The Green Garden: Going Green

This month is going to be a green one here at Geno's Garden. I'm taking a green gardener class for landscape pros offered by our local water agency and will be passing along what I'm learning about mulching, irrigation, choosing the "right plant for the right place" and more. Last weekend I attended an edible gardening event, featuring Rosalind Creasy who has written lots of books on this subject. Stay tuned for some interesting ideas about getting kids interested in gardening and her adventures with edible front yard gardens. I do believe the suburban landscape I grew up with (front lawn, foundation shrubs and a large tree) is on its way out. Join me as we explore what will be taking its place. Jeannie

Our new puppy, Squid, happy on an astro-turf lawn...do you think this is in your future!?!

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. For more information on our services, click here.

The Edible Garden

Rosalind Creasy Event - Sunday, Oct. 25th

The Sacramento Chapter of APLD (Association for Professional Landscape Designers) invites you to a delightful event, where you will learn about a new way to garden from garden writer, Rosalind Creasy (...well, not really new, but probably new to most of us), have a great lunch, check out unique garden vendors and mingle with kindred spirits! It looks like a great day! To find out more...click here.

What a Difference a Can of Spray Paint Can Make!

I have a new post up on http://www.galtime.com/, a fun site I'm lucky enough to participate in. The post was written in July, at which time I was a-waiting scarlet runner beans. They never did really make it. Only, sort of...should have planted earlier! This picture here is my sister's chaise project.

Breaking News...grapes come in early, Vino Tweetup delayed...

From Vino Tweetup Headquarters: I'm sorry to announce that we have to POSTPONE our Vino Tweetup. Because of the hot weather, the grapes have come in early, and our boutique winemakers have to participate in the harvest. Without our winemen, the "vino" aspect of the ... Vino Tweetup ...  is impossible to achieve. We will be reschedule let you know the new date as soon as possible. Thanks so much for your support and understanding. Julie

Vino Tweetup - a High Hand Mixer 9/29

All my favorite elements ... meeting new people, a glass of wine, promoting my business (maybe new clients?), a lovely fall evening ... all at the wonderful High Hand Nursery! Read all about it at my other blog, Your Blogging Buddy!

Fall Vegetable Gardening

From galtime.com:  Vegetable gardens are a hot topic these days! Michelle Obama is growing vegetables on the White House lawn, as are many of the first ladies across the country. The President is talking about having a farmer's market inside the Oval Office (just kidding). They have their Victory Gardens and you can have yours.

Now, a lot of people say they “don't have a green thumb", but is a green thumb something you’re born with? Not according to garden coach, Jeannie Hanson. Like any other skill, it’s an ability you acquire with knowledge and experience. You do need to know a few basics to have a successful start … then with some experience you’ll begin to know your way around…and proudly start saying, I grew it myself! read more

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. For more information on our services, click here.

The Late Show Gardens, Sept 18-20th

Celebrate beautiful design while addressing climate change and sustainability.
Here's a gardening event that should stimulate, inspire, satisfy ... The Late Show Gardens – a three-day garden show in Sonoma, CA, September 18 - 20, 2009. Garden Design says, “…this open-air festival blows the walls off convention center doldrums."

The event will be held at Cornerstone Sonoma, "an eclectic collection of shops, wineries and a gourmet cafe set amidst nine acres of garden installations created by the world's leading landscape architects."

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. For more information...click here.

Curb Appeal, part 3

This post ends my 3 part series on curb appeal, where I've had the opportunity to explore what I like! My DIY Curb Appeal article is currently featured on Houzz ...check it out! You'll love their website!


My friend, Carole and her husband, Chris, did this landscaping project themselves...they removed lawn, brought in drought tolerant plants and stepping stones leading up to that great front door. This picture was featured in the Roseville News in an article on their cash for lawns program...a program replicated in Los Angeles and Arizona, where residents are paid to remove their lawn and replace the water-hogging grass with less thirsty plant materials. Carole did this project on her own...she's a no-lawn pioneer!


This front porch belongs to Anna, a Twitter friend, who responded to my request for inviting entryway pictures with a link to her blog, Flower Garden Girl. If there were a game show called "Curb Appeal," where homes were rated in terms of how quickly players hit the red button, homes with big, comfy porches would win, hands down!


Also from Anna's blog, this lovely front porch. When you visit her site, click on "impressive entryways" for a whole catalog of entryway ideas.



In the city of Los Angeles, there are many charming, funky, unique homes and buildings that just delight me...with rich colors and gates, succulents, and wonderful views. Growing up in the flatlands of the L.A. suburbs, I didn't know this side of L.A. existed. But, now I do....

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.

Seedy Adventures

There is a magic and mystery to seeds, but perhaps you haven't noticed it!


One time a friend who's a marvelous gardener was going to do a project at her kid's school on seeds. I said I'd bring my collection over. I had all sorts of seeds to show her that I'd collected. She was a bit dumbfounded...had never thought of starting her garden with her own seeds! She was a smarty, too...(and a gardener!)... which made me realize that if Karen didn't get it, then lots of people didn't get it!


Last spring, I did a seed project with Arthur. We went outside, in his backyard, his front yard and across the street, looking for seeds...we gathered them up and displayed them. He then planted them (which was probably with mixed results, seeing how many of our seeds were not really mature or ripe).


There are seeds all around us...in the refrigerator, at the grocery store, on the dog or our jackets, and at the park. Get some neighborhood kids together and go on a seed hunt. Plant them (the seeds!) in a dixie cup or jiffy pot with some seed starter soil mix, about as deep as they are large, and keep them watered until they germinate. Each seed has it's own germination time (yea Google! Search Shasta Daisy germination time and you'll see how long it will take for my babies to break ground and anything else you might want to know!). Baby them until they're established a bit, and then put them in the ground or a pot where you can watch them grow. They may go dormant over the winter, but next spring, with luck you'll see the rest of the magic!

Fall is a great time to plant, not only your fall vegetables, but perennials as well. For my article at GalTime on this subject AND a great seed giveaway, click here!

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.

Fall Veg Gardening and Giveaway

flickr photo of philliecasablanca

This summer I helped 6 people plant summer veg gardens, and as such, I'm the stepmother to 42 tomato plants! This fall I'm encouraging people to extend their edible garden season by planting a fall-season garden. There are obstacles to anything...the growing window is short (the project must be done before it freezes), there's the soggy ground one must travel to get to the plot. I, myself, haven't been the queen of the fall garden. In our long Sacramento growing season, by October or November, I sometimes feel like yelling out to the veg bed, "enuf! we're done here!" Nevertheless, I plan to start, again...
...carrots for sure, and, perhaps this exotic artichoke...yummy to eat and a beautiful ornamental for the garden.

For my article at GalTime on this subject AND a great seed giveaway, click here!

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.

The Story of the Sprouting Sweater

You know how you get those sticky burs caught on your sweater when gardening or hiking? Well, I get A LOT of them and it takes a really long time to get them off of my wooly sweaters, so I just keep wearing them, burs and all. But, last week I decided to wash this blue sweater of mine with all the burs still on it, hoping some of them would fall off in the wash. Yes, I admit I am domestically impaired! I was in a rush when I took the sweater out of the washer and just threw it on the laundry table for a few days. When I checked back in on my sweater it was none too happy with me and its moldy smell was ummm, you know, prominent. So I washed it again and this time hung it up to dry in my dark garage.

Several hours later I went back into the garage, turned on the lights and whoa! There were little wiggly whitish looking things all over it! Upon closer inspection, I could see that those pesky burs, which are actually seeds, had sprouted all over my sweater. What a sight! - Annie

Annie is the owner of Annie's Annuals in Richmond, CA...a great retail nursery and mail order company specializing in whatever they feel like! Visit Annie's at www.anniesannuals.com. Thanks for permission to post! Jeannie

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.

More Curb Appeal

In one of my landscape design classes, our teacher taught us three key elements of good design...repetition, contrast, and focal point. Since then I have found these to be elements that apply outside the garden as well...be it interior spaces, a piece of music, or fashion. Christina Salwitz, The Personal Garden Coach, from Renton, Washington, was kind enough to share these photos of a project she did (with notes on plants...I love that!). They are a great application of the "Big Three".


Front border taken in October to show lovely fall textures in front as we go into winter.


The fiery Nandina in fall color glory, added some Dwarf Phormium ‘Jack Spratt’ for texture.


Same front border in spring where the Euonymous and Barberry are glowing with new color!!


The Focal Point Fountain is surrounded by annuals and perennials (Orange Begonia, Violet and Orange Impatiens, Spider Plant, a small Lady’s Mantle volunteer, Euphorbia ‘Black Dragon’ and Gaura), a Leucothoe ‘Rainbow’ and a Willow Standard ‘Hukuro Nishiki’ (white variegated foliage). The half-wall baskets sitting on either side of the entrance contain Fuchsia ‘Aurea’.




“High Summer” color: added simple Lobelia ‘Crystal Palace’ in the front border of alternating ‘Crimson Pygmy’ Barberry, Euonymous ‘Emerald & Gold’ and Nandina ‘Gulf Stream’ under planted with Wooley Thyme.

From her website, Christina says, "I am fortunate enough to be able to witness the before and after effects of gardening with my clients. Those who are intimidated by the seemingly daunting task of renovating or creating a space they can enjoy are soon overtaken by the oneness they feel with what they have created afterward. No pills or potion can duplicate that high. That’s a fact that doctors worldwide have known for hundreds of years."

Fall is a great time to tackle those garden projects you've been dreaming about. The plants love it as the ideal time to get settled into the ground, and you'll love gardening in the cooler weather.

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.

Curb Appeal

I'm doing research on curb appeal...of course this is partially subjective...as in, appeals to me. It's been fun. I drive around and when I see something I like, I snap a picture with my cell phone camera. This exercise makes me appreciate how in need most homes and neighborhoods are in terms of some welcoming appeal. It's not just a question of making your house saleable. It's really, a question of making your house lovable!



This picture came to me by way of my friend, Lynn, a garden designer who brings her eye and skill as an artist to her gardens and her blog, Inside Red Studio. I love this blue door, and think I'd be happy to come home to this little house by the sea.



While visiting my daughters in Los Angeles, I was fascinated and jealous of all the beautiful succulents. Also, the Spanish architecture. Here's a garden entry gate in Los Feliz (a charming area just south of Griffith Park). I love enclosed gardens like this. If I lived here, my dog, Pippy, would be happy to keep me company while I gardened.



This red door leapt out at me, back home in Sacramento...drove by, turned around, parked on the shoulder and snapped my picture. Does your house have any element that would make a passing motorist do that? Now there's a question.



This came the way of a travel photo site. Click on it and you'll go to the original. It's an entryway in San Juan Capistrano. Another example of Spanish architecture, walled gardens, and whoa! stop the car.

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

3 Winners and More...

We have 3 winners for the Annie's Annuals Giveaway: Carri Stokes, Andrew Keys, and Joanna Gibson! These guys have all been notified and are raring to go!!! Annie's has also graciously offered a free plant to everyone who entered, redeemable at the nursery, so if you're one of the "also-rans" email me (using the box at the right) your name and address and I'll send you your coupon!

Congratulations to everyone and thanks for participating!

Annie's Annuals Giveaway Fun

It's A Contest!!!

Here's the Deal:
Annie's Annuals, a boutique nursery offering wonderful annuals and perennials not found anywhere else, is doing a July giveaway here at Geno's Garden!!! Three winners will receive their choice of 3 plants from the Plant of the Month or Current Availability. This includes free shipping. How cool is that!?! Here's a sample:

To Enter This Contest:

• Go to Annie's Plant of the Month page
  
• Return to this post and leave a comment about one of the plants...if you have to post "Anonymously", include your name and send me your email address in the link provided...sorry, it's Blogger's fault!!! Bad Blogger!

Additional Data:
Deadline for all entries is midnight, July 31st. Winners will be chosen with the randomizer. A note from Annie's: if the winners want to add on plants, they can get up to 8 plants with free shipping (that is how many fit in one box). They are welcome to add more than 8 of course, but we would have to charge them for the second box ($13.95 CA, WA, OR, NV, AZ, UT and $28.95 all other states). Annie's only ships to the continental U.S.

Good Luck!

More About Limes

I love citrus in the garden. It's evergreen, has lovely flowers that perfume the air (especially orange trees). It doesn't require much pruning...just enough to shape it. It can even be indoors (which is one reason greenhouses became so popular). If I had a big sprawling manor house in England, you can bet I'd have a conservatory with citrus. I might call it my conservatory, or I might call it my orangery...'twould all depend on my fancy at the time.
I currently have a Valencia Orange, a Meyer Lemon and a Clementine Tangerine...and as of yesterday, a Bearss Lime. Say hello...
Some tips regarding successful citrus growing:

• Buy a dwarf citrus...these are regular fruit grown on a special root stalk. They usually range in size from 6 - 12 feet, and in containers even less. Otherwise you may become the owner of one of those 20+ feet citrus that drops grapefruit all over the sidewalk!
• Protect from frost (the easiest, and cutest, method is a string of Christmas lights at the base)
• Prune out shoots from below the graft...this is a knobby area below the main branches where your citrus was attached to the root stock. These shoots won't do you any good and just take away energy from your tree.
• Fertilize with special citrus fertilizer. I've often done the "neglect experiment" with my citrus...not applying fertilizer on the correct schedule, noticing the leaves get "chlorotic" (unable to produce chlorophyll, and thus increasingly less green), baby fruits drop off, etc. Give 'em some fertilizer and Yowza!...new sweet green growth, blossoms...the whole "I'm healthy!" thing.
• Remove your tree carefully from its container. Seems like the growers use a lot of sand in the potting mix and so roots don't hold a lot of their planting medium closely. They do fine, but it bothers me to take a tree out of a 5 gallon pot and have most of the potting soil stay in the container. So, I like to cut the plastic container away, slicing it to it's base and then carefully transfer it to its new home...the ground, your wine barrel or a large pot.

One more picture of my new lime...notice the large lime on the bottom right and all its wee limes!

Tomorrow I'll be posting about Mojitos, the popular Cuban drink that will make a lime lover out of anyone!

Good Morning Talini's!

"Limes" by pfibiger on Flickr

About a week ago I was asked if I would like to be on Good Day, Sacramento, Channel 31's morning show (seen in Sacramento on Channel 12). The reporter, Julissa Ortiz, is a novice gardener and was especially interested in the Mojito Garden I blogged about a few weeks ago. I thought that would be fun...immensely rewarding and easy as a beginning garden project, but also something any gardener (or cook) would like.

We're going to be shooting at Talini's Nursery tomorrow morning. Talini's is located at 5601 Folsom Blvd. in Sacramento. According to a recent article in the Arden-Carmichael News,

"Founded by the late, Italian-born Pietro Talini, who once supervised and cared for the gardens at the Vatican, the garden center opened after Talini left war-torn Italy for the United States with the dream of opening his own nursery. Now, owned by Talini’s son, Louigi – better known to customers and employees as “Lou” – the nursery continues to have a matchless charm, and prides itself on having products buyers can’t find anywhere else."

It really is a great nursery, lots of veggies, shade plants, annuals and perennials, trees and shrubs. By the way, a great resource for growing and using citrus is the grower's website! Check it out...Four Winds Growers.

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

Red Hot Perennials from Annie's Annuals

Annie's Annuals in the San Francisco Bay area (Richmond) is to gardeners what Willy Wonka's chocolate factory was to, well, chocolate lovers! There's always something happening and always an enormous variety of perennials and annuals not found elsewhere. Their Fireworks for Flower Floozies Sale runs thru July 5th, with a 20% discount for online orders until midnight.

Penstamon eatonii "Firecracker Penstamon" - full sun, perennial, zones 3 - 10
Fuschia fulgens pt. sun/shade, zones 9 - 11
Bomarea species, "Climbing Alstroemeria" - Perennial vine, zones 9 - 11.Take a look for yourself...Annie's Annuals

Have a happy 4th of July!

Pruning Tomatoes...what???

Fine Gardening, a fine magazine, sent me a newsletter about pruning tomatoes last week. Made me want to grab my pruning shears and head outside...which is what I plan to do, so I've got to make this short! Check it out: Pruning Tomatoes.

Notes from the garden coach: What's in Your Barrel?

Half wine barrels make great containers for the small garden. They can be tucked into a corner or stand alone on a balcony or deck. They have enough room to hold a variety of things. Here are three of my favorites and some recipes (although my half barrel has blueberries in it!):

• The Pasta Garden: tomatoes, basil, oregano, green beans, peppers, eggplant (plus you'll also need garlic, but that's a cool season crop)
  Pasta with Summer Vegetables and Lemon Basil, and to die for Oven Roasted Tomatoes...killer on Bruschetta.


• The Salsa Garden: tomato, cilantro, chili (Serrano or Jalapeno), garlic, lime... Ole! Salsa Cruda (cruda = raw or fresh)


• The Mojito Garden : basically, a lime tree and some mint (plus sugar syrup and Rum). Mint's interesting, good in tea, mint juleps, Moroccan food. Check out this reference, all about mint. What kind of mint to use for Mojitos? According to one web site, you need to have Cuban mint, imported. Another says each kind of mint gives it one nuance to the mojito. I say, after you’ve experimented and made a few, you’ll be the expert and people will be quoting you! Limes – Bearss Lime is best.

flickr photo from jspatchwork

Like a lot of things in life, timing can make a difference in your success. In Sacramento I like to plant my summer veggies the first week in May. But, here it is...almost the end of June! How can we compensate?

• Well, first of all, act fast. Those plants need to get into the soil now so they can start getting their roots established...this will give them a larger network to draw moisture in. Plus, know that they don't grow when it gets too hot because their cell division programing cuts out in the 90's. So, again, act now while we still have some "cooler" weather.


• Start with larger sized plants. This is no season for the Pony Pack.


• Give them extra and regular water...my favorite solution to the busy life is a battery operated timer with a drip system attached. Attached to a faucet, this frees you up to go and come as you please.


• Give them a bit of shade while they're getting started, otherwise those leaves can just wither and crinkle up (for instance, I staked and draped an old lace table cloth over some newly planted flowers this morning...maybe I should go see how they look...)

My Garden Coach philosophy: I don't believe in green thumbed and black thumbed people...ask any seasoned gardener, they've each made plenty of mistakes. (How do you think they became such "know it alls"?) My goal is to help you have a successful experience. There is truly something earthy and satisfying about growing your own food. And, it doesn't take acres to create that feeling...you can start with a half barrel. Call if you need some help.

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