Every now and then I check the Smith & Hawken website to see if/when we're getting a store in Sacramento. None coming anytime soon, apparently, but I did discover that we now have a Smith & Hawken "Authorized Dealer" in our area!
Davis Ace Hardware
240 G ST. (behind bldg. A)
Davis, CA 95616
530-758-8000
Woo hoo!
I still think Sacramento is worthy of a full-fledged store. They think we're not tony enough (locations are restricted to Beverly Hills, Walnut Creek, Palo Alto, etc.) and we may not be... but we sure love to garden and spend our hard-earned money on garden accoutrements. Heck, we're tony enough to use words like "accoutrements"! Give us a store! Please? Pretty Please? With a Mercedes Benz on top?
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
I Curse You, Computer Gods!
If you're wondering why the Events Calendar is down, it's because there are demons in the nifty new calendar software program I started using. I spent the time inputting all the fun happenings for May, uploaded them to cyberspace, went back to add a few more dates and kerplooey! Not only had dates disappeared, but some jumped to other dates! Soooooo.... I entered them again, feeling the pain of time lost forever to task tedium. That's how dedicated I am to the avid gardeners of Sacramento. Saved everything often (always save often), uploaded the calendar... and kerplooey... AGAIN! In defeat, the Events Calendar sits unlinked. Contrary to how much time I spend in cyberspace, I do have a life and can't get to it right now. But, hey, you shouldn't be spending money at another plant sale, and you certainly shouldn't be traipsing around another garden tour. Catch up on your laundry. Or spring cleaning. Or get your dates from the Bee, where people actually get paid to do this. ;-)
Monday, April 25, 2005
Cobalt Pot from Berkeley Hort.
In it, I planted a couple Annie's plants and a few annual seedlings from the greenhouse... um, um, viscaria 'Rose Angel', salpiglossis and toadflax 'Confetti' (Linaria maroccana).
Posted by Hello
Sunday, April 24, 2005
East Sacramentans, Rip Up Your Lawns!!!
That goes for all you other Sacramentans as well. Why do I wish you'd all rip up your front lawns and replace them with flowers and goo ga's? Because I've seen Garden Paradise. I've seen what we're missing, having spent a good part of the weekend driving around Berkeley and walking around in Oakland's Rockridge district. Our front yards are too well-behaved! They're... I'm gonna say it... boring! I don't think they accurately reflect our personalities. If they do, then yikes!
Oakland and Berkeley gardeners aren't afraid to let their opinions-- about plants, about art, about recycling, about anything-- show up in the front yard. If big blowsy red roses are dropping petals on the green Volvo still very much supporting John Kerry for president, it ain't no thang! If "Berks" have to slip on their Birks to go out front and do a little extra deadheading because Annie's Annuals and Perennials are blooming shamelessly all over the place, well, hey, crank up The Dead and let's deadhead!
Just remember, your front yard is YOUR front yard. Do whatever you want with it. Plant corn if you want to. Display that clay thing your kid made in art class. Buy one of those mooning garden gnomes and nestle it under your azaleas before they die of plant boredom. You know you want to... Put a little cafe table out front. Sit at it while drinking your coffee or your green tea. Shake things up a little.
I didn't feel like lugging around camera gear on this trip. Boy am I sorry now...
Almost forgot... I popped in to Berkeley Hort. and left with a couple Annie's plants and a gorgeous (yet reasonably priced) cobalt blue pot.
Oakland and Berkeley gardeners aren't afraid to let their opinions-- about plants, about art, about recycling, about anything-- show up in the front yard. If big blowsy red roses are dropping petals on the green Volvo still very much supporting John Kerry for president, it ain't no thang! If "Berks" have to slip on their Birks to go out front and do a little extra deadheading because Annie's Annuals and Perennials are blooming shamelessly all over the place, well, hey, crank up The Dead and let's deadhead!
Just remember, your front yard is YOUR front yard. Do whatever you want with it. Plant corn if you want to. Display that clay thing your kid made in art class. Buy one of those mooning garden gnomes and nestle it under your azaleas before they die of plant boredom. You know you want to... Put a little cafe table out front. Sit at it while drinking your coffee or your green tea. Shake things up a little.
I didn't feel like lugging around camera gear on this trip. Boy am I sorry now...
Almost forgot... I popped in to Berkeley Hort. and left with a couple Annie's plants and a gorgeous (yet reasonably priced) cobalt blue pot.
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
Medallion & Peace roses
Two of my fave hybrid teas, 'Medallion' and 'Peace', are blooming. Scored these at Home Depot last fall for next to nothing. Also got 'J.F.K.' and 'Chrysler Imperial' at the same time. 'Medallion' blossoms are HUGE!!!
Posted by Hello
containerized Roma tomato plant
My most mature tomatoes, Romas, currently growing in a 5 gallon container and recently sprung from the greenhouse. Most of my other tom. plants aren't nearly as far along.
Posted by Hello
Thursday, April 14, 2005
Mother Nature done be makin' a fool outta me...
My frozen fingers were barely able to dial Emigh Hardware's phone number to check stock on Wall O' Waters for my shivering in-ground tomato babies. They're holding two packages for me.
Friday, April 08, 2005
What the...
Tornado Warning
SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA
339 PM PDT FRI APR 8 2005
CAC067-082300-
/O.CON.KSTO.TO.W.0007.000000T0000Z-050408T2300Z/
SACRAMENTO CA-
339 PM PDT FRI APR 8 2005
...A TORNADO WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 400 PM PDT FOR NORTHERN
SACRAMENTO COUNTY...
AT 330 PM PDT...LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED A TORNADO NEAR TRUXEL
AND INTERSTATE 80 WITH DAMAGE TO VEHICLES. DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUES
TO INDICATE STRONG ROTATION NEAR THE INTERSTATE 80 SPLIT WITH THE
CAPITOL CITY FREEWAY. ADDITIONAL TORNADOS ARE POSSIBLE!
LAT...LON 3871 12152 3847 12145 3845 12104 3871 12111
SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA
339 PM PDT FRI APR 8 2005
CAC067-082300-
/O.CON.KSTO.TO.W.0007.000000T0000Z-050408T2300Z/
SACRAMENTO CA-
339 PM PDT FRI APR 8 2005
...A TORNADO WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 400 PM PDT FOR NORTHERN
SACRAMENTO COUNTY...
AT 330 PM PDT...LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED A TORNADO NEAR TRUXEL
AND INTERSTATE 80 WITH DAMAGE TO VEHICLES. DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUES
TO INDICATE STRONG ROTATION NEAR THE INTERSTATE 80 SPLIT WITH THE
CAPITOL CITY FREEWAY. ADDITIONAL TORNADOS ARE POSSIBLE!
LAT...LON 3871 12152 3847 12145 3845 12104 3871 12111
Sunday, April 03, 2005
Millions of Painted Ladies Migrate through Sacto!
Posted by Hello
The main wave began Monday, March 28, but this straggler stopped by my backyard, today, April 3.
SacBee.com article on painted lady migration
Friday, March 25, 2005
Mendocino, March '05
Posted by Hello
Just got back from a trip to beloved Mendocino... Pride of Madeira, Echium candicans (E. fastuosum) is in full bloom there right now. Gorgeous!!! The taller echiums, wildprettii I think, bloom later. I'd recently admired E. candicans freeway plantings on the way to the bay area for the S.F. Flower & Garden Show.
I'd love to try E. candicans in my yard... The E. wildprettii I brought back from Mendocino two summers ago is sending up its first flower spike right now, so I might do o.k. with E. candicans as well. These are coast-preferring plants, but under the right conditions, we can get them to grow and bloom.
This photo was taken in the backyard of the house we rented. When I wasn't flower watching, I was busy whale watching!
Saturday, March 19, 2005
S.F. Flower & Garden Show
Went yesterday... What did I score at the vendors' booths?
Orchid plants: I suggest perusing each booth, comparing selection and prices and then returning to buy. Having such a wide selection in one area is a bit overwhelming, but there is quite a bit of difference in vendor pricing, so that's a good way to narrow your choices. I ended up buying from Valley Orchids, Inc. from Morgan Hill.
Cool metal stakes: I'm a sucker for rusted metal garden art and this time I scored two butterflies on wavy stakes attached at the base. They came from Susan Regert's company, "Z" Garden Party. Love 'em. Also got a single butterfly to stick in my herb box from the same vendor... and a copper star stake with marbles on the points from Jardinage Copper and Cedar Garden Art.
Words of warning: pack a nice lunch (last year's passable teriyaki vendor is gone and the alternatives are awful and expensive unless you want 2 soggy, underheated chicken tacos and a coke for $11!) and plan on getting out of there early enough or late enough to skip the afternoon commute (good luck on that one).
This year's garden vignettes left me a little flat. I saw several wilting plants, the few designs that stood out only did so because of shock value, and none of them made me say, "Wow, that's beautiful!" Last year's were much better in my opinion. I'd like to see something a little more reality-based next year. None of my favorite bay area landscape designers did the show this year. Hmmm... maybe there's a story there. The Cow Palace still needs a lighting makeover.
If you have a chance, attend one of the many interesting seminars! Matter o'fact, I'd say the seminars and shopping options are the show's strengths.
Orchid plants: I suggest perusing each booth, comparing selection and prices and then returning to buy. Having such a wide selection in one area is a bit overwhelming, but there is quite a bit of difference in vendor pricing, so that's a good way to narrow your choices. I ended up buying from Valley Orchids, Inc. from Morgan Hill.
Cool metal stakes: I'm a sucker for rusted metal garden art and this time I scored two butterflies on wavy stakes attached at the base. They came from Susan Regert's company, "Z" Garden Party. Love 'em. Also got a single butterfly to stick in my herb box from the same vendor... and a copper star stake with marbles on the points from Jardinage Copper and Cedar Garden Art.
Words of warning: pack a nice lunch (last year's passable teriyaki vendor is gone and the alternatives are awful and expensive unless you want 2 soggy, underheated chicken tacos and a coke for $11!) and plan on getting out of there early enough or late enough to skip the afternoon commute (good luck on that one).
This year's garden vignettes left me a little flat. I saw several wilting plants, the few designs that stood out only did so because of shock value, and none of them made me say, "Wow, that's beautiful!" Last year's were much better in my opinion. I'd like to see something a little more reality-based next year. None of my favorite bay area landscape designers did the show this year. Hmmm... maybe there's a story there. The Cow Palace still needs a lighting makeover.
If you have a chance, attend one of the many interesting seminars! Matter o'fact, I'd say the seminars and shopping options are the show's strengths.
Monday, March 14, 2005
Sprinklers and Puppies
Turned on the spray heads in one of my flowerbeds this morning only to discover that the heads were spraying toward the fence instead of on plants. Turns out my darling little sprinkler-eating doggies have been gnawing on the heads when I'm not around.
I tried adjusting one head with the water on. Lesson learned? Don't do sprinkler repairs pre-coffee... screwing counterclockwise results in a fountain and drenching of said repair person. I'm awake now, anyway.
I tried adjusting one head with the water on. Lesson learned? Don't do sprinkler repairs pre-coffee... screwing counterclockwise results in a fountain and drenching of said repair person. I'm awake now, anyway.
Saturday, March 12, 2005
Speaking of popcorn...
I just bought a new cordless electric mulching mower from Emigh Hardware, another popcorn-dishing nursery/hardware store. My 16+ year old Ryobi cordless electric mower finally bit the dust when it sustained water damage. Ryobi no longer makes cordless electric mowers, apparently, and it appears Black & Decker has a lock on the market with the B&D CMM1000. It ain't cheap at $449.99, but it happened to be on sale at Emigh for $429 AND they're delivering it for FREE... ASSEMBLED! Dontcha love Emigh? Not only that, I was able to order the mower over the phone. It couldn't have been easier.
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