Thanksgiving 2019

Thanksgiving is a time set aside for family, friends, and fabulous food. It is a time to count your blessings, look back over the year so far, and take a breath before the busy holiday season ahead. This year my folks from Alaska and my aunt who lives locally are gathering to enjoy a delicious Thanksgiving feast.

Family Gathering

 We'll be thinking of past Thanksgivings, and missing our extended family up and down the Western United States. We're grateful for FaceTime, WhatsApp, email, Facebook, Twitter and texting (and telephones) to keep in touch.

Carving the Turkey

Enjoy your day  – hang on to the best and let go of the rest (and save some pie for me)!

Anticipation

Happy Thanksgiving!

Fall Colors

Fall in the San Francisco Bay Area can be spectacular. If you don't think we have fall colors, think again! With warm days, and cool nights (sometimes in the low 40s or high 30s), and choosing the right plants, we can have a decent showing of colors even here. Here is a gallery of fall colors past and present. Many of these pictures were taken out in San Ramon.

Brilliant fall day

Leafless vines in late afternoon light

Red-leaved vines

Afternoon light

Fallen leaves

Aerial view of the marina and copper-colored trees

Aerial view of the formal garden

It's not just the colored leaves that make fall so special, but it's also the golden light and sometimes turbulent skies. Wherever you are, look for the beauty of fall.

Flower Aquarium Portfolio

My sister-in-law, who is a fantastic gardener and landscaper, gave me a flower aquarium as a Christmas gift one year (see Flower Aquarium). The flower aquarium is manufactured in Germany, and consists of a round, 7-inch globe with a 2-inch opening at the bottom, a silicone base that serves as the flower frog and forms a watertight seal over the opening, and a base that acts as a stand. I have had hours of fun experimenting with this underwater garden.

Following is a gallery of some of my creations, and notes about lessons learned – what plants work best, what to avoid, and tips and tricks. Most arrangements last for a week, but then typically start to turn brown, possibly because I've never managed to eliminate all the air from the globe.

Winter greens and berries	Pink azalea and camellia
Pink cherry blossoms	White azalea
Oak leaves	Ivy
Petunias	Toyon

Lessons Learned:

• Camellias look beautiful underwater but always detach from the stem and float to the top of the globe within hours. I'm looking for a solution.
• Juniper lasts very well, as do most leaves and greens.
• Cherry blossoms exude a lot of air, and the petals are released from the stems fairly early to form a ring at the top. 
• Azaleas look lovely in water – like gossamer paper floating in liquid. They start losing their pigment and take on a translucent quality.
• Sometimes less is more. Arrangements with multiple flowers and plants are fun to make, but the globe space is limited. My favorite arrangements showcase a single flower or species.

Forcing Bulbs: Paperwhites

I love forcing bulbs to bloom out of season for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. Bulbs are easy to grow, fun to watch, and provide a festive and elegant decoration. Paperwhites (Narcissus papyraceus) are native to Southern Europe and North Africa, and grow throughout the Mediterranean.

They have white fragrant flowers, and long stems and leaves. The bulb requires no preparation, so you can just purchase and plant them. For the holidays, I like to use a tall glass vase, with a layer of marbles or rocks for the roots. No soil is necessary since all the nutrition the plant needs is in the bulb. Just provide water.

Paperwhite bulbs (N. papyraceus 'zita') - day 42

For this project you'll need:

• One or more tall glass vase (see what you already have, or check out your local thrift store)
• Planting medium such as marbles or polished pebbles, available in garden centers
• Six to eight paperwhite bulb, such as N. Papyraceus 'zita' (14-16") or 'Ariel' (12-15") 
• (Optional) Shallow pan

Tooling up - day 1

Stems and leaves - day 20

To grow:

1. In each vase, add marbles or pebbles to a depth of  2-4 inches.
2. Optionally, rinse each bulb and carefully remove some of the loose dry skins. The skin can discolor and taint the water, so this may limit some of that.
3. Optionally, place the root end of the bulbs in a shallow pan of water for about 20 minutes to "wake up" the dry roots.
4. Gently ease the bulb into the planting medium, until about 1/3 covered. The goal is to stabilize the bulbs.
5. Pour water into the vase to cover the marbles or pebbles. Within several days you'll see the roots emerge, and anchor themselves in the marbles or pebbles. 
6. Add fresh water as needed to the same depth.

The stems and leaves tend to flop over as they get taller. You can purchase a flower ring or create a grid of clear floral tape to provide stability as needed. If the water discolors or smells dank, pour it out periodically, being careful to not disrupt the bulbs, and replenish with clean water.

Buds are ready to open - day 33

Aftercare: 

When the flowers are spent, remove them from the plant, and move the vase to a location where the plants can finish their life cycle. Then remove the bulbs from the marbles or pebbles, and let dry. Plant them outdoors 6" deep as you normally would.

These instructions are based on information from Van Zyverden, Inc., and personal experience. Learn more:
www.vanzyverden.com (product of Israel)
www.digdropdone.com