Reflections on 2021

COVID drags on, but we made some headway in 2021. Many of us have been immunized and received the booster. We're finding ways to get back to theaters, schools, gatherings, and restaurants. We've also realized some of the benefits of moving more of life online - democratizing activities that many would not be able to attend because of age, location, time zone, or accessibility. We're learning to cope.

For Eden by the Bay, our theme for 2021 was Back to the Land. We stayed home for the most part, and used the time to explore what our property has to offer, looking at its role as a wildlife corridor, a source of materials for dye projects, and place to relax and enjoy nature. We added more wood chips to the landscape in our ongoing pursuit to restore and enrich the soil and to encourage wildlife visitors.

Clockwise: Hummingbird feeder
Calendula started from seed (with a friend)
Adventure close to home in Benicia
Solar dyeing with calendula petals

We learned about the plants, shrubs, and trees in our yard, and removed the Chinese Elm that had provided such beautiful dappled shade. We installed some wind chimes, added a hummingbird feeder, and spent a lot of time watching birds visit the water bowls. I continued my amateur movie-making projects, including videos about dyeing with plants, and going "into the landscape":

• Enjoying Winter Moss
• California Scrub Jay

Now it's time to follow nature's lead and "hibernate" for a bit, enjoy the winter rains, and pull out a few inside projects! 

Christmas in the Bay Area: 2021

Countdown to Christmas day! But this year I'm really behind. The decorations are up, but gifts are still waiting to be wrapped and sent. Ingredients have been procured, but my husband has remarked that few tasty treats have been produced. Strangely, I'm enjoying the slower-paced holiday season (Christmas gifts may end up being New Year gifts this year, and waistlines may not suffer as much). Is this fallout from living in the moment? getting older? another year of COVID? Or all of the above?

Hope you enjoy your holidays, whether at a fast-paced sprint or a delicious crawl. My husband and I have a few things planned, with plenty of time for creative projects, rest, and reflection. A Family Zoom call is in order. A week of rain is forecast here in the San Francisco Bay Area, which is great for the garden and a great excuse to pull out a puzzle and pour some eggnog! 

Merry Christmas!

Winter is Coming

 Winter is coming to the San Francisco Bay Area! At the time of this writing, we're experiencing several days of rain from an atmospheric river. The temperature ranges from the mid-50's by day to mid-40's by night (bone chilling when mixed with our marine fog). The days seem short and dark comes early. The afternoon light is golden and slanted, and the fleeting sunsets are spectacular. Mushrooms are glorious this year - pushing up through the wood chips after any passing rain.

Winter mushrooms (possibly Boletus spp.)

More winter mushrooms (possibly another Boletus spp.)

Magnolia seeds/berries

 

Migrating Sap Sucker

Winter sunsets

 

Garden at the Camel Barns

Thai basil, dill, and parsley starters  

 

Holiday cooking with cranberries

Holiday lights

 

Holiday decorations

Cozy inside pastimes

 

Moon dog on a cold evening

Thoughts turn to inside projects and pastimes, holiday preparations, and festive gatherings with vaccinated caution (or memories of parties from the past). Winter is also a great time to hibernate with a good book, an entertaining movie, or music. Enjoy a few months of cozy winter evenings, and rest up from a year of labor. The garden "slumbers" and so should we! 

Benicia and the Delta

My husband and I are just back from a four-day trip to Benicia and the Delta. That may not sound as exciting as a trip to Hawaii, Alaska, or Europe, but I had read an article that caught my imagination, in the Regional in Nature Activity Guide (East Bay Parks District, September-October 2021, page 7) . "A Day Drive in the Delta" described a 46-mile driving loop that starts at Big Break Regional Shoreline in Oakley, CA, follows Highway 160 North, links up with Highways 220 and 84, and ends in Rio Vista, CA. I've always wanted to know more about "the Delta", and this sounded like a great way to start. It didn't take long to put together an itinerary for a short trip! 

Union Hotel in Benicia, established in 1852

View of the Carquinez Bridge from Coast Lotus

We stayed at the charming Union Hotel in historic Benicia, CA. From the Coast Lotus room, we had great views of Carquinez Strait and the Carquinez Bridge. Benicia was incorporated in March 1850 and has served as the state capital for 13 months from 1853 to 1854; as the site for an arsenal for the United States Army; and as the location for the original Mills College (then called the Young Ladies Seminary) before it moved to Oakland. We spent a day enjoying the local sites.

Benicia Bridge Vista Point (old and new bridges)

Benicia Clock Tower

Benicia Arsenal
(Benicia Historical Museum at the Camel Barns)

View from the Benicia City Cemetery

Benicia Capitol State Park

The next day we launched out to explore the Delta, following the map and information in "A Day Drive in the Delta". At the Big Break Regional Shoreline visitor center we learned about the Delta, its origin as a vast wetlands, and the fifty years of human engineering to create a series of levees and agricultural land. The Delta refers to the intricate network of waterways, canals, and sloughs that connect the Sierra Nevada to the San Francisco Bay.

Map excerpt from "A Day Drive in the Delta" (East Bay Parks District)

First visit to the Big Break Visitor Center

Scoop used to reclaim land

We had a picnic at the Brannan Island State Recreation Area, and learned more about the workers who built the agricultural lands at Isleton (because of time, we didn't visit the Locke Historic District). 

Picnic break at Brannan Island State Recreation Area

Slough by Brannan Island

Isleton Chinese and Japanese Commercial Districts

Chinese Laborers Memorial Pavilion in Isleton

We drove across Ryer's Island, enjoying the green fields and waterways from the highway built on top of the levees. Two ferries are part of the highway system, and enabled us to access and depart Ryer's Island. We arrived at Rio Vista in time to see the Rio Vista Bridge raise so a ship could pass, but managed to evade the resulting traffic jam that was waiting to cross the bridge. Back at the hotel, I spotted a ship approaching the Carquinez Bridge and wondered if it had passed under the Rio Vista Bridge a couple of hours before.

The highway follows the levees

Waiting for the "Real McCoy Ferry"

Rio Vista Bridge vertical-lift bridge in the raised position
(CSR 12 across the Sacramento River)

Ship approaches the Carquinez Bridge at Sunset

The next day we slept in, and spent a lazy day walking to the First Street Peninsula and public fishing pier, and strolling around town. We ended the day with a delicious dinner at the Union Hotel Restaurant & Bar, and great conversation about all our interesting experiences and adventures. 

First Street Peninsula

Sunset over Carquinez Strait

Union Hotel Restaurant

I really enjoyed our time on the Delta, seeing all that rich farmland and waterways, and thinking about the complex balance between pristine wetlands and human needs for transportation, food, and water. We just scratched the surface of the Delta, but I still came away with a new appreciation for California's unique water system.

Back to the Land: Wrap Up

This has been another wild year! Our "back to the land" theme, with its focus on our residential lot in the San Francisco Bay Area, was perfect for Year Two of the pandemic. Even with restrictions lifting a bit, thanks to vaccinations and good practices, it was good year to continue staying home. We used the time to explore what our property has to offer, looking at its role as a "homegrown national park", a source of materials for dye projects, and place to relax and enjoy nature.

Red camellia

Plant Aquarium

We learned more about some of the trees, shrubs, and plants that grow on our urban land. Some are native, some are not.

Polypodium
Juniper
Oak
Toyon
Pittosporum
Liquidambar
Hollyleaf Cherry
Chinese Elm
Hawthorn
Magnolia

Enjoying Nature

We enjoyed the seasons and the local birds and critters that visit our residential yard. The small plot is part of a larger virtual "wildlife corridor" that provides water, food, and shelter for urban wildlife and migrating birds.

Signs of Spring
Summer Time
Fall is in the Air
Winter is Coming
Red-Bellied Sapsucker
Enjoying Winter Moss
California Scrub Jay
Where are the Hummingbirds?

Garden Projects

We're working on garden infrastructure in preparation for future projects, and enjoying the yard just as it is.

Soil Restoration Under the Oak
Wood Chips Under the Oak
Oak Patrol
Symphony in the Garden
Raised Bed Prep for Fall Greens
Farewell to the Chinese Elm
Dyeing Fabric with Plants

Seeds to Dye For

This year I sowed seeds for several plants that are good for dyeing fabric - calendula, coreopsis, and marigold. I tried solar dyeing for the first time, using calendula flowers.

Seeds to Dye For
Seeds to Dye For: July Check In (Calendula)
Seeds to Dye For: September Check In (Coreopsis)
Seeds to Dye For: November Check In (Marigold)
Dye Project: Solar Dyeing with Calendula

Excursions

As the pandemic drags on, even an outing to the grocery store becomes an adventure! My husband and I made a few special excursions to remind us of normal life.

Van Gogh Immersive Experience
Judge John Sutter Regional Shore
Benicia and the Delta

Books and Movies

We traveled the United States and the world vicariously with famous British landscape gardener, Monty Don, to enjoy plant movie stars. We also learned more about the mighty oak tree and its lifecycle.

Winter movies:  Prairie Gardens  Southern Gardens  Western Gardens
Summer movies:  Southeast Asia  The Med  India
The Life of an Oak

Thanksgiving 2021

Time to pause and reflect. The pandemic drags on, change is everywhere, and upheaval abounds, but there is still a lot for which to be grateful!

Enjoy the day, and spend some time appreciating the simple pleasures of life.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Farewell to the Chinese Elm

 Farewell to the Chinese elm (Ulmus parvifolia) that has graced our yard with shade and dappled light for many years. It has also provided sanctuary for the many birds and squirrels that make use of our yard throughout the seasons.

Chinese elm with broken branch (Summer 2021)

The Chinese elm was infected with Anthracnose, a slow-moving fungal disease that causes lesions on leaves, cankers on twigs and stems, and distorted limbs. Eventually the disease can surround a branch, causing it to die and then drop to the ground after heavy rain or wind. Our arborist monitored the tree for the last 20 years, and pruned as needed to keep the tree as healthy as possible. Over the last couple of years though, limb drop has become more frequent. This last summer, two limbs came down in a windstorm, revealing more cankers.

Two broken branches revealed more cankers and disease

The disease had progressed to a point where the tree was no longer safe and had lost quite a bit of its canopy from therapeutic pruning. Time to remove the Chinese Elm! Oakland is known for its trees, and protects them rigorously. We followed the city's procedure and applied for a permit to remove the tree. This request becomes public record, and citizens have several weeks to protest the tree removal. We posted our red card, to indicate the tree in question. The process takes about six weeks.

Permit request procedure invites public discourse

Our permit was issued with no protest, and a crew from Elite Tree Service removed the tree professionally and efficiently. A few days later they returned to grind the stump. I'm sorry to see the tree go, but I did feel a sense of relief that no more branches would be descending into the yard, or onto cars parked on the street.

Chinese elm stump

Remains of the stump after grinding

We requested the wood chips, and ended up with a nice pile of them. They will be recycled here on our small urban lot, and return to the land. 

Wood chips from the Chinese elm

Full view of the oak tree without the Chinese elm

Without the tree, we feel a little exposed to public view, but now have an opportunity to plant a new tree in the prepared area. Farewell to the Chinese elm, but your wood chips remain!

Seeds to Dye For: November Check In

This is my final report on the seeds that I planted back in April, all of which produce flowers that are used to dye fabric. I sowed seeds in containers, and have reported on them over the last seven months (see Seeds to Dye For and related posts). So far I've used the calendula flowers for a dye project (see Solar Dyeing with Calendula), and have collected and dried the coreopsis flowers for a future dye project. This time I'm reporting on the marigolds (Tagetes signata).

Marigolds in November

It's November in the San Francisco Bay Area, and the marigolds are still going strong. In fact, they are flourishing after the the recent winter rains. The plants look a little disheveled, because the container is a favorite place for squirrels to stash acorns throughout September and October.

 

Planting seeds in late April

Putting on growth in early August (pottery boot by Jason Quisenberry)

According to Botanical Colors, marigold flowers produce a wide range of colors in the yellow, brown, and tan range. The variations depend on the mordants used, and the number of times the fabric is dipped. Marigolds can also be used as an overdye with indigo to produce various shades of teal and blue.

Good growth and flower buds in September

Closer look at the marigold flower buds

I've been collecting the flowers and drying them over the last month. As with the coreopsis, the flowers are quite small, and I'm not sure how much color they will yield. Next time I'll try planting Tagetes erecta, which has larger flowers. They were not available from Renee's Garden back in April due to supply chain problems, but I'm looking forward to trying both and comparing!

First flowers in mid-September

Plant Aquarium: Magnolia

 Two magnolia trees grow in our small, triangular-shaped urban yard, one at two of the vertices. The trees provide wonderful year-round interest, including leaves, flowers, fruit, and seeds. They also provide deep shade for our yard, and food and protection for birds, squirrels, and small mammals.

Magnolia

Magnolia grandiflora is a medium to large evergreen tree that is native to the southeastern United States, from Virginia to central Florida, and west to eastern Texas. It is endemic to subtropical forests, but is grown in warm climates around the world. The leaves are simple and broadly ovate with smooth margins. They are dark green and leathery, and the underleaf is pubescent, typically in yellow-brown, or white. 

Magnolia flower and leaves

Polyfollicular magnolia fruit

The flowers are large, white, and waxy. The fruit is rose-colored, ovoid, and polyfollicular. The seeds are bright orange, and are eaten by squirrels, opossum, and birds. Once established, the magnolia is surprisingly drought tolerant, though may drop leaves in times of extreme drought or at the end of the dry season. The magnolia is well adapted to fire, The bark is thin, but the cork layer underneath does not burn easily. The seeds, however, are killed by fire.

Rose-colored fruit

Magnolia seeds

Even though the trees are not native to the Bay Area, we enjoy having them in the yard. Drought may keep them more compact than they would grow elsewhere, and they are lovely to watch as they go through their yearly life cycle.

Learn More:

• Wikipedia
• Missouri Botanical Garden
• U.S. Department of Agriculture
• U.S. Forest Services