Generational gap and the man bun Oct. 15, 2015

Posted on Tuesday, November 10, 2015 by Heather Hacking

Baby Tuscan kale sprouts are performing just as expected. These were planted about three weeks ago.Heather Hacking—Enterprise-Record

By Heather Hacking, Chico Enterprise-Record

POSTED: 10/15/15, 11:31 AM PDT | UPDATED: 3 WEEKS, 4 DAYS AGO

Peter Dinklage, of Game of Thrones, sports a man bun during an award ceremony. Associated Press

Fall is the time to plant cool-season veggies. I plopped some seeds into my black fabric pots a few weeks ago and they are on their way.

Not one to miss an opportunity to brag, I snapped a series of pictures one morning on my way out the door.

While editing the photos I noticed a chestnut-colored critter with a million legs.

Yikes. Now I know what’s been nibbling my new sprouts.

Why didn’t I see those critters with my naked eye? Because I have middle-aged eyesight.

SLOW BUT SURE

This age things has been creeping up slowly.

If I look back I can pinpoint the first time I realized something wasn’t quite right.

We were at a video store. For younger readers, this is a store containing racks filled with videos. In the old days people actually read the back of a box and decided which movie to rent for the night.

One day, I couldn’t read the description on the back of the box. What the heck? When did they start making the type so small?

About this same time, our newspaper was redesigned. The type size was reduced ever-so-slightly. This was just enough to make me squint.

When readers called to complain that they needed to put on glasses to read the paper, I agreed the changes were an outrage.

The only advantage to poor up-close vision is that I have a tough time seeing my crow’s feet when I put on makeup.

THEN THERE WAS BUN

The other sign of aging is that the inner curmudgeon begins to emerge.

Up until now I have prided myself on being open-minded.

I don’t blink an eye when I see someone with green or purple hair. Go ahead, express yourself with Flock of Seagulls haircuts, parachute pants, tattoo sleeves, mutton chops, cheese heads and Flash Dance sweatshirts. Yet, I can’t help but giggle when I spot this man bun thing.

The first time I saw the doo was on my neighbor Scott. He pulled his long hair up while doing yard work.

Since then I’ve spotted the style more often, usually on someone carrying a man purse or wearing floppy culottes. Almost invariably, the man-bun is on the same head with a beard.

More recently the man-bun seems to have hit its stride. You can spot men in suits with their hair wrapped like grandma. Fashion mags have hot guys with a bump in the back.

Even though its now mainstream, it still makes me giggle.

I was at a restaurant this week and we spotted a friend who is a waiter. He didn’t have a man bun. He had a man headband. In fact, the headband pushed much of his hair forward like an exotic chicken. Other than the hair, he’s a quite handsome, bearded guy.

Next, a patron came in with a double man bun. His hair was so long he had a big tuft near the nape of his neck, and another that built out from there. In a way it looked like an ant’s body attached to his big head. He also sported the full-beard.

As we get older, maybe its easier to be jarred by generational differences.

When I first watched “Peaky Blinders,” the half-shaved-heads gave me pause. Yet, the show is based 100 years ago and across the globe.

The man bun is right here and right now, therefore more difficult to understand.

MILLIPEDES

In the meantime, there are more important things to worry about.

The chestnut critter I spotted among my sprouts was a millipede. I checked online and millipedes have four legs per body segment, vs. the two for centipedes. Centipedes are predators, while millipedes eat decaying matter, and apparently my plants.

If it is any consolation, millipedes don’t bite. Now that I know what’s nibbling my new sprouts, I may consider removing the mulch from these container. Millipedes love to feast on mulch and leaves. If they multiply too fast, they’ll also eat your plants.

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How to divide plants without being noticed, 9-17-15

Posted on Tuesday, November 10, 2015 by Heather Hacking
When iris rhizomes get too crowded, the things that look like carrots on top of the soil will touch each other, or even overlap. Heather Hacking – Enterprise-Record

By Heather Hacking, Chico Enterprise-Record

Am I a thief, or a garden hero, a protector of plants, a defender of the nurtured world?

Here’s my version of the story.

I lived in a little house for 18 years. The biggest room in my house was the little garden, where things blossomed and grew.

That little house needed a lot of repairs, and I moved into the little house directly next door.

Twenty feet separates the two front doors and I can see “my” old garden quite clearly.

Before I left, I took what seemed sane to transport. Yet, some of the plants seemed better off where they were planted.

Also, I was right next door. I could dig them up later.

A nice lady moved into my old house, but she didn’t live there for long.

She had a vast collection of plants in pots, which she tended like a watchful mother. However, she never took a hose to the rest of “my” yard.

This was not a pleasant experience.

I watched as some plants were tortured by hot sun and neglect.

The roses, thankfully, were within reach. Naturally, I watered those from my side of the fence.

Next, a very nice, cute young couple moved in.

They’ve been there nine months, and NOT ONCE, have I seen them turn on a hose.

One could argue they are the best, most conscientious of drought observers. You could argue that if the lilac dies, it wasn’t the right plant for this climate.

The lavender and sage will probably be fine. The roses, of course, I have continued to water from my side of the fence.

Then I did what I did.

I ventured over to “my” old yard and had a look around.

Was there anything I could salvage?

Months ago I had divided a clump of purple bearded iris, and plopped half a dozen plants along the dry edge of my new yard.

Nobody noticed the irises had been thinned.

I thought it would be the same with the succulents the former neighbor had left behind.

This week the young man knocked on the door to borrow a hacksaw.

“I used to have some succulents like this at the side of the house, but now they are gone,” he said while standing over the succulent plant I had transplanted from his yard.

I did not hesitate in my confession and apology.

“I just love plants and it was hard to see those things go without water.”

“But aren’t those the kind of plants that don’t need much water,” he asked.

He certainly had me there.

Did he want them back? Could I offer him a basil plant near the end of its life?

Could I bring him some kale later this fall?

He was absolutely, 100 percent cool about the entire thing, but I still felt like I giant dirt ball.

Now what about those roses, just on the other side of the fence?

This did not seem like the right time to bring up the subject.

HOW TO DIVIDE IRISES

You should divide irises every 3-5 years, otherwise they will stop blooming.

Look into the clump and you’ll see the rhizomes, which look a lot like dull-colored carrots on top of the soil.

Attached to the fleshy carrots are roots.

Using a shovel, gently loosen the soil and raise the dirt about six inches under the rhizomes.

You should be able to separate the individual rhizomes. If they are stuck together, cut them apart with a knife.

. If you break a few, no worries. If most of the rhizome is intact, the plant will grow.

Be gentle with the roots and carefully move the plant to its new location. Some people snip off all but a few inches of the leaves from the top.

If gifting to a friend, transport the irises in a box so the roots are not jostled.

As for the rhizomes in the original location, the rhizomes should be spaced so they do not touch each other.

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Bulb gardening is a practice of forward-thinking 8-2-15

Posted on Tuesday, November 10, 2015 by Heather Hacking

By Heather Hacking, Chico Enterprise-Record

08/20/15

Big, bright, beautiful bulbs, on sale at a big-box store near you.Heather Hacking — Enterprise-Record

If the temperatures did not hover in the high 90s most afternoon, you could easily guess it was already autumn. In my neighborhood there are large drifts of dry leaves blown to the edge of the street.

The squash plants are suffering after various injuries, including heat, drought and the onslaught of about 3 million tiny, gray insects. Almond harvest is in full swing and the rice fields are beginning to turn from green to amber.

Another sign of fall is the appearance of bulbs for sale at places we shop for eggs and milk.

THINK AHEAD

Gardeners are forward-thinkers. In the fall we think of spring-blooming bulbs. In winter we pour through seed catalogs. In spring we plant pumpkin seeds.

Other forward-thinkers include the merchandisers for Costco. Those big warehouse folks are apparently fixated on Halloween.

Right now, if I had the inclination, I could buy a five-foot long, hairy spider and throw it into someone’s swimming pool.

I could also stuff a black plastic bag with the scary plastic skeleton and toss it into the bed of my boss’ pickup truck.

Costco is also wagering that most boys age 2-10 want to be an Avenger for Halloween. If those spiffy get-ups are sold out soon, a fireman or storm trooper will do.

I don’t have kids, so I’ll trust Costco to know the secret yearnings of young people. They caught this gardener’s attention somewhere between the giant spider and the gal who gives the blender demonstrations.

A rack taller than me in high heels was filled with big bags of bulbs of most colors.

I needed to be reminded to buy and plant paperwhites.

In just 3-5 weeks, the package states, I can have a lovely bouquet growing on my kitchen table.

The illustrated instructions explain to place the paperwhite bulbs about halfway beneath the soil in a pot about 3-4 inches deep. You can also opt to place the bulbs in a dish filled with pebbles and water.

I’ll avoid this route because standing water is just one more excuse for the cat to jump up on the table.

According to the Costco written instructions, “Rementhe la terre en place pour couvir les bulbes et arroser abondamment.”

An article by C.L. Fornari, at gardenlady.comsuggests putting the bulbs in a tall, glass vase with the rocks and water at the bottom. This sounds fun because the stems will be supported on the sides, and the cat would have a more difficult time getting her tongue to the bottom of the vessel.

DOING DIGITALIS

While I’m looking forward, I remembered to plant Foxglove by seed.

I don’t remember until its too late.

The plant is “biennial,” and I’m not exactly sure what that means.

If you think of an annual — you think of plants we put into pots on the front porch. As soon as it gets cold, these plants die. Perennials are your permanent plants, which live for years and years.

Biennial means a plant that takes two years to grow from seed to flowers.

However, every time I’ve purchased a six-pack of small plants in the fall, they bloom in early summer.

But for the most part, I’ve bought foxglove from the nursery and then watched as the plants reseed themselves.

The plants need light to germinate. This means the plant can release seeds without our help, and the seeds can germinate without being buried by soil.

If you had plants this summer, you can put a paper bag over the top of the dried bloom and cut the stem. Pinch in the bag at the bottom to capture the seeds.

I moved last year, and there are no foxgloves plants to reseed themselves. Instead, I took two empty plastic six-pack containers and filled with some coarse potting soil. After watering lightly, the seeds from Renee’s Gardenseeds sprouted within a week.

Now the job is to keep them alive by not watering too much or forgetting to water.

Foxglove are a big favorite with the carpenter bees in my neighborhood. Those are the huge black bees, so large they seem like they should beep when they back up.

The bees climb all the way into the glove-shaped flowers on the tall flower spikes.

We will see if it takes two years for these foxglove seeds to grow and bloom.

The plants grow tall flower spikes, 4-8 feet tall. The spikes will flop over or bend if not protected from the wind. On the other hand, you don’t want to protect them so much that they need to lean out to catch enough sun.

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From caterpillar pest to welcome butterfly visitor, 11-05-15

Posted on Thursday, November 5, 2015 by Heather Hacking

These critters look soft and pettable. Yet, cabbageworms are hungry. Heather Hacking—Enterprise-Record

By Heather Hacking, Chico Enterprise-Record

This picture has not been doctored, nor were any of the cabbageworms moved for the photos. Can you spot four? Heather Hacking—Enterprise-Record

My little winter garden was on a roll. Last spring the Handsome Woodsman filled a black plastic truck bed liner with soil.

The planting area is about 4-feet by 4-feet and sloped on one side for drainage.

Brilliant. Simple. Definitely not elegant.

Recently I planted seeds of spinach, lettuce and Tuscan baby kale.

What fun.

As is often the case, I noticed some holes in the leaves of the kale. No biggee. Maybe earwigs.

A little bug spittle wouldn’t hurt, and could be washed away at harvest.

Then it rained. Several days passed with no reason to fuss with the plants.

NIBBLERS

When I checked this week, the kale had been nibbled down to bare stalks.

What the heck?

Another row was only partially munched.

I looked more closely and found my cruciferous culprit, an inch-long caterpillar the exact color as the kale leaves.

Why was the worm the same color? Because the tubular creature was filled with kale.

The more I looked, the more worms I found. Larger worms, smaller worms, worms hidden in the crease of the leaves.

Like many things — dragonflies, credit card fraud and gray hairs — you don’t notice camouflaged caterpillars unless you are really looking for them.

The first guess would be cabbage loopers. Yet, the critters on my kale did not have the distinctive arched-spine of the familiar looper.

Also, my worms were soft, like velvet. I know because I touched 32 of them Tuesday and seven more later this week.

After a few clicks though the University of California Integrated Pest Management website, I tracked down the imported cabbageworm fact sheet: http://tinyurl.com/ntmlkas

The worms help themselves to your cabbage-family plants before crawling away to become a chrysalis. Later, a small white butterfly emerges. The undersides of the wings are a light yellow.

You can kill the worms with Bt, Bacillus thuringiensis, a bacteria that causes caterpillars to stop eating and later die. Read more about Bt here, <URL destination=”http://www.bt.ucsd.edu/how_bt_work.html”>http://tinyurl.com/k4b478e

</URL>Spinosad is another chemical suggested. A fact sheet from Oregon State University http://www.bt.ucsd.edu/how_bt_work.htmlincludes a warning is to avoid spraying in the daytime and when plants are in bloom, because Spinosad can be toxic to bees if the material is still wet.

HAND-PICKING

Part of the reason chemicals are bad in the hands of home gardeners is that we spend $10 on a secret weapon and spray it like it’s soapy water. These potions come with a giant book of instructions, usually in very small print, which most of us never read.

Then I thought about the orange butterflies I loved so much this summer.

Those creatures devoured the passion vine in my neighbor’s yard.

I had planned to buy three or more passion vines next year, hoping those orange butterflies would return.

Yet, here I am smashing 39 (and hopefully more) green caterpillars that dared to nibble on my kale.

It makes very little sense except that I wanted to eat the kale. Also, the passion vine was in my neighbor’s yard.

Many people say that a weed is merely a plant growing somewhere the gardeners wishes it was not. Pests, apparently, are insects that eat plants in our own yards.

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Will El Niño drown my drought-tolerant plants?, 10-29-15

Posted on Thursday, October 29, 2015 by Heather Hacking

Claude Geffray, the local king of cacti, holds open house events several times a year. The next one will be Nov. 6-7. This picture was taken in July 2014. Heather Hacking-Enterprise-Record

By Heather Hacking, Chico Enterprise-Record

POSTED: 10/29/15

Geffray’s Gardens include a protected area with smaller plants for sale. The larger specimens in his outdoor garden demonstrate what the plants will look like, over time, in your back or front yard. Heather Hacking-Enterprise-Record

I don’t know about you, but it’s pretty easy for me to love my plants too much. I’m also fairly adept at loving chocolate too much, binging on Netflix shows and thrift store shopping.

On drought plants, I learned the hard way that lavender won’t tolerate the same amount of water as hydrangea.

One helpful nursery person recommended watering my potted lavender about one-third of my normal watering habit.

Other advice I’ve heard includes grouping drought-tolerant plants in the same location, so you can take the guesswork out of how much water is needed.

If you’ve been cutting back on your water use, many of your water-intensive plants may now be dead, which takes away all the guesswork. Stop watering dead plants.

Last weekend Samantha and I ventured to the home and garden show at the fairgrounds. Susie Gillum was there, looking incredibly smart in her green apron and Chico Horticulture Society name tag.

The conversation drifted to succulents and cacti, which are all the rage right now.

Wouldn’t you know it. Now that we have invested money in plants that do not need water, we may have a normal or above-normal water year.

Some cactus will do just fine outdoors in wet weather. Others will rot.

If in doubt, protect these plants from rain. Susie suggested bringing potted plants into a protected area if winter rains are relentless. Outdoors, you may even need to throw a tarp over dry-weather plants.

Always plant cactus and succulents in cactus soil. This might mean mostly sand, which drains super fast. You can find cactus mix recipes online or buy bags at many locations, Susie advised.

Potted plants indoors are easier to monitor. Susie suggested watering just one teaspoon once a week for a six-inch pot. Another rule of thumb is to use an eyedropper or a single ice cube to water potted drought plants.

OUTDOOR ADDITIONS

One key is to ask the right questions when you buy the plant. If you notice plants when you’re out and about, you’ll spot those cacti that live decades outdoors in this climate.

Claude at Geffray’s Gardens, http://creativecacti.com, said some plants from very warm climates will turn to mush in the cold and rain.

Any time you plant drought-tolerant plants, well-drained soil is the key, he said. You do not want water near the roots for too long. He also likes to create mounds of soil, so drainage is improved.

It’s normal for cactus and succulents to drop parts near the mother plant. The dog might scurry by or a strong wind can blow.

That’s fine. Some of these appendages will sprout into new plants.

In the spring, the plants will rebound, Claude said with the true spirit of optimism.

Some cacti will burn at the tips from the cold, he said. “That’s part of the cycle,” he said.

For this area, agave , including century plants, do very well, Claude said. Many of these look like artichokes, and grow to the size of a mastiff.

Prickly pears are another favorite. You’ll spot ginormous specimens on Cactus Avenue in Chico, or alongside the rendering plant on Highway 99 toward Gridley.

Echinopsis also do well. These are also known as sea-urchin cactus, Easter lily cactus and the small and elongated peanut cactus.

Chollas also do well. The Latin name is Cylindropuntia, and one common type is teddy bear cholla.

Those are just a few of the easiest to identify. Claude said he has many more and will be hosting a cactus open house, Nov. 6-7, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at his nursery at 741 Carper’s Court.

Many of us know Claude from farmers markets in town. Visiting his nursery is a big treat. Some of the plants look like they belong under water, on another planet, or in front of a Chevy’s in Southern California.

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Sow There! Kitty learns that wet food needs to be earned 7-30-15

Posted on Saturday, October 10, 2015 by Heather Hacking

 By Heather Hacking, Chico Enterprise-Record

POSTED: 07/30/15

AR-150739992

I’ve become a bit sneaky about feeding the kitty. My beau is adamant that dry food will adequately provide sustenance to the Feline Unit. If the cat wants meat she can go catch a gopher or a mole, he argues.

The only reason to have a few cans of wet food in the house is to reward her for deliverance of a gopher or mole, he has said on more than one occasion.

He has known the cat for nearly a decade, and she’s an excellent hunter, he says with annoying authority.

I argue that she’s getting older and wet food might be better for her system. A good quality, gravy-covered cat food can’t be terrible every once in while, if only as an addition to the dry stuff.

I would love to say we have agreed to disagree. The reality is that I have a secret stash of wet food packets that I reach for when I see his car turn the corner in the driveway.

The result is that the cat loves me more.

Our secret wet food bond would be all well and good except she is too dense to keep the secret.

If I’m washing dishes she’ll circle around my ankles, looking up at me with wanton “I-want-wet-food” eyes.

My guy knows what’s going on.

“You’ve been feeding her wet food,” he has said on more than one occasion.

I usually avoid the discussion by saying nothing.

Even I have grown tired of the cat’s lip service. If I wanted an animal that yapped at my heels every walking moment I would have chosen a Chihuahua.

The Feline Unit’s new attentiveness is insulting. She isn’t rubbing my ankles to thank me for gently removing burs from her fur. The feigned purring at my feet is gluttony, pure and simple.

My boyfriend is right.

I still believe feeding cats wet food is OK. However, her lack of discretion makes it impossible to continue our cat-and-human conspiracy.

This week my guy was working late.

I had fed the cat wet food the day before and a few spoonfuls remained in the little foil pouch.

I could indulge her in one more wet food moment. She could savor those final few spoonfuls. But after that she could live with kibble.

You can imagine how this went. She licked the plate clean but knew something was amiss.

“MORE!”

“MORE,” she said clearly, circling my ankles as if she adored me and only me.

“MORE,” she pleaded meekly, as if she surely was starving.

“MORE,” she demanded, as if I owed her something for being soft and small and beautiful.

Her obvious attempt at manipulation strengthened my resolve.

I would follow my boyfriend’s suggestion for a change and only provide wet food as a reward for specified rodents.

There were a few more expressions of her dissatisfaction, and the cat left the room.

I was typing away at the kitchen table when I heard a loud rustle through the cat door.

I didn’t look over. I was sick of her lip, and somewhat busy in thought.

Thump, rustle, clump.

When I finally acknowledged her, I couldn’t help but notice she had a particularly large pocket gopher in her mouth. She looked me straight in the eyes as she relished her moment, depositing the still-warm carcass on the hardwood floor.

After several minutes of high praise, I opened a new foil packet of wet food.

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Comments Off on Sow There! Kitty learns that wet food needs to be earned 7-30-15

Sow There! Check soil for tomato hornworms before winter 9-3-15

Posted on Saturday, October 10, 2015 by Heather Hacking

AR-150909932

 

By Heather Hacking, Chico Enterprise-Record

POSTED: 09/03/15

Tomato hornworm pupae looks somewhat leathery. They don’t move, but stay submerged under the soil until its time for the sphinx moth to emerge.Heather Hacking — Enterprise-Record

We’re still saving water in many wacky and wonderful ways, but I must say I’m tired of this drought.

I drive with the passenger side window down because the glass is so dirty the sunshine causes a glare.

The bathroom smells like 1977 and I sniff the towels before I throw them in the washer.

Rinse water from the kitchen sink is dumped daily into the bushes, and I hope nobody sees me when I pad outside in my robe and slippers.

Enough.

Even the plants have had enough.

The tomato plants in pots have started to turn brown.

We could try to squeeze a little more fruit from the vines, but the better choice is to rip them out and save a little water.

I’m going to give a thumbs-up to planting annual plants in 10-gallon fabric pots. The tomatoes did really well.

It may have helped that I used all store-bought soil instead of dirt from my yard.

For each batch, I used some bagged sphagnum peat moss, aged steer manure, organic compost and cheap topsoil. This was all mixed in a wheelbarrow before being tossed into the fabric pots.

Now that the vegetable season is done, I need to decide what to do with all that soil. The several bags of dirt cost me more than dinner and a movie.

One option is to rip out the tomatoes and immediately plop in some daffodil bulbs.

UNWANTED WINTER GUESTS

However, I’m thinking I should root around in the pots to ensure there are no hidden tomato hornworm pupae.

From all I have read, its important not to plant the same type of vegetable in the same place year after year.

One big reason for this is that tomato hornworm pupae could remain in the soil.

The pupae park it for the winter and emerge as the sphinx moth.

The moth is dramatically beautifully — the color of dark ash with streak of brown, and a wingspan of about four inches.

The problem is that the moth lays eggs on plants, the eggs turn into tomato hornworms and two tomato hornworms can eat an entire tomato plant in a day.

I’m not making this stuff up. You can read details from really smart bug geeks here: http://tinyurl.com/6zlnuqb

Why are hornworms hated? Because they threaten something we value.

If I was taking a walk along a wooded path in Bidwell Park and saw a caterpillar, I would stop and behold it as a thing of beauty. I would move it from the path to a secluded location in the bushes, close to food. I’d even say a silent prayer for its safety from birds or wandering hiking boots.

Yet, if the a caterpillar is a tomato hornworm I’ll clip it in two with sharp garden shears.

The pupae, the equivalent of a cocoon, its a bit weird when first encountered.

The sleepers are about the size of your pinky and mummified/chestnut brown color.

The first time I saw one I thought I had unearthed a slightly decayed, leathery finger of a child.

Of course, you cut the defenseless critter in half. The first time you bisect one its also fun to see what’s inside. The guts are not very remarkable, but you’ll always wonder unless you see for yourself.

At some point in my decades of garden research, I heard that using a rototiller in the garden can eliminate more than 90 percent of tomato hornworms.

Of course, the sphinx moths from your neighbor’s yard can always fly to your place and leave a trail of offspring on the underside of your Solanaceous plants. Bad people could also pick the hornworms off their plants and toss them over the fence into your yard.

Here’s my plan.

I’ll take the 10-gallon fabric pots and dump the soil into a wheelbarrow. Then I’ll pick through with a garden fork and remove anything weird that I find. After that I can put the soil back into the fabric pots and plant something for the fall season.

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Planting paperwhites just in time, Nov. 20, 2014

Posted on Saturday, October 10, 2015 by Heather Hacking

By Heather Hacking, Chico Enterprise-Record

Recently a very nice woman asked my advice on growing paperwhites.

I hate it when I pretend like I know what I’m talking about and get caught.

With an heir of certainty, I said she was too late if she wanted paperwhite blooms by Christmas. I could tell by her expression that she already knew the answer, and she was using the question as a nice way to start a conversation.
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“Are you sure?” she prompted. “I thought they bloomed more quickly.”

Four to six weeks is how long it takes paperwhites to bloom. I know this now because I have a smartphone.

If you bought paperwhite bulbs today, you might have blooms by Christmas.

I can also say with complete certainty, that if you plant them now you will have fun watching them grow for several weeks.

HOLIDAY COUNTDOWN

The University of Vermont Extension Department of Power and Soil Science gives a fairly good how-to.

First, buy paperwhite bulbs.

Next, fill a 2- to 3-inch-deep container with pebbles, marbles, or those glass baubles you can purchase at the dollar store. The point is that the pebbles need to be able to hold the bulbs and flowers in place once they start to grow.

Place the bulbs with their pointed side up so they are not touching.

The Vermont extension states that five bulbs is about the right number for a 6-inch pot.

To add water, put just enough so the water reaches the bottom of the bulb, but not so much that the bulb will rot. You’ll need to check the water level every few days.

Each time you check the water, think kind, loving thoughts about the people to whom you will give the flowers.

Find a cool, dark place in the house, preferably about 50 degrees. After a few weeks greenery will appear. At this point, move the plants to a bright window. Watch the plants, because you don’t want them to stretch toward the sun.

For the full article: http://goo.gl/j97YSB

Paperwhites in water may not travel well. My family, for example, lives in the Bay Area. I could only imagine how bedraggled these gifts would look when they arrived. However, any gift would be better than my attempt to make origami swan mobiles.

You can also plant paperwhites in potting soil, the www.easytogrowbulbs.com website says with certainty, http://goo.gl/oaV1mS

Another interesting fact is that flowers in the narcissus family contain sap that can harm other flowers. Never place daffodils, paperwhite or other narcissus in a vase with other types of blooms.

EARLY CHRISTMAS GIFT

A few weeks ago I lamented the death of my Daphne odoro, which is high on the list of plant with an intoxicating scent. It blooms right around Valentine’s Day, but hates to be transplanted.

I moved the plant to a new location and started watering it with questionably-clean water I had saved from the sink.

It died.

An incredibly kind reader named Larry felt my loss, and offered me a visit to his backyard.

For some reason he had dug up a Daphne and placed it in a pot. I felt better when he said there were several others, but they had died.

The buds on this particular plant have already formed. I’m hoping that if I don’t move it, I’ll have flowers on Valentine’s Day.

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How to transplant a rose, 9-24-15

Posted on Thursday, September 24, 2015 by Heather Hacking
.Photo courtesy the Butte Rose Society

By Heather Hacking, Chico Enterprise-Record

Here we are in the first few days of fall, and I feel like I’ve already fallen behind.

My to-do list includes planting leafy vegetables and reorganizing the shed.

I know what is stored within the first three feet of the entrance to the dark, dank storage necessity. Yet, beyond my arm’s reach the contents are a bit murky. I’m fairly certain those boxes and plastic tubs contain remnants from childhood, travel photos and important cords to electronic equipment. There also may be some winter clothes that will be have turned retro by the time they are unpacked.

Until recently, I was worried the shed could flood.

However, the latest news is that El Niño will only provide subtropical jet action to the Southern part of the state, leaving Northern California in a continued state of dryness.

I’m bummed my trees won’t receive a healthful El Niño dousing, but at least I can continue to be in the dark about the contents of the shed.

MORE DIRT ON ROSES

I called Gwen Quail, Butte Rose Society president for some expert advice on transplanting roses.

Gwen said the easiest time to make the move is in winter. This makes sense because the plants go dormant and lose their leaves.

Winter is also the time when bare-root plants are available for sale. These are lifeless-looking plants with the root ball contained in a plastic bag.

To transplant roses from the ground, Gwen suggested cutting them down to 18 inches to 3 feet tall.

While you’re trimming, cut back canes that look ratty.

Give the soil around the rose a very good soak, Gwen continued. The soil should be damp, like a wrung-out sponge, but not sopping wet.

Also, prepare the hole that will be the new home for the rose.

Gwen said to make sure you “scour the edges” of the hole, so the roots have the ability to penetrate.

She suggests mixing the native soil with nice, loose potting soil and organic matter in a wheelbarrow.

For moving the rose, Gwen said she would grab a big garden fork, rather than a shovel. Get underneath the root ball and jiggle a little, to loosen the soil.

You’re trying to get under the rose about 18 inches, to keep as much of the roots intact as possible.

Gwen said some of the roots will inevitably be damaged. However, you’ve trimmed back the canopy so there is not as much plant for the roots to support.

When transplanting into the new hole, make sure the crown of the rose, where the canes converge, is not under the soil. If you bury the crown and the rose was grafted, you will lose the advantages of that grafting, she said.

For many past articl

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When drought plants don’t do enough, add garden art, 9-10-15

Posted on Friday, September 11, 2015 by Heather Hacking

By Heather Hacking, Chico Enterprise-Record

We’re seeing air ferns again, including these that are being sold as “hair ferns” at Magnolia Gift and Garden.Contributed Photo

We sometimes use the term “garden art” as a euphemism for the collection of ceramic critters. Over time, there are so many animals that if a bigfoot decided to stand in the bushes, he would remain undetected.

Nothing against a limited lawn menageries. I have two ceramic frogs and a concrete bunny.

I like to think of the garden as the biggest room in the house.

My mom has long used her yard for an expression of her eclectic self. Whimsical pink plastic flamingos, a May pole, wind chimes and windsocks. Her yard is large and each “room” has its own decor.

My dad and stepmom like figurines that double as solar walkway lighting. If you take a yard tour at night, your path is lit by nocturnal, glowing fairies.

CHANGE OF SEASONS

If this was a normal year we would be yanking out plants that didn’t make it and planting new things — perennials in particular.

Adding new plants in the fall is great for trees and bushes which can benefit from the winter rains for root establishment.

Alas, we don’t know if this winter, next spring and summer will be another dreadful drought year.

I know I’m not the only one who is holding back on purchases.

Jerry at Mendon’s Nursery in Paradise said sales have been in a slump the past two years.

He has received calls from people who bought trees five or 10 years ago. The homeowners stopped watering the lawn and the trees became stressed. These are lovely red maples and other trees worth keeping, Jerry said with regret.

Trees show stress first at the spot furthest from where water is taken up at the roots, he noted. That’s why many trees are brown at the very top.

Stressed trees will also drop leaves earlier, Jerry said.

Hopefully, there will be enough winter rain to help these trees limp along. In the meantime, people should be watering their trees now, Jerry said.

TAKING DRAB OUT OF DROUGHT

Trish Howard, of Magnolia Gift and Garden, said some bright and beautiful containers can make a dry corner look more inviting.

She was also eager to plug her nursery’s garden art event, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday.

You can find directions online.

Trish agreed with Jerry that people are being more careful about the new plants they buy.

The hard part is that people still want cheerful, bright colors in the places where they spend the most time outdoors.

In some ways, drought gardening can be like counting calories.

If you really, really want a hot fudge sundae, you need to eat vegetables the rest of the day.

If you really, really want thirsty plants, put them on full display and leave it at just a few.

Garden art is another way to add a focal point to a corner of the yard.

At the Magnolia Nursery Saturday, vendors will include a glass blower, mosaic art and metal art.

Trish’s husband has learned to make bee homes for native pollinators. Unlike the social bees that thrive in hives, solitary bees make their homes in old logs. In this case the “old log” is a piece of wood with many holes drilled in the side.

While talking about bright, glazed pots, Trish and I talked about the merits of different types of containers.

Terra cotta, the plain, inexpensive orange style, absorb water. This might actually be preferred for plants such as cactus. Also, if you are artsy yourself, these are easy to paint.

Yet, for other plants, such as ferns, the terra cotta will rob the plant of needed water.

Plastic is light and won’t shatter if dropped. Yet, these will become brittle after a few years and may leave your yard with plastic confetti.

The beautifully glazed, big, heavy pots look like a million bucks. However, you better know where you want these to live because you’ll need to invite the rugby team for a barbecue to move them across the yard.

While talking about plants, we had quite the lively discussion about containers. Each container has its pros and cons.

The website hgtvgardens.com has some good videos on different types ofcontainers, and their use in garden design.

Here’s one example of a cool trick:

Add empty 2-liter bottles to a very large container to fill up space. Then add enough soil so your plants have room to grow.

You could also add a false bottom to the very large pot and hide inside when undesirables knock on your door.

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