the Sunset climate zones represented in each region.

Plant collection representing the Southwest and Desert region.

Plant collection and totem pole art representing the Pacific Northwest region.

I loved the ranch-style design used for the publishing headquarters, which captures the essence of mission and early California architecture; and I especially enjoyed the collections of Southwest and desert plants, and Pacific Northwest plants. My dad and I had a great day together, strolling the rambling paths, identifying plants from familiar Western regions, and eating a late lunch down the street at Mike’s Cafe. For information about the self-guided tour: http://www.sunset.com/garden/landscaping-design/sunset-garden-tour-00400000015024/.

Fall flower border at the Sunset Magazine headquarters.

History of Sunset Magazine

I always enjoy reading Sunset Magazine and learning something new. The articles are tailored to gardening in the Western United States. The magazine publishes five regional editions - Pacific Northwest, Northern California, Southern California, Mountain, and Southwest. They publish many gardening books, including The Western Gardening Book, and a web site that is a valuable reverence tool: http://www.sunset.com/.

Sunset Magazine started as a Southern Pacific Railroad marketing publication in 1898. The railroad had obtained large land grants in the west, and their goal was to attract visitors and settlers. The publication was named after the Sunset Limited, a railroad that ran from New Orleans to San Francisco, via Los Angeles. The Southern Pacific Railroad sponsored many publications promoting the West as a healthful place to visit, a beneficial place to settle, and a profitable place for business, agriculture, and movie making. The Southern Pacific Railroad had a special photography car that toured the southern Pacific lines capturing stories and images from the West. The railroad acquired several small regional publications.

After World War II, the magazine emphasized Western living, and met the needs of returning service men and their families, who were eager to establish homes. In the 1950’s the publishing office moved from San Francisco to Menlo Park, into headquarters designed by Cliff May in the California ranch style, and with regional gardens designed by Thomas D. Church. In the 1960’s the magazine came out against DDT and in favor of more naturalistic gardening practices. In the 1990’s, they introduced the climate zone system for the Western United States. In 1998, the magazine celebrated 100 years of publishing. The magazine continues today, changing as needed to adapt, but still promoting Western living and gardens.

To learn more:

• Sunset Limited: The Southern Pacific Railroad and the Development of the American West, 1850-1930, by Richard J. Orsi (University of California Press, Berkeley, 2005).
• Sunset Magazine: A Century of Western Living, 1898-1998 (Stanford University Libraries, 1998). A web version is available at http://sunset-magazine.stanford.edu/.