Some Fun April Gardening Events

CALIFORNIA POPPY DAY - APRIL 6, 2013 
(photo courtesy of Floral Native Plant Nursery in Chico, CA) 

SATURDAY - APRIL 6, 2013

UC Davis Arboretum Plant Sale
UC Davis Arboretum Teaching Nursery, Garrod Drive,  9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Large selection of attractive, low-water, easy-care plants including Arboretum All-Stars and Community Favorites, and featuring the Arboretum's, "Durable Delights" (sounds like a troop of aging dancers!).
Plant Sale Info (530) 752-4880
(also, Sunday, April 28th)

(many wonderful demonstration gardens ... this one the Mary Wattis Brown Native Plant Garden)

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY - APRIL 13 - 14, 2013

Annie's Spring Party in Richmond, CA - break out those dancing shoes and garden party attire and get revved up for funky tunes, free munchies, free raffles, awesome face painting, garden talks and more!
For more info: Annie's Annuals Weekend of Fun    Directions: the good directions (follow or get lost!)

SATURDAY, APRIL 13, 2013

Elk Grove Greener Garden Festival 10am - 4pm
I did this tour last year and totally enjoyed it. I went by myself, but after a while was a part of the gang!
More info: http://www.elkgrovegreenergardens.org/festival-2013 and, you must register!: tour registration

I loved this divider on the 2012 tour!

Farm Tour in Capay Valley 11am -2pm
Great farm adventure for the family. Bring a picnic, help harvest the asparagus and take a tractor ride.
 For more info: Farm Tour in Capay Valley 800-796-6009
11 - 2, $5/person, children under 12 free.

SATURDAY - APRIL 20, 2013

Gardens Gone Native 3rd Annual Sac Valley Garden Tour - 9:30am - 4:00pm
Gardens Gone Native is a free, self-guided tour, featuring 25 home gardens in and around Sacramento and Yolo Counties.  
More info:Native Plant Tour or email: gardensgonenative@gmail.com 

SATURDAY - APRIL 27, 2013

Wildflower Wonders - 10 am - 5 pm
Great opportunity to purchase Native Plants from Elderberry Farms and Cornflower Farms, plus activities for kids, talks and walks. Enjoy a day in the country (while in the city!) 2140 Chase Dr, Rancho Cordova
For more info: Wildlife Wonders at Soil Born Farm   .

Whether you need garden design, coaching, seasonal maintenance or planting, Geno's Garden can help! 

Call me at (916) 764-5243, or email hansonja@aol.com.

Springtime

It's Spring! It's Passover! It's Easter!

a topiary bunny at High Hand Nursery Cafe

A few days ago I entered a garden give-away on the blog, Two Women and a Ho - all I had to do was comment ... "tell us what YOU love most about SPRING." 

I knew I'd been having the feeling of late ... the "something's in the air" feeling. The feeling of anticipation. Spring is a creative time. A time of new beginnings.  I love creativity ... seems the earth does, too. I wrote my comment and then read the other comments. Seems we all have that feeling! 

One of my favorite places to observe the seasons is at the WPA Rock Garden in William Land Park ... it's a wonderful place to observe plants and how they look at throughout the year. I found this combination of Euphorbia characias and the annual,  Cerinthe major, a few years ago - at the end of March. 

May this special time of year bring you sweet new beginnings! And ... may we all follow thru with these new opportunities to create life ... making the most of these gifts that come our way!  This is what really makes each of us a winner!!!

Whether you need garden design, coaching, seasonal maintenance or planting, Geno's Garden can help! 

Call me at (916) 764-5243, or email hansonja@aol.com.

Thinking about St. Pat ...

Do you think the great saint had any idea what shenanigans he would inspire in decades to come? And, here, he thought he was just a man getting rid of some snakes!

When I was a young girl, my mother had a dance studio. She had recitals (with the occasional "guest vocalist" - ahem) and this is one of the songs I remember singing. The shamrock of the song has many forms, but all of them, according to my Sunset Western Garden Book, are likely to become weeds. And if weeds they are, so be it...and perhaps it speaks well of us Irish transplants...that we're so willing to grow and so crafty in our charm that we thrive like weeds, and have songs written about us.

I'm looking over a four-leaf clover, that I overlooked before.
One leaf is sunshine, the other is rain,
third is the roses that bloom in the lane.
No use explaining, the one remaining, is somebody I adore.
I'm looking over a four-leaf clover, that I overlooked before.

- Words by Mort Dixon, music by Harry Woods
(Written in 1927 - popularized in 1948 by Art Mooney)

It's a fine time to be Irish!

Whether you need garden design, coaching, seasonal maintenance or planting, Geno's Garden can help!
Call me at (916) 764-5243, or email hansonja@aol.com.

...first nursery impulse shopping trip of the year

Are you like me? Weather warms up, and you feel the urge to GO BUY PLANTS?!? After a lovely day with the Sacramento Master Gardeners and their "Edible Landscape" workshop, I can't help myself. I have a thought, "I'll just run by Talini's!" It amazes me how a little 4" pot can bring such pleasure! Here's what I get: 

Eschscholzia caespitosa, "Tufted Poppy"

 Eschschozia californica, CA Poppy

 Cheiranthus x allionii 'Siberian Wallflower'

Nasturtium 'Evelyn'

 Seems like we'll be having some orange in our yard!!! Tomorrow I'll get them in the ground and throw in some seeds for good measure. The poppies are spring bloomers, the nasturtium and cheiranthus will bloom all summer ...

Talini's  is a great little family-owned nursery on Folsom Blvd in East Sacramento. Besides its heirloom veg and charming chicken coops, it also carries Annie's Annuals (all of these pictures are from her website). Not her entire catalogue, but they do order regularly, and I found out today they keep a request log! Here's what I have on order:

Anagallis monellii "Blue Pimpernel 

Well (sigh) ... that's about it. Just wanted to share!

Happy Spring

Whether you need garden design, coaching, seasonal maintenance or planting, Geno's Garden can help!
Call me at (916) 764-5243, or email hansonja@aol.com.

Lawns ... Hater? Lover? Neglecter?

You know, it's up to you ... just think what fun you could have if you followed your heart?

Source: gardeninggonewild.com via Jeannie on Pinterest

I had a great time yesterday with the Rancho Cordova Library Garden Club. One of the subjects we  addressed was "what else?". Our  neighborhoods across the country are so common (lawn + shade tree + foundation plants), it's hard to think outside that reality. (It's like you might get in trouble!) But what if you did try something else? Huh? What else? Today we'll visit one of my favorite options!

Courtyards, Sitting Areas, Porches and Perches! 

This homeowner in McKinley Park added courtyard half-walls, pavers, and voila! ... an outdoor kitchen, dining room and neighborhood perch!

Porches have always been sitting areas. But how much nicer when they're overlooking a garden and not just a lawn-to-street view of your neighbor's garage!

This isn't fancy ... a couple of Adirondack chairs, a couple of pillows, a couple of tables. A mixed assortment of paving stones. Doable and not a budget breaker!

This backyard spot belongs to Dave Roberts, a local designer and dedicated environmentalist. It would look just as sweet in the front yard!

Materials and Inspiration

Rock yards are great resources ... not just for materials, but ideas. Silverado Nursery and Supply down off Watt and Hwy 50, is the biggest around.

A nice retaining wall like this to surround your patio gives you instant seating!

... and wouldn't you love to have a peephole? Somewhere!?! Anywhere!?!

Garden tours are another source of ideas. Two local tours that will especially address this hip, new gardening evolution (!) are the "Gardens Gone Native" tour on April 20 and the Elk Grove Greener Garden Festival tour on April 14th. Both are self-guided. (Click thru on the picture for the registration links.)

Source: sacvalleycnps.org via Jeannie on Pinterest

Source: elkgrovegreenergardens.org via Jeannie on Pinterest

Home show garden displays usually have seating areas. My two garden displays did! These give you an idea of what I might design, because ... frankly ... I did design them!!!  

My "California Days, Moroccan Nights" display at the California Flower and Garden Show in 2010. That's me pretending to read in my fancy little hut. Read more here, here, here and here. Whoops, one more ... and here. OK, OK! I'll admit it. I'm talking a lot about myself! But this was a BIG undertaking, a huge learning curve. I earned it!

Here's my 2011 entry, "La Casa Verde", which included a courtyard, edible garden and this outdoor shade room. Again, I was way in over my head. Read more here and here.

Garden shows are another place you can find inspiration: This month, the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show tops everyone's list!

Source: sfgardenshow.com via Jeannie on Pinterest

This beautiful outdoor patio won the Gold Metal in the 2012 SF Flower and Garden Show.

I like to see people enjoying their neighborhoods. Most of us don't have large estates! Our front yards make up 1/4 - 1/3 of the average suburban lot. Why not reclaim it and use it for something other than an entryway?  Where might you like a sitting spot? 

Whether you need garden design, coaching, seasonal maintenance or planting, Geno's Garden can help!
Call me at (916) 764-5243, or email hansonja@aol.com.

You're Invited!

I'll be doing a talk we're calling "Curb Appeal for a Modern Age" at the Rancho Cordova Library Garden Club on Friday, March 1. The group meets on the first Friday of the month from 1 - 2:30.

Source: sharingnaturesgarden.blogspot.com via Jeannie on Pinterest

It will be a wing bang thru several favorite subjects:

• the mostly boring-ness of our front yards
• basic design principles
• a workable approach to re-designing your own front yard
• resources to help you do a good job (financial, vendors, etc.)
• cookies? giveaway? you'll have to be there to find out!

Whether you need garden design, coaching, seasonal maintenance or planting, Geno's Garden can help!
Call me at (916) 764-5243, or email hansonja@aol.com.

Happy Valentine's Day!

I think I should be calling this post, "We All Gotta Start Somewhere!". I haven't posted anything on my blog in over 6 months. I've been places, taken pictures and thought about it, but I guess the inertia was too much. Sometimes we're waiting for the right moment - some big deal moment - but I think the right moment is usually when you go into action. That's the start of the moment.
So ... we're having this weather and I'm outside raking leaves and I take this picture. Right moment for raking, right moment for snapping this picture (the quince is flowering right now!) and right moment to be at my keyboard saying hello.
Happy Valentine's Day from my garden to yours!

For the Birds!

Most of the garden lovers I know, also love birds, cats, dogs ... Here's a cute project for the birdies ... it's from Pinterest. Click thru on the links below to get directions.

Source: animals.desktopnexus.com via Jeannie on Pinterest

Hardscaping Your Lawn-Free Garden

Episode 3: "What-To-Grow-Instead-Of-A-Lawn"

What's going to be planted, you ask. Well, we're not ready to think about that yet. Start with how do I want to use this space? And, then, consider hardscaping ... paths, sitting areas, retaining walls, water features, trellises. These come first! Here are some ideas:

Wide, generous steps make a clear path to the front door, with an invitation to sit and visit along the way.

Native grasses don't have the mowing needs of our traditional lawns. This path looks deliciously wild as it leads to a dry-stacked flagstone bench.

For the recycler, an urbanite (broken and reused concrete) makes not only a great pathway material, but a satisfying one, too! This is a nice look for a casual path.

A graceful walkway gives a bit of polish to this young garden. Doesn't that warm color give it some punch?

Old concrete can be pretty unappetizing, but new concrete, like these pavers with their salt finish and plantings are quite the thing!

It is ok to get creative with your materials!

 Have fun planning your new lawn-free garden!

Whether you need garden design, coaching, seasonal maintenance or planting, Geno's Garden can help! Call me at (916) 764-5243, or email hansonja@aol.com.

Lawn-Free Garden Tour

Episode 2: "What-To-Grow-Instead-Of-A-Lawn

Last month I went on a garden tour that highlighted gardens that were river-friendly and water-wise. The tour (and park exhibit) were sponsored by a community-based group that called themselves the, Elk Grove Greener Gardens Project!

Here are some of the gardens I liked the best.

I like 3 things about this first garden. One: the dry stream bed is nicely done, curvy with some partially blocked areas. Two, the courtyard walls (although you can't see it so much here) were rounded to accomodate a tree ... so much better than a rectangle! Three: the contrasting foliage. I believe the gray-blue is a lavender, with Golden Breath of Heaven, Coleonema 'Sunset Gold', behind it. This is an important point to remember when choosing landscape materials. You can take a garden from bland to beautiful with contrast, and one of the best ways to achieve it is with foliage. Designer, Roberta Walker, did a lovely job!

Same home ... with better view of the courtyard and showing more of the "come-alive" effect of having contrasting foliage  (here, Snow-in-Summer, Cerastium tomentosum, is the star of the show with it's white mounding flowers and gray leaves). Imagine this space with a plain green lawn. Imagine it with all green shrubs. Isn't this better?

A young neighbor boy was happy to assist on tour day. Courtyards are a great trend in landscapes today ... they make use of your front "acreage" and bring life to the neighborhood.

This home also has a nice stream bed and while not a courtyard, this home also has a porch area that the homeowners enjoy. When you have an interesting front yard that invites wildlife, it's more fun to sit outside.

This homeowner loves color, and filled her yard with it. Not all of her plants are drought tolerant, but with the absence of a lawn, there's ample water to maintain these and still be under her "water budget" (a term the water providers use when calculating the combined water needs of a desirable water-wise landscape).

I got to peak at her back yard, too! Yep, more color!

One of my favorite elements of the day, this divider made of wood and copper pipe. A stylish space divider that tied in with the plantings ...

 ... a nearby Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar, Cedrus atlantica 'Glauca pendula',

and, the Blue Fescue, Festuca ovina glauca. 

Thanks to my admiration of his front yard, I was invited to take a look at his back yard. More turquoise - too charming, wouldn't you agree?

My final favorite was this garden. I like the retaining walls, but was especially fascinated with their incorporation of a rain garden behind same walls! 

A close-up of the dry-stacked wall, with a variety of water-wise plants: Lamb's Ear (Stachys byzantina), Shore Juniper (Juniperus conferta), Creeping Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis prostratus) and Bearberry, (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi).

And, hiding behind that wall, a water-retaining area that will absorb the run-off which will percolate into the soil and recharge our ground water system.

It was a fun day, and as these tours tend to go, you gradually get to know other garden enthusiasts!!!

Whether you need garden design, coaching, seasonal maintenance or planting, Geno's Garden can help! Call me at (916) 764-5243, or email hansonja@aol.com.