Raised Bed Prep for Fall Greens

The raised bed had fallen into disuse over the past half decade. Earlier this year it was filled with roots from nearby shrubs, and dirt clods from long periods of drought. The irrigation system had been disrupted after we had the house repiped, and never brought back online. Our son built the raised bed years ago (see Building a Raised Garden Bed), and it has yielded some delicious, tender vegetables (see Vegetable Garden - Three Weeks, Adventures in Lettuce, and The Harvest). 

Water helps soften up the soil

Time for an overhaul! I used water to soften up the soil, and a shovel and clippers to expose and clean out the roots. I also used a small auger, typically used to plant bulbs, and a hand drill to "till" the soil and work in some fresh soil. The irrigation system still needs work, but we have a water source (and winter rains will be welcome).

A planting auger helps break up the soil

Finally the long and arduous process has paid off, and the raised bed is ready for fall greens! Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, late summer and fall are the perfect time to plant cool weather greens. I planted seeds for lettuce, chard, and spinach, and ordered more seeds from Renee's Garden for basil, dill, and parsley. 

Ready for fall planting

One hitch - Mr. Squirrel is busy harvesting acorns from the oak tree, and seems to think I prepared the garden bed just for him. He has no regard for tender vegetable shoots, only a mad drive to bury his winter supply of acorns!

San Francisco Flower & Garden Show – Canceled!

I hope this post finds you sheltering in place with your favorite people, and with all the basic supplies you need. The future is now, with the whole nation (and much of the world) hunkered down to defeat our common enemy – coronavirus (a.k.a., COVID-19). For some it means working at home and homeschooling, for others it means loss of income and even lives. For some the science behind shelter in place makes perfect sense, for others the global response is overblown. Whatever the opinion, it is amazing to see the creative, innovative, and compassionate responses exhibited by so many people (toilet paper hoarding aside)!

Charming chicken coop from the San Francisco Garden Show in 2017

We've seen a rash of cancellations as part of the response, including the beloved (and renamed) San Fran-Nor Cal Flower & Garden Show, which had been scheduled for April 2-5. My aunt and I have been attending the show off and on for the last 20 years. Originally it was held at the Cow Palace in Daly City, then moved to the San Mateo County Event Center in San Mateo, then back to the Cow Palace. This year it was to be held in Sacramento. For various reasons my aunt and I haven't been able to attend for the past several years (several trips and a family wedding were involved). I had hoped we could attend this year, but life took another turn. We'll just have to rely on memories and ideas from past shows!

Another chicken coop from the San Francisco Garden Show in 2015

 Luckily, next year's show is already scheduled for April 8-11, 2021, at Cal Expo in Sacramento. It looks like it will be a wonderful event, with great exhibits, speakers, and seminars. Take a look, and get it on your calendar!

Kitchen Garden in Palo Alto

Recently while visiting one of our corporate offices in Palo Alto, I visited the kitchen garden that provides fresh produce to one of the cafeterias.

Corporate kitchen garden in Palo Alto

I was impressed with the deer proofing, which includes sturdy fencing. The raised beds provide great drainage. The kitchen garden is on a sloping hill and receives full sun for most of the day, even in the darker winter months.

The greens were just starting to get some height. I plan to visit the garden again the next time I’m at the Palo Alto offices, and I plan to order a salad made with fresh spring greens!

Container Gardens of the North

Did you notice that almost every picture from our trip to Alaska and Canada includes dark skies, clouds, misty fog, rain, or some combination of the same? The sun punched its way through from time to time, casting brilliant light all around, but the overarching weather was drizzly rain.

Traffic circle in downtown Juneau, Alaska

Pansies and asters in the Haines Junction picnic area

Enter container gardens of the north! We saw them everywhere - containers of all shapes and sizes filled with bright cheerful annuals. Here are a few examples that you might enjoy.

Giorgio's in Whitehorse, Yukon

Alpine Bakery in Whitehorse

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Raised bed in Haines Junction

Hanging baskets at the Raven	Innovative container
Pocket garden with dahlias	Welcome to Kluane Inn

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The containers come in all shapes and sizes, and serve as raised beds, ensuring drainage to protect the roots, and air flow to reduce mold. The combinations of colors, shapes, and textures are so creative! Seeing these miniature gardens brightens the day for anyone slogging through the rain, or viewing dramatic scenery shrouded in mist.

Rain barrel container in Juneau

Rain barrel in Haines

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Closely related is the pocket garden - a small space where someone has planted a tiny garden. We saw a few of them as well.

Pocket garden in Juneau

Another pocket garden in Juneau

The garden season is short and intense in the north, so gardeners must make the most of it. Planting cheerful containers or pocket gardens of bright flowers is a great solution!

Bottom of the porch pocket garden

Container of pinks in Juneau

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Deer Proofing the Raised Bed

This summer, inspired by ideas from the Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland, I decided to deer and bird proof my vegetable garden. The raised bed is already gopher proofed from below - protected with a hardware cloth mesh underground cage that prevents tunneling. Time to protect from the air.

Deer proof raised bed, with newly planted tomatoes in June

Using material on hand, I constructed a framework of wire tomato cages (some collapsed, others assembled). The deer and bird netting is draped over the sides and top, and secured into place with small plastic ties. On two sides, the netting is anchored into the soil with U-shaped sod nails used for irrigation, but can be rolled up for easy access for weeding (and hopefully harvesting). The results may not be glamorous, but seem to be effective.

Two months later and tomatoes are thriving

It has been two months, and no breaches in the netting security so far! The two cherry tomato plants purchased at the Merritt College Spring Plant Sale are thriving (they are kept watered via the drip irrigation system installed several years ago). The blossoms are just giving way to green cherry tomatoes, but need some heat to bring them into full ripeness.

More Deer Proof Ideas

I am always on the lookout for great garden ideas, and solutions to common problems. Our small vegetable garden has been ravaged by wildlife every summer for the past few years. Every tomato plant, lettuce green, and broccoli plant has succumbed. I chalk it up to the drought – what creature wouldn’t want those tender, non-native plants after a steady diet of tough, drought-resistant vegetation?

Temporary netting-and-pole barrier

A few years ago I reported on a clever deer-proof solution in Bend, Oregon. More recently, while at the Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland, I learned a few of their deer proofing secrets. The cemetery is full of beautiful trees and plants, and one of their annual attractions is the tulip display in late March. Mass plantings of yellow and red tulips are breathtaking, and a favorite delicacy for most deer. The secret to protecting these plants is deer and bird netting, used on a grand scale.

Netting cages over the tulip beds

Of course I’ve seen rose bushes and hedges wrapped in netting, but had not considered using netting in a grander, almost architectural way. Surprisingly, the netting is fine enough that it blends with the background and is not intrusive. The architectural framework used to hold the netting can be temporary, and does not have to be substantial (compared to constructing a six to eight feet high fence). These are definitely good ideas to consider for protecting our flower and vegetable gardens in the Oakland Hills from marauding deer and birds.

Merritt College Plant Sale Spring 2016

Merritt College just held their annual spring plant sale on the weekend of April 30^th and May 1. The plant sale is part festival and part marketplace, and a great venue for mingling with fellow plant lovers and knowledgeable horticultural students. You can find healthy, well-rooted California native, drought-tolerant, and organic vegetable starters to purchase. For best selection, get there early on Saturday (but I have found great plants even late on Sunday).

The Horticulture Club and associated volunteers grow the starters on premise, in the green house and planting beds. The Horticulture and Sustainable Agriculture departments team up to experiment with interesting ideas for raised beds, using natural materials. They also propagate many varieties of native plants, and heirloom produce and trees.

Approaching the Plant Sale on the Merritt College campus

This year I found several new plants to try. I purchased a couple of interesting cherry tomato plants, and a few shade-loving plants and ground covers for my "white garden". The pink dianthus is for a hot, sunny location in the garden. I already planted a few of the plants, and look forward to getting the rest planted soon.

The Spoils - ready to plant

The Merritt College plant sales coincide with the ideal planting times here in the East Bay—in the Fall (right before the wet season, so that roots can go deep and become established), and in the Spring (at the end of the wet season, when the soil is still soft and moist). These are great sales for stocking up on beautiful plant starters.

Spring Spruce Up

Spring is a great time to get out in the yard, and get things spruced up for summer. Here are a few things I like to do in our Bay Area yard.

Get out the pruning shears, and cut back some unruly growth. These sharp shears are especially useful on the small maples and rhododendron bushes. They are light weight and easy to use.

Pruning unruly growth

Go on “oak patrol.” The uneaten acorns stashed by squirrels in the fall start to sprout, and some of sprouts I’ve missed in previous years really start to take hold. I love the mighty oak tree in our front yard, but multiple oaks are just not sustainable in our tiny yard.

Oak patrol to remove acorn sprouts

Add organic material to the soil, replenish the raised bed with organic material, and maintain the drip system. Every year I am optimistic about planting a small vegetable garden, even though the neighborhood deer are the ones to benefit.

Add organic material and check the drip irrigation system

With the yard spruced up, it is time to fire up the charcoal grill. I have a few new grilled vegetables recipes to try, and might even try using the pizza stone (although I hear it is difficult to keep the heat up using charcoal).

Terrace Farming in the Americas

Terrace farming is another interesting gardening history topic from the Americas. The Wari and Inca civilizations of Peru provide fine examples of using this technique for large scale food production in challenging dry conditions. Terraced farming was mastered 1,500 years ago in Peru, and continues today as archeologists reintroduce farmers to this old technique.

Terraces at Tambomachay, Peru. Photo by McKay Savage. Creative Commons.

Steep mountainsides are cut back in large steps, and rock retaining walls, up to eight feet tall, are built forming a raised bed. The base of these steps are typically clay soil, topped with layers of gravel and sand, and up to a yard (or meter) of top soil. The rocks heat during the day keeping the soil warmer at night, enabling crops to be grown at high altitudes. Additionally, the layers of gravel and sand ensure drainage of water down to the next terrace, with the base layer of clay retaining some water. Archeologist Dr. Ann Kendall, who has studied terrace farming near Cusco, Peru, reports that soil is still moist six months after irrigation. Organic matter breaks down in this damp environment and is recycled upward, so that no fertilizers are needed. Typical crops include potatoes, maize, beans, barley, and quinoa.



Terraces at Ollantaytambo, Peru. Photo by Bernard Gagnon. Creative Commons.

Dr. Kendall formed the Cusichaca Trust in 1977 to educate modern farmers to the ancient techniques of terrace farming and irrigation, and restore Incan agricultural practices throughout Peru. This is another brilliant idea for sustainable farming in harsh conditions, worth considering as the world fills ups and innovative solutions for food production are needed.

On the Roof at MOMA

I am always on the lookout for roof top gardens. They can be elaborate and extensive, or a quiet and private space. On one of our son’s visits home from University of Alaska, Anchorage, we visited the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (or MOMA) to view their art collection. The building was designed by Jensen Architects (an international firm based in San Francisco), and is very distinctive.

One of the fun discoveries was the Carolyn and Preston Butcher Garden Terrace, with its roof top sculpture garden and small coffee bar. We spent part of our MOMA visit on the roof, enjoying the combination of closed and open air space, and interesting sculptures. I also enjoyed the chance to study the raised planting areas and choice of vegetation. It was simple, yet very satisfying.

Carolyn and Preston Butcher Garden Terrace (MOMA) - raised bed

The museum closed earlier this summer for a three-year renovation project. See their web site for information about their off-site exhibition this fall (http://www.sfmoma.org/). You can catch a glimpse of the Garden Terrace in the short video “Trailer for Stories from the Evacuation” (fast forward to 1:11).

Deer Proof

While in Bend, I saw this great deer-proof vegetable garden – a raised bed surrounded by a high fence. The fence looks sturdy, the garden is easy to see through the wire mesh, and a small door provides easy access. The fence looks high enough to keep out leaping deer.


Sturdy, attractive, deer-proof vegetable bed.

According to the Sunset Western Garden Book, a deer-proof fence should be at least six feet high on level ground to keep out most deer, but some deer can jump seven or eight feet high. Others recommend ten feet high fences, because deer are such amazing jumpers. The Sunset website shows another design that is adapted for a ten-feet high fence.

 

Raised Bed Revamp

Last year we let the raised bed lay fallow. We were too busy to plant, so let the soil have a rest by default. It killed me to not plant tomatoes, but some years are like that – other matters need tending.

Earlier this month I ripped out the existing drip system, and amended the soil with a good, organic amendment from Home Depot. I dug deep to incorporate the material with the original soil. I was surprised at the number of advantageous roots that had worked their way into the soil, no doubt from the surrounding trees and bushes. The nerve!

Rust-clogged emitter

I considered recycling the drip components, but, on inspection, found that many of them had rust build up that was clogging the emitters and pipes. So, I started fresh with a new design that used all new parts and fittings. The water seems to flow better with the new fittings.

New drip pipes and emitters

Now I’m ready to plant. According to the Community Gardening East Bay Planting Guide, I should be able to plant now. But I know from experience that our property, which is situated at the base of a hill, often runs a little colder than other places in the East Bay. I’ll wait a couple of weeks to plant my summer and winter vegetables.

Raised bed is ready to plant

 

San Francisco Garden Show Highlights – 2013

My aunt and I are always on the lookout for interesting ideas, cool gadgets, and beautiful gardens at the San Francisco Garden Show. This year was no exception. With our creaky knees, we love finding raised bed options. Best of Show for us was the new GreenBed™ durable bed kit. You can purchase 4’x8’ feet of planting space, with either 1’ or 2’ high walls. The side slabs are made of wood chips and cement, and the kit provides all the hardware you need to assemble the beds. The 2’ high kit on display was engineered so the plantings were in easy reach, with no need for bending. This is ideal for seniors, or anyone with mobility problems.

GreenBed raised beds - ready to assemble

Other interesting hardscaping ideas include these stone and wire walls. I’ve seen them before in various sizes and shapes, but I’m always pleased to see variations. This seems like a very practical solution for a stone wall, when a stone mason is difficult to find or afford. The fence, consisting of small walls on the diagonal, was also interesting. It provides a hint of privacy, but is still open and inviting.

Stone and wire walls

Fence of diagonal walls

The Show is a great place to pick up plants, gadgets, and gardening supplies at great prices. I was taken with this Lee Valley tool display. My aunt bought a beautiful canvas shopping bag decorated with California poppies. We found chocolate, too - the salty kind from De Brito Chocolate Factory in Hollister, California. Yum.

Tool Appeal - beautiful tools ready for the garden

The Wanted Weeds display, by Urban Hedgerow, drew us both in. Their premise is that we should rethink weeds – they can “be virtuous host plants, nectar sources, and medicinal”. We loved seeing the messages posted on the walls of this interactive display – “Weeds are weeds too” read one sign, “Weeds give you something to do” read another, and “Death to Oxalis” read a third.

Wanted Weeds - extolling the benefits of weeds.

Another successful San Francisco Garden Show! We enjoyed a seminar on green roofs, a cooking demonstration, the Marketplace, and lots of beautiful gardens. I was pleased to see technology moving in – smart phone users could access sfgardenshow.com, and Sunset Magazine was advertising their new Western Gardening Book for the iPhone, iPad, and web (www.sunset.com/wgb). Very cool.

Raised Bed with a Trellis

Here is a raised bed and trellis configuration that I spotted at a mall in Walnut Creek. The raised beds are large clay containers, and the trellis is mounted directly on the wall, using a cable and rod style system that is very sleek and modern. The picture was taken in January, before the plantings have grown and spread, so it is easy to see the details of its configuration.

The cable and rod style trellis comes in various
styles, and works well with the raised beds.

This would be an easy design for the home garden. Various styles of cable and rod trellis systems are available on the internet.

Another Terrace Garden

While on the Davenport’s Garden Terrace, I spotted another terrace garden in the vicinity. This one may not have the budget or exposure of the Davenport, but I like that they provided this planting area for the building. I wasn’t aware of the planting from the street, so it must be for the use and enjoyment of the building’s employees and visitors.

An elevated planting area in the Spokane urban landscape

Though simple, the tree and planters soften the urban landscape, and provide respite from concrete and steel girders.

Davenport Hotel – The Garden Terrace

I love raised beds almost as much as roof top gardens, when I find them together, I’m ecstatic! While in Spokane, Washington recently, we stayed at the historic and renovated Davenport Hotel. The Davenport is beautiful, with respect for the past and a vision for the future (they have LEED Gold Green Building Certification). One of their features for hotel guests is a garden terrace on the fourth floor, over the entrance, shops, ballroom, and restaurant.

The Garden Terrace

The look is both classic and modern, with raised beds for shrubs pruned in a round shape and deciduous trees (possibly Acer spp.), and urns for columnar trees (possibly a variation of Cupressus sempervirens 'Stricta'), in contrast with the brick building of the hotel. Drip irrigation keeps the plantings watered.

Raised beds and planting urns

The terrace is protected from the wind by the hotel. In late April it was still a little chilly to sit out, but in summer or fall, this would be a great place to relax in solitude or with friends. My husband and I simply enjoyed the fresh air and view of the surroundings from a different vantage point.

Bonnie's Garden

My mother-in-law died recently at 83, after a short fight with cancer. My husband and I visited Spokane, Washington to take care of her things. While in Spokane, we met with family members to swap "Bonnie stories" and took a memorial drive up to Springdale, Washington to see where she was born at home to first generation Norwegian-American parents.

Bonnie loved sitting out on her deck overlooking the Spokane River

Bonnie was a complex, private, creative person, who could tell a great story. She was proud of her son and grandson, and welcomed me, as her daughter-in-law, with open arms. She spent most of her life in Spokane, except for a brief stint in Phoenix, Arizona during her marriage. She hated the heat in Phoenix, and loved to tell about when my husband was born in August in 110 degree heat with no air condition – “My gawd” she would say as she started the story, her blue eyes twinkling). Bonnie was a single working mom at a time it was not the norm. She made a career as “a damn good bookkeeper” for a major oil corporation, and then for a travel agency in Spokane. Bonnie spent her retirement years with her beloved dog and cat in a mobile home overlooking the Spokane River. She gardened, walked her dog, and created beautiful rugs, blankets, and artwork, often abstractions of the natural world.

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While in Spokane, I enjoyed seeing her garden as it was awakening from winter dormancy. I stood there, listening to the wind in the trees and the birdsong, and  picturing Bonnie planning, planting, and tending the garden she loved.

Small flower bed just waking up from winter.	Japanese Maple planted in an improvised raised bed.
Faux copper statue overlooking the river	Spring growth emerging near rounded rocks

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