Big Tomato

A tomato from my garden.

When you blog you are sure to stir curiosity within your community.  Recently I've stepped into Blotanical  - "the city of botanist who blog".  Some of my new acquaintances have been wondering where in California I garden.   I though that an answer that would stick is appropriate for this question.

My tiny garden is located near The Big Tomato.   Sacramento is The Big Tomato!  It is in this area where more tomatoes are produced than anywhere else in the world.   Now imagine driving thirty five minutes east of Sacramento - and you'll hit El Dorado Hills.  That's where I garden.

 

Tomatoes:  A common summer-sight on the freeways around Sacramento.

Happy Sunday Everyone!

Not By Design

Clematis 'Niobe'

If you are wondering why my blog looks different...it was not by design but rather an accident.  After publishing my last post a window popped out into my screen and out of curiosity I browsed the new Blogger updates and checked out the new templates being offered.  There was never any intention to change the appearance of my blog.  Then my mouse directed the cursor to the forbidden button followed by an unintentional click that changed the face of my blog.  The problem is the old is totally gone!  Everything changed from the oldest to the newest post.  Right now there are more important and fun things to do in the garden.  Customizing my template will have to wait. 

Clematis.  The time has come for Clematis 'Niobe' to shine as it rambles on a rose (Eden) whose flowers are now all spent.  It comes out as a pointed bud and opens to stunning velvety red petals.  The bright yellow stamens give a delightful contrast against the subdued red petals. 

I recommend clematis for every garden.  It takes very little space to grow as it prefers to grow vertically and mixes well with other ornamental plants.  There are hundreds of clematis varieties to suit every gardener's taste.  I consider clematis a low maintenance plant.

Clematis!  Clam it is!  Climb(er) it is!  Clematis!  I wonder how it got its name...

Color Change in Citrus

Fruits on pot-grown oranges (Citrus sinensis)

Tropical Zone.  Citrus fruits like oranges and lemons start out green and remain in that color till maturity.  I remember, having grown up in the tropics, that all the citrus fruits I've seen were green.  When they are mature and harvested their color are still green different only from their immature counterparts by the shine and gloss on the rind.  By the time they turn orange or yellow, they are already over-ripe and cottony and tasteless.  Commercially grown citrus can be treated with ethylene after harvest to induce uniform and timely yellowing for a more appealing look. 

Temperate Zone.  Citrus plants grown in temperate places with mediterrenian-like climate, low temperatures induce a change in color to deep orange or yellow even before the fruits mature.   The color can be deceptive.  It is important to harvest the fruits when they are fully mature, it is when the sugar and the acidity balance is at its best. 

Lemon (Citrus limonia)

Hidden from our eyes are processes that are constantly happening in the plants.  Shifts in these processes are caused by a number of environmental factors.  The green color in unripe citrus plants is a result of the dominant presence of chlorophyll on the rinds.  The yellow or orange color in ripe citrus fruits is a manifestation of the high concentration of carotenoids.  When temperatures go down to a certain critical level, such as in the winter, the rate of chlorophyll production in the plant slows down or completely stops.     Furthermore, the existing chlorophyll undergoes a process of degradation while the biosynthesis of carotenoids increases, particularly in the fruits.

Stroll in your garden... its good for you and your plants.

A Little Explanation

When I started this blog, Mastering Horticulture, I decided to follow a simple process - to write about the activities that I do in my small garden and the observations and thoughts along the way.  I assumed that this was going to be an easy process - yet I found out that the thoughts that run in my head get old so quickly.  I would be gardening and see what would be good topic to write but the travel between my yard and the computer fades my desire to write about the idea.  I'm therefore contemplating on carrying a small notebook and a pen so that I could write the points that I'd be interested to write about.   After all, the dullest pencil is better than the sharpest mind. 

I blog about gardening but the irony of this is that gardening actually hinders my blogging and my blogging hinders by gardening.  Help!  Am I the only blogger who is trapped in this dilemma? Fortunately, gardening always wins.  Blogging is a new addition in my schedule hence, I need to discipline myself.  I must learn to adjust my speed in my other activities like doing laundry, cooking, studying the bible, grocery shopping, eating, cleaning the bathrooms, etc.  This would lengthen my time for blogging.

Blogging helps me organize my thoughts. This is particularly an important exercise for me because English is my third language.  I speak Ilocano (one of the many dialects spoken in the Philippines) as my mother tongue and Pilipino (also known as Tagalog) as my second language.  With this reason for my blogging, rest assured that I will persevere in blogging.

Happy Gardening!