Spring in The Redneck Garden

I know, I've been slacking around here lately. Lets just say its been a very busy & interesting winter for me. Both at home and at work. Let me get you caught up on what is happening in The Redneck Container Garden.

The temps are gradually rising in the Bay Area. We've been blessed with great cycles of rain and sun. New life is abundant outdoors and like most of you, I expected this to be a time of re-birth for The Redneck Garden, but it doesn't feel that way just yet.

The "Purple Sprouting Broccoli" was very happy and productive, both in the small planter strip & the buckets. But the tasty florets have all been consumed along with the wonderful soup made from the stalks. No re-birth going on here.

The delicious & unique Romanesco (broccoli or cauliflower, what is your vote?) also performed well in the redneck buckets.

Well, they're mostly gone now too. Except this one plant that never produced a typical dense head, so I allowed it to flower. It seems to be pretty excited at the possibility of procreation, don't you think?

I realize he's no hummingbird (we can't all be Interleafer), but this large Bumble was quite happy to help the Romanesco with the fantasy of it's reproduction.

Another happy plant is this cramped little Kniphofia hirsuta, "Fire Dance" that I picked up at Annie's Annuals in December. I felt guilty and potted this up to a 1-gallon the day after this pic was taken. Its been living happily in the shade of my neighbors Birch tree, loving all the rain we were getting.

Walking around just thinking about what needed to be done made me hungry & thirsty. Homemade salmon tacos & a cold beer on the back patio were just what the doctor ordered on a very pleasant Saturday afternoon.

I wasn't the only one working up an appetite. This guy was working on a nut that was almost the size of his head. I ate my lunch, left and he was still munchin' away.

So, the whole re-birth thing isn't really happening in The Redneck Garden just yet. We are a bit sad at the passing of all the good friends we had in the winter garden, but as this pic shows, the seeds of possibility are gestating in the Redneck Container Garden. Check back every once in awhile and see how the next generation fares. And what kind of fare they become!

My Trip to The San Francisco Flower & Garden Show

I really don't know where to start. Most of the trade shows I attend or exhibit at are commercial B2B shows and to be quite honest, the attendance has been beyond dismal the last year or two. I knew something was different about the San Francisco Flower & Garden Show as soon as I walked through the door. The display gardens were huge, elaborate and beyond impressive. More than that, the aisles were full of people. People who payed good money to get through the door. People who were buying all sorts of things from vendors to take home. Now, we all know that the current state of the economy is certainly taking it's toll, but the appearance at this show was much better than what I expected to find.

This was the scene at the ticket booths on Sunday, the 5th and final day of the show. Apparently folks just couldn't get enough of this event!

I cruised all the aisles and checked out all the display gardens. Talked to lots of vendors and attendees. The vast majority were very pleased with the show. I was surprised at the variety of exhibitors and vendors. Of course there were all the cool nurseries and plant stuff, but then there was art of all kinds, outdoor furniture, tools, clothes, kitchen gadgets and more.

Here is a sampling of the amazing gardens:

I'm starting with my favorite. This is the post-apocalypse garden built by The Garden Route. I loved the overgrown appearance and the over-sized metal critters.

Coming in a close second for me was the Recycled Creole Jazz Garden. The crocs in the waterless fountain were just too cool. Their plant selections really captivated me. Oh, and then there was that cool jazz music playing all the time.

The Jurassic Garden was a tropical adventure full of imagination.

More amazing designs.

This is the famous "Living Room". A complete room with walls of succulents, surrounded by water and a complete formal dining room inside.

The energy, creativity and planning that went into all the display gardens was extreme. The fact that they were all assembled in just three days really blew me away. I had only attended the SFGS one time previous, and that was several years ago. While I'm sure it was impressive then too, it sure didn't make the impression that this show did. I am certainly hooked and will most definitely be back next year.

Hope you enjoyed my novice perspective of the gardens. Check back in a couple days for my post about all the other exhibits and vendors.

Greening San Jose for Over 35 Years

I apologize for my unplanned absence from the blogosphere, this post is long-overdue. I actually took these pics and started writing this article on February 6th. Unfortunately, before I could complete it my computer contracted the mother of all viruses and it's taken me three weeks and a complete re-formatting of my hard drive to get back to it. I know some of you out there can empathize with that. Anyhow, here it is and I hope you will agree that it was worth the wait.

I admit to being a relatively new gardener. It's no secret. The odd part is that I've been working in the landscape & nursery supply business for more than 20 years and it took me this long to get interested in anything more than my meager front lawn. My history with plants was nearly perfect. Up until a little over a year ago, I had managed to kill just about every plant I ever owned. I'm not one to give up easily and it seems that the nurseries in my area are happy to keep supplying me with victims. 

Strangely enough, I started having success growing vegetables in containers (5-gallon buckets mostly). I even have a nice winter crop going right now. Success breeds enthusiasm and my next adventure involves starting my spring/summer garden from seeds. Wish them luck. Being a newbie, there was no drawer full of seeds in the garage. I would have to buy them. Since the company I work for supplies soil to nurseries, it seemed only appropriate to support someone who supports me.

This quest led me to Central Wholesale Nursery in the heart of San Jose. I used to deliver here when I was a truck driver and have been talking to Betty when she orders soil, for more than 15 years. My newly enlightened gardener  perspective couldn't believe I hadn't been back here sooner. I was having that whole kid-in-a-candy-store kind of experience. I know, I was only here for seeds, but the place was too cool not to have a look around. Join me, won't you?

I timed my visit perfectly between rain showers. Everything was clean & colorful. CWN sits on a triangle shaped lot with major streets on two sides and a bunch of new condos on the third. This part of town is seeing a lot of redevelopment right now and I'm sure the developers have knocked on the door. For very good reason, the nursery that has been here since 1974 persists. Serving gardeners, designers and landscapers around the valley in ways the big-box stores can't touch.

 

The variety of stock made me wish I could conjure up a more substantial project. So many different colors and textures. And this is the middle of winter!

They had just about every type of ground cover you could want. They offer to order sod for those who just have to have it, but the emphasis is clearly on more attractive & responsible alternatives.

This crazy looking asparagus fern & the cool colorful pot had me hooked. It was difficult to leave without it, but the boss (read wife) would give me heck if I went that far off the list today.

They had a nice selection of water features. The way the ribbon of water twists in mid air had me really liking this one. Hmmmm, maybe I could make room in the raised planter in my back yard. I do have visions of turning my small planting space into a kitchen garden and personal oasis. And no oasis is complete without water, right?

Sorry, I'm not enough of a plant geek to remember the names of everything and I didn't write them down, but they were too cool to be left out.

 They have lots of cool statuary, including this Silicon Valley icon, Buddha with a laptop.

And more cool colorful pots. Know anyone who is into frogs?

Of course they have all the usual racks full of color and vegetable starts too.

They really maximize the small amount of indoor space they have.

Time for one more spin around the nursery before they lock the gate and I have to spend the night here.

Can't believe I walked right past these! A whole row of Phormium cookianum, "Black Adder". One of the killer dark foliage plants developed by our friend Pat FitzGerald of FitzGerald Nurseries and MyPlant in Kilkenny, Ireland (sorry for the lame pic. For some strange reason I only took this shot with my phone.). Click here to see more of Pat's wonderful plants.

Just HAD to have Black Adder to go with my Ceanothus Tuxedo, another dark-leaved FitzGerald Nurseries creation.

That's it for this trip, hope you enjoyed it. If you are in the Willow Glen area, stop in, have a look around and talk with some of the great people who work at Central Wholesale Nursery. You'll be glad you did. Oh, and yes, I did leave with a healthy collection of vegetable seeds. Stay tuned for future posts to see how they do.

A Little WASP History For You

There have been some great posts about bees lately from some very knowledgeable bloggers and writers, but WASP are very different. Yes, this space has typically been used to talk about gardening, or to brag about my recent road trip or adventure, but there is some particularly exciting activity around my family right now and I just have to share a little of it with all of you. Join me for a little WASPkid history lesson.

If you are one of those who maybe wondered what a WASPkid is, but never took the time to read the little bio on the side of the page, you're about to find out. The very lively lady in the picture above is my remarkable mother. Mom was one of 1,074 women to fly military aircraft during WWII as a member of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP). These amazing women trained to more stringent standards than the men, flew all sorts of non-combat missions.

After completing primary training in the Civilian Pilot Training Program and logging some hours, mom was fortunate to be selected as a candidate for what was then a very controversial program. WWII was in full swing and male pilots were in demand for combat operations. Pioneering aviatrix Jaquie Cochrane had the political clout to convince Washington to give women a shot at filling the non-combat flying jobs, freeing up more male pilots for combat positions.

From 65 horsepower Aeroncas, Taylorcrafts and Cubs, they would move to the Primary Trainers like this Stearman. From there they would move into the Basic Trainers like the BT-13 Vultee in the top picture.

After mastering the basic trainer, they progressed into the advanced trainer, the AT-6 Texan. With 650 HP and retractable gear, this was a big step up in training. The T-6 has never been accused of being docile when touching down and landing in the strong winds of West Texas was often a test in itself.

Successful graduates went on to advanced schools for different aircraft, like pursuit school where they would train to fly fighters like the P-47 Thunderbolt, P-38 Lightning or the P-51 Mustang. Others went on to fly bombers like the B-17. One crew was even trained to fly the massive B-29 when male pilots were having concerns about their airworthiness. It worked too. The men were not about to be shown up by a "bunch of girls".

Mom went on to earn a multi-engine instrument rating and was sent to Mather Field in Sacramento, CA where she flew B-25s for a considerable time. Missions involved flight training, flight testing of equipment and relocation of assigned aircraft. From here she went on to March Field in Riverside, CA to fly target towing missions in a variety of aircraft. She would tow a target, trailing on a cable behind her aircraft for artillery platoons training in the desert. She helped train my Uncle Matt's platoon as they were preparing for the invasion of Normandy. She flew out of several desert airfields including Muroc, now known as Edwards AFB and home of the Lockheed Skunkworks. Any flying here was likely flight testing or in direct support of flight testing as there were lots of interesting new things going on while she was there.

The WASP program was terminated in December of 1944. The war was winding down and pilots who had completed the required number of missions were returning stateside needing jobs (at least that's the official story). Each WASP was separated wherever she happened to be at the time and had to pay their own way home. Their records were sealed, stamped "Classified" and locked away in storage for 30 years. They were not granted veteran status until 1977, when the US Air Force announced that it was graduating the first women to fly American military aircraft. The WASP mounted a public campaign and with the help of Sen. Barry Goldwater and Bruce Arnold (Son of Gen. Hap Arnold), were finally recognized as veterans, entitled to all the same benefits as any other service member.

So what's the excitement you ask? Last summer Congress passed a bill to award all of the WASP graduates and the 11 who were killed during training a Congressional Gold Medal. The President signed the bill into law on July 1, 2009. This past Friday, January 29th, it was announced that the WASP Congressional Gold Medals would be awarded at a ceremony in the Rotunda of the United States Capitol on March 10th, giving us about five weeks to make preparations. My six siblings and I are extremely excited and doing everything we can to get to Washington DC. It will be a serious stretch, but what better way to honor an incredible lady than getting all of her kids together for this grand occasion? It will be an adventure to meet some of the surviving WASP and listen to their stories. Of course I will be picturing mom along side them the whole time.

Here is a little more WASP info for you:

• 25,000 women applied for Army Airforce flight training.
• 1,879 women were accepted into training.
• 1,074 women graduated training.
• 38 women lost their lives in service over the duration of the program. 11 of those during training.

WASP Links:

• WASP WWII
• Fifinella.com
• Andy's WASP Web Pages 
• Women in Military Service for America Memorial (WIMSA)
• Texas Woman's University WASP Library 
• Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison

Rain, Rain, Go Away, Come Again Another Day.

I know,  we've had three consecutive years of drought and need every drop of rain we can get, but seriously, 10 consecutive days of rain in the Santa Clara Valley? We're looking for high ground around my neighborhood. Never mind the TORNADO WARNINGS for seven straight days (In CA? WTF?) the  hail, funnel clouds and water spouts that wandered around at will. So, I don't really wish for the rain to go completely away, but would a week of sun really hurt anybody. Sorry OR & WA friends,  but there is a reason we live in this amazing climate and it's called SUN! Something like 325+ days per year of it.

Obviously, this kind of weather takes a toll on any garden and the Redneck Container Garden is no exception. Most things are doing okay, but there are a few issues. These guys are doing pretty well...

As are these...

These ones, not so much...

The rest of the gang is hanging pretty tough...

I don't know if the weather has anything to do with it or not, but this...

Has turned into this...

I suppose I should be upset that these are bolting, but it amazes me how rapidly they grow at this stage and they still add great texture and color to my garden...

So, that's what the Redneck Garden looks like after a solid week of rain & wind. How is your garden holding up?

Bend, Oregon a Road Trip

 I had occasion recently to take a road trip to Bend, Oregon. If you've been there, you already know how scenic the region is. I had been through here before, but it was more than 25 years ago, so memories weren't  so vivid any more. I started by driving from the Bay Area to Carson City to hook up with my brother who would share the rest of the trip with me. Now, I love the Bay Area and you absolutely can not beat the mild Mediterranean climate, but I grew up in the high desert of Northern Nevada and those wide open spaces still have a special appeal to me. So many people look at these landscapes and fail to see the amazing character , colors and textures. I'd be interested to know what you think.

The next four pics were taken on Hwy 395, Northbound from Reno...

 

It's not just the landscapes that have character around here. The old barns and farm houses always make me think about the sturdy folks who lived and worked in this challenging environment without the modern conveniences and tools we enjoy today.

Thompson Peak in the distance, the Litchfield water tower and the wide open view as we descend toward Ravendale. It was around here where we saw a massive Golden Eagle sitting on a telephone pole, but I wasn't quick enough to get his picture.

The "Most Likely Cafe" in scenic Likely, CA. My brother Pat & I had lunch & homemade pie here with our dad 33 & 1/2 years ago while on a fishing trip. You know we had to stop for lunch today. The town consists of about 5 or 6 houses, a few mobile homes, the cafe and a small general store. If you ever pass this way, The Most Likely Cafe is worth the stop.

The roaring metropolis of Alturas, CA.

More beautiful desert scenes between Alturas & Tulelake, CA. It was along this stretch that we saw a Bald Eagle on an island in a pond about a 1/4 mile off the highway.

We were digging this long-range view of Mt. Shasta, approximately 60 miles in the distance. At over 14,000 feet, it looked like a ghost mountain looming way out there.

Merrill, OR

More scenic farm/ranchland just North of Klamath Falls, OR and the view of Mt. McLoughlin across the frozen waters of Upper Klamath Lake. The iced over lake and snow on the banks are leftovers from the severe cold snap in the middle of December. While we were busy whining about low temps in the mid-twenties, this region was just wishing for high temps above zero.

A very large hawk flying over the highway as seen through the sunroof and a view of Mt. Thielson, another of the many extinct volcanoes in this region.

My one and only picture from downtown Bend. This is the Deschutes river winding through the heart of town. I love the nice parks all along the river around here. The locals told us how this area really hops in the summer time and I can see why. The downtown are was very clean and very lively. We were pleased to see only one empty shop in the whole downtown area of a dozen or so blocks.

Just a couple shots from the return trip; one of the two Bald Eagles we saw roosting in a grove of trees in bustling Likely, CA and a stormy sunset over Susanville. I really must get a camera with more zoom capability, these eagles were only about 100 yards off the road and this was as much zoom as my little camera could muster. I see things like this so seldom, I really need to be able to reach out and capture them.

I hope you enjoyed riding through the high desert with the Moore Brothers. Be sure to subscribe so you can join us as we trip around, having fun and taking pics as we go.