Tilthy Rich

Spring in Winter

2012-02-06T13:41:00.001-08:00

Sweet spring smell from these hyacinthes in the middle of winter. :) I love forcing bulbs. It's quite simple: I put a handful of marbles at the bottom of this glass bowl, plopped on a few bulbs and added water just above the base of the bulb. Within days you will see them taking off, and in a few weeks you'll have sweet scents and bold color in the middle of winter!

Guerilla Grafters

2012-01-05T15:00:00.000-08:00

The guerilla gardening movement has turned a new leaf. And that leaf just may be growing on a grafted branch! The Guerilla Grafters is a group whose mission is to graft branches of fruit-bearing tree varieties onto their already established ornamental cousins in the neighborhoods of San Francisco. It's yet another creative method of agriculturalizing the urban landscape. Check out this article below:
http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/2012/01/renegade-arborists-hope-sow-fruit-trees-san-francisco#.TwYlIVk2HJk.facebook

Will it provide another source of local food or more street clean-up? Munchies or Mess?? I'm on team munchies, but what do YOU think?

Natural Ornaments

2011-12-16T10:32:00.000-08:00

Nature has revealed her California Christmas Tree. Pomegranates ripen and harden into beautiful bright bulbs!

Oak trees may have lost their leaves, but only to show off bold minty green lichen and tree moss...much more stunning in person than this photo shows.

Googly Eyes Gardener

2011-11-10T15:04:00.000-08:00

I have so many houseplants; perhaps I should take some security measures as suggested! :P

One man's trash bin...

2011-11-10T11:45:00.001-08:00

...is another man's garden. Fun mobile garden downtown on the alley of the SFMoMa parking garage.

Marijuana Medicale!

2011-09-17T13:44:00.001-07:00

These babies are a couple of medicinal marijuana plants in my backyard. California law allows a person possessing a medical marijuana card to grow plants for personal use only. Counties/cities have individual rules on how many plants one can grow. The rule in San Francisco: patients allowed up to 24 plants or 25 square feet of canopy; dispensary gardens capped at 99 plants in 100 square feet. Possession limit 8 oz. dried cannabis per patient.

I have never grown it before, but it is looking exquisitely healthy and definitely has that pungent scent to it. Buds are forming already. I can already imagine what the harvest party will be like! I just hope my garden can provide other veggies for those in attendance. I'm sure folks will hungry. :P

Harvested Today!

2011-08-21T18:03:00.001-07:00

Grilling zucchini this afternoon...adding some spicy arugula to zap it up! I'm not a man of fortune or fame, but nothing makes me feel more valuable than a simple harvest. :) Who's with me??

I'll be attempting to sautee' dandelion greens as well... experimenting keeps things interesting!

Industrial Greening

2011-08-19T11:12:00.000-07:00

On the corner of Bryant St. and 10th St....nine blocks from my house in San Francisco, is a fantastic example of a very artistic green-wall installation. Comprised of mostly succulents, and with a wide array of shapes and flowering specimens. The cascading vines seen in the photo are actually wild strawberry plant trailers.

With its myriad warehouses, this part of town is quite industrial and lacking much greenery, so what a treat to see this creative planting blocks from my house.

Carrot Teen

2011-08-08T18:32:00.001-07:00

First carrot I've ever harvested from the Tilthy Rich garden. Might get a couple more this season...starting small. :)

House of Salad

2011-08-02T23:50:00.001-07:00

Put ur hands up if u know the feeling of eating straight from ur garden! Tri-color string beans, spicy arugula, & Thai basil...all harvested today.

Surprise Guest

2011-07-29T12:58:00.001-07:00

This showed up in my garden this year. I don't know how it got there but she's a keeper!

PurpleYellowPurpleYellow!

2011-07-18T14:46:00.001-07:00

Purple & Yellow string bean harvest started yesterday!

Keep Your Laws Off My Garden

2011-07-08T12:27:00.000-07:00

Because I am a huge proponent of the "food not lawns" movement, I had to share this story outof Detroit demonstrating the struggle to change peoples', and governments', view of what is the "right way" to garden. Let Julie Garden! Let Julie Garden!!!

http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/news/local/julie-bass-of-oak-park-faces-misdemeanor-charge-for-vegetable-garden-20110630-wpms

Chocolate-scented Orchid

2011-06-29T15:32:00.001-07:00

A sweet chocolate scent greeted me when I walked in the door today. :)

Fingerling Food

2011-06-20T20:32:00.001-07:00

Small harvest of fingerling potatoes gathered while making room for a few new additions. Perfect when steamed until a fork goes through with the slightest give. Pepper and a dollop of sour cream. Yum!

The Black (foliage) Dahlia

2011-06-15T10:35:00.001-07:00

The Black (foliage) Dahlia

Juanita Eats Out is Easy To Swallow

2011-06-06T18:33:00.000-07:00

My dear friend Juanita MORE!...Performer, DJ, tireless Fundraiser, and Mother to many throughout San Francisco and beyond...has recently given birth to a blog about her true love - FOOD. Find recipes, restaurants, and great reading presented in a simple, easy-to-swallow format.

Without further ado, I give you Juanita Eats Out.

Bottlebrush Tree

2011-06-06T11:19:00.001-07:00

San Francisco has a varied array of sidewalk trees. One of my favorites is the Bottlebrush tree (Callistemon rigidus).

From the photos, you can certainly see why they named it as such. It's nice to re-explore the beauty of such a plant. I see them constantly around the city, and have admittedly become a bit immune to their striking blooms. I thought it a good time to become re-infected with their beauty. :)

2011-05-26T14:06:00.001-07:00

Current Conservatory of Flowers Exhibit

Stre-e-e-e-tch It Out!

2011-05-09T11:25:00.001-07:00

Nearly tripped over this guy on my walk to the grocery store!

Growing High

2011-04-27T11:32:00.000-07:00

Can you spot the little rooftop veggie garden??

For My Snow Be-fallen Buddies Out There

2011-04-20T10:20:00.001-07:00

In full bloom...

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Love Thy Neighborhood

2011-04-04T13:18:00.001-07:00

The mission district of SF is known for its warmer micro-climate, Latin American cultural influence, and its many murals.

The sidewalk garden at the corner of Bryant St and 21st St is only a year old but as you can see the plants have really taken off to fill the space.

This building with its out-of-the-world mural is home to Asiento, a new bar/lounge/club with great Sunday brunch....one block from my house!

Most, if not all, of the plants in the garden are native to the bay area and/or drought-tolerant.

A wonderful treat to pass by on my way to grab a bottle of wine from the corner store. :)

A Little Help From My Friends

2011-04-01T14:15:00.001-07:00

My little helper today...

Undeniably Spring!

2011-03-31T10:31:00.001-07:00

Sowing Spring

2011-03-29T20:11:00.001-07:00

On this beautiful Tuesday afternoon I did some garden chores after work. I had a sprawling oregano plant (more like a bush!) that I plucked up and divided. The healthiest sections I potted up for friends and neighbors. In its place I planted a kangaroo paw I rescued from work. Straight into the earth I planted seeds: sweet onion, red carrot, and the spring classic snap peas. And my tomato seeds are planted in start pots in the greenhouse. :)

Less Concrete. More Jungle.

2011-02-16T19:34:00.000-08:00

It just keeps getting better! I had previously posted an entry on Sidewalk Greening in San Francisco explaining that the city offered support in helping to expediate permits to take up sidewalk and offering a resource list. They have now gone a step further and offer FREE Saturday (9am-10am) workshops to any aspiring concrete gardener. They are held once a month from February through November 2011. Clicking on the photos should allow you to read the exact dates with a more detailed explanation of the workshops.

To the sidewalk on my block: Be afraid... Be very afraid. We're coming for you.

More Info visit www.sfbotanicalgarden.org/Grey2Green

Or Call: 415-661-1316 Ext. 456

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day!

2011-02-15T13:33:00.001-08:00

Blooming Magnolia sidewalk tree in San Francisco.

Nest Fest

2011-02-11T08:36:00.001-08:00

This year the deck just might morph closer to its full potential. There really aren't many plants out there...a small lemon tree, some spider plants, a fern on the shady side, and since just yesterday, a few seeded pots. Perhaps this is the year it goes green. Lounging in lush surroundings just outside my door would be the best! I'm not going to go overboard and pretend I'll create paradise in one season, but will be happy with any further evolution of the space that I create. :)

EMANCIPATION PROPAGATION!

2011-02-10T14:29:00.001-08:00

I'm free to start seeds! Thai basil, Purple Petra basil, Bloomsdale spinach, and a lettuce mix patch in pots on my deck. What are you propagating?? Maybe something indoors to shake the winter blues??

More Spring Splendor

2011-02-10T10:45:00.001-08:00

A huge acacia tree in full bloom south of San Francisco.

My Walk To The Grocery Store

2011-02-08T17:57:00.001-08:00

Cherry Blossoms

SPRUNG!

2011-02-04T15:14:00.001-08:00

In the hood.

2011-02-03T16:03:00.001-08:00

Spring in the Bay Area!

Blue Water Winery: Viticulture-Shock!

2011-01-25T19:46:00.001-08:00

On a recent trip back home to Michigan's "Thumb", I discovered that a winery has been built just around the corner from the farm where I grew up! Blue Water Winery is the first and only winery in the region. At a time when Michigan's economy is quite lack-luster, it's great to see this sort of entreprenerial spirit taking off. My pal Martha and I stopped into the Old Town Hall Winery in Lexington, located about 10 miles south of where the grapes are grown. Once the actual town hall of the village, then the town drug store(for the bulk of my childhood), then empty for years, the building now hosts the tasting bar, wine on display for purchase, and a grand piano. The hall is also available for hosting events, where one of the pioneers of the winery, Connie, loves to play and sing. Well, she points out that we should not be sung to so much as sing along, giving the place a welcoming communal vibe. Steve, the co-pioneer, guided Martha and I through our flight of wine. $3 for tasting 3 of their wines. Steve didn't stop there...he insisted we try one more...then just one more... We tried them all, each accompanied by a description and background of course.

Oh, and you MUST ask Steve and Connie about the "Body Bags Story". Tell him Ronnie sent you!

2011-01-06T13:30:00.001-08:00

Final orchid to re-bloom is now fully open!

2011-01-06T13:21:00.001-08:00

Brrrr! Frost today in the South Bay!

Utsuwa Floral Design (or Where to Buy a Mogwai)

2010-12-15T18:01:00.001-08:00

I recently stumbled upon a small novelty floral design shop on Polk St. (Link to Map). Utsuwa Floral Design has the feel of a quirky curio-shop cum museum. Had I bought something, I might have expected it to come with a warning: 1) Keep it away from bright light, 2) Don't get any water on it, and 3) Never, never ever feed it after midnight. But these were just plants, right?...??? No, Gizmo, Noooo! Alive with bonsai, terrariums, and water-plant craftings, it's quite a magical feeling just to be inside. And I think anyone who regularly reads garden blogs would be thrilled with a gift from within!

I introduced myself as a budding garden blogger to the shop's owner, Hiro. He is recently from Japan and opened the boutique just over a month ago. He has the most gentle demeanor and upon meeting him you see the passion and care he has for his creations. If you are in San Francisco, please do stop in and check this place out. And tell Hiro (and Gizmo?) I say konnichiwa!

2010-12-02T11:54:00.001-08:00

Keg planters in front of PHAT Philly's on 24th @ Valencia st.

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Paige Bros. Clipper Garden

2010-12-01T16:51:00.001-08:00

Today I got a chance to stop in the Paige Bros. Clipper Garden in the Noe Valley neighborhood here in San Francisco. It's a wedge of land located right between Clipper St and Grand View Ave, and has an entrance on Clipper Terrace.

I could not find much history of the garden online, but it I believe its this garden that was the very first community garden in San Francisco. Please correct me if you have more information! I'd love to share it here. I also remember hearing that the land on this hill used to be a large farm until the area urbanized.

Throughout the many raised beds of rich organic soil were everything from perfect ruby red swiss chard to nearly ripe strawberries! Strawberries on December 1st! It IS possible to grow year-round in San Francisco.

POW! Purple!

2010-11-30T15:59:00.000-08:00

One day later, two purple-star blooms burst open!

2010-11-29T16:04:00.001-08:00

On The Cusp Of Deep Purple Majesty

To my bay area gardener

2010-11-24T08:33:00.001-08:00

To my bay area gardener brethren: may your gardens make it through this cold spell!

What We Can Make From Our Gardens

2010-11-22T10:27:00.001-08:00

Nothing like the blood red color of beets!

I love beet soup (barszcz czerwony) so much that I had to make 3 pots of it!

Here is the link to the recipe I used as a base: Barszcz Czerwony I added cut up pork steak just like my mom makes...and I always add more vinegar to my liking and put a dollop of sour cream in your bowl just before you serve. :)

Still Harvesting in November!

2010-11-15T11:27:00.001-08:00

Dormancy Broken!

2010-11-07T13:32:00.001-08:00

These are two of four orchids I rescued from work. After more than six months of inactivity all four shot out bloom stalks during a heat wave. They should be open by Thanksgiving!

A Man Named Pearl

2010-09-28T22:12:00.000-07:00

I am in the middle of watching an inspiring documentary about an african-american self-taught topiarist in rural South Carolina. He does more than just trim and shape trees; he shapes lives by inspiring people to grow strong and purposeful as well.

If you have Netflix the entire documentary can be found in the "Watch Instantly" list!

Wondering where I've been all summer? No wild summer vacation, sorry. My computer died and I just purchased a new one. Excited to be able to blog again!

The Free Farm Stand

2010-08-09T17:29:00.000-07:00

Check this out! I was browsing garden blogs and local goings-on in the San Francisco garden community and stumbled upon this, the Free Farm Stand:

"We are dedicated to aiding the food security and health of our community through garden and food education and the growth, harvest, and dispersal of organic backyard and community grown produce."

http://freefarmstand.org/ Click to go to the site with a blog that keeps up with the happenings of this refreshing organization!

Plants is smarts too!

2010-07-21T21:28:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine just posted this fascinating article about how plants possess a sort of intelligence...

The body of the article follows...to view the source, see the link below.

"Plants are able to assess their environment by analyzing light, and are able to "remember" light they have experienced recently. By analyzing chemical reactions in leaves, scientists have come to appreciate that plants possess a kind of intelligence.

BBC News has a terrific story on a group of researchers who believe they have found the plant equivalent of the nervous system, which functions by translating light into chemical reactions - and remembering those reactions over time. Plants need to analyze and remember different wavelengths of light in order to prepare for seasonal variations in pests and pathogens in the air.

According to BBC News:

What was even more peculiar, Professor [Stanislaw] Karpinski said, was that the plants' responses changed depending on the colour of the light that was being shone on them. There were characteristic [changes] for red, blue and white light," he explained.
He suspected that the plants might use the information encoded in the light to stimulate protective chemical reactions. He and his colleagues examined this more closely by looking at the effect of different colours of light on the plants' immunity to disease.
"When we shone the light for on the plant for one hour and then infected it [with a virus or with bacteria] 24 hours after that light exposure, it resisted the infection," he explained.
"But when we infected the plant before shining the light, it could not build up resistance.
"[So the plant] has a specific memory for the light which builds its immunity against pathogens, and it can adjust to varying light conditions."
He said that plants used information encrypted in the light to immunise themselves against seasonal pathogens.
"Every day or week of the season has… a characteristic light quality," Professor Karpinski explained. "So the plants perform a sort of biological light computation, using information contained in the light to immunise themselves against diseases that are prevalent during that season."
Professor Christine Foyer, a plant scientist from the University of Leeds, said the study "took our thinking one step forward".
"Plants have to survive stresses, such as drought or cold, and live through it and keep growing," she told BBC News.
"This requires an appraisal of the situation and an appropriate response - that's a form of intelligence." "

Here is the link: Plants can think and perform computations, say scientists

Growing Home Community Garden

2010-05-10T13:00:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I was enjoying an afternoon of cuisine-tasting and booze-imbibing in the Hayes Valley area of town. Excellent sushi at Otoro and special spirits at Marlena's bar. Ambling up Octavia blvd I was elated to see long stretch of community gardens interrupted only by Lily Street.

There were signs and flyers for the Growing Home Community Garden: "..provides an inspirational venue where both homeless and housed San Franciscans work side-by-side: to transform community norms and prejudices; to improve relations- and to celebrate and harvest food together."

Interested in getting involved? Contact: communitygarden@ProjectHomelessConnect.com or 415-503-2196

Further Info:
www.ProjectHomelessConnect.com/about/garden

And this is only a few blocks away from the former-freeway-exit-turned-farm, the Hayes Valley Farm. I will be taking photos and plan to do a separate entry on this great project.
I can't wait to volunteer and take advantage of the many activities they offer...including on May 18th, a Farm Film night featuring "DIRT!", a flick on the importance of soil narrated by Jamie Lee Curtis.

http://www.hayesvalleyfarm.com/

Urban Edible Gardening Workshops in SF

2010-05-04T16:28:00.000-07:00

From the Master Gardeners of San Francisco/San Mateo counties:

Registration is now open for the upcoming hands-on workshops in Urban Edible Gardening - all three classes in SF, starting May 15. Space is limited - sign up soon!

Click here: Urban Edible Gardening

Will I Ever Tire of This?

2010-04-09T22:02:00.000-07:00

Having spent my early years in Detroit, I still carry with me the quaint aesthetic of the tire planter. Some may brush it off as an unacceptable, trashy poor-man's idea of what a garden should be. My heart warms when I see one, perhaps because it brings back Motor City memories of childhood past. I remember nearly every house that had a garden, had a tire planter. I don't think I'll ever, ahem, "tire", of this old-school project. Here are a few photos I found of different styles, classic to modern chic. (And YES, I am using these terms to describe a tire-planter!)

Above is a more modern plant grouping and design feature. This parrot planter below can hardly be recognized as a tire!

Like A Prayer

2010-04-03T10:45:00.000-07:00

My prayer plant is behaving strangely lately. So usually at night they fold their leaves upward; during the day they are supposed to be folded down. They have been folded upward for the past few weeks, even during the day! Was there some sort of cosmic change that they are responding to? A shift in gravity that is throwing their motion detectors all-awack? Or maybe there is just more to pray for recently? I've never encountered this before. Does anyone have any ideas on this??? Has it happened to your prayer plants?

Here is a photo from when the days when the plant would fold its leaves down and take a break from praying.

Vigor Versus Varmints

2010-04-01T14:09:00.000-07:00

Pole Beans and Snow Peas and Carrots, OH MY! I took the opportunity on this sunny day to get three veggies sown today. I'm trying out a red carrot version this year.
My main concern is keeping critters from nibbling my young crops...no spring salads for YOU, rats! I think I will invest in floating row covers; they let water and sun through, keep pests out. I wonder if it will keep varmints baffled as well? Or should I put up some sort of chicken-wire fence? Other than building raised beds, what do you suggest?

Easy Container Garden: Mixed Salad Greens

2010-03-30T15:37:00.000-07:00

The mixed batch of lettuce seeds on my deck are sprouting. Spring salad? I believe there are some carrot seeds, or radish? I don't remember what I drizzled in there as a side.

I also picked up some soil to start my tomato and pepper, and whatever-else seeds. Whoop whoooop!

Decomposing an Experiment

2010-03-29T15:41:00.000-07:00

Change must come. I currently keep a compost pile in my backyard. Although it is fenced in and contained, it seems some criminal critters have managed to infiltrate. Exhibit A:

The city of San Francisco has seen an increase in the rat population. I don't need to be contributing to this rodent uprising. And I sure do NOT need them eating my seedlings! For now I will not be adding household veggie scraps into the pile, just clippings and straw and such. Perhaps I will look into getting one of those tumbler models. Does anyone have experience with them? Worth the cost? Do they work well/fast/ at all?

Fourth Year Mini-Reflection

2010-03-28T18:45:00.000-07:00

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: gardening is therapy for me. I've been been doing a seasonal clean-up the last few days. The scent of lavender, rosemary, and mint are still on my hands as I type this. And my tongue remembers the spicy taste of arugula from thinning the patch.

A number of things have become established structural elements: mexican sage, a cube of lavendar, a blob of oregano. The kangaroo paw is putting out its first flowers this year; they should be open in a couple weeks.

And of course most of the garden area I like to prepare for vegetables. My compost is decomposing and making good soil, but its not enough for my garden size. This season I plan to hit the city compost plant and pick up the free compost they offer to dig into my beds.

Spectacles Speculation

2010-03-25T15:14:00.000-07:00

There are no specifics as to where these special spectacles arrived from; they just were lying next to the garden wall hidden in weeds, slightly dirtied, neatly folded up, and with only a minor scratch. I've asked my roommates, nope...asked my downstairs neighbor, nope... Perhaps they fell from the balcony of one of the neighbors behind the garden. I'll have to ask next time I see them. They were not, by the way, set as the photo shows with an oxalis nose and a grass smile; that was my doing. :-p

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day!

2010-03-15T19:07:00.000-07:00

I recently added a few shelves on which my plants may perch and trickle down the walls.

Here's a Geranium that started to bloom.

And lastly, this prayer plant was dormant for about 5 months, but recently decided to pop back up again. The fresh leaves have such a rich purple hue. Gorgeous!

Let's Get Vertical, Vertical!

2010-03-11T16:07:00.000-08:00

On a trip to the San Francisco Castro-district nursery Hortica, I found this flier on the counter. A local man has a patent-pending vertical planter system that makes installing a wall-garden, well..basically a non-installation! This is just a pic of the flier. I will be calling to see if there is a model-installation somewhere that I can visit, photograph, and review. Stay tuned!
You can see more of the product here: floraframe.com

Summer Gardening Program for High School Students

2010-03-08T14:58:00.001-08:00

Here in San Francisco, Enterprise for High School Students (EHSS) is a school-to-work/youth development agency that encourages students to explore career interests by offering programs to help them gain work-related experience. One such opportunity is the Summer Gardening Program. It is held at Buena Vista Park, McLaren Park, and the SF Botanical Garden in Golden Gate Park.

The kids involved get to explore opportunities in the horticultural field, beautify the community, and put a great job reference under their belts, all while earning a paycheck!

If you know a high school student looking for a summer job in San Francisco, check out the program's link above or contact the coordinator at this number: (415)392-7600 Xtension: 1.

Sustainable Landscaping Lecture & Fair

2010-03-01T15:30:00.000-08:00

I just ran across this event happening this Thursday, March 4th at the Presidio Officers Club, 50 Moraga Ave, San Francisco.

Check out the link and maybe we'll see you there!

Sustainable Landscaping Lecture & Fair

The Terrarian Strikes Again!

2010-02-22T13:58:00.000-08:00

I recently tried my hand at a second terrarium. I used a jar I found on the curb, seen in a previous post on terrariums.

Again, I threw in some cuttings of plants I had around the house. This time I tried a little experiment with some left-over Chia Seeds to give the effect of a lawn or field. I also added an old toy truck and a glow-in-the-dark alien figurine for show.

I'm definitely an amateur terrarian, but I'm constantly inspired to see all the creative works shown on this amazing terrarium-centric blog: The Fern and Mossery.

Project Thoreau

2010-02-16T19:34:00.000-08:00

I was intensely inspired by Henry David Thoreau's WALDEN in high school so, needless to say, when I came across something called "Project Thoreau" my interest was peaked. A fellow urban gardener/farmer from down under, Ezanee Cooper blogs about his experiment in transforming his modest-sized backyard into a more eco-friendly, food-producing plot.

This makes me want to get down under into my own garden plot below and do some clean-up, assessment, planning, digging, seeding, planting, loving, tinkering, etc....

"Feeeed MEEE, SEYMOUR!"

2010-02-12T11:01:00.000-08:00

I seem to have woken from my winter hibernation! Now I know a big slice of the country is covered in more snow than they've seen in a century, but here in San Francisco the cherry trees are now showing off they're candy-pink blossoms. It's been rather rainy, but no doubt spring is in the air.
I've been keeping green by perusing catalogues, patroning the garden section of the library, and tinkering with my indoor jungle. I recently acquired two large palm trees from my work for free. We use them in staging homes so if they're not in absolute tip-top shape, we either sell them or give them away. They have a good home with me!
It's been propagation station here at my place as well. I acquired a sad little snake plant, also from work, and decided to propagate it in three separate methods.

1)I divided the plant at the base 3 ways and planted them individually.

2)Second, I cut off a couple leave stalks and put them in water to root.
3)And third, I took one leave stalk and cut it into smaller pieces, placing each piece BASE-SIDE DOWN into soil.

And below is a photo of one corner of my indoor jungle...together they kind of look like one living creature, don't they? "Feeeed mee, Seeeyymoour!"

Plot of Land, Plot In Life

2009-11-30T18:42:00.000-08:00

I want to share something from the Grassroots Gardening book I am currently reading. It deals with the idea of change in a garden and the outlook we choose to take on that idea.

"If the beans got disease in the north corner, we should not put them there again. But we can try some other crop in the place where they failed. Plotting is comprehending failure and rising from it, to fail again or maybe even to live."

Plotting, or planning, here to me seems to mean the allowance within ourselves to have expectations...hopes. I think much joy lives in these expectations as long as we can view them as such. Would it be really that fun if we always knew what were to happen in our gardens, in our lives??? Change is a fact of life and learning to accept all of it, good and bad, without giving up on yourself or others is a balance that, if found, should be planted, cared for, and shared.

The Cycle Status-Quo, Yet the Surprise

2009-11-27T15:19:00.000-08:00

Gardens emulate surprise. Months back this fledgling avocado tree was a pit tossed into the compost pile. It must have snuck off the side and planted itself nearby. It's now thriving, feeding off the nutrients and micro-organisms the compost attracts.

The cooler, moist fall has this fern above resurrected. The same has brought back the moss to the brick bed-liners. Soon the low-growing chamomile carpet will be flourishing, greening up the intermittent pathways. These seasons are not so drastic as back on the farm in Michigan, but offer the same feeling of cyclical wonder.

I'm BEET! Barszcz czerwony, prosze!

2009-11-25T16:39:00.001-08:00

I just got home, beat from work. Decided to replace the "a" to an "e" and make the best of the situation so I planted an empty pot on my deck with beets. I hope to add the coming crop to a "barszcz czerwony", red beet soup.

Wishing everyone a very Tilthy and Bountiful Thanksgiving!

Garden Quotes/Garden Photos

2009-11-24T21:30:00.000-08:00

My Indoor Garden

"In gardens, beauty is a by-product. The main business is sex and death." ~Sam Llewelyn

"There can be no other occupation like gardening in which, if you were to creep up behind someone at their work, you would find them smiling." ~Mirabel Osler

My Garden Inside My Indoor Garden

Green and Read and Red...

2009-11-20T18:42:00.000-08:00

...wine. I went to the library this rainy day to pick up some reading material. Grassroots Gardening: Rituals for Sustaining Activism by Donna Schaper and Culture and Horticulture: a philosophy of gardening by Wolf D. Storl.

From the inside cover of GrassRoots: "In May 2003, Donna Schaper wrote and op-ed for the New York Times, "The Heretic in the Hibiscus," that told the story of her rejection from Coral Gables Garden Club because she was too liberal. As it turned out, the ladies of the club feared that she would do what she had done at the Miami church where she was minister, namely 'bring in blacks and gays to membership and participation.' In response to her article, dozens of garden societies across America contacted Schaper, inviting her to join their societies."
"In Grassroots Gardening, Schaper argues that people who garden find a ritual way to sustain activism. Dirt touching, seeding, and harvesting rituals keep radicals sane, energetic, and positive. It is more than weeding - and also is 'just' weeding. Many assume gardening is for people with country homes. On the contrary, gardening is a great passion for many progressive, political, communal people."

The second book, Culture and Horticulture is a more historical, sorta academic look into gardening. Again, from the inside cover: This book is written as an introduction to gardening in its wider aspects, linking it to historical, philosophical and cosmological contexts, taking horticulture from the microscope to the wider cosmos. Surely such vistas are involved when one takes a shovel to hand to turn the soil: eons have formed it; life permeates it in manifold forms; cosmic cycles of sun and moon warm it, circulate water through it, lure out of it the season's vegetation; and man shapes it according to his thinking and willing, plants and husbands it according to his cultural traditions, and finds mental and physical sustenance through it. All that is gardening!"

Welcome to nerd-out Fridays!

Thinking Outside Of Your Shell

2009-11-19T15:57:00.000-08:00

I like using unconventional containers. I planted this "Moses in a Cradle" plant(Tradescantia spathacea) inside a shell I had sitting on a shelf for eons.

Do you have an unconventional planter you've experimented with??? Please share!

NEW: Events Bulletin!

2009-11-19T15:18:00.000-08:00

In the spirit of building community, I just added a bulletin to the top of the right column to announce local SF Bay Area garden events....and sometimes online events, or other popular events, or or or events, events, EVENTS!

NOVEMBER GARDEN BLOGGERS' BLOOM DAY

2009-11-15T09:00:00.000-08:00

The photo above was taken on trip to wine country. I guess I was stopping to....tie my shoe and got a faceful of roses.

Here's whats in bloom in my San Francisco garden:
An elegant pink hibiscus...
...Mexican Sage
Eggplant blossoming...
...Last Sunflower this season.

This final one is not a flower bloom...I found it as a cutting from a scraggly plant in a diner; it was only a few leaves then, maybe 2" long. I put it in water to root it, potted it up, fed it my worm poo tea of course, and a few months later it took off with the beauty of a bloom. The underside of her leaves are a dark gem-like purple. I've even begun propagating her own rootable offshoots!

ethnobotany

2009-11-13T14:49:00.000-08:00

and now, a word from our garden dictionary:

ethnobotany: the study of man's use of and relationships with plants, especially within a given community or race

Have you thought about your relationship with plants today? :)

Um, When Did Fall Arrive?!?!

2009-11-12T12:04:00.000-08:00

Brisk air and shorter days always sneak up on you! But there's nothing like a hot totty to warm you up when you're doing the fall clean-up. :P My tomatoes this year were a bit late in coming to fruition. In fact, I am STILL picking them off the vine! They seemed stunted the whole summer, the plants just weren't taking off. After I treated them to a few appointments with some worm poo tea, they as well as my other plants, really seemed to thrive.

Another veggie affected by the tea was this eggplant. So far the plant itself looks very healthy, with multiple blooms on each plant. However, the pretty light violet blooms are not producing eggplants. Perhaps this is a pollination thing? Maybe I'll step in and do a little manual work. So these pole bean seedlings were planted months ago. And they are just now coming up! Some creature had nibbled the rest of the batch back when they were just coming up. Perhaps these guys were waiting it out. I'm going to leave them and see how they fair as a fall crop.

And here is the garden after the clean-up from up above on the deck.

Permaculture For Renters

2009-09-14T16:09:00.000-07:00

I just added a new blog to my favorites list. It's the P4R/Permaculture for Renters one...it's under Blogs of Note on the right-hand side of this blog. I had seen a flier at a nursery for a workshop for those who do not own their own home and wanted to spread the word. I have since learned that the workshop has been cancelled due to too few people signing up. Maybe that's why we need to spread the word! :)

Terrarium Scentarium

2009-08-31T18:28:00.000-07:00

Just for the smell of it! I've been wanting to assemble a terrarium for a while now, and finally all the materials came together. I found a large "one man's trash, one man's treasure" glass vase in my neighborhood and the race was on! Just the other day I found some polished pebbles on my street to add for surface decoration. I used some old brick/lava rock shards for the bottom to provide drainage.

As for the plants, I had a bunch of random cuttings in jars that I have been meaning to pot up. I tried picking ones that don't grow too large in too small a period of time. This is my prototype, so we'll see how things go. :)
I assembled it with the polished rocks and made my own setting and watered/sprayed a fresh helping of worm poo tea upon everything. Once everything settled in, I topped it off with a clear plastic lid to hold in the moisture. A bit later I opened it, took a big whiff, and for a moment I seriously felt and believed I was in the middle of a rich natural forest just after a light rain. A form of aromatherapy for sure! I added a few of my red wiggler composting worms to the terrarium as an experiment. Hopefully they'll fit into the tiny ecosystem in their way. :)

And the vessel for my next project...

Does anyone have any terrarium stories to share? Any fun ideas?

The Garden

2009-08-18T22:39:00.000-07:00

I just finished watching The Garden by Scott Hamilton Kennedy. It's an Oscar-nominated documentary about a 13 acre community garden in Los Angeles.

I absolutely recommend it!

http://www.blackvalleyfilms.com/

I Got Bloomed Upon

2009-08-04T16:37:00.001-07:00

Recently while tidying up my greenhouse I noticed that one of the orchids was growing a flower stalk. The had been sitting in there for probably about a year with almost absolute neglect by me. The photo below shows them tucked into the corner of the greenhouse, shabby as can be.

I had really not much interest in orchids, but maybe its because this has never happened for me before. But now that I know I can just put them away after the blooms fade, and bring them in again at the sight of a flower stalk, I definitely will not be throwing any away!

Gorgeous!

Investigardener At Work!

2009-07-24T13:34:00.000-07:00

Just around the corner from my house, on an empty lot between a warehouse and a new home, lies a sort of community or guerrilla garden I stumbled upon! I wonder if this is just a temporary garden, or if it is the beginning of a more permanent community garden. I shall pull out my inner sleuth and investigarden!

SOOOOOooo San Francisco. I love my city. :)

Worm Compost Tea Part Poo

2009-07-15T19:09:00.000-07:00

I applied my brewed-up worm poop tea to my garden today. I used a simple sprayer, shown disassembled in a milk crate in the photo below. For the most part it worked wonderfully, misting a nice layer of organic feisty beneficial microbes upon the leaves and soil. Though next time I think I will add LESS worm poo to the 5 gallon bucket, as there was a CLOGGING issue which led up to me getting sprayed directly UPON MY FACE! A nozzle was not screwed tightly enough, and the worm poo to water ratio was disproportionate. I need a shower.

The pink Echinacea above was started by seed in my greenhouse spring 2008. As many a perennial will do, this, the 2nd year, provided for us beautiful blossoms.

These guys above showed up on their own this year. It must have been a renegade composting incident, but they are welcome of course! I think they are some sort of squash.

The defunct sprayer....That'll teach you to NOT spray in my face again!

Tea for Poo...and Poo for Tea!

2009-07-07T15:53:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to brewing my own worm compost tea! I just started yesterday; the process takes three days, so this blog will be a two-parter(a poo-parter!..eeewww!)

I have accumulated a large amount of worm poo compost over the last year; I've applied it directly or diluted it to feed my houseplants and outdoor garden but brewing the compost actually cultivates beneficial microbes and organisms on which plants thrive. It can help with not only the plant's growth, but can boost the plant's immune system as well as kill and deter many harmful insects and bacteria.

Supplies Needed:
To brew compost tea, you'll need a pump, some air tubing, a gang valve, and three bubblers.
• An aquarium pump large enough to run three bubblers or air stones
• Several feet of tubing
• A gang valve
• Three bubblers
• A stick to stir the mixture
• Unsulfured molasses (preferrably organic)
• Something to strain the tea, like an old pillowcase, tea towel, or a nylon stocking(I simply add the worm poop directly into the water; it dissolves just fine whereas regular compost has insoluble solids)
• A 5 gallon bucket

*** And about 1 pound of Worm Poop!

If you are using city water as opposed to well water, you will need to take an extra step to get out the chlorine in the water. This MUST be done, as the brewing will be done in vain for chlorine will kill all the beneficial organisms we're trying to cultivate! SO, I've read that an hour or two of aerating the water will take the chlorine out; other sources say leaving the water out for 24 hours OR 12 hours if you're aerating it will take care of it. I put in the aerators before bed and turned them off in the morning to be safe.

Above is my under-harvested worm poop bin. I took what I think is about a pound, maybe a little extra.

I stirred in the worm poo and added about an ounce of the organic blackstrap molasses, unsulphured! This gives the microbes a source of food so they can thrive and reproduce.

I will wait for 2 1/2 to 3 days to harvest. I will do a 2nd part to this entry showing the frothy top of the "brewing" tea. Stay tuned for more Poo-tales!

He's Back!

2009-06-22T19:47:00.001-07:00

Busy summer! That's no excuse for not having written, but I've definitely been busy with my own garden as well as taking on more clients for my gardening business. I'll be chronicling the progress of a front-yard patio makeover project I've recently been hired to do. And soon there'll be more photos of my own plot's progress!

Volunterus Botanicus

2009-05-02T10:28:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago I volunteered with the San Francisco Botanical Society doing some garden work at Strybing Arboretum. Though all they had me do was weed a hillside, I still was granted access into the not-for-public-access greenhouses and nursery to meander and snap some photos. I hadn't been to the Arboretum in a while and had forgotten just how spectacular it is! I kept adding plants to my list of must-haves. Enjoy the photos!

(Above: Leucospermum "Scarlet Ribbon")

(Above: Rhodocoma Gigantea Dekriet)

I was once told by a nursery worker that here in SF the climate is not cold enough for Lilacs because they need a period of dormancy or something...but this guy above looks just fine! I've seen them in various parts of the city as well.

The best part about volunteering???.... making new friends. This guy seemed to be really curious about me.

Mission: CORN. Pt 1: Corn in the Mission

2009-04-30T11:38:00.000-07:00

My experience is that the third year of any garden is really the when the magic takes hold. Perennials have had time to get situated and the gardener has had time to create a vision of what he wants the garden to be. But of course gardens, and gardeners!, are always in flux.

I'm so excited that my Lobster Claw(photo above) produced its first flowers. I planted it last spring. This year the vegetative growth really took off and now you can see here its very first bloom. Also blooming for the first time is my Calla lily below.

And now the corn...

Corn isn't really a crop that is usually grown in San Francisco, but I'm hoping that the warmer micro-climate of the Mission district in which I live will do it some good. So far it looks happy. I plan on feeding it the best of my compost, which apparently is also producing beautiful black gold. In fact, as I was turning it yesterday I found a Mango pit sprouting! Unfortunately I hacked it with my shovel on accident. Next time I'll have to sift through delicately to see if I can pan out any other gold nuggets.

Pole beans below are looking very healthy as well.

Vim and Vigor

2009-04-25T10:03:00.001-07:00

Up from my garden to add a little vim and vigor to the house!

Four Seedlings And A Funeral

2009-04-11T10:11:00.000-07:00

Last night I discovered that the last of the four pine tree seeds I planted had keeled over allowing entropy in. :( Of the four seeds, three had sprouted. Two had just given up on their own, while the third, above, was really showing promising signs of making a beautiful holiday tree someday(a potted holiday tree of course). But woe is me...woe is tree! I think I may be a bit to blame as I got a little prematurely excited and thought it could handle being put into the greenhouse from its protective terrarium womb. But alas the shock was too much too soon. I'm sorry little tree-ling, and may you rest in pe...compost.

KINDA SEEDY IF YOU ASK ME...

2009-04-10T10:22:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon I finally got around to planting my seed starts. I pulled out all my six-packs(not beer!...that was later in the day:P ) and grow pots, gave 'em a good rinse, and tore into all my seed packets.

I did my usual...tomatoes, green beans, cucumber, zucchini, caulifower, and bell peppers. I also am attempting eggplant this year. For some reason I had this idea that it is difficult to grow, but I'm hoping to change that idea this season. Dill and lemon verbena have also been planted in little grow pots...oh, and a mixture of different kinds of sunflowers for fun.(definitely NOT funslowers) It's for the birds and bees.

I'm also attempting to grow sweet corn this year, not sure if San Francisco summers will be good for it, but I'm happy to try. Last week I planted that as well as snap peas and pole beans directly into my garden.

...That Keeps On Giving

2009-04-01T22:50:00.000-07:00

Here is a great example of how, in gardening, a little bit goes a long way. Last gardening season I planted a few leftover finger potatoes(correct name?) I had around the house and got a nice little crop out of that. I must not have gotten them all out of the ground, as shortly after the harvest new shoots popped up out of the ground. I just let them do their thing over our San Francisco winter without really any attention or care at all. I actually figured I wouldn't really get anything out of this second bunch of leftovers I didn't even plant! Au contraire! While doing my spring clean-up of the garden yesterday I indeed got an even larger harvest than the first time. Soon-to-be a virtually free meal of mashers. YUM.

Noe Valley Design Project or: My Work is Play

2009-03-31T08:25:00.000-07:00

Garden design challenge!

Over the weekend I took on a project to makeover a house-front planting strip for a client in the Noe Valley neighborhood of San Francisco.

Many clients want a gardener just for the maintenance and to occasionally add or replace a plant or two, but I really become alive when I get to be creative. It's so exciting to take a plot of shabby land and transform it into a feast for the senses.
I had a color and texture palette in mind to play into the style and paint color of the house, a stony gray with a sort of charcoal-purple trim. So I headed over to Flowercraft nursery on Bayshore Blvd to realize the design image I had in my head.

A goal of mine was to update the garden, modernize it a bit. From my gallavanting around town over time and with a keen eye on any garden I see, I had a sense of which plants were being used for what type of homes and what areas of the city, etc.

I am very happy with the outcome(as is my client!) and most importantly none of it felt like work! Gimme MORE!

The Outstanding Organic Obamas

2009-03-21T10:12:00.000-07:00

Hillary, now you know I hold you in high esteem in your time as first lady, and of course your extensive service beyond that...but Michelle is capturing the hearts of gardeners everywhere! She took a huge leap forward today as it was reported that she has begun the task of building an organic garden on the White House lawn! Alas!(correction: At Last!) This is truly a momentus step forward to support all of us gardeners out there who have been promoting a grow-it-yourself-local-organic-healthy-diet agenda!

YES WE PLANT!

I love my snakey...-plant!

2009-03-20T19:50:00.000-07:00

I had some host renewal issue I had to deal with but I'm back! In the time, my forced bulbs fully bloomed(above is my belated March Bloom Day offering!) and are now turning into compost...and the pineapple top is growing roots!

Also, my snake plant (aka: mother-in-law's tongue) has sprung up two new shoots. And it looks like a little visitor came to check out the new growth as well!

The Buck Starts Here

2009-02-26T15:35:00.000-08:00

Recently I found this little buckeye tree opening and reaching its taproot in search of soil. It would not have found a place to plant its roots had I not interfered. I decided to make it a pet project and give it a good chance. Perhaps buckeyes are rapid growers, because this guy is really taking off!

I also went on a propagating spree this afternoon. Several friends have been talking about wanting plants for their homes, so I potted up some spider plants that have been just living in glass jars of water for some time now. I also took cuttings of a spindly coleus and potted up a couple pothos. It's always good to have extra toddler plants around to take care of...and to have in my arsenal whenever I need to dole out a gift-plant.

I think propagation may just be my favorite aspect of gardening, whether it be the sprouting of seeds as small as lettuce or as large as a buckeye, or taking cuttings straight from a mother plant. I'm in awe of the possibility to create an infinite amount of plants from just one starter plant.

Pineapple Martini

2009-02-21T13:00:00.000-08:00

What to do with an over-sized Martini glass??? Why, make a pineapple martini of course! My roommate Alex was asking if it's possible to propagate a pineapple he got from the market. And of course I jumped at the opportunity. In its previous life this tacky glass was used as a receptacle for wine corks...that filled up a little too fast(Yes! I love me some wiiiine.)

I love recycling the fruits and veggies I get from the market. One time I replanted the rooted bottoms of a handful of green onions. In fact, they are still down in my garden; last week I added fresh diced green onions to my scrambled eggs. Now I don't know if I'll manage to grow an entirely new edible pineapple, but it'll be fun and experimental enough to watch it grow.

February Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day

2009-02-15T12:39:00.000-08:00

Today I am participating in my first Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. This is a sort of tradition set up by May Dreams Gardens. On the 15th of every month bloggers can post a picture of something blooming in his/her garden as well as enjoy the blooms of fellow fleur-enthusiasts!

The hyacinth have really taken off...so far 3 are blooming, all a light lilac color. And so fragrant! I'm hoping the other two will add some variation in color.(I'm hoping for red!)

One in my tulip dish is close to blooming, perhaps in time for March's Bloom Day they'll be ready to pose for me.

I-V for the Ivy

2009-02-09T14:12:00.000-08:00

This past summer my friend Lara enticed me with some wine to help her clean up her back yard. Lara works for a wine distributor here in San Francisco, so I knew she would have some goooood samples! So me being a wino of sorts, I of course accepted her offer. :P I was also interested in seeing what kind of plant treasures might be hiding in her yard. There was so much ivy crawling around! We had to clear a lot of it as it took over much of the garden so I went ahead and took some clippings home for rooting. They had been in glass vases for the past 6 months or so. I virtually nursed the Ivy with an I-V!

Tall plants are a minority in my indoor garden, so I decided to create an Ivy column today. My method is rather simple as I simply tied up the Ivy vertically along some bamboo. Perhaps I'll upgrade later and surgically insert a sphagnum moss-filled chicken wire column if I so choose. For now I think she's beee-uuuu-tee-fulll!

SPICY HOT RICHNESS!

2009-02-08T12:25:00.000-08:00

Here's a little garden art I made this morning from the chili peppers I grew in my greenhouse. I wish I could have had enough little chilis to spell it out in one photo! DERRRRR!

The bag of hyacinthes I bought for the my forcing project was of mixed colors so I am excited to be surprised at what the palette will be. A couple are starting to blossom and it looks like two may be purple or blue. Check it out:

Jolly Green Bryant!

2009-02-05T16:52:00.000-08:00

I live on Bryant street in San Francisco. It is not one of the "greenest" streets here, but I'm hoping a little community action can change that. The flier above is from the San Francisco Dept. of Public Works; they actually encourage residents to take up the sidewalk in front of their houses and plant a garden. It's fantastic that the city offers such support. The permits are relatively cheap, and I've even heard of some people getting grants to pay for the concrete removal and plants! The residents are expected to put in the man-hours.

Above is the corner of my street...the sidewalk sort of curves outward into the street here. It's an expanse of concrete that could very well be a jolly green garden! My friend, neighbor, and fellow gardener Jaren over at Plant Rescue is also interested in greening our street. She literally lives half a block down on Bryant. We are hoping to collaborate in our efforts and see if we can get a little neighborhood group together to green as much of the street as we can! We could help each other carry the burden of labor and maybe even some cost if we, say, buy plants in bulk, or share the cost of a rented sidewalk-remover-machine-thingy. Maybe we could even make quirky fun nerdy permeable landscapers T-shirts that say "Jolly Green Bryant". Dorky enough for you?!

The DPW's PR card above reads: "A green sidewalk looks great, helps with storm water runoff, and is good for property values!" More information can be found at this link: Permeable Landscaping. A successful example of this permeable landscaping is only a block away on a York street, parallel to Bryant. York Street inspiration:

In front of my house on Bryant and lining York street(pictured below) are beautiful cherry trees such as these now in bloom:

NYCTINASTY:

2009-02-02T19:42:00.000-08:00

"the nighttime folding up of leaflets, as occurs, for example, in some Oxalis species."

Goodnight Oxie...XO

My garden dictionary is full of these fun jardin-specifique terms...more to come...

What Seeds May Come

2009-02-02T16:50:00.001-08:00

I was down in the garden today on my day off to do some early spring cleaning. It was in the high 60's here in San Francisco today. I noticed the straw and manure I applied late last fall had begun decomposing. I dug it under a bit more, and cleared a couple even patches to sow some early spring crops...couple rows of beats, a line of snow peas under my makeshift trellis against the brick wall, and a first shot at trying brussel sprouts.

Whilst my tinkering, I thought about how much the Oxalis in my garden must loooove me. It must just want to see me any chance it can get...I mean, why else would it pop it's clover-shaped leaves out of the ground other than in anticipation of my very presence??? It's one of the most stubborn weeds here in San Francisco, as its difficult to pull it out by the roots. They grow from tiny little bulbs and when trying to pull them out they often snap off at the stem, allowing the bulb below to boost back up a week later. I'm slowly ridding the garden of the unwanted bulbs. I'm sorry Oxie, but we're just not meant to be.

Clearing away and pruning some perennials gave me a good perspective on just how much some of last year's plants have grown. The mint has taken off; I planted it inside a container and then planted that container in the ground so that it would not take over my plot. I have two plants that I believe are both named Parrot's Beak, but when I did research the one in top photo is the only plant that comes up under said name. The one on the bottom also has similar beak-shaped flowers, so I guess I'll have to do more research.