Color in the Garden: Wrap Up

Learn some color theory, the art and science of color in the garden, and categorize flowers and foliage by color.

Color wheel (painted by Jason Quisenberry)

Getting Started

Learn a little about the theory of color, and how it pertains to color in the garden.

Color in the Garden
Color Theory
Designing with Color

Color in the Garden

Observe the colors of flowers and foliage in the garden, especially plants that thrive in the Mediterranean climate of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Color in the Garden: White
Color in the Garden: Clear Yellows
Color in the Garden: The Blues
Color in the Garden: Pinks and Mauves
Color in the Garden: Strong Reds
Color in the Garden: Hot Colors
Color in the Garden: Foliage
Color in the Garden: Beautiful Browns
Container Gardens of the North

Seasonal Color in Nature

Wander in nature to observe changes in nature through the seasons.

Spring on the Iron Horse Trail
Summer on the Iron Horse Trail
Fall on the Iron Horse Trail

Books and Art Movies

Read books to learn the basics of color in art and the landscape, and enjoy films about three significant artists.

Color in Your Garden
The Twentieth Century Art Book
Elements of Color
Summer Movies 2017: Mr. Turner
Summer Movies 2017: Renoir
Summer Movies 2017: Vincent & Theo

Holiday Cooking – Saffron

Thanksgiving is behind us, and a wonderful memory of family gatherings; delicious dinners and pie; and time off to sleep in, enjoy a fall outing, and do a little online shopping. Christmas is comfortably ahead of us, with plenty of time to shop, assemble Christmas boxes, and dream about all the good things to cook and eat. As in past years, we're turning to Jan-Öjvind Swahn and The Lore of Spices to learn about the plants that season our holiday meals.

This year I'm delving into spices from other cuisines that have worked their way into our holiday meals. The first one is saffron, used to flavor Spanish dishes, such as paella, southern French bouillabaisse, risotto, and couscous. Crocus sativus is in the Crocus genus of the Iridaceae family. The stamen and filament are the flavoring agents, and are harvested by hand (explaining its very high price).

Botanical illustration of Crocus sativus

from Koehler's Medicinal Plants

(published before 1923 and public domain in the United States)

According to Swahn, the origin of saffron crocus is unknown, but it was most likely on the steppes between the Aegean Sea and Turkey (it is no longer found in the wild, only in cultivation). A Chinese medical book from 2600 BC contains the oldest reference to saffron for its ability to give strength and stamina in love. An Egyptian medical text from 1500 BC refers to crocus growing in the palace gardens at Luxor. Writings found in Mesopotamia refer to saffron as a cooking ingredient. Saffron has also been used to dye fabric, freshen the air, and combat alcohol poisoning.

Crocus is a corm with a tunic of parallel fibers attached at the crown. Leaves grow as multiple spathes around the base. Flowers are large and fragrant perianth segments in various colors, spreading 1.5 to 2 inches long, and typically blooming in autumn. Anthers are white, and styles are yellow to bright red, drooping over the anthers and perianth segments. The dried stigmas of C. sativus are harvested by hand during a two-week period, and dried for use.

Thanksgiving

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and a great time to take stock and be grateful. If you are breathing, moving, eating, and have shelter, that's cause for gratitude, and if you have a few friends and family who keep showing up, that's cause for celebration!

A year ago, I enjoyed seeing a rafter of turkeys on my afternoon walks in Dublin (see Thanksgiving Turkey Hunt). A year later, I despaired that I would no longer see turkeys in San Ramon. However, recently I saw a large group of them assembled in a wide green belt area along a busy street. They were a fine-looking lot with dark feathers, but I couldn't stop the car to take a picture. You'll have to take my word, and enjoy this brief clip from last year.

My husband and I are looking forward to a family celebration with my folks and extended family at my aunt's place (we are bringing the pies). I'm looking forward to spending time together and sharing stories and photos from the past year, and remembering Thanksgiving celebrations from years past.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

Roberts Regional Recreation Area

This month we are visiting the last park on our itinerary of East Bay Watershed parks that contribute to our emergency water supply, and provide great recreational opportunities right in our back yard! This time we are visiting Roberts Recreational Regional Park, which is surrounded on three sides by Redwood Regional park. But I'd like to highlight it, because it provides a place to host gatherings as well as enjoy nature.

Roberts Regional Recreational Area

Redwood Grove

Blossom Rock Navigation Trees Exhibit

Manzanita Loop Trail

The 82-acre park opened in 1952, and its entrance is in a second-generation grove of redwood trees. The original trees were logged in 1860, and the current trees are descendants of the famous trees used by ship captains to navigate San Francisco Bay. The original trees were reported to be up to 20 feet in diameter.

View of Mount Diablo from the Vista Point

Sports field with a view of the San Francisco Bay

Swimming pool

Sycamore picnic area

Park amenities include a playground (wheel chair accessible area for children), archery range, sports fields, volleyball court, swimming pool, and picnic sites. Check the Park Calendar on the website for groups hikes, swimming and archery lessons, and hours of operation. Some amenities require advanced online registration, others are on a first-come, first-served basis, so plan your group gatherings accordingly.

Ring of Redwood trees	Redwood needles
Redwood duff	Fall colors

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A network of trails connects with trails through the Redwood Regional Park, providing opportunities for hiking, biking, jogging, and horseback riding. Check out the Graham Trail, Manzanita Loop, Roberts Ridge Trail, and Vista trails. This park may not fit everyone's needs, but it is a place to consider when planning a large group event, or special birthday celebration.

Address:  Recreational Area – 10570 Skyline Boulevard; Oakland, CA 94611  Web Site: http://www.ebparks.org/parks/roberts  Map: http://www.ebparks.org/parks/roberts#trailmap Wild flowers (sorted by color): http://www.ebparks.org/Assets/files/EBRPD_files/photoguides/wild-flowers/EBRPD_Roberts_Wildflowers.pdf For other parks and preserves in the East Bay watershed, see:  http://edenbythebay.blogspot.com/2017/02/parks-of-east-bay-watershed.html

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Fall on the Iron Horse Trail

I'm back on the Iron Horse Regional Trail, this time to report on fall, and thereby completing my four-season report on this gem in San Ramon. Since Summer on the Iron Horse Trail, we've had a series of searing and then surprisingly cooler days come and go, and definitely no rain. This is typical of our Mediterranean climate here in Northern California.

Shady oak and long shadows

Mile 18.5 heading south toward Dublin, CA

Comparing pictures, there's not a big difference between summer and fall. The grasses and spent plants do seem alarmingly dry, but the East Bay Regional Park does a good job of mowing, so there is not an excess of burnable material. A few trees sport yellow (or brown) leaves, making it feel more like fall. Some deciduous trees have even dropped their leaves.

Dry field

The shadows are longer in the late afternoon when I walk, so that helps with the heat of our Mediterranean fall weather. Kids from the nearby schools run by in large groups as part of their sports training, along with the usual joggers, walkers, and cyclists.

Long shadows and view of the Pleasanton hills

Side path with golden fall light

And on clear days the sky is a brilliant blue and the light that wonderful golden glow that somehow looks more like fall!

Shady (but dry) pines	Fall color
Dry vegetation	Orange berries

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Color in the Garden: Beautiful Browns

All year we have been using Penelope Hobhouse's book, Color in Your Garden, to learn about how to use color in the garden, including whites, clear yellows, the blues, pinks and mauves, strong reds, hot colors, and foliage in shades of green and gray. Along the way, we've developed a palette of plants that thrive in our San Francisco Bay Area gardens, whether native or Mediterranean plants. Now I'd like to part company with Ms. Hobhouse, and propose a new color for the San Francisco Bay Area – beautiful browns!

Golden hills in the inland valley

Golden hills of the San Francisco Bay Area

Our Mediterranean climate typically provides rain in the winter, and is dry or dormant in the summer. This leaves us with the dry golden-brown hills that are characteristic of Northern California for much of the year. Look at the following gallery, and consider the potential of brown!

Grasses

Golden grasses	Golden grass heads
Grass clumps turning brown	Small plants going dormant

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In addition, ongoing droughts (the most recent lasted four years), growing demand for water by an increasing number of residents, and rising water prices have caused us to rethink our gardens. Instead of bemoaning brown, let's embrace it!

Going to Seed

Golden flower head	Flowers drying in situ
Seed forming in the sun	Textured seed pod

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Let's take a closer look at nature, and the lovely shades of wheat, gold, bronze, and brown that she provides. We can continue that trajectory of replacing lawns, modifying our plant choices, and learning to love brown.

Leaves

Rustling brown hedge	Oak in fall brown
Fall leaves	Ivy turning brown in the fall

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One caveat to this wonderful world of the browns, is that we need to consider fire danger. The natural ecology of the San Francisco Bay Area includes fires that systematically clear out dry undergrowth. This natural process is not desirable for a populated area, so we need fill in the gap to mow, prune, and plant wisely to keep fire safe.

The Beauty of Bark

Mahogany textured Manzanita	Brown stretch marks on an Oak
Golden brown Redwood	Shreddy Birch

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