Miracle

It has long been a mystery to me how, when planting a seed, a plant or bush or tree is the result. 

Corn and bean seeds 
planted in one raised bed

Stupice tomato
Seeds from Turtle Tree Seed

Additional tomatoes planted in the West most raised bed.are Snow White, California Sunshine and Black cherry tomatoes. In clay pots on the back patio three Silvery Fir Tree tomatoes are planted. These are cooked with the skins removed and preserved in quart jars placed in the freezer for use during the winter.

I love having sunflowers growing.  The tall stocks with a single head of one flower is pleasing to look at. Often looking out the front windows people taking pictures of themselves with the sunflowers behind them was often seen.

Hopi Black Dye Sunflower

Hopi Black Dye Sunflower was introduced to me while living in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Seeds were brought with when relocating back in California.

A tree I first saw growing out of huge crack in an empty swimming pool in Apple Valley, California so amazed me with it beauty. Narrow leaves set the backdrop for the gorgeous flowers.

As we rejoice in the glorious Spring into Summer weather may we all

 

Turning: Day 246 of 366, 2024

Dwight constructed this
structure on which two
vines could climb; also
providing a "gateway" to 
the backyard.

The air is crisp, the sky is clear and the Roger's red grape (Vita californica) vines holds a plethora of clusters of fruit.

These grapes are not to my taste, but I might add that the people who bought our home in Santa Fe, New Mexico ate them with relish.

A stunningly tall sunflower, Hopi Black Dye sunflower (Helianthus annus or Hopi name: Tceq' Qu' Is), to which my introduction came while living in New Mexico. The seeds are saved from year to year to plant as soon as the soil is warmed.

Between the very short wooden fence and the three Deergrass (Muhlenbergi rigens) the sunflowers seeds are planted in four circle of potting soil. Sunflowers do not seem to need enriched soil so the same circles of soil are planted with eight to twelve seeds. The puniest plants are pulled out.

Clearly all of the seeds are not saved for planting the following year. They are fed to birds. There is in the tray hanging in the back yard. Shasta is very adroit at keeping the squirrels from consuming the seeds. 

The Mexican sunflower (Tithonia rotundifolia) is one of my favorite. It's "common" name is red sunflower. It is native to Mexico and Central America and typically grows 4 to 6 feet tall in on season. Indeed they grew to that height in Santa Fe, New Mexico. However, here in Northern California it usually is 2 to 3 feet.

This one is planted just east of the driveway in the garage and seems to be the most ideal spot since it is nearly two feet tall.The remaining four, planted to the west of the walkway to the front door, are merely a foot tall with nary a flower bud.

One of my favorite shrubs is Coffeeberry (Rhamnus californica 'Eve Case'). There are two planted along the backyard east most fence in 2021. 

For the very first time here at PageRefuge a "berry" has appeared on the larger of the two bushes. Excited just cannot nearly describe the feeling when it was first noticed.

As I was sitting in the living room a couple walked along the pavement near the ditch, the male noted that he considered the house attractive (or some such word . . . my memory is NOT what it use to be!). I said "thank you" then had a delightful

Chill

            "One leaf on a branch

            and not a sound of sadness

            or despair. One leaf left

            on a branch and no unhappiness.

            One leaf left all by itself

            in the air and it does not speak

            of loneliness or death.

            One leaf and it spends itself

            in swaying mildly in a breeze."

                             DAVID IGNATOW

There is definitely chill in the air when Shasta and I go out for our morning walk. Humans we pass comment on the descending of fall as well as the chill in the air. Yet so many leaves on the trees and shrubs retain their summer foliage.

Cox Orange Pippin apple tree
leaves are turning a beautiful yellow
then brown at which time 
they fall onto to the wood chips
covering the ground.

Here at PageRefuge two Vitis californica ('Roger's Red' grape) are planted on either side of the trellis Dwight built. I primarily plant these for their stunning fall color. As you can see both vines are beginning their transformation. I do not find the fruit particularly delicious but I do observe some birds pecking at the small dark grapes. In our previously owned Santa Fe home the present owners and their son seem to find the grapes tasty as they have shared pictures with me of them doing so.

 I found this piece of art
Dwight created in a cardboard
box filled with all sorts of
sculpture tools and such. 
In the upper right corner
there is another on resting
on one of the legs of
the cement birdbath.

Fall garden chores are being undertaken with a few completed.

The two Rubus (subgenus Rubus Watson) ‘Black Satin’ Thornless Blackberry bushes have been drastically pruned. I find new growth provide more tasty blackberries and in more abundance. 

Grindelia hirsutata 

( Hairy gumplant, Hairy gumweed)

is the yellow flowering plant.

The three flowering grasses

closest to the road

are 

Muhlenbergia rigen (Deergrass)

Achnatherum hymmenoides (Indian ricegrass)

I was introduced to this grass while living in New Mexico. Once I was familiar with the grass I noticed it grew in the Eastern Sierras as well. I think this a stunning grass. I have six plants along with two Grindelia in the area that use to be my compost pile.

The Hopi Black Dye Sunflowers have removed. The flower heads have been cut from the stocks and deposited into a green bin for pick up. The seeds are waiting to be added to dwindling bag of purchased sunflower seeds. I am finding this process to be very, very, very slow as the seeds are tight in these heads. It is as tho' they are "hanging on for dear life" as the saying goes.

These will eventually be deposited in the tray for the birds to eat. The birds do not seem to be inclined to harvest the seeds themselves. It seems I have created their laziness since I provide sunflowers seeds in several devices hanging in my backyard.

In the West most raised bed there is only two remaining tomato plants. The closet one is a black cherry and the one to the West is Blue "Boar" berries also a cherry tomato. With this summer's cooler than usual temperatures the tomato plants fruit just has not ripened as readily as in previous seasons.

The string bean plants are essentially
done producing edible beans to eat.
Above is pictured
one of the Fortex bean pods 
with seeds developing to be 
saved for next years planting.

Steven Severin and Leigh Sims
enjoying an outing to wharf
in Seattle. They share that getting
out into the sunshine is a superb 
way to spend a Sunday
which is the day this was sent to me.

On this Saturday as I look out the window first there is blue sky then gathering clouds as well as a few rain drops then back to sunshine. The plants in the garden are all saying "bring on the rain!" 

On this fall day may each and everyone of us enjoy a hardy and deep belly

Wildlife Habitat

The sign that hangs near 
the street on the wooden fence
that separates my property from
the property just to the West.

Conservation efforts are afoot by the American Bird Conservancy by working with both the United States Congress and the Biden Administration to pass a 2023 Bird Friendly Farm Bill. This bill possesses the single largest source of conservation funding in the United States. ABC's focus is to make this bill stronger for the conservation of birds.

Muhlenbergia rigens (Deergrass)

of which I have three large clumps 

growing in front of the Pesticide Free Area sign.

Sideoats Grama (Boutelous curtipendula)

a stunningly beautiful grass 

native to the Western United States,

into Canada, Mexico, Central and South America.

This is one of my very all time favorite grasses! 

One of the national focuses is to support native plants which are garnering attention not only in this country but globally. Our love of "something different" than what thrives in our region has driven the transplantation of vegetation from all over the globe. Now there are both public and private partners with the goal of protecting native plants as well as federal with non federal partners who have cooperated to develop the National Seed Strategy for Rehabilitation and Restoration.  

Nassella pulchra  (Purple Needlegrass)

which is extremely attractive with the fading 

light of the setting sun shining through fluttering seed heads.

When I began serious gardening South of Sebastopol at MuRefuge, I began with alien plants. Nurseries I frequented seemed to specialize in dramatic plants from "across the pond". As I educated myself about natives plants through my membership with the local chapter of the Native Plant Society I became enamoured with natives. Shopping for plants at their annual Fall plant sale I discovered how aesthetically pleasing native plants were to me. Being a bit dramatic creating the "correct" effect with natives I tore out all the nonnative plants. Then instead I began focusing on planting native grasses and sedges, perennials, shrubs, trees and vines. 

Romney coulteri (Matilija Poppy)

became my all time favorite flowering

perennial. It is NOT for the faint of heart to plant: 

I had a 75% death rate of these plantings at MuRefuge.

Unfortunately after losing a

dozen plants here at PageRefuge

I decided I would instead enjoy several nearby

opulent plantings rather than growing them myself here at PageRefuge.

And ducks were added to MuRefuge
for their voracious snail eating. 
I would gather by bucket loads from all over 
the 3/4 acre and throw them near the
ducks. The snails disappeared in a nanosecond!
A far superior way to "snail bait" ridding land of snails

Since I have focused on planting natives both here in Northern California and in Santa Fe, New Mexico my heart is warmed to know there are more powerful people now joining together to do likewise. It seems to me that a awakening on a very deep level is happening. Is it too little, too late? Maybe . . . maybe not

Chocolate Daisy/Flower (Berlandiera lyrata)

and

Rocky Mountain (Penstemon strictus)

In Santa Fe when the Penstemon flowers were spent and went to seed the goldfinches came as huge flocks settling on the stocks scarfing down the seeds. This was not a one time experience but happened annually as they migrated from the Canadian border South to Mexico for the winter. Of course, reversing the migration in the Spring

Helianthus annuus macrocarpus (Hopi Black Dye Sunflower 

Hopi name: Tceqa' Qu' Si)

The migrating Fall birds going South swarmed to the seeds created by this gorgeous sunflower. Nary a seed remained after the migration was over. If I wanted seeds to plant the following season, I found I had to do so BEFORE the birds ate them all. Here at PageRefuge the birds do not seem to interested in eating the seeds so when I cut down the plants I remove all the seeds and put them into the tray hanging in the back. Then the birds do open and eat every single one . . . the pesky squirrels love them too! When Shasta notices these critters she is out the door lickety split. Sometimes I worry she'll catch one which she has come close to doing.

The sign that hangs on the fence
separating my property 
from the apartments to the East.

As we plant native plants, may we also consider the soil. Luckily I was focused enough to use cardboard then wood chips to mulch the entire yard here. I am so grateful I did this because I notice that even with all this rain we are getting there is no "run off". Depending on the exact location, already 3 to 5 times the average amount of rain for the entire month of January has fallen. At PageRefuge the rain is soaking in for all the plants to thirstily drink their fill. 

When one mulches, there is no need to use toxic chemicals for weed abatement either. All the BEings that come to PageRefuge are not subjected to toxins that can shorten their life spans OR detrimentally affect their offspring. Mulching is an all around worth while activity that I have done on all three gardens I have created. 

Every BEIng, including a diverse bird population, not only thrives but reproduces vigorous and healthy offspring here at PageRefuge! So I am delighted to hear of ABC's focus for making this year's Farm bill more bird friendly with their push toward conservation of birds. Certainly we will all be more happy with an abundance of birds.

This is Shasta's Auntie T's annual "card" for 2023.
I particularly like the quote she chose this year.
It seems to sum up this blog post well.

So as we "stand in celebration" may we also