Some Random Thoughts

Finch: Dining in style

In every garden some life form beyond the gardener's design will appear, thrive, provide, consume, destroy, or invade .  The garden can be artificial in the sense that some things abound beyond the natural.  As a result life thrive there - not only the things we put and plant there but also some others.  One gardening action is not an end but a beginning of a series of changes in the place.  For example, the simple act of digging the soil exposes some weed seeds in the deeper parts of the ground.  Then the seed is exposed to more surface moisture and warmth from the sun.  It grows into a plant called weed.  Soon a butterfly is attracted to the flowers which will soon attract small birds.  The small birds linger around and soon predators will their way to the garden.  Ans do so on.   

Resident Dove

Wildlife, wild as we call them, benefit directly and indirectly from our domesticated yards called gardens.  Here at the Lewis garden, the  mocking birds come to eat their share grapes when the fruits are ripe and what ever we do not harvest, the squirrels will slowly harvest them even when the grapes become dry as raisins.  I think they prefer it that way.  We feed the doves and quails but the hawks and cats come uninvited.  We plant apples to enjoy some fruits but the worms enjoy the first bite.  The same thing is true with all the vegetables we plant.  We dream of nice organic clean lettuce for the salad but the aphids always try to take the first taste.  I guess that is how the world operates.  :)

We change our environment and our environment will change us, hopefully for the better.  That is the point of tending the ground.  Plants we plant change the yard around our homes.  Things come and go; grow and die; produce and consume; beautify and tarnish - because we did something different. And then we see a different world.  Suddenly we realize that we live in a different place.  It is very delightful to see life (plants and animals alike) come and linger around.  They make us slow down and appreciate the things we often take for granted.  And it is all because of a single act we do.  

Hummingbird

Squirrel eating dry grapes

Quails:  Standing room only

Garden Chores

The first daffodil flower this year.

Things we did in the yard today:
My fellow gardener (aka husband) and I took the time to do some work in the yard on this overcast day.

1.  Remove all old leaves around the yard.   There some areas in the yard where a layer of leaves might be used as mulch.  However there are also areas that are intended to be kept neat and clean - at this time should should be cleaned from all old plant parts.

2.  Empty water from open vessels.  There are always containers or pot saucers in the yard that collect water when it rains which need to be emptied to discourage mosquitoes from breeding in them and to protect the roots of plants in containers.

3.  Fill up bird feeders.  The birds are not only delightful to watch but they are also helpful in eating some of the pests around the yard.

4.  Spread snail bait and pesticide (granules) for soil-born insects such as grubs on the lawn area.

5.  Fertilize the lawn.  At this time of the year, complete fertilizer, such as 16-16-16 helps the grass develop not just the part that are seen but also the the roots which is necessary for our dry area.  The better root system the plants have, the better ability it has to search for water and other resources during the drier months.  With that said, my fellow gardener decided to use the Weed and Feed from last year.  It contained a high dose of nitrogen (28-0-2) and some herbicide (2,4 D).  High levels of nitrogen is not needed by the grass at this time but it's not detrimental, so no big deal.  The problem was the herbicide in the fertilizer because I saw him spreading it around the succulents!  We'll see what happens next.  :)

6.  Prune shrubs.  Rosemary, Mexican sage, Santa Barbara daisies.

7.  Fortified the surrounding hollow blocks of the compost pile.

Mint:  Expelled from the vegetable plot.

8.  Remove mint runners from vegetable plots.  I left one mint plant outside the container last year and this time there are new mint everywhere.  I knew it was going to happen but I did not anticipate how far they would go within a year.  :)

9.  Mow the grass.  The grass needed a little haircut today.  And it looks better now.

After we got done with yard work, we had lunch and then watched the Masterpiece movie "Great Expectations".  I think we deserved it. :)

Every day spent tending the garden is a beautiful day.

Aeonium haworthii: Survival Mechanism

Fig. 1    Aeonium haworthii 'Pinwheel' 

Aeonium haworthii (Pinwheel) is a succulent species in the Crassulaceae family. Because this plant has been growing in my garden for so long, I am a witness to the behavior of this plant at least in our USDA Zone 9 area.  It is a sturdy plant which can thrive with minimal care.  The winters here are harsh and summers are very dry and very hot and yet there has been no mortality to account for - the plant just doesn't die.  However depending on the microclimate and eventually the plant may undergo some levels of stress in the drier months.

Fig. 2    Curled in leaves:  Behavior of stressed plants

This year we had recurring problem with faulty drip irrigation where some plants were not getting watered and among them were the 'Pinwheels'.  And because they are succulents it takes longer before physical signs of stress become noticeable.  Sometimes when the symptoms become visible, the physiological stress is already at an advanced stage. Symptoms happen is stages.  Firstly is the yellowing of the lower leaves on the stem.    Then these leaves abscise (fall off the plant), but that is easily ignored as the more prominent parts of the plants are still normal.  Then the third stage is more recognizable:  the leaves begin to curl in to form a seemingly closed flower as in Fig. 2.  This the the point when even the untrained eye will notice the symptoms.

So several of my plants exhibited this third stage.  But my point here is to give emphasis to the ability of the plant to survive after it has undergone critical conditions.  It has been my observation that when stressed-plants experience the first sign of favorable condition, through rain or watering, they respond very quickly.  Adventitious roots grow (Fig. 3) from older stems at a very fast rate to take advantage of the moisture - first in the atmosphere and then into the ground.  This is one of the many survival mechanisms succulents rely on - which makes them withstand severely stressful conditions.

Fig. 3     Adventitious roots appear when favorable condition are sensed by the plant.

When a stem of this succulent plant is separated from the plant, it will behave as if it is the last of its kind and thus try to preserve its species (Fig. 4).  It will heal all wounds that potentially pose as outlets of the remaining water stored in its tissues.  The leaves protect the tender growing point and conserve moisture by curling in its leaves.  Dried as it may seem, the detached stem is ever sensing changes in the atmosphere.  Once favorable conditions occur, root growth commences  (Fig. 4).

Fig.  4     Detached stem of Aeonium haworthii 'Pinwheel' displays survival techniques.

Succulents are interesting plants indeed.

Kalanchoe Panamensis: Hidden Flowers

Kalanchoe panamemsis flowers:  dimpled heart-shaped pendants.

Since I started painting, I have become more observant of the little details of plants.  The desire to portray plants parts accurately, summons me to look at them more intensely than I used to.  Yesterday as I was walking in the secret garden (one section of my yard) where some succulents grow, I noticed something different with the Kalanchoe panamensis.  Some of the leaves seemed lacking the magenta color on leaf margins.  The initial question was, could it be that the terminal ends of these plants lose the pigmentation when the temperatures are low?  But upon close observation, it turned out that the plants were in bloom.  Then the next question was, why only now?  This plant has been in my garden for years.  Could it be that I was less observant then?  Or could it be that I was just not in the garden when flowering occurred in the past?

The flowers are generally light in color but some pigmentation were visible on random buds.

The Kalanchoe panamensis blooms on the terminal ends of the stems.  At this stage, the flowers look like heart-like pendants that hang in clusters.  They are beautiful now.  But I expect that these flowers still have to undergo several development stages.  And since all flowers must open, I'm excited to see how these ones will pave the way for pollination to happen.  Stay tuned. 😊

Kalanchoe panamemsis before flower initiation

Stroll in your garden and learn something new.  

Peaches are Ripe Again

It is that time of the year when we are flooded with peaches.  What this means is that peaches will be served every meal for a couple of weeks and I will be busy preserving the ones we cannot consume or share with our neighbors.  Sometimes it is hard to decipher whether this is a blessing or burden.  One thing is sure - it starts as the former and ends as the later. :)

The tree has a sad history.  The tree has suffered severe cases of  leaf curl (Taphrina deformans) in the past years drastically reducing the canopy cover not only for purposes of photosynthesis but for shading.  The location of the tree can get very hot in the summer - the sun exposed portion of the trunk can crack and separates from the cambium layer.  At present the bark on half of the trunk's girth is peeling off. We pruned the tree last year with the intention of eventually removing it.  In fact, already I bought a pluot tree to take it's place (close to the plum tree). But this year's peach crop tells me to delay the process.

Plant a fruit tree this year for the enjoyment of many 

generations to come. 

Dahlias in my Garden

Fig. 1   'Arabian Night' in the rain.

One of the year's new plants in my garden is dahlia. Dahlia is a tuberous tender perennial known to have originated from Mexico. Nowadays, there are many hybrids that have resulted from breeding and selection all over the world. As a member of the Asteraceae family, dahlia is related to daisy, chrysanthemum and the sunflower. Dahlias come in different colors and sizes. As a beginner, I selected four different varieties that featured large flowers but slightly inferior in size to the dinner-plate varieties.  

Fig. 2   Dahlia 'Arabian Night' has yellow stamens

1.  Dahlia 'Arabian Night'.  Introduced in 1951 (Weijers), this  variety has the looks of a classic dahlia with its gorgeous black red flowers with contrasting yellow stamens (Fig.  1 & 2) in the center.  Being a semi-dinner plate, the flowers are large but not so large - four inches in diameter. Great for cutting, the flowers remain intact when they fade.  Of all the dahlias I planted this year, this was the first variety that showed the first blooms.  

Fig. 3   Dahlia 'Stranger':  Spring Blooms

Fig. 4   Dahlia 'Stranger': Summer Blooms

2.  Dahlia 'Stranger'. It is a vigorous grower with dark green leaves.  This was the earliest variety to emerge from the ground.  The flowers are creamy in the middle radially shifting to pink with white margins on the petals.  The height of the plants was between 3-4 feet.  The flowers last for a week and then the petals begins to fall.  Unlike the 'Arabian Night', the flowers drop its petals as it fades. This variety started blooming in May.  It was also noted that the earlier flowers (opening when temperatures were averaging in the high 70s) were more yellow (Fig. 3) than those that opened during the hotter summer period (Fig. 4.).  

Dahlia 'Pom-pom Mix'

3.  Dahlia 'Pom-pom Mix'.  Apparently there were two varieties in this mix.  One was a  bright magenta with yellow stamens and not a lot of petals - relatively speaking.  The other one looks like a sunny side up - the center of the flower resembles an egg yolk against the creamy outer layers of petals (Fig. 5).  It was my observation that the plants in this mix lacked the vigor that was displayed by the other varieties I planted.  The plants are generally shorter; their stems and branches are thin and are prone to lodging. 

 Dahlia 'Lady Darlene' - Front view

Dahlia 'Lady Darlene' - Back view

4.  Dahlia 'Lady Darlene'.  Huge mop-heads of petals in a gradient of red-to-yellow color are the flowers of 'Lady Darlene'.  From the front view, the flower looks predominantly cream - the petals being edged with red. It has massive flowers of enormous size!  The stalks are huge and sturdy and the leaves are dark green.  This was the last variety that bloomed.  I observed that the first flowers were more yellow than the succeeding ones where the gradient in color was less clear.Thus, supporting my theory that some flowers tend to exhibit less intense colors under high temperatures. Considering that this is a summer blooming variety, I must resign to the fact that the flowers will be mostly the washed-out version of  'Lady Darlene' in my Zone 9 garden.  However, I would presume that the Pacific coastal gardens will show the fiery red/yellow rendering of this lady.

This is the first time dahlias are grown in my garden and so far, I am very satisfied with the result and experience.  There were many lessons I learned about them which I will talk about in the future.

Dahlias are low maintenance plants but they require a lot of water to show their best.

Apple of the Earth

Potato (Solanum tuberosum) 'Yukon Gold' 

Once again the earth has given forth its fruits through the humble night shade the French appropriately call -- Pomme de terre! 

Last winter I planted some sprouted potatoes from my pantry and under minimal input and less than six hours of sunlight (due to its location), here they are, food once more and even more.  Since I planted them from leftover tubers, I didn't do as much management as I would have. However, there are some things that can be done to optimize potato harvests.  For the sake of those who are interested in trying potatoes in the future, here is a list of activities worth considering:

1.  Hill-up the soil during early growth of the stems.  Stolons (the part that becomes tuber) grow on buried parts of the stem.  Covering more of the basal stem allows the formation of more tubers.  Since my potatoes were grown in large pots, I could have simulated hilling-up by adding more soil at the base of the plants;

2.  Water when necessary.  Use rainfall instead of the temperature as basis for watering.  The low temperatures of winter is often deceiving.  I tend to assume the soil is moist when the air temperature is cold.  My mistake.  After tuber initiation, consistent water supply (along with other factors such as sunlight and fertilizer) is very important for a good bulking rate (enlargement) of the tubers;

3.   Apply a second dose of fertilizer.  Fertilizer was basally applied but I skipped the necessary side-dressing which would have enhanced and prolonged foliage growth that results in large potatoes.  

Re-potting and Dividing Cymbidium - Again

Fig. 1  Cymbidium:  Winter of 2014

Three years ago I repotted my cymbidiums into three gallon containers.  This year (late spring) I divided them again after they all finished blooming; turning each plant into three individual plants. In some cases I hesitated to divide them because I like seeing multitudes of spikes (instead of two or three per plant) shooting from among the sword-like sheaths of green leaves, so I repotted them into larger containers.  One of them now resides in a fifteen gallon container.  It will be interesting to see how it will perform next blooming season.

Fig. 2   Cymbidium in  a 10-gallon container.

2010 Potting Medium

Motivated by the high cost of bagged orchid mix, I thought of making my own mix for my cymbidiums as follows:

Decomposed redwood bark (.25 - 0.5 inch)

Perlite

Handful of  potting soil

I used three years ago worked.  The plants did well - with lots of blooms and good root system.  The bark decomposed into very fine compost which I scattered along the rows of boxwood near my vegetable garden.

2014 Potting Medium

This year I used yet a different mix:  

Bark (0.5 - 1.0 inches)

Peat moss

Garden soil

With the current drought that we are experiencing, the peat moss would help retain more water allowing for less frequent watering.  Larger-size bark was used to allow good air movement around the root area.

Fig. 3  Cymbidiums lined up along south-facing wall.

Fig. 4  Newly repotted orchids.

Fig. 5    Pink cymbidiums:  Winter 2014

Fig. 6    Yellow cymbidiums

Right now, my orchids are doing well in their new growing media but it took them a while to get used to their new root environment.  I will be posing a new update come fall.

 

Torenia: My New Shady Lady

Fig. 1    Torenia fournieri

Every year I try one or two new plants in my garden and this year one of them is Torenia (Torenia fournieri). Torenia, commonly called 'Wishbone flower' is a beautiful annual plant that performs best in the shade. The tubular flowers come in shades of pink, yellow, and blue on the lobes - depending on variety. The tube often comes in white with a blotch of yellow in the interior of the lower lobe (Fig. 1). The plant grows up to 12 inches tall and wide and blooms continuously in summer until temperatures drop to freezing point.

Fig. 2    Torenia blooms in summer to late fall.

Torenia is generally easy to care for.   For best results, plant it in the shade and where the soil is fertile.  Keep the soil moist especially in hotter weather condition.  Pinch young plants to induce branching for a more bushy appearance of the plant.  Fertilize regularly with complete fertilizer to promote profuse blooming. When growing torenia in containers, put container-plants together to create a shadier and cooler environment (Fig. 3).

There are no known serious insect and disease problems but they could be susceptible to powdery mildew and possibly root rot - depending on soil.

Torenia is giving me a positive first impression.  So far, it will continue to have a place in my garden as an annual plant (replacing impatiens) until I find a better one.

Fig. 3   Torenia enjoys the shade of taller plant.

Try new plants in your garden - just for fun!

Fortune Plant (Dracaena fragrans)

Dracaena fragrans 'Masagaena' in bloom.

Dracaena fragrans is one of the most important houseplants in the United States because of its ability to tolerate low-light environments and low maintenance.  In the Philippines, it is grown both as an indoor or outdoor plant.

This plant is known by so many names and for different reasons. With its broad and elongated leaves that resemble that of corn (Zea maize), Dracaena fragrans is nick-named corn plant or cornstalk plant in this part of the world.  On the other hand, its botanical name indicates a significant olfactory characteristic - "fragrans".  This plant's ability to exude sweet odor outweighs all other characteristics that it is used to universally describe the species of the plant.  With such names we could say that this type of dracaena is a fragrant corn-looking plant.  However, in some countries it is called 'Fortune Plant'. There is a superstition that revolves not just in the Philippines but in the rest of Asia.  If the plant blooms in your care, then good fortunes will abound in the home.  The blooming time seems to be unpredictable that people associate it with the elusive incidence of good luck. :)

Dracaena fragrans is sometimes called Corn Plant.

For me, it is not uncommon to see this plant bloom. My mother had one that bloomed outside her front door year after year.  Everyone who came to our house after dusk knew it was in bloom even if they didn't see the flowers.  Here in my house (in California), there are three potted Dracaena fragrans - one of them is about eight feet tall and the other two are about six feet tall - all of which I've had for years now.  I purchased these plants at different sizes.  It has been my observation that only the mature plants - with a minimum trunk diameter of one inch- showed flowers.  However, not all plants with the same size of trunk bloomed.  One of my plants did not bloom this year even if it has larger trunk than the other two that bloomed.  Therefore, I have to come up with another theory -- that the plant has to be exposed to not one but a combination of critical factors prior to flower initiation. I think the plant blooms when they reach a certain age and accumulated experience.  How to quantify such variables remain unknown to me.  I'm sure there are scientific literature out there that explain this mystery.  But before I find them, I will enjoy the secret belief that my Dracaena fragrans is signaling the arrival of good fortune into my house.  :).
.

Dracaena fragrans line a village road in Cagayan,  Philippines.

Traditions, superstitions and beliefs determine the way cultures look at plants.  

Baby Blue Jay

Baby Blue Jay

Blue jays (Cyanocitta cristata) seem to consider our garden as a prime location for building nests. Previously, they had a nest on the lemon tree and on the Cecile Brunner rose that was by our front door.  But the best so far was when they had a nest on a three-foot tall standard rose in the backyard.  My two older kids, who were then very young, looked at the eggs every day.  This year, our resident blue jays built another nest on the grape arbor.  My daughter (younger) watched them as they gathered twigs for the nest.  She observed every activity there - touched the three eggs and then heard the little baby blue jays claim their worm every feeding time. When the nest became too small for them and the mommy bird prodded them to fly but one of them was still too weak to take flight. It fell to the ground.  We put it back to the nest that night but soon we saw her in one of the bushes where she was safe.

Getting ready for the first flight.

It is amazing to watch the birds take care of their young - they are like humans in the way they teach their kids - one lesson at a time.  The other day I watched the parent blue jays teach the babies to splash water from the bird bath.  It was amusing.

Out of the nest for the first time.

 Attract the blue jays to your vegetable garden with corn or peanut seeds.  And they will eat all your tomato hornworms too.

Cymbidium Season

There is a season for everything.  In my garden, now is cymbidium season.   While the rest of the plants are just beginning to awake from their winter rest, these outdoor orchids are putting on a spectacular show. 

Cymbidium flowers have an incredibly long life span. When left outdoor under a protected area the blooms can last from four to six weeks depending on prevailing temperatures and available moisture. Based on my experience, they can outlive their desirability. With clean water, cut flowers have a vase-life of two to three weeks.

Cymbidiums prefer being outdoors where they can get bright lights but away from direct hot sun, gusty winds and frost.  Here in our Zone 9 area, night time temperatures still come close to freezing at times and the ornamental pear tree (Bradford) that provides a protective shelter in the summer is still bare at this time.  And although these orchids can withstand some frost, we usually move them into the patio for protection during the cold months of January-March and also for a little cover from direct sunlight.  When they are done blooming they go back where they can get as much sunlight as they can while temperatures are still below "scorching-levels". This arrangement works well for me since the patio is right next to the dining room window; we get to enjoy the flowers more. It is alright to bring the orchids indoors when they are bursting with flowers but they need to go back outside as soon as possible in order to keep the plants healthy and strong. Generally, I prefer to cut the flowers and leave the mother-plants outside. This way, next year's bloom is not compromised.

It is obvious from the pictures here that I need to learn the discipline of staking.  Staking is a process. It is not a one-time activity.  Success in staking can be achieved when the process is started when the spikes are short and then tied progressively higher as they lengthen.  Staked flower spikes look stately and elegant but the natural bent-look of their unsupported counterparts gives the appearance of freedom and playfulness in the cymbidium.  So it is a matter of preference.

  The name cymbidium comes from the ancient Greek word "kymbe" meaning hollow vessel - referring to the cupped base of the lip.  For that reason, cymbidium is also referred to as the boat orchid

Spring Flowers Meet the Rain for the First Time

First Flowers:  Cherry Plum (Prunus cerasifera) 

After a record-breaking period of no measurable precipitation in our area, the rain has finally come this year. Between yesterday and today, some four inches of rain (and counting) has already blessed our soils.  For the first time this year, the soil is getting close to saturation within the root zone.  It is beautiful to see the leaves of the plants glisten under an overcast sky.  The colors of the flowers look more intense in the rain.  Even with just two rainy days, so far, signs of accelerated activity among the plants are now visible.

The plants seem to be singing in the rain right now.

Looking Back: Heavy Lessons on Thinning Young Fruits

Peaches in my garden - summer 2013 

Too much of anything is not a good thing.  There is balance to be observed between that which is beneficial and that which is permissible for a healthy life - plants included.   This year we were delighted to see a beautiful crop of peaches which is attributed to the absence of leaf curl infection.  The drier weather from late winter to early spring was not conducive for the proliferation of the pathogen Taphrina deformans.  In previous years, the tree would lose all its early leaves leaving the developing fruits to starve until the new set of healthy leaves come out.  Sometimes the fruits also get infected which results not only in low yield but poor quality crop.  

As the fruits grew larger under the summer sun, the problem slowly surfaced.  The slender stems laden with fruits began to hang straight downwards.  One of the larger branches was so heavy. I was afraid that it might break.  We had to prop it up with three pieces of 2x4x8 lumber.  I admit that my tree is not in its best form.  Pruning on this tree has been mainly for the purpose of making sure it does not arch into our neighbors' yard.  (I doubt they appreciate peaches falling into their swimming pool.)  This effort has led to the formation of a lop-sided tree.  It is a nice tree but it not strong enough to bear a heavy crop.  

   

A heavy fruit load can be detrimental to the tree.

Based on the situation described here, the problem that needed to be addressed is excessive fruits.
Under favorable growing conditions, such as what we had this year, fruit trees set more fruits than they can support adequately.  And this problem is magnified when trees have not been properly pruned in the previous season.  A heavy fruit load can result in branch breakage.  When there are too many fruits competing for carbohydrates, the fruits cannot reach their optimum size.  The tree also gets nutritionally deprived and weakened - making it more susceptible to pests and even sunburn damage.  Another possible effect of excessive fruits on trees is alternate bearing (the cycle in which the tree bears a heavy crop in one year and a skimpy or no yield in the next).  This phenomenon happens when the tree is nutritionally deprived while supporting its fruits - a situation that will continue to plague my tree until I will muster enough discipline to remove the excess fruits when they are young.  

Rule for fruit thinning:  Mature fruits should not be touching each other.

Peaches are among the fruit trees that require fruit thinning for best results - superior quality fruits are produced while maintaining a healthy tree.  As a general rule, allow room in between fruits so that at maturity fruits should not be touching each other.