Sunday at Cheryl's place...

is always colorful. In between trying to attract some particular bird visitor with a tub of Birdacious Bark Butter, knocking over a cement egret (or whatever that thing is), and making sure Phoebe the dog didn't literally bowl me over with canine enthusiasm, Cheryl walked the yard with me to scout for blooms and other camera-worthy slices of the garden.

Here are just a few. The big deal that got me out of the house on this lazy Sunday was the fact that the Stapelia her daughter gave her was in bloom for the first time. That, alone, made it worth getting out of my pajamas. I had to see that thing in the flesh. Oh, and it was nice seeing Cheryl too. ;-)














It may look like she's strangling that bird, but she's actually trying to keep it from falling over. I think.




11 inches!


Carrion Plant (Stapelia gigantea)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stapelia_gigantea

I was hoping for a hint of its reported "rotting meat" scent and maybe a few flies, but it didn't smell like anything. I'll bet if we get a warm day, though, Cheryl might end up moving that beauty off the front porch.

Lost in Translation

OK, you guys gotta check out this French blog post about my blog. Can't read a lick of it, but it looks like a really cool blog!

http://paradisexpress.blogspot.com/

As bloggers, we have the ability to see who's linking to our blogs, and my curious nature has me checking every now and then, especially when I'm avoiding an unpleasant task or tasks.

When I followed the link, I saw that the post was written in French, a language I had a brief fling with in my freshman year of high school. Needless to say, French and I parted way as friends, but with my foreign language skills virginity still intact. In other words, I have no idea what this blogger was saying about my blog.

So I Babel Fished it. The translation sheds a little light, but remains fascinatingly cryptic.

From this...

"Très joli blog d'Angela Pratt, qui vit vers Sacramento dans le nord de la Californie où elle ballade son appareil photo. c'est chez elle que j'ai repéré cette graminée barbapapa."

I got this...

"Very pretty blog d' Angela Pratt, which lives towards Sacramento in the north of California where it ballade its camera. c' is at it that j' located this graminaceous barbapapa."

Better French students than I... I need a better translation and I've got to know what is meant by this "graminaceous barbapapa"! It sounds so... so... well... kind of Italian, actually. Not that I speak Italian.

Coupon alert- Windmill Nursery

One of my favorite local nurseries is offering a 20% off coupon through my gardening website, SacramentoGardening.com! I've never charged nurseries for a listing on my homespun site, but I decided it was a genius idea to offer coupon space. Why? Because it benefits you, the gardener... me, the web slave... and any nursery wanting to increase foot traffic.

Windmill is a family-run nursery, manager Andrew has a hort. degree from UC Davis, their plants are meticulously cared for, and they carry a wide selection of... well... everything-- native plants, interesting perennials, Annie's Annuals and perennials, water plants, Christmas trees, herbs, bonsai starters, succulents, trees, shrubs, grasses, gifts, seeds, bulbs, organic products and more. They had me at Annie's Annuals, really, but I also really appreciate all the other stuff. See my Windmill-related blog posts.

Anyway, check it out! Print that baby and get over there before the coupon expires. It's still fall, which we all know is the best time for Californians to plant just about everything. It's also a great time to do a little Christmas shopping and Windmill goes all out this time of year.

When you use your coupon, report back and let us know what you got!

November splendor

My tree dahlias (Dahlia imperialis) are right on schedule. I first noticed buds at the beginning of November... way high up in the sky... approaching twenty feet... despite the fact that I cut them back in summer in an apparently futile attempt at shorter, bushier plants.

So, yeah, this is year three and I think it's safe to say that tree dahlias will grow for extreme gardeners in Sacramento. They're crazy fun-- way too tall, prone to toppling from strong wind gusts, and might be snuffed out at the first cold snap before the buds open. But OMG, when you see those sky-scraping pink flowers you'll want to yell, "The tree dahlias are blooming! The tree dahlias are blooming!" with the same level of excitement Navin Johnson expressed when the new phone books arrived.


Mexican bush sage (Salvia leucantha), pink sedum (now yellow, with brown seedheads), and spent agapanthus

In the last few years, I've been trying to provide overwintering hummingbirds with a source of homegrown nectar. Why? Because I'm too lazy to keep fresh nectar in my hummingbird feeders. The mixing... the boiling... the pouring... the storing. The doing it all over again. Ugh.

So far, Salvia and Cuphea have made November more nectarrific and colorful. Since November 4, doesn't it seem like everything is just a little bit more sparkly?


Giant Cigar Plant (Cuphea micropetala)


Hummingbird Sage (Salvia spathacea)


It's a big, bushy, sprawling plant with lovely gray-green leaves.


Purple oxalis and Corokia cotoneaster in a pot.


Mushrooms, oak leaves, and nasturtiums

Greenlee event recap

I really enjoyed John Greenlee's grass talk on Saturday at the lovely Sierra 2 Center in Curtis Park. Greenlee seems to be aiming to broaden our concept of what a "lawn" can be. It doesn't have to be fertilized and watered and mown within an inch of its life; Instead, you can simulate a mini-meadow using undulating waves of ornamental perennial grasses. And while you're at it, why not sprinkle in a few native bulbs or wildflowers? How does mowing once a year sound?



Achieving a meadow look on a small scale, and in a way that dares to please even your fussiest neighbors, can be accomplished. But you want to have a plan in place before you kill your sod.

Read all you can about ornamental grasses, see what's native or suited to our Mediterranean climate, and seriously consider calling an APLD member for help. Many APLD designers attended Mr. Greenlee's seminar and are probably pretty fired up about ornamental grasses and meadow gardens. Hey, if Greenlee's famous clients like Diane Keaton can kick the grass habit, so can we.

One of the grasses Greenlee talked about a lot was California native grass Carex pansa. It's cute and he had some for sale at the post-seminar plant sale. One audience member asked for a deer-resistant grass recommendation. Know what he said? Deergrass, Muhlenbergia rigens. They may bed down in it, but apparently they won't eat it. Your roses, on the other hand...



You can get a taste of Greenlee's presentation by checking out his website's Products page. There's a slideshow, plant list and plant gallery.

Eye-catching yards

Thought I'd share a couple garden elements that caught my eye on a recent bike ride through a nearby neighborhood. Right now with the leaves turning, flowers still blooming and ornamental grasses in peak plumage, it's a great time to hop on your bike or go for a walk in the greater Sacramento area. Hurry, before winter chaps all our... um... grasses.




How cool is this rock wall planted with Echeveria?!


Beautiful example of an autumn-focused plant palette

Too distracted to garden much

My thoughts lately have been consumed not by gardening, but with the election. I'm fine to ignore my garden right now. It's autumn and plant growth has slowed to an enjoyable pace. The election, though, is peaking with only two weeks left before perhaps the most important vote in our lifetime. There can be no Garden Bliss when one is in Election Hell.
















To soothe myself, I read my Mark Morford, my CNN... I watch my SNL, my Daily Show... I bite my fingernails... while my bulb auger sits in the garage untouched.

I count the Obama yard signs on the morning drive to my son's school. I curse their absence every time a thief sweeps through in the night, leaving the inexplicable McCain/Palin signs untouched.

And this is California, where Obama is in like Flynn. Still, I fret. Like Obama said, "Don't get cocky". When someone steals your yard signs, buy more. When someone sprays hateful graffiti all over your fence, repaint as soon as possible.


Like these guys did.

What prompted me to grab my slightly dusty camera this morning was the un-ignorable light shining on a few unexpected orchid cactus blooms and buds. In late October! While walking the yard, I discovered my little Annie dog in one of my half-barrels, triumphantly digging up an acorn planted by a squirrel she hopes to finally catch one day. To Eukanuba-fed Annie, pure sport; To the squirrel, an investment lost to a fatcat chihuahua.

We all have our dreams and desires... sometimes clashing and sometimes meshing. At least I know I'm not alone. Here's someone who has a worse case of Restless Voter Syndrome (RVS) than I do.

Digging Dog Nursery at McKinley!

FYI, Sacramento gardeners... here's a reminder from the Sacramento Perennial Plant Club that one of our most fabulous northern California nurseries is giving a talk on Fall color in the garden. Yes, there will be plants for sale!

October Program Speaker
Deborah Whigham, owner Digging Dog Nursery
Fall Color in the Garden
Shepard Garden and Arts Center
McKinley Park
Thursday October 23, 2008 at 7:00 PM

Deborah Whigham and her husband Gary Ratway are the owners of Digging Dog Nursery, a family run mail-order plant nursery. Situated on the Mendocino Coast in Northern California, their mail-order nursery has been growing high quality perennials, ornamental grasses, shrubs, trees, and vines for 20 years. If you are visiting the Mendocino area, call the nursery to schedule a visit. This is a wonderful nursery. Deborah loves to encourage gardeners to plant for fall color and will share her knowledge of plants using pictures and plant material she will clip from her own garden and the nursery gardens. Deborah will also bring plants for sale.

http://www.sacramentoperennialplantclub.org/
http://www.diggingdog.com/

John Greenlee Event: Sacramento

(Photo from greenleenursery.com)

The California chapter of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD) is hosting The California Lawn Revolution, a seminar and plant sale by renowned ornamental grass expert John Greenlee.

When? Saturday, October 25
What time?

• 10-12 pm Seminar by John Greenlee.
• 12 pm John's collection of grasses available for purchase.

If you're an ornamental grass fan, you probably already own Mr. Greenlee's book, The Encyclopedia of Ornamental Grasses: How to Grow and Use Over 250 Beautiful and Versatile Plants



If you're interested in joining the California Lawn Revolution, you won't want to miss this seminar and plant sale.

Here's the blurb from the APLD website:

John's passion to reinvent America 's lawn culture will educate and inspire you to do the same.

• Founder of Greenlee Nursery, the West Coast's largest ornamental grass nursery.
• The John Greenlee Collection of Grasses is sold nationally by Proven Winners and Smith & Hawken.
• Author of the best-selling book The Encyclopedia of Ornamental Grasses and the upcoming Meadows by Design.
• His award-winning garden designs have been featured in numerous publications including Sunset & Garden Design.
• His clients include Disneyland, San Diego Zoo, Getty Center , Hess Winery, Eric Clapton & Steven Spielberg.

John's collection of grasses will available for purchase following the event.

Cost: The seminar is $20 in advance or $25 at the door.

Mail check to Sacramento APLD, 3755 Esperanza Dr., Sacramento, CA 95864.

There is a private reception and champagne brunch from 9-10am for APLD members and guests. No charge for APLD members with paid admission to the event, limited to the first 50 members to respond. $10 charge for guests.

Location: Sierra 2 Theatre, 2791 24th Street, Sacramento, CA 95818

Sponsored by: Sacramento District

View Larger Map

Rio Americano High School Garden Tour

My son's high school is having a garden tour this Sunday! Come check out the gardens, art, chat with Master Gardeners, enjoy refreshments, and melodious live performances by the current crop of Rio's award-winning band members.

Outdoor Living Tour 2008

The annual Rio Americano Garden Tour will be held Sunday, September 28th from 11:00am to 4:00 pm. Unique gardens with exquisite design and imaginative detail in the neighborhoods surrounding the Rio Americano attendance area. Master Gardeners will be available at the gardens to answer questions and provide tips along with outdoor- related vendors. In addition, entertainment will be provided by Rio’s award winning bands. The proceeds will benefit the Rio Americano PTSA Landscape Projects and the General PTSA Fund.

Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door.

For further info please contact Debbie Munter, dmunter@surewest.net or Dania Lukey dlukey@surewest.net

2009 Master Gardener Calendar

(Colorful cover art and interior black & white and semi-transparent illustrations by Susan Poirier)

I'm enjoying my advance copy of the 2009 Sacramento County UC Master Gardeners Gardening Guide and Calendar. This year's popular theme is "Savoring Home Grown". Printed on off-white recycled paper with embedded bits of color flecks, each month features harvest-ready vegetables.

For instance, September tells you it's time to harvest melons, how to determine ripeness and how to store your melons once picked. There's plenty of space to add your own notes on the calendar pages.



In addition to Harvest This Month, other categories include:

Garden Maintenance
Pest Notes
Be Water Wise
Try Something New

At the back of the calendar, you'll find two very handy charts-

Vegetables: A Guide for Cultivation in the Sacramento Area Sacramento Vegetable Planting Schedule (Yes!)

And finally...
How to Have a Happy Lawn

Calendars are available at the UC Cooperative Extension Office, 4145 Branch Center Road, Sacramento, 875-6913 and soon at most nursery locations in the Sacramento County area.

Here's to a delicious new year!

UC Davis Good Life Garden

Hey, fellow foodie gardeners... check this out!



Click on thumbnail for large version (PDF) or visit the website: http://goodlifegarden.ucdavis.edu/events/

When: Saturday, September 27, 2008
Where: Sciences Lecture Hall & Courtyard
Time: 4:30 pm
Includes: Three speakers and a "Taste of the Region"
Cost: $75 per Person

You can buy tickets online.

NatureSweet's Homegrown Tomato Challenge

Hey, a fellow Carmichaelian won the grand prize!

$6,000 IN PRIZES AWARDED TO BEST BACKYARD GARDENERS

NatureSweet Tomatoes congratulates Bob Peruch of Carmichael for winning the $2,500 grand prize in the small tomato category at the August 23 Homegrown Tomato Challenge. Peruch won the competition with his Gardeners Delight variety of tomatoes. NatureSweet Tomatoes also congratulates Lin Cole of Citrus Heights for winning the other $2,500 grand prize in the large tomato category. Cole won the competition with her unknown variety of tomatoes. This year’s competition was held at the Raley’s located at 25025 Blue Ravine Road in Folsom.

While Peruch and Cole can now claim to be two of America’s best tomato gardeners, they each faced stiff competition by the following runners-up, who all received a $250 store voucher for their premium tomato entries: August Spagnolo (Sweet 100), Kaitlyn Shupe (Small Cherry),Jan Decker (Bonnie Hubby),and Bryan Sattler (Black Krim).

Six finalists were chosen from 280 entries. NatureSweet’s distinguished judges included Pat Rubin, The Sacramento Bee; Robbie Guggenheim, Edible Sacramento; Michael Marks, Your Produce Man; Al Pierleoni, The Sacramento Bee; Judy McClure, Sacramento County Master Gardeners, Chuck Person, Sacramento Kings Assistant Coach; and Michael Schutt, Raley’s.

Finalists were chosen based on a Brix test which determines tomato sweetness -- the higher the Brix number, the better the taste. The finalists were then taste-tested by the judge’s panel. All tomato entries – approximately 600 pounds of tomatoes – were donated to the Twin Lakes Food Bank after the Challenge.

Now in its sixth year, the popular Homegrown Tomato Challenge continues to trek across the country as NatureSweet seeks out America’s best homegrown tomatoes.

What's my name?

I'm cute, about a foot tall, have slightly succulent-looking foliage, and am growing in full sun at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens in Fort Bragg, California. Sadly, I have no identification. Can anybody tell me my name, preferably in Latin?

North Star Nursery

Finally... both free time and motivation bumped into each other at the same and I'm blogging more of my Mendo trip. After my second visit to the nearby Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens, I popped into North Star Nursery. I was looking for fairy wands (none in stock), but left with a few succulents and a fun new phormium. Love the peace sign... and how great are those pillow stepping stones... and no, they wouldn't be "so easy to make". You go right ahead.

Nouvelle Images Home Stickers

At super cool Racine's Office & Art Supplies in Fort Bragg, CA, I was wowed by their display of Nouvelle Images Home Stickers. These larger than life photo-realistic wall stickers are fabulous! I was torn between their selection of iceland poppies, saucer magnolias, stones and orchids, and Japanese anemones. In the end, the Japanese anemones lured me with their pink daintiness. When in doubt, pick pink I always say. Works especially well for flowers, lipstick and cute tops. May not work as well with cars, houses and financial portfolios.

Check these out. Seriously, you're gonna love 'em. If you can't find them locally, try amazon.com or allposters.com.

Naked Ladies

My Naked Ladies (Amaryllis belladonna) are blooming right now in my Carmichael yard, and they were also blooming (some just spiking) in Mendocino during my trip a couple weeks ago. I wanted to point out this website showing pics of a wide variety of Naked Lady hybrids. The link appeared at the end of a recent S.F. Chronicle article. My friend, Weeder, has some and I wonder if they're as tough as A. belladonna. They're pretty... and tempting to someone who doesn't just garden, but also collects. Pictured above is a variety growing in Weeder's garden. x Amarcrinum?

A mere morsel...

of Mendocino. Here I am (behind my sexy camera), shopping at the nursery... at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens. Have I died and gone to Heaven? Yes! Wait... there's more... they happen to serve the best handmade ice cream on the planet... in the most beautiful place (I've seen so far) on the planet. I highly recommend the coffee ice cream. Extensively researched. The grilled cheese panini sandwich was no slouch, either. Hey, and you know what? The man next in line was from Sacramento. Small world... town... whatever. Stay tuned for more pics.