Gordon's Gardens

December 5, 2012
by Gordon's Gardens 6 Comments

An Oak Tree? You Can Grow That!

In mid November while attending the Partners in Community Forestry Conference in Sacramento, I picked up a few acorns from various types of oaks around the area. Part of the conference included a tour of the Shields Oak Grove at the UC Davis Arboretum – the home of more than 80 species of oaks from around the world. I saw oaks I never even knew existed, including a unique oak from Mexico with very stiff and large leaves. Of course, I had to pick up a few acorns to see if I could grow any of them. The only viable acorns I could get my hands on were that of the bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa). I had never seen an acorn like this before. It was covered by a large, protective cap with rough furry edges, as seen in the picture below.

Bur oak acorn (Photo credit: CameliaTWU)

In downtown Sacramento, I picked up a few cork oak acorns (Quercus suber). These trees have incredibly interesting bark. It’s called cork oak because the bark is the source of commercial cork for wine bottles, etc. (like I needed another reason to love a tree). I came upon a whole slew of these acorns on my way out of the hotel and was very excited about the possibility of growing one of these beautiful trees.

Quercus suber L. / Alcornoque/Surera. (Photo credit: chemazgz)

Fagaceae: Quercus suber (Photo credit: Dane Larsen)

I was excited to stick these acorns in the ground to see what would happen. Fortunately, I was surrounded by hundreds of arborists (I’m still in training). One of them, my co-worker in fact, was able to explain what to do as easily as if she was telling me how to start a car. It’s so easy, that any of us can do it. Hence the title of this post: “An oak tree?

Here are the steps:

1) Find viable acorns. This means they aren’t dried out or damaged by insects or animals. If you wait too long after collecting the acorns, they will lose it’s ability to germinate.

2) Float test: remove the caps off the acorns and drop them into a glass of water. If the acorn sinks, it will grow; if it floats, it won’t.

3) Get some vermiculite, wet it enough so that it’s moist without being soggy. Put the vermiculite in a bag with the acorns.

4) Place the bag in the refrigerator for approximately one month for germination.

5) Once roots are growing out of the acorn, remove and place in a pot large enough for the taproot to grow.

6) Repot in larger pots as it grows, or plant in the ground.

And ta-da! You should have a new oak tree seedling. Remember, that not all seeds will grow, so it’s best to prepare several acorns if you’re hoping to get one tree.

Considering sudden oak death (SOD), the gold spotted oak borer beetle, etc., it’s not a bad idea to do what we can to try to grow more oak trees. Whether you plant them in your backyard or in a nature preserve, growing more can help oak populations out.

Here’s my experience with this process so far:

Removing the cap from the bur oak was NOT easy, but it was so big that I figured it would interfere with the float test. Unfortunately, the acorn didn’t exactly sink to the bottom, nor did it immediately float to the top. I have a feeling it’s not going to grow, but I’m trying it anyway.

After only about 2 weeks, one of my cork oak acorns has already sprouted. Yippee! You are seeing potting soil on these acorns. I didn’t have any vermiculite or sawdust, so soil was the only substrate I had available at the time. I wasn’t sure how well it would work, but so far so good. I’ll be happy if I get one seedling out of this experiment. Just think, if I start growing a cork oak now, it may be ready by the time I decide to take up winemaking! (Don’t worry, harvesting bark for corks is sustainable and will not kill the tree.)

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On the fourth day of each month, garden bloggers everywhere are coming together to post about what you can grow. Posts will be about anything from growing hops for your home brew to growing your own wedding bouquet. To see others, check out the You Can Grow That! Facebook Page. More on this can be found at C.L. Fornari’s blog.

September 6, 2012
by Gordon's Gardens 4 Comments

Fungi: Another reason why I love the Pacific Northwest

In case you were wondering what the first reason was, check my previous post on moss. I have many other reasons, but today I want to talk about fungi! Yay!

While driving along U.S. 101 near the Oregon Coast, we stopped at a scenic vista to see sand dunes. Were they impressive? Eh… The sand dunes in Death Valley are significantly more magestic. But what was impressive was this giant group of mushrooms growing near the the public restroom:

Fungi-tastic!

Hopefully the presence of the blades of grass can help you understand the size of these suckers. I have never seen mushrooms so large growing in nature. I took this as an opportunity to nerd out yet again. My first thought was, “If I only picked up that mushroom field guide I saw at Powell’s Books in Portland. Alas, there’s there’s always the internet.” So yes, I took a picture and planned on looking it up later online when I had reception on my phone again. I did, but as usual, without an actual sample of the fungus, keying it out was very difficult. I did come across a great fungus key for the Rockies and Pacific Northwest from Fungal Jungal. According to the key, there are approximately 2000 species of fungi amongst these two areas but the key only accounts for 400. I searched but could not find anything that looked enough like the fungus in the picture above.

So, are there any mycological heroes out there who know what fungus I found in the forest?

On a side note, this little diversion did renew my interest in mushrooms again. My mind was blown the day my horticulture teacher told us that a mushroom is only the fruit of a fungus. Underground, it is a spreading network of web-like mycelium. Soon after that epiphany, I read Mary Gray’s great review of Paul Stamets’ book Mycelium Running, titled “My Fungi are Smarter than Your Honor Student.” I was instantly appreciated the humorous title, and reading her review inspired me to go out and buy the book. It’s still sitting on the table next to my bed for me to read before going to sleep, along with a book about the plight of oaks living in urban settings, several field guides, Botanical Latin, and much, much more. If only there was ever a time period of wakefulness long enough to read anything after my head hits the pillow.

Mycelium Running (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

After teaching all day, some occasional after-school tutoring, answering peoples’ questions about their street trees or performing emergency care, and verifying that my bourbon still tastes the way it should, I have difficulty finding the time to read for fun. This must change soon.

Paul Stamets on 6 ways mushrooms can save the world (ritholtz.com)
Cool Little Coastal Town ~ Florence, OR (paintyourlandscape.wordpress.com)
Mushrooms: A Wonderful World Of Fungi. (greatgreths.wordpress.com)
New Danish fungal species discovered (esciencenews.com)

September 5, 2012
by Gordon's Gardens 9 Comments

Super trendy moss in a jar – You Can Grow That!

Everywhere I look these days I see those small glass terrariums featuring mosses mixed with lichens on remnants of bark or sticks. Some hang in store windows while others exist in fictitious internet lands where they sit on pristine, completely white desks where absolutely no real work ever happens. Unique, small, green, little living worlds – a reminder of what I’d rather be paying attention to rather than any of the work on my desk. They soothe the angst-ridden mind.

Growing up in dry Southern California, moss was something I only saw on PBS documentaries, so I am particularly drawn to the allure these terrariums offer. Whenever I see one when I’m out and about I stop and stare at them, inspecting their individual intricacies. Even the video rental store near my house sells them – “We’re out of Mad Men Season 4 dvds, but we have moss in a hanging globe. Want that instead?” My answer would be “Yes, please!” if these little balls of joy weren’t so darn expensive. Yes, you are buying living art and there’s always a price to pay for someone’s design aesthetic, but I have a hard time paying for something that I feel I can easily do myself. So I will…and you can, too!

Depending on where you live, you can most likely acquire some kind of small green life form or something reminiscent of one while on a hike out in nature. In areas that receive a lot of moisture, you should be able to find some kind of moss, lichen, or liverwort. You can go for succulents if you live in more desert-like conditions (or go to the local nursery if you can’t find any out and about). On my recent road trip from San Francisco to Portland, Oregon, I imagined I would pick up some moss in a redwood grove near the foggy mists of the Oregon coast. It was very romantic in my mind. Instead I found some in the grass at rest stop just outside of Eugene. The dog needed to go take care of some business and I found a dead twig covered in dried moss and a few lichens in the grass along the way. The moss was dark and looked dead, but the lichens were pretty so I picked it up. Again, being from SoCal, I don’t know much about moss, so I was pleasantly surprised when the moss came alive and green after getting it wet. (I have a lot to learn! Anyone have any recommendations for helping me catch up on my bryology?)

The dream of the moss is alive in Portland! This pile of joy on a stick can’t wait for a proper container.

I have not yet purchased a glass globe or a nice enough jar to put it in, but I do recommend getting one if you are going to make your own moss terrarium. Right now, mine is sitting in a small dish (as you can see above) and the exposure causes it to dry out rather quickly. I give mine a quick soak every so often, but an even mist from a spray bottle works well, too.

If you want to make your own terrarium but don’t know where to find supplies or plant materials, you can take a terrarium class or just find what you need at many independent plant nurseries/retailers. The San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers offers a terrarium building class as does Sloat Garden Center (both are approximately $35 each). Or better yet, you can visit Flora Grubb Gardens and build your own at their “terrarium bar.” Just grab one of the many hand-blown glass containers and choose from an assortment of branch pieces, lichens, and air plants to create your own custom soil-less terrarium. (They also have them pre-made there, too, if you don’t trust your creative instincts).

An example of what you can make or buy at Flora Grubb (picture courtesy of: http://www.casasugar.com/Flora-Grubb-Plant-Cube-Great-Succulents-9939450)

Or you can just say screw it and just buy an already made terrarium. Mosser offers a really cool, yet pricey, ball of moss in a jar for $36. It’s moss in a jar. Very simple in concept and design, but amazing in so many ways. http://www.mosserstore.com/

I’ll admit it, I’ve been tempted to pick up one of these extravagancies for my desk at work…my non-white desk with non-white accessories on it…but the moss just won’t have the presence it does here in this picture with the white background and simple, elegant glass container and label.

So yeah, you can make that!….or buy that!….and definitely, you can grow that!

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On the fourth day of each month, garden bloggers everywhere are coming together to post about what you can grow. Posts will be about anything from growing hops for your home brew to growing your own wedding bouquet. To see others, check out the You Can Grow That! Facebook Page. Soon the name will be changing, though. More on that can be found at C.L. Fornari’s blog.

Moss provides a sense of peace and tranquility even during these uncertain and stressful times, and one company is filling this niche by providing five varieties. (prweb.com)
Growing an Open Terrarium (dadsforlifesg.wordpress.com)

August 16, 2012
by Gordon's Gardens 6 Comments

Can’t See the Forest for the Trees

Ever since March, I was looking forward to the second week of June (who am I kidding, ever since last August). That is when my work year as a teacher ended and I would begin my time off to recover and refresh myself so that I could do it all over again. I was really looking forward to all the time I would have to spend writing new blog posts, doing home repairs, and perhaps even finally getting to landscape my backyard finally!

But that didn’t happen.

Alas, my yard is still a yard and not a garden. There are less weeds now and I finally pruned the overgrown camelias, but there’s still the dilapidated fence, insane ivy, and dusty, bare soil. Any week now we’ll have the fence replaced and I’ll finally be able to sheet mulch (there will be a post dedicated to that when it happens). I have not laid the wooden floor in our bonus room. I have a half un-upholstered chair in the garage waiting for me to have enough time to continue working on it. There are seeds for Albizia julibrissin, Rosa californica, and a type of manzanita sitting on the table next to my bed, asking me each night, “So, uh, when are you planning on planting us?”

So what have I been doing? I got a summer job. The day after my last day of school work I started working part time at a place called Friends of the Urban Forest in San Francisco (see my previous blog titled “A Tree in Your Sidewalk? You Can Grow That!” for more info on this amazing organization.) I’ve been running around San Francisco doing emergency tree care, providing the public with information about trees, and working diligently on researching information and gathering some pictures for the upcoming tree database for the new website. It’s been a lot of work but just as much fun – and I’m learning a heck of a lot. Soon I will post about some of the tidbits worthy of attention (yellowing Magnolias, the impending doom of Myoporum trees, and more).

I did manage to have some fun this summer, too. I spent a week in the Eastern Sierras with my family (where I got the wild rose seeds) and celebrated my 30th birthday in Sonoma at a few wineries (where I got the manzanita seeds…and some amazing wine, of course). Tomorrow I leave for a road trip to Portland, OR. Along the way, we will be stopping at the many beautiful sites (and breweries) along the California coast up through Oregon. This is my first time heading north along the coast, so I’m looking forward to seeing everything (especially the forests and other plant life). I’ll post pictures of anything of botanical interest.

May 11, 2012
by Gordon's Gardens 3 Comments

Plantosaurus Rex invades the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers

Last night was the opening of the new exhibit “Plantasaurus Rex” at the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers, featuring an amazingly well done exhibit (in addition to the already stunning Aquatic Plants, Highland and Lowland Tropics, and Victorian Potted Plant galleries). For the opening night, the Conservatory also featured live music in the Potted Plant Gallery, two amazing beers from local Pacific Brewing Laboratories (Squid Ink Dark IPA and Nautilus Hibiscus Saison), and a wine bar. What? Great beer, wine, and plants? These people know how to get me to come to a party.

To be honest, I would have gone regardless of the beer and wine. I love visiting the Conservatory whenever I can. I always leave feeling as if I just returned from a 2 week vacation, and last night was no exception. The folks at the Conservatory did a stellar job on this new exhibit and they should be very proud. It contains a variety of plants from the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous Periods, as well as a huge T-Rex that extends through the roof to the outside of the authentic Victorian conservatory building.

Plant lovers af all ages will appreciate this exhibit, but there are a few interactive elements sure to entice children. Occasionally along the path of the exhibit is a small button that, when pressed, makes various dinosaur sounds to help you really feel like you stepped back in time. The children there last night were having a great time pressing the buttons (as were the adults). My personal favorite is the “volcano” aspect of the exhibit. The entire floor shakes as loud noises are made and glowing red lights shine from behind the volcano of stacked rocks. It’s not too different from a prolonged (yet localized) earthquake, so out-of-town visitors can have an very San Franciscan experience.

The mighty volcano rumbles the floor beneath your feet when you press the button. Can you see the lava glisten between the rocks amongst the mosses?

I didn’t spend all my time pressing buttons, though. Fortunately, I ran into my friend and former co-worker Larry who now works at the Conservatory. He was explaining many of the different plants in the exhibit to a few people standing nearby when I walked up, specifically about the foxtail ferns (Asparagus meyeri) and monkey-puzzle trees (Auracaria araucana). He has the best job ever.

Cretaceous Period bed: a beautifully-arranged scene with the foxtail fern (Asparagus meyeri) front and center.

This beautifully-arranged scene depicts many flowering plants with origins in the Cretaceous Period, including orchids, and a magnolia (you can just barely see it in the top right), as well as the foxtail fern, grasses. Additionally, their are gymnosperms and cycads from the previous periods (Jurassic and Triassic, respectively).

One of my favorite plants of the exhibit were the monkey puzzle trees (Araucaria araucana) that Larry stated are quite sharp. This South American tree is related to the Norfolk Island pines (Araucaria heterophylla, syn. A. excelsa) that we commonly see for sale around the holidays, and the bunya pine (Araucaria bidwillii) of Australia. While they are now geographically very distant, when these trees first came into existence Australia and South America were united. I really nerded out over this for a while yesterday (and still am now).

Araucaria araucana strategically placed to keep you on the path (they’re sharp!)

My favorite feature overall, though, was the pond. I’m a sucker for any water feature and this one did not disappoint. The rock plantings on the side gave me some great ideas for my backyard makeover (coming this summer!).

The pond

Plantosaurus Rex will be at the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers until October 21, 2012, so there’s plenty of time to come see it. They did such a great job on this exhibit, and the permanent galleries are always spectacular, so you should definitely check it out if you live here or are visiting at all! Below are some images of the other galleries to entice you to come see this wonderful historic institution in Golden Gate Park.

Aquatic Plants Gallery

Another view of the Aquatic Plants Gallery

Hairy petals

The Victorian Potted Plants Gallery

The Highland Tropics Gallery

Orchid from the Lowland Tropics Gallery. I can see where both Lewis Carroll and Disney got their idea for the scene when Alice talks with the flowers. Super cool.

And one more orchid face from the Lowland Tropics Gallery. Looks kind of like the Walrus in Disney’s animated Alice in Wonderland.

May 5, 2012
by Gordon's Gardens 10 Comments

A Kitchen Herb Garden – You Can Grow That!

If you have enough natural light in your kitchen, you can grow an herb garden. Growing a variety of herbs you use on a semi-regular basis can be both easy and incredibly satisfying. All you need to grow an indoor herb garden in your kitchen is good light.

In years past, I attempted growing rosemary in my kitchen, but being a city dweller, I rarely ever lived in a place that received enough daylight to keep it alive. Our new house in the city has two skylights in the kitchen. The previous owners remodeled and put the refrigerator under one of the skylights, which we at first thought created a rather odd space above, but it’s actually been quite beneficial for growing herbs (with a pothos and a cactus). It’s a perfect platform for growing since it’s just the right distance from the skylight.

Parsley, mint, chives, rosemary……and a pothos and cactus, too!

But what if you don’t have a skylight? If you have a bright window, you can always put a flower box on the inside or outside of the window and grow your herbs there. Friends of ours have a kitchen with windows that open out into a light well (another anomaly of urban living) and they, too, are successfully able to grow basil and mint from the amount of sunlight peering overhead.

Fridge-top Garden

When selecting herbs for your own garden, keep in mind that they don’t all require the same light and water conditions. Do a little research prior to going to the garden center so you have a better idea of what will do well in your kitchen conditions. Also take note of the lifespan of each herb. Is it an annual? A biennial? A perennial? Plants such as parsley are biennials. They’ll look great for two seasons, but as soon as you see it has produced a long spike then its days are limited. Many people don’t realize that parsley is a biennial and then feel like they did something wrong when it dies. Don’t worry! You didn’t do anything wrong.

We’re growing chives, rosemary, parsley, and mint. I wasn’t sure that a woody rosemary plant would be able to grow well under the same conditions of the herbaceous herbs, but it’s doing well. Soon after we brought home the mint, I saw that there were little red spots under the leaf. Yes, mint rust. I figured it was only a matter of time before it was a gonner. Well, a month later and there are no signs of rust and the plant is looking as healthy as ever. I’ll continue to keep an eye on it, of course.

No rust, but there is some mark on one of the leaves. Other than that, it looks healthy again!

With a sunny enough spot, anyone can grow a great and useful herb garden in his or her kitchen. When reading a recipe and you see it calls for one of the fresh herbs you are growing, nothing is more satisfying than knowing you have it and you grew it yourself!

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April 25, 2012
by Gordon's Gardens 4 Comments

Let’s Tweet About Squirrels to Raise Money for NWF

Craigslist Founder Will Donate $1 if You Tweet About Squirrels.

and… #Squirrels4Good | craigconnects.

This just in…Craigslist founder will donate $1 to the National Wildlife Federation for every tweet about squirrels or on his Facebook page. Squirrels? I love squirrels (out in nature), too, so I can understand why he’d do such a thing. It makes me happy that others have an affinity for squirrels as much as I do (and someone who actually has money enough to donate it).

So this got me thinking about squirrels more. They come up often in my English classes. When I think the kids aren’t paying attention I’ll somehow insert the word “squirrel” into my lecture. ”The Victorian Era is known for serialized novels, celebration of childhood, imperialism, and squirrels.” This helps me figure out who’s listening or not. I’ve been doing it so often that now the students bring up squirrels before I get the chance. One of them even bought me a plush squirrel. We named it Chippy. Chippy is now the class mascot and is sometimes blamed when assignments are not turned in or corrected in time.

Squirrels in the Garden

But there’s more to squirrels than the absurdity that I like to bring to my classroom. I enjoy seeing squirrels out in nature doing their squirrelly thing in the forests, but they’re not so cute when they’re wreaking havoc in your garden. They may eat your fruits, vegetables, plastic irrigation lines, plant and tree roots, or they chew the bark off of trees. Ground squirrels will burrow in lawns, under houses, patios, etc., destroying lawns, creating uneven ground, and possibly causing expensive structural damage to buildings. Tree squirrels won’t burrow underground, but will cause damage in tree canopies and even eat the eggs out of birds’ nests.

Managing Squirrels in Your Yard

But aren’t squirrels cute? They’re so adorable when they’ve girdled your cedar tree or destroyed your drip lines. Yeah … so, uh, you’re probably wondering … how do you get rid of them? Mechanical methods are best, but not always fool proof. Exclusion and trapping can work. If the fruit tree is small enough, building a screen around it will keep the squirrels (and birds) out, but that’s not always a viable option. Screening over a vegetable garden can keep them out, too. I’ve also seen people hang CDs or mylar strips in trees as a means of scaring them away. I’m not sure how successful they are, though. Live trapping always sounds nice because of the romantic ideas of releasing the urban squirrel into the great rural fields where we think they all would rather be anyway, but that’s a bit too idealistic. In California, live trapping is very unsuccessful because it’s illegal to release trapped animals in a new area, so you’ll just have to release a trapped animal back into your yard (or the neighbor’s?) or euthanize them. If that’s the case then you might as well use death traps, or better yet, learn to live with a little squirrel damage (if it’s not too intense).

From my own experience, the most effective method of keeping squirrels out of your yard is by keeping your dog in your yard. Not only are the squirrels too scared to jump into your yard from the fence, but chasing them also gives your dog (or dogs) exercise.

Walter the dog intently looking at...a squirrel? No, probably at food or another dog.

And now off to tweet about squirrels to make some money for NWF…. (I better learn how to use Twitter stat!

A Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel stands in front of a camera while Melissa and Jackson Brandts are taking a photo of themselves at Banff National Park. The image has spread virally around the internet, making the Brandts, the squirrel, and Banff National Park momentarily famous. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)