Silver Tree Landscape Design

The wonders of Natives

This Saturday, August 16th, from 11am to 12 noon at the Arboretum at University of California Santa Cruz, there will be a ethnobotanical tour of native plants. The focus will be on the human uses of California native plants as shown in traditional and contemporary ways. Please meet in the lower parking lot. Admission is $5.00. Free for Members. Call 831.427.2998 for more information.
Image to left: Ceanothus. Ceanothus has many uses, which include dye and soap. All parts of the plant are rich in saponins. When you crush the flowers or leaves and mix with water, a great lather will be produced. This soap is great at removing dirt. I have found that the flowers create a better lather and if you are making handmade soap, they add beauty to the soap too!

Refreshing!

Gazpacho

2 slices of Day old Bread
21/4 lbs of tomatoes
1 cucumber
1 red bell (seeded and diced)
1 green chile (seeded and diced)
2 Garlic Cloves (chopped)
2 T. Olive Oil
Juice of Lime and Lemon
Tabasco or Tapatio
Salt and Pepper to taste
Chopped Cilantro and Cubed Avocado for Garnish

Soak Bread in 2/3 C of water for 5 minutes. Place tomatoes in bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave for 30 seconds.  Remove from water and peel, seed and chop tomatoes. Peel cucumber. Cut in half and scoop out seeds. Chop into cubes. Place bread, tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, chile pepper, garlic and olive oil, lemon and lime juice into food processor with 2 C chilled water and blend to desired chunkiness. Chill 2-3 hours and serve with garnish.

Hand it Over

The infrequently encountered Chiranthodendron pentadactylon has been flowering this month. It’s known by several common names. One is the Hand-Flower Tree. Another is the Mexican Hand Plant. There is also the more ominous Devil’s Hand Plant. I first heard it referred to as the Monkey’s Hand Tree. By whatever name it’s known by it is more fascinating than really beautiful.
Here in Santa Cruz it can reach impressive proportions. There’s an old specimen on the West Side that’s at least 80 feet tall. It’s lofty presence mostly goes unnoticed until you find the fallen cup shaped flowers on the ground beneath it. Reaching out from within the flower’s interior is a little red ‘hand’ complete with claw-like fingernails.
The accompanying image is from a tree growing at The San Francisco Botanical Garden (Strybing Arboretum). This tree is only about 25 feet tall although it is several decades old. I imagine that the sandy soil and the lack of heat have stunted the plants growth. The low hanging branches bring the flowers a little closer to eye level where they can be scrutinized in situ.

Step 3: Be Aware of Fire Danger

We are in a drought, which means serious lack of water and very dry land, so we need to be hyper aware of fire safety. The following is an excerpt from the California Native Plant Society Newsletter.
"'Wildfires In California'
Over one thousand wildfires have started in the California this fire season. Santa Cruz County has already seen three significant fires in forests and the wildland-urban interface, causing the loss of homes, pets, and livestock. As we mourn these losses, please pause to consider: since future fires are a certainty, take another look at the fire safety of your own residence and neighborhood, especially if you live near a naturally wooded, shrubby, or grassy area. The local Resource Conservation District has several publications written specifically for Santa Cruz county, including a recent tip sheet “Post Summit Fire Restoration: Do's and Don'ts About Post Fire Restoration” as well as the brochure “Living with Fire in Santa Cruz County.” The other sources below also contain useful information from a wider perspective.
Please click here for the Santa Cruz County Resource Conservation website.
Click here for information on a Fire Toolkit.
Click here for an NPR story of fireproof homes.
Click here for information on firewise communities.

Photo courtesy of our wonderful resident photographer, Danielle Marquis 2008.

Step 2: Around the House

   There are many things that we can around our homes to ensure that we are not using more water than we need to. The following lists a number of Water Waste Prevention tips.

1. Check for hidden leaks. A faucet that is dripping slowly yet steadily can waste 100s to 1000s of gallons per month. Try replacing worn washers to fix the leak.
2. While you are waiting for the water warm up so you can wash your face or do your dishes, put a gallon jug under the faucet and then use that water for around the house. Your houseplants may be thirsty or maybe even you are.
3. When you brush your teeth, always turn off the tap. When you need to rinse your mouth out use a cup and only use the tap to rinse the brush.
4. While you are in the shower, turn the water off while you soap up or shampoo your hair and then only turn the water back on to rinse.
5. If you, like myself, do not have the luxury of a low water use dishwasher, when washing your dishes by hand, fill the sink and dip dishes to rinse, instead of running the water.
6. Fill a bowl with water to wash any fruits or vegetables.
7. Only use your garbage disposal when necessary. Instead, compost your food waste. Many city's trash collection companies now take compost. For more information please click here.

The above information is brought to you by the wonderful East Bay Municipal Utility District aka EBMUD (the great organization that came out with the book Plants and Landscapes for Summer-Dry Climates of the San Francisco Bay Region. To visit EBMUD's website please click here.

Step 1: Drought Tolerant Plants

The first tip in creating a drought tolerant garden is to choose the right plants. Most people want their garden to be beautiful and healthy all year long and you can do that with ease by choosing drought tolerant plants. Unfortunately drought tolerants have gotten a bad rap in the past. There has been a misconception that they are  brown and woody and unattractive, which is of course, false. So when planning your garden be sure to choose sun worshipers such as plants that are accustomed to a Mediterranean climate. These plants are accustomed to little water and still create a gorgeous and oftentimes dramatic look. In general, plants that have silvery or grey leaves are drought tolerant.
The following list will help you create a wonderful water saving garden.

Water Conservation

So as you all know, we are officially in a drought state.  Drought raises many crucial issues, such as raising awareness in us all to be wary of our own personal water usage. Lack of water creates so many problems like a rise in extreme fire danger, possible loss of crops, loss of lush gardens, rationed drinking water and all around water crises. Many water districts have mandated water rationing and to help do your part, we will be doing a series of entries on Drought proofing your garden and your life. We will cover topics such as choosing drought tolerant plants, creating shade, irrigation advice, water saving tips for the home and  So stay tuned!

Trees in the Garden

Trees are key to a garden; they can anchor a corner of a garden, they can produce food for your family, they can become a sculptural art piece and they have presence in a landscape that can hardly be achieved by anything else. This Saturday, June 7th from 1pm-2:30pm, there will be a new tour at the UC Berkeley Botanical Gardens, featuring the use and role of trees in the garden. Their importance in a garden will be discussed, and how they adapt to their environments, make food from sunlight, grow and reproduce.
$12, $10 members; price includes one adult and one child, $6 each additional child or adult per family
Registration required: Please call 510-643-2755 x03 to register.
Please click here for more information.

Anderson Valley

A garden group that I frequent went on recent garden tour in the Anderson Valley. It was a great tour and flaunted a wonderful group of gardens. Please continue reading for an account of my garden adventure.
We started at the  Anderson Valley Nursery and it has a beautiful  Italian olive cultivars and the best
looking Aristolochia californica I've ever seen. We then went to the weekend (or summer) house belonging to a couple from the Peninsula. They (must) have a caretaker or local gardener that takes care of the place for them. There was nothing particularly spectacular about it, but it was comfortable and well kept. It was planted mostly with the usual sturdy, low maintenance, drought-tolerant plants, except for the roses. I can see it being a very nice spot to escape to. Actually all of the Anderson Valley is a
nice place to escape to. It is amazingly quiet. And I can't blame the locals for wanting to keep it that way.
The plants got more interesting at Walden and Ginger Valens garden in Boonville. Walden explained that it was a plant collectors garden. It was pretty much one of this and one of that. Some of the plants were
pretty neat and there was an attempt at thematic coherence. Ginger has a heavy addiction to garden decoration. Next we went wine tasting at Golden Eye Winery. It has a pleasantly landscaped terrace that doesn't compete with the view over the vineyard to the forested hills beyond.

May the Month of Mint and Mojitos!

 

 Mojitos, traditional Cuban cocktail, came to the U.S. in the 1980s and has made a major revival in the past few years. It is a fresh, tasty cocktail and ideal for a warm Spring day.

18-20 Fresh Mint Sprigs
12 T of Sugar (or sugar cane juice)
18-20 T of Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice
9-11 oz of Rum
Club Soda
Makes 6 servings.

 
In a tall thin cocktail glass, crush part of the mint with a fork to coat the inside. Add the sugar and lime juice and stir. Top with ice and add the rum and stir. Top off with chilled club soda. Add a lime slice, remaining mint and serve.