Windmill Nursery Open House Pics & Video

I blogged about the upcoming Windmill Nursery Fall & Christmas Open House & Charity Event back in August and attended the event Saturday evening. The nursery looked great, with lushly planted demo beds (and more to come), container plantings, new signage on plants, Christmas displays and outdoor lighting.

Before night fell, I snapped a few pics of the nursery, inside and out.


Andrew talking to nursery reps.


Cheryl snapping me snapping them


Citrus


Wide selection of plants from Blooms, Annie's, Monterey Bay and more.


New cold-hardy tropical demo bed


Cool-season color


Halloween planters


Cool-season planter


Seasonal and succulent planters


Open house attendees listening to raffle results


Christmas tree display. Yes, folks, it's time to start thinking about the holidaze...

Windmill put on quite a gourmet spread, with beer, wine and catering by Carmichael restaurant La Perla Bistro . We were treated to live music by local band Fair Trade. The lead singer has a great voice and according to Windmill family member Andrew, this talented musician is also a landscaper!

CLICK TO START VIDEO


http://www.myspace.com/fairtrade

Since 10% of the night's plant sales were going to Wind Youth Services, I felt I should do my part. Shopping at a nursery at night has always been a fantasy of mine... seriously... and now I know how super fun it can be.


(night shots by Cheryl Hawes, AKA Weeder)


Like the new do? Let me just say, "How could I resist?" and let it be known that I was very gentle with this hanging plant. Perhaps I should just say "No comment."

Special Order fruit trees from Dave Wilson Nursery

If you live in California, you can special order fruit trees through Dave Wilson Nursery and pick them up at participating nurseries. Order deadline is November 16 for Jan/Feb. shipment.

Download Order Form

Annie Hayes coming to Bushnell's next Saturday!

You won't want to miss this.

Bushnell Gardens Nursery
Annie Hayes of Annies Annuals & Perennials will host "Twilight with Annie"
Introductions of the hottest picks for the upcoming season.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2007

6:30 P.M.

Annie's Annuals Fabulous Fall Planting Party

We arrived around 11am, just in time for luscious strawberries, banana-chocolate chip muffins, grapes and drinks. Hot mess Amy Winehouse was rockin' in the background... my kinda nursery.

At noon, we were treated to a great demo by garden artist Keeyla Meadows. Keeyla showed us an easy and inexpensive way to paint and draw on clay pots. She talked a lot about color, which happens to be the theme of her next book, which I hope is published soon, soon, soon.

During our visit, two lucky ticket holders each won a 15-minute shopping spree. Of course, they had to don bright and shiny capes and crowns while dashing around the nursery filling their wagons. What price, dignity? Pretty low from what I witnessed. Hah.

After Keeyla's demo and the shopping spree announcement, I filled a flat (all the little red wagons were taken) with some cool-season color to take home. All 4" plants were 25% off.

After the festivities, demo and plant shopping at Annie's, we swung by Oakland for lunch at Genova Deli, picked up coffee beans at Cole Coffee, did a little shopping at Heartfelt, bought a cupcake at Teacake Bake Shop in Emeryville, then headed home. A great day!

We sorta spaced and ran out of time for visiting Cohn-Stone Studios, but it's still on my to-do list for someday.

Oh, to be able to clone yourself...

There's a lot going on this weekend in and around Sacramento, especially for the garden-minded:

• Apple Hill: Ongoing Events through March
• Saturday, October 6: 33rd Annual UC Davis Arboretum Plant Sale
• Saturday, October 6: Bob Hamm's AIDS benefit plant sale at the Gifted Gardener (18th and J streets, 10 a.m.-3 p.m, 916-923-3745).
• Saturday, October 6: Loomis Eggplant Festival
• Oct. 6-7: Hoes Down Harvest, Full Belly Farm
  
• Oct. 6-7: Amador Flower Farm's annual Fall Festival; 9 a.m.-4 p.m. both days; 22001, Shenandoah School Road, Plymouth. Free. (209) 245-6660. (from SacBee.com)
  
• Oct. 6-7: Giant Pumpkin and Harvest Festival, with a psychedelic salute to the '60s combining pumpkin pop art, '60s music and a retro scarecrow contest; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. both days; Elk Grove Regional Park, 9950 Elk Grove-Florin Road, Elk Grove. Free; park admission $5. (916) 405-5600. (from SacBee.com)
• Oct. 6-7: Fall Plant Sale; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. both days; Garden and Arts Center, 3330 McKinley Blvd. (916) 722-7442. (from SacBee.com)
• Oct. 7: Rio Americano High School's annual Fall Garden Tour, featuring six gardens, 11 a.m.- 4 p.m., in the Sierra Oaks and Sierra Oaks Vista areas. $25 in advance, $30 at the door. (916) 508-9806, (916) 283-4057. (from SacBee.com)
• Oct. 6 & 7: Annie's Annuals Fabulous Fall Planting Party, 10am-5pm, Richmond, CA
  
• Oct. 6 & 7: Cohn-Stone Studios Glass Pumpkin Garden & Sale, Richmond, CA

Take your pick! I'm heading for Annie's and Cohn-Stone on Sunday, followed by eats and shopping in Berkeley before heading home. God, I need a Berkeley fix.

By the way, all plants are 25% off at Annie's this weekend and there will be refreshments, live music and scheduled events.

Wanna try out the new UC IPM Kiosk?

Here are two... and for now it seems these are the only two... Sacramento county locations:

Sacramento County

• Cal/EPA building—Ongoing
  1001 I Street, Sacramento (corner of I and 10th Streets)
• Salmon Festival, American River, Rancho Cordova, Oct. 13 and 14, 2007

Elsewhere in CA...

Fresno County

• Sunnyside Branch Library—Ongoing
  5566 East Kings Canyon Road, Fresno

Lake County

• Piedmont Lumber, Lakeport, Sept. 5 to Oct. 17, 2007

Los Angeles County

• Los Angeles County Arboretum—Ongoing
  301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia
  (626) 821-3222
  http://www.arboretum.org
  

Orange County

• UC Cooperative Extension office, Costa Mesa
  By appointment only, call (949) 733-3970
• UC Master Gardener Fall Seminar, Costa Mesa, Oct. 20, 2007

San Diego County

• Grangetto’s Farm and Garden Supply, May 1 to Oct. 31, 2007
  Rotating through all 4 retail stores: Escondido, Encinitas, Fallbrook, and Valley Center
• San Diego Zoo—Ongoing
  http://www.sandiegozoo.org/
• Plant World, Escondido, Sept. 16 to Oct. 31, 2007
• Lowe's, Oceanside, Nov. 1 to Dec. 15, 2007
• Home Depot, Sports Arena, Dec. 16, 2007 to Jan 31, 2008
• Home Depot, Balboa Ave., Dec. 16, 2007 to Jan 31, 2008
• Mission Hills Nursery, Feb. 1 to Mar. 15, 2008

Santa Clara County

• Yamagami’s Nursery, Cupertino, Sept. 4 to Oct. 15, 2007

Solano County

• Fairfield-Cordelia Library, Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, 2007.
  5050 Business Center Drive, Fairfield
  707-784-2680

UC Davis Arboretum 33rd Annual Plant Sale

I'm listening to Farmer Fred streaming live (I hope that doesn't hurt) on my laptop while enjoying a slice of bacon, an egg, a piece of toast... dry... and a large mug of Peet's French Roast coffee. Ah, Sundays...

Anyway, he's reminding folks about the 33rd Annual Plant Sale at the UC Davis Orchard Park Nursery. Fall is a great time for planting and this sale is sure to have something for everybody, from plant geek to newbie. Check it out if you can. Apparently, they'll have a new variety of Santa Barbara daisy called 'Spindrift' (Erigeron karvinskianus 'Spindrift'), which has a compact habit and doesn't spread like E. karvinskianus. Me want!

If you are coming from out of town, you might as well make a day of it and stop for lunch in relaxing downtown Davis. If you're feeling sandwichy and it's just you and a friend or two, try Zia's. See where else the locals... Davisians?... Davisidians?... eat on Yelp.com.

Hey, did you know you can ride your bike from downtown Sacramento to Davis? That's about 14 miles. To get home, you can either ride back to your car, which will be parked in a parking garage near the Tower Bridge, or take Amtrak back to your car, presumably parked in the Amtrak parking lot. Won't you feel like such a stud getting on the train with your bike? Won't you feel like a total rock star if you ride both ways?

Ok, so maybe you should do the bike ride on a different day from the plant sale, unless your bike has a nursery cart attached to the back. You also have until 1pm on Saturday to swing by the year-round Davis Farmers' Market.

PLANT SALE
When: Saturday, October 6
Hours:

• 9 am to 3 pm Public Sale
• 7 am to 9 am Members Only Sale

"If you join or renew your membership on October 6th, you will receive a $5.00 discount on your annual membership, and a buy one get one free plant coupon good for one plant valued up to $8.00. All members receive a 10% discount at the sale"

What: Download Plant List

More info: http://arboretum.ucdavis.edu/

Why my gardening website is stuck in August

Alternate title: "Why I hate Dell"
Alternate title #2: "Why I Heart Apple"

I've been a PC person for years. PCs were inexpensive, you got a lot of bang for your buck (so I thought), and I found Macs to be prohibitively expensive... ok, and a bit elitist in a lower-case "i" sort of way... and software for them was limited. Two years ago, I invested in a screamin' Dell 9100 PC with a terabyte hard drive. That's a whopping 1,024 Gibabytes! Oh, and it had this special RAID configuration that was supposed to be lightning fast... and it was... until the whole thing crapped out on me after about a month.

You know the PC guy in those mac commercials? Not the cute nerdy Mac guy who's dating Drew Barrymore... the cute nerdy PC guy from The Daily Show who is lying on the bottom of the cart in a fetal position because he's suffering from the "blue screen of death"? Well, that's me. That's my computer. The dreaded blue screen of death.

When I called Dell customer service, I patiently endured the very polite but very I-am-going-to-take-up-hours-of-your-life (that you will never get back)-without-really-understanding-or-fixing-your-problem customer service representative in India. His conclusion, despite the fact that all signs pointed to a hardware problem that Dell should fix, was that my new computer suffered from a software problem... a Windows problem... and they were unable to help me. In other words, the buck was passed and I was stuck with a brand new, expensive, broken box. I was SOL.

I was computerless for a couple months and only by the sheer coincidence of being married to a software engineer was I able to get back on that box without taking it to a computer repair place. I lost a lot of data, drives were shuffled, the amazing RAID configuration had to be UNCONFIGURED, and I was left with a slow, grindingly loud, crippled computer. I took all this as a sign from the gods that I should take another look at Apple. There were more signs-- Apple prices were dropping (probably thanks to our insatiable appetite for iPods), I learned that Apple is a blue company and Dell is red (and I am oh, so blue), and I do a lot of photo editing and Macs are great for that.

So I ambled over to our friendly neighborhood Apple Store and fondled the MacBook laptops. The display on the little Macbook was amazing, and the price wasn't bad! I figured I'd have to spec the thing and wait a few weeks for it to show up on my doorstep. No. What? You mean you have them in stock... right now... and I can walk out of the store with my new laptop, thereby experiencing one of my favorite things of all time, immediate gratification? Woo hoo!

Flash forward six months or so to late August. My Dell 9100 desktop's remaining hard drive... you know, the one with all my photos and website files and stuff.. disappeared. Died. The computer is out of warranty, of course, and the futility of another tortured customer service call weighs heavily on me.

At the same time, I started experiencing an intermittent strange clicking noise on my Apple laptop's left-click button. I asked the computer gods, "Does this mean all computers are crap and I just have to deal with it?" They replied, "Go to Apple.com and make a Genius Bar appointment." When I arrived at my next-day appointment, the Apple store was crazy busy! My name was called and a nice young Genius listened to my complaint. Expecting to have to defend myself against accusations of eating at the keyboard (guilty as charged) or of left-click abuse, instead I am told that he, too, hears the intermittent clicking and that it shouldn't do that.

Can I wait thirty minutes while you replace the whole top of my laptop with a part that is (queue singing angels) in stock? Well, heck yeah, I can! Not only that, I think I will go try on pants while you fix my computer. Two pairs of jeans later, which you girls know makes thirty minutes go by in a flash, I get a call on my cell phone that my laptop is ready. With a "thank you very much" I am on my way. Free of charge. Now that's customer service. If I knew a little Apple dance, I would have done one, right there, in Arden Fair Mall. My next desktop is soooooooo going to be an iMac. Until then, I can only dream of a PC-free life.

I apologize for not updating my gardening website and for not answering my gardening-related e-mails, which can only be read in Outlook, which is on my dead D: drive. Hopefully, I'll be back online soon to help ring in the Fall planting season. In the meantime, I'll continue blogging on my ultra-fabulous, inexpensive MacBook.

Want a cheap thrill?

There's a funny typo on the Wayside Gardens website. Catch it while you can, because I'm sure someone will correct it soon.

Saliva 'Purple Knockout'

Mmmmm.... I think I'll take 10 purple Saliva plants. Where should I plant purple Saliva? Does purple Saliva have a scent to it? Can purple Saliva tolerate drought? A garden can't have enough purple Saliva, don't you agree?

Almost-Autumn color in the late afternoon

Yes, I know I need to straighten and top off my birdbath and yes, I know there's a weed in the lower left-hand corner of the photo. Too lazy at the moment to do anything about it. Must procrastinate.


I am loving 'New Blue' agapanthus. Its pale pinky blue florets are huge and quite elegant looking. Nothing psychologically cools down a hot August garden like a water feature and light blue agapanthus.

Here's a description from Monterey Bay Nursery: ‘New Blue’ -- flowers -- the notable feature of this variety is its very large flower size, to over 3" across. In addition, each flower displays a central blue stripe against lighter blue edges, sometimes with a defining dark marginal stripe on each side as well. Many other varieties also have this feature, which can be seen if you look closely, but in 'New Blue' it is obvious and distinctive because of the unusual flower size.The only drawback is that the flower clusters don't have that high a bud count. Evergreen to semideciduous, based on how much cold it gets, and frost hardy, with rich, medium blue flowers of intermediate height. Often blooms in mid to late summer, though I have seen waves of bloom in early spring as well, and it can continue to bloom until fall. Foliage is notably thin and grassy, habit is quite compact. rev 8/2006


Asteriffic!


This hot pink sedum from POW Nursery has been in the ground for a few years. It will likely turn to mush this winter and then spring miraculously from the ground in late winter or early spring. The Mexican bush sage (Salvia leucantha) behind the birdbath was also decimated last winter. I really didn't think it would come back because I saw no signs of life well after other plants had rebounded. It surprised me and now I'm looking forward to its fuzzy purple fall flowers.


Finally, my attempt to conceal butt ugly irrigation valves was a success. I get to look at coleus instead of plastic and wires... till the coleus freezes, anyway.

Homemade Salsa

Delicious.

Ingredients

4 medium size tomatoes
1 clove garlic
2 Anaheim peppers, seeds scraped
1 onion... oops, I'm out of onions

I'm making another batch today and will add lime juice (from my lime tree!).

Should I be adding salt? Hmmm....

Zucchini Bread, Cooking Light Magazine

I made use of a couple of slightly overgrown 'Gold Rush' yellow zucchini. Yum.



Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup egg substitute
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 cups shredded zucchini (12 ounces)
1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted
Cooking spray

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through baking soda) in a large bowl.

Combine egg substitute and next 4 ingredients (through egg) in a large bowl; add sugar, stirring until combined. Add zucchini; stir until well combined. Add flour mixture; stir just until combined. Stir in walnuts.

Divide batter evenly between 2 (8 x 4-inch) loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans on a wire rack; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.
Yield

2 loaves, 12 servings per loaf (serving size: 1 slice)
Nutritional Information

CALORIES 150(26% from fat); FAT 4.3g (sat 0.4g,mono 2g,poly 1.6g); PROTEIN 2.7g; CHOLESTEROL 9mg; CALCIUM 21mg; SODIUM 96mg; FIBER 0.6g; IRON 1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 25.3g
1 slice (1/12 of loaf) = 3 Weight Watchers Points

Lorraine Warren , Cooking Light, JULY 2005

There's also a great-looking recipe for Chocolate Zucchini Cake over at Kitchen Gardeners International.

Harvest time

'Anaheim' pepper, 'Lemon Boy', 'Heatwave' and 'Early Girl' tomatoes, and 'Gold Rush' Zucchini

Ok, I've printed a zucchini bread recipe for my next trip to Raley's and need to check my blog archives for salsa recipes. It's harvest time...

Oh, and I need to make pesto.

Monrovia: What's Your Style?

Ok, so I played a fun game on Monrovia's website called What's Your Style, where they tell you what kind of garden style you should have based on a brief personality profile. Unfortunately, they got me completely wrong. According to my answers, I would be happiest with a Zen Garden Style. The accompanying photos show a typical Japanese garden and the recommended plants are, not surprisingly, things like Japanese maple, Mugo pine, bamboo (eek!), and Japanese painted fern.

I've been to well-known public Japanese gardens in San Jose, San Francisco and Portland and each time thought, "Wow, this is really beautiful. This is really, um... Zen. This looks like a lot of work." While I can appreciate the beauty and discipline and peacefulness of a Japanese garden, it's just too damned coiffed. I'd be happy if I had enough discipline to rake a comb through my hair every day, let alone rake my rock garden. Also, I'm not Asian. Why should I feel an affinity with Japanese cultural and religious symbols when I'm a pasty, mostly-Irish girl?

And my Monrovia-recommended plant palette? Well, it's mostly a bunch of Japanese plants! I could never, ever, ever restrict myself to such a narrow palette. Boring. I'm a typical haphazard plant collector who brings home plants in ones and threes and fives that I fall in love with first and worry about where the hell I'm going to put them later. If you had to put a label on my garden style, I suppose you'd call it "California Eclectic". Or "California Eccentric". Or "California Artistic". Or "California Mediterranean Artistic". How about "Artistic Califoranean"? "Eclectifornia Style"? "Artistic Subtropifornia Style"? My horticulturally conservative neighbors probably call it "Dirty, Lazy Hippie". Whatev... They're just lucky I haven't splurged on one of those spectacular kinetic sculptures by Andrew Carson I see every year at the San Francisco Flower & Garden Show. Man, I want one. For my front yard.





When it comes to plants, I'm like Donny and Marie... a little bit country... a little bit rock-n-roll... with a little bit o' Motown in my soul. Actually, my musical tastes lean toward a typical AAA format, but the Donny and Marie thing just popped into my head... which it will probably do from time to time for the rest of my life thanks to television. My point is... I like a lot of plants and a lot of garden styles but can't really be assigned to a particular garden style. It might have helped if Monrovia asked me where I live. Knowing that I live in northern California, USDA Zone 9b, Sunset Zone 14... might have hinted at phormiums and lavender and cannas and roses and natives and edibles and...

So, what's your Garden Style? Will Monrovia get you right or wrong?

NatureSweet tomato contest winners

How sweet it is

Two local tomato growers harvest a bushel (of cash)

By Pat Rubin - Bee Home & Garden Writer

Published 12:00 am PDT Saturday, September 1, 2007
Story appeared in unknown section, Page CALIFORNIA LIFE3

Fall Gardening Symposium

Farmer Fred... Lance Walheim... Rosalind Creasy... Robert Kourik... need I say more?

http://groups.ucanr.org/sactomg/symposium/

Saturday, October 13, 2007

Program Speakers Location Registration Symposium Brochure Symposium location: Education Center Fair Oaks Presbyterian Church 11427 Fair Oaks Blvd, Fair Oaks, CA, 95628 Questions? Call the UC Cooperative Extension at 916-875-6913.

Heatwave Tomato Followup

In a previous post, I said I'd report back on 'Heatwave' tomato and here's my conclusion-- with this summer's late fruit onset (was it me? was it the weather?), 'Heatwave' was my best producer.

Yes, it stood up to Sacramento heat. Fruits are fairly large, round, bright red, and very meaty. These are not pulpy tomatoes that, when sliced, turn your sandwich bread into gross pink wet glop. Compared to other varieties I've grown, 'Heatwave' feels firmer than usual when ripe. They also seem to last well on the counter when picked a little on the firm side.

Don't get me wrong. I like me a wet, pulpy tomato... just not between two slices of bread. A soft, juicy heirloom seems more at home on a plate with mozzarella and olive oil or in a salad.

And the flavor? Drum roll, please... I pronounce 'Heatwave' flavor to be... decent. It reminds me of 'Early Girl', which I dubbed 'Late Girl' this year. 'Heatwave' won't rock your world... nor will it break your heart. There's something to be said for that.

I'll try to remember to post a pic.

How come nobody told me?

How come nobody told me a first class postage stamp now costs, or is soon to cost, 41 cents?!!! I think I need to sit down. Oh, I am sitting down. I think I need to lie down.

Well, at least the USPS is lessening the 41-cent sting by coming out with these beauties...

Windmill Nursery's Fall & Xmas Open House Charity Event

Hey, this looks like fun. It's for charity and you'll have the opportunity to eat, drink, shop, mingle with nursery sales reps, and maybe hear about hot new plants for the upcoming gardening season! No charge for the event, but they do ask that you RSVP.

Saturday October 13th from 4:00 till....

"We will also have some special guests. You will have an opportunity to meet with many of our sales reps to ask questions and they may have some sneak peaks at some up and coming items. We were very busy this last year in search of all new gifts and decor for the Holiday Season so don't miss out."

Food and drinks, including beer and wine, will be served around 5:30.

For more info or to R.S.V.P. by phone: 916 972-0794 or email andrew@windmillnurseryinc.com

Windmill Nursery Events Calendar

Scent of a tomato, indeed

I want to go to one of her tastings! This is nuts. This is wonderful. This is why we live in "Sacratomato".

Scent of a tomato
Farmers want to cater to connoisseurs
By Jim Downing - Bee Staff Writer

Published 12:00 am PDT Sunday, August 19, 2007
Story appeared in BUSINESS section, Page D1

Organic/IPM techie California gardeners rejoice!

Coming to a California nursery, library, county fair, garden exhibit, or plant clinic near you!

Touch-Screen Pest Management Kiosks

The University of California Statewide IPM Program has developed a touch-screen kiosk to help consumers around the state solve pest problems, protect the environment, and prevent runoff from residential landscapes. Read more.

New Radio Program: Organic Veggie Gardening with Sue

New to me, anyway. I'll have to have a listen!

Listen to - "Organic veggie gardening with Sue"
1240AM KSAC or online at www.1240talkcity.com
on Friday afternoons at 4:00pm
Join us: Fri. August 17th

Saw this on http://sacgardens.org/

Back from Mendo

I didn't have Wi-Fi at the house this time, so I had to restrict my internet use to Wi-Fi hot spots in the village. The only problem with that is that "free" wi-fi is actually quite costly calorically. At Frankie's Ice Cream Parlour, the price was really good pizza and homemade Cowlick's ice cream. I'll also be paying (at the gym) for those excellent lattes from Moody's Organic Coffee Bar.

I went on a couple great bike rides, attended a yoga class, got a massage, hung out with friends and family, took in the incredible scenery, enjoyed regional cheeses, breads, organic wines and coffees, restaurants and more. As always, I didn't get to do everything I wanted and can't wait to go back. Next time I'm determined to expand my Mendocino horizons by trying lake or river kayaking. I think I'll leave sharky ocean kayaking to those fearless outdoorsy folks I admire safely from shore.

Mendocino bound

Back Friday, August 10. Will try to check in via laptop.

West Nile Spray Info

Find out what's going on with West Nile spraying in our area. You can sign up for spray notifications, check mosquito counts in your area, request inspections and more.

FightTheBite.net

UCD bee research center revival?

UCD wants to rebuild bee research center

By Jim Downing - Bee Staff Writer

Published 12:00 am PDT Sunday, July 29, 2007
Story appeared in BUSINESS section, Page D2

Caught my eye this morning

Canna 'Intrigue'





Garden spider breakfast


I've switched out some of the plants in my chair planter. A 'Red Sensation' Cordyline adds some structure and height, and I stuck a mishmash of cuttings and seeds around the rim.

2007 Nature Sweet Tomato Challenge

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 29, 2007

www.naturesweettomatoes.com

GET GROWING NORTHERN CALIFORNIA!

MORE THAN $6,000 TO BE AWARDED TO SACRAMENTO’S BEST BACKYARD GARDENERS

ATTN: LOCAL GARDENERS WITH THE BEST HOMEGROWN TOMATOES

NatureSweet Tomatoes, America’s year-round tomato garden, will partner with Raley’s to bring the Homegrown Tomato Challenge back to Sacramento this August to see who grows the area’s best tomatoes. This year, the overall prize money has increased as well as your chances to win -- two grand prize winners will walk away with $2500 each for the best tomato in both the small and large categories, while runners-up will each receive $250 in prizes.

“Due to feedback from our contest participants and customers over the past few years, we saw a need to select two grand prize winners for this year’s Homegrown Challenge – one for the best small tomato AND one in the large tomato category,” said Kathryn Ault, Director of Marketing for NatureSweet. “Contestants are also thrilled that we’ve increased the overall amount of cash and prizes from $5,000 to $6,000.”

The event will take place on Saturday, August 25 at the Raley’s located at 25025 Blue Ravine Road in Folsom. Visit www.naturesweettomatoes.com for complete contest details or or call toll free at 1-800-315-8209.

Check out last year's winners.

When life gives you lemons...

... make lemonade, lemon bars, and lemon meringue pie.

In Sacramento, it's criminal not to grow citrus. Despite touchy frosts and occasional freezes, we can walk out front or back and pluck oranges, lemons, kumquats, mandarins and other citrus fruits right off the tree most months of the year. That's one of the wonderful things about living here.

In my early twenties as a renter, I was able to pick grapefruits off a large tree from the roof of my Victorian four-plex apartment in midtown Sacramento. Pretty cool. I envied my aunt Eileen for her spectacular mature Washington navel tree that came with her cute bungalow in east Sacramento. Those were the hugest, sweetest oranges... mere steps from her kitchen.

In my late twenties, my husband and I bought our first house, also a little bungalow in east Sacramento... that came with a mature Meyer lemon tree. Meyer lemons can be used like grocery store lemons (Eureka, Lisbon, etc.) but they have a sweetness and unique fragrance that builds nostalgic loyalty. Lemon bars are great, but have you ever had a Meyer lemon bar? Heaven.

I hated selling our little house when we outgrew it, but I mostly hated losing that tree. Anyone buying a house with mature citrus trees is very lucky. A few years ago, I planted several dwarf citrus trees from Four Winds, hoping to have pluckable citrus sometime in the future. I finally do, or I'm about to. My Eureka lemon is so far the most robust tree and it's covered with egg-sized fruits. Ok, so it's not the Meyer, but I'm not complaining. The Meyer I planted in the ground here bit the dust and its replacement is getting established in a half-barrel. I'm also raising orange trees, a kumquat, a lime, and an indiomandarinquat. They're still in that awkward teenage stage.

Will I be in this house long enough to see all my citrus trees mature? Who knows? If not, at least someone else will inherit mature citrus like I did in my first house. For now, though, I'm looking forward to making lemonade and lemon bars... soon. I guess I didn't have to wait too long. Just a few birthdays.

Perfectly Natural Weed Killer

I contacted the company to see where Perfectly Natural Weed 'n Grass Killer could be purchased in greater Sacramento. Green Acres is apparently the only garden center selling it. Picked up a gallon yesterday, having gotten good results from it last year. Only one nursery... in Roseville... carries it? Sheesh!

BTW, the smaller bottle is ready to use, but you need an applicator for the gallon. I'm not sure how I'm going to apply it yet. I have a tank sprayer, but ugh. Maybe I can attach a sprayer directly to the gallon bottle, assuming it's not a concentrate. We'll see.

Ooh, maybe I still have the old ready-to-use bottle!

Green Acres Nursery & Supply
Address: 901 Galleria Blvd Roseville, CA 95678, US (Just South of the Galleria Mall on the right hand side)
Phone: 916-782-2273

Visit to Bushnell Gardens Nursery, Granite Bay, CA

I came home with some fun stuff-- Coleus 'Royal Glissade', Canna 'Intrigue', Agapanthus 'New Blue', Salvia 'Purple Pastel', Salpiglossis Royal Purple and 'Black Heart' potato vine. It was a hot summer afternoon, but a little heat couldn't dim the dazzling array of plants and pots and garden toys at Bushnell's, a beautiful nursery in a beautiful setting.

'Storm Cloud' agapanthus and 'Intrigue' canna were heavily discounted! I'm tempted to go back for more...

http://www.bushnellgardens.com/

Quick thoughts on Blithe Tomato and The $64 Tomato

I thoroughly enjoyed Blithe Tomato. It was written by a small farmer, or rather, a man who farms organically on a small California farm and sells his produce at farmers' markets. The book reads more like a series of personality profiles rather than an unfolding story, yet still paints a rather charming (though clearly not rose-colored) picture of farmers' markets and small-scale farming.

You get a sense from author Mike Madison that his is a rich life, not always monetarily, but in quality. He works with the land, not against it, and his stories reveal a respect for nature and a tender eye toward farmers and farmers' market customers. Madison strings words together in a pretty way, and he's funny. Need I say more? Ok, I will. Blithe Tomato will make you want to slow down and appreciate your bounty, be it agricultural or floral or human or four-legged.

Blithe tomato not only had me fantasizing about working at a farmers' market, it also got me back in the habit of going to farmers' markets in my area. Thank you, Mike. Last week, I tasted the most incredible red-fleshed farmers' market plums of my life.

Trivia fans will appreciate knowing that Mr. Madison is brother to famous foodie Deborah Madison.




With its catchy title, I had high hopes for The $64 Tomato. I'm glad I read it, but author William Alexander's use of nastier and nastier pesticides and excruciatingly detailed accounts of trapping and killing garden invaders left me a little angry, grossed out and sad. Instead of working with the land, Alexander seeks to conquer it before it conquers him. I feel like he didn't give organic gardening enough of a chance. William Alexander desperately needs to read Blithe Tomato.

The garden can wait...

Impatiens balfourii... Poor Man's Orchid

My friend "Weeder" gave me seeds of Impatiens balfourii last year or the year before and I'm happy to see it reseeds prolifically in my front porch pots. It requires shade here in the Valley and in my experience, its water requirements are average. Now that I think about it, I. balfourii tolerates my erratic watering schedule rather well.

Annie's Annuals offers it in pots, but it's super easy from seed. If a friend doesn't have it, try seed swaps (GardenWeb, Dave's Garden) or online sources.





While I was taking a few pictures, Emily wanted to see what all the fuss was about. She clearly thinks the fuss should be all about her, not Impatiens friggin' balfourii.

There's a slug in my garden...

and it's me. Weeds are getting out of control (I ran out of clove spray), there's lots to deadhead, and I still have plants not hooked up to drip despite the fact that I'm leaving for Mendo (woo hoo!) in a couple weeks. On the plus side, there's plenty to harvest in the way of peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, chard and herbs. Strawberries have taken over two of my flowerbeds. Oh, the horror. I am a little leery of harvesting them in areas the dogs "frequent". I really want to try growing strawberries vertically. I tried them in hanging baskets, but the soil dried out too quickly. I'll figure something out.

This morning, I spotted a tomato hornworm on one of my tomato plants! I'm really hoping to see it become parasitized so I can get some good photos. No, I will not squash it or cut it in half, you barbarians. Ew. Double ew. How would you feel if someone cut you in half? Besides, tomato hornworms are amazing looking!

Organic weed control and salsa on my mind...

and according to my blog stats, that's what's on your mind too. You're also thinking about agapanthus, because it's blooming now and even though it assaults you at every intersection, you have to admit it's really pretty and comes in such refreshing shades of blue. Buy blooming cans now so you can get some instant gratification and to ensure you're getting the variety you want. Plus, they're probably on sale.

Right now, we want to know where we can buy or make "natural" herbicides, and we want to make our own salsa. Thanks to the web and helpful bloggers, I now have some excellent salsa recipes. I also know where I can buy herbicides made from natural plant oils.



If I owned a nursery... and if I had a nickel for every time uttered those words, I'd have enough capital to start one... I'd highlight my natural weed control products right about now. I might even be inclined to offer a hot pepper workshop, complete with tastings and cooking demos. And I'd find someone to demonstrate pepper craft. And I'd find a way to provide a nice microbrew and margaritas to chase the chips and salsa. And I suppose I'll have to throw in free rides home, cuz who knew all my customers were such lushes?

Light Brown Apple Moth found in Los Angeles & Solano County

No longer confined to the Bay area... looks like it's heading our way.


Light Brown Apple Moth larva


Female Light Brown Apple Moth


Male Light Brown Apple Moth

(Photos by David Williams, principal scientist, Perennial Horticulture, Department of Primary Industries, Victoria, Australia, via UCD Entomology website)

UCD has a new info page on this new pest:

Light Brown Apple Moth (LBAM)

Eating from the garden

'Gold Rush' zucchini
Genovese basil
'Rainbow' Swiss chard
'Sungold' tomatoes

Stir-fried in one teaspoon of Bariani olive oil... seasoned with garlic, sea salt and cracked pepper

Now, where did I put those dunks?

West Nile found in sample
By Lakiesha McGhee - Bee Staff WriterPublished 12:00 am PDT Monday, July 9, 2007

A mosquito sample collected in the Gibson Ranch area of Sacramento County has tested positive for West Nile virus. The finding was confirmed Friday by the Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District, which routinely collects and tests mosquitoes for disease. The district said it will continue its Mosquito-Borne Disease Management plan by using localized adult mosquito treatments in and around the area where the virus was detected. Response may involve ground and/or aerial treatments, according to a news release.

In Sacramento County this year, three birds and one mosquito sample have tested positive for West Nile virus, which is transmitted to humans and animals through the bite of infected mosquitoes.

For more information, call the district at (800) 429-1022 or visit the Web site http://www.fightthebite.net/.

UC IPM Pest Note on Mosquitoes: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7451.html