Timely tree article in the Bee
How to prevent your trees from toppling
By Clint Swett – cswett@sacbee.com
Published 12:10 pm PST Tuesday, January 8, 2008
No Mow & Blows Need Apply
How cool is this Craigslist ad? C’mon, Sacramento, where are the companies offering eco-friendly garden maintenance? It’s time! I do hope the homeowners understand that using human-powered tools takes more time and that gardeners will need to be adequately compensated.
Reply to: job-530855537@craigslist.org
Date: 2008-01-06, 8:49PM PST
High quality home in Sacramento seeks environmentally conscientious, skilled gardener to come once a week to mow (push mower), fertilize, trim shrubs, do weed control, rake and keep our gardens looking in tip-top shape. You must have experience in garden care. No mow and blow need apply. Must be dependable and trustworthy. Please reply with details of your experience.
* Location: Sacramento
* Compensation: $200 per month
* Principals only. Recruiters, please don’t contact this job poster.
* Please, no phone calls about this job!
* Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.
‘Apple Blossom’ Amaryllis
Day before yesterday… almost open
Yesterday… fully open!
This morning, on the mantel. So pretty I should have a party just to show it off!
I took it outside so I could get an easy shot of it in its reusable but biodegradable EcoForms Pot.
Wikipedia entry on Hippeastrum (AKA amaryllis)
Dave’s Garden info on: ‘Apple Blossom’ Amaryllis
Winter Storm
Looks like I’m going to have to add “winter storm clean-up” to my To-Do list. Power was out for awhile today, twigs and leaves are everywhere, and my bamboo kite pole snapped. Wah.
SacBee.com has an informative Google map (w/pics) of storm damage around town. Check it out: http://www.sacbee.com/109/story/610296.html
A house in midtown was split in half by a giant fallen elm. I think I’ll shut up about my kite pole now.
January lull
I haven’t been doing a lot of gardening lately other than ogling my lemons, watching birds, and watching my potted amaryllis grow several inches a day on the kitchen windowsill. Its plump buds are just beginning to open. It was an ‘Apple Blossom’, plucked from the bottom of a nearly empty bin in the plumbing aisle at Emigh Hardware.
A couple years ago, I bought an ‘Apple Blossom’ amaryllis bulb for an aunt at Christmas. At first I thought, “Is this a lame gift? Am I projecting my gardening thing on her?” But then she raved about how it grew, and bloomed, and had several beautiful flowers. That left me wondering why I didn’t buy one for myself. So this year I did. Oh, I thought about gifting it because who wouldn’t want a fabulous amaryllis bulb for Christmas, right? Selfishness… and the rationalization that I could be hit by a bus tomorrow and die an amaryllis virgin… won in the end and I kept it for myself. And, hey, why hasn’t anyone ever given me an amaryllis bulb for Christmas? Now who’s selfish?
There isn’t a lot to do in the garden right now except two important things– pruning my roses and deciduous trees and applying dormant spray to my fruit trees. Not very glamorous, but both must be done. I sort of putzed on the winter veggie garden except for planting a bit lettuce and herbs and chard. I’m kind of sorry because I do enjoy watching my little dogs eat snap peas right off the vine, the little dorks.
I’ve also been experiencing some blog template weirdness and have been perusing the help boards a lot lately. I am trying to add a third column to my blog and in doing so, nuked some of the changes I had made to my template. Oh, I backed it up, but that doesn’t save the stuff in the sidebar. My header is having issues too, so I took it down until I can get the third column up and running. Then I’ll put a header back and do all sorts of other wonderful widgety, hacky stuff. Blogging is too fun. I might be starting a Dreamweaver class this month, so watch out for a revamped, revitalized, reborn gardening website as well in the coming year.
Angela’s Stock Photography
