In the Garden with Pat Rubin

Bee garden writer Pat Rubin writes about everything that grows, from flowers and trees to vegetables and lawns. Pat volunteered for several years as a Placer County Master Gardener and has written about gardening for many national and regional publications. In addition to gardening, she spends time raising and showing miniature horses and miniature donkeys.

In the Garden will include news, events, advice and other gardening tidbits. Pat will also answer reader questions.

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« August 2007 | In the Garden front page | October 2007 »

September 28, 2007

I don’t pay much attention to the clump of Iris foeditissima under the fig tree.

Also called Gladwyn iris and beefsteak iris as well as stinking iris, it makes a tight clump of bright green blades. The flowers are small and unexciting, although beautiful. All that changes in autumn, when suddenly a flash of orange catches my eye as I walk past the plant on my way to feed the horses.

Almost overnight the thick green covers on the fat seedpods burst open to reveal a cluster of brilliant orange berries inside. They’re heavy, and dangle from the slim stems. Unlike other irises, this one is grown for those unusual seedpods. I. foeditissima spends the rest of the year as a quiet spot of green in the garden. It isn't fussy about care, though it prefers some shade and regular watering. The clump slowly increases in size each year, and occasionally you'll find seedlings. It isn't invasive.

I cut a few stems to take in the house or to display on my desk at work to remind myself of the beauty growing outside.

Posted by Pat Rubin at 12:52 PM | Comments

September 25, 2007

Fall foliage, fall berries

Anyone who has driven along Highway 80 between Sacramento and Auburn in autumn can’t miss the scarlet foliage planted along many of the on and off ramps. The color is screaming red. And on a cloudy day it’s positively luminous.

It’s the Chinese pistache (Pistacia chinensis) and while it is related to the pistachio, it doesn’t produce nuts. The tree grows to 25 or 30 feet tall. It’s very adaptable, and settles just as happily in a yard with regular water and decent soil as it does in places where it gets no care at all.

The female Chinese pistache trees bear small green and red berries. They can reseed, but I’ve never found them to be invasive.

Choose pistache trees in the fall so you can see their beautiful colors.

Posted by Pat Rubin at 03:41 PM | Comments

September 24, 2007

The same frosty weather that turns impatiens to mush and blackens the remains of marigolds is perfect for bringing out the dramatic colors of fall. The colors and textures of fall and winter - in leaf, berry, flower and bark - are as vibrant as anything summer has to offer. This week I’ll highlight some of the beautiful leaves, flowers and berries fall has to offer our gardens.

I'll start with one of my favorites: Euonymous alata ‘Compacta,’ or winged burning bush. The stems have corky “wings” on them, and the shrub produces graceful, light green leaves. But the plant is most striking in the fall: its leaves turn a brilliant clear red. The entire bush is lit up with color. You can cut branches and bring them indoors.

Winged euonymous is a polite shrub, growing to about eight feet tall and four or so feet wide. It grows a bit slowly and makes a graceful, almost pyramidal shape. Grown for its corky wings, it produces tiny flowers in spring. By the time the leaves fall away, tiny red berries remain on the plant. They hang like miniature Christmas lights. This euonymous isn’t a pest, doesn’t reseed readily (after 15 years I only have three or four seedlings) and doesn’t require much care. A bit of water, decent soil and ample sun make it happy.

Posted by Pat Rubin at 11:06 AM | Comments

Giant pumpkin contests

If you’re growing giant pumpkins, then why not take one to a local contest? And if you aren’t, consider attending one of these festivities. They’re fun, and you’ll see BIG pumpkins, many of them more than a thousand pounds.

Here’s two in our area:
Elk Grove Giant Pumpkin and Harvest Festival
Saturday, Oct. 6-Sunday, Oct. 7, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Elk Grove Regional Park, 9950 Elk Grove Florin Road. Hosted by the Cosumnes Community Services District.
“Peace, Love and Giant Pumpkins.” Giant pumpkin weigh-off, pumpkin regatta races, scarecrow contest, food, music and more.

Auburn Community Festival
Saturday, Oct. 20, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Recreation Park, 123 Recreation Drive, Auburn
Harvest fair with live music, giant pumpkins, scarecrow, recipe and costume contests, food and more.

Posted by Pat Rubin at 11:00 AM | Comments

September 21, 2007

Calling giant pumpkin growers

Earlier this year we sent giant pumpkin seeds to more than 400 Sacramento Bee readers. As the season has progressed, we wrote about the care of giant pumpkin vines.

So how did it go? Do you have giant pumpkins to show us?

Please send your photos and comments to h&g@sacbee.com and put “giant pumpkin” in the subject line. We’d love to used your comments and photos in coming Home and Garden issues.

Posted by Pat Rubin at 01:47 PM | Comments

September 20, 2007

The sounds of wind through the leaves

I was riding my bicycle along the trail around Lake Natoma one windy evening recently, and what caught my eye, and my ear, was the sound of tree leaves.

The dry, dead leaves still hanging on the California buckeye bushes rattled noisily and dryly in the wind. They seemed to be warning passersby that fall is coming soon. The leaves of the poplars quivered melodiously. The wind catches their leaves and causes them to turn back and forth to reveal both sides. The winds swept noisily through the oaks, hardly moving their study leaves at all. The winds blew easily through the pines, causing the needles to sway and move.

At home, I noticed the wind slipped through the ferny black walnut leaves, but really rustled around in the chestnut tree as well as the fig.

Until now, I’ve always noticed the scent and shape of plants in the garden, but never thought of the noises of plants. Next windy day, take a moment to listen to the sound of the wind and leaves.

Posted by Pat Rubin at 01:46 PM | Comments

September 17, 2007

Summer gardens that extend into fall

Sacramento Bee file/Owen Brewer

It’s that somewhat untidy time of year when I’m itching to get pruning shears in hand and cut things back. But I know I need to stop for a minute, take a step back and look closely at the garden.

There is a kind of stark beauty in the golden stems and black seedpods of coneflowers and black-eyed Susans. The ornamental grasses are in full bloom, and it’s a matter of time before their green blades turn to gold and winter’s rains and winds will bleach them to a pale straw color. The sedum is in full bloom, but in another month or two its brick red flowers will turn cinnamon colored, then black, then gray as a skeleton.

If you grow the right plants, your fall - and winter - garden can be as exciting and colorful as spring and summer. There are scores of perennials that die back gracefully, that are as fetching and beautiful in dormant colors as they are in bloom.

A few of my favorite multi-season perennials include:

Feather reed grass (Calamagrostis acutiflora stricta): One of the most graceful grasses I know. Its slim, straight blades sway in the slightest breeze. Come winter, the dusky purple inflorescences turn golden atop green blades.
Yarrow(Achillea): I prefer the tall, clumping sorts like Coronation Gold. The sunny and golden yellow flowers hold their color for weeks, and then turn a golden yellow color. No matter how much rain beats down on them, they stand up.
Jerusalem sage (Phlomis fruticosa): A woody shrub that sends up tall stems with whorls of yellow flowers. Once the petals fall away, the seed capsules are left. Good in dry arrangements.
Maiden grass (Miscanthus sinensis gracillimus): Blades turn golden yellow in fall. Doesn’t need to be cut back until new growth peeks out in January.
Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea): Drooping pink petals and spiky orange cones gradually turn brown, then blacken as winter sets in. Striking with ornamental grasses.
Black eye- Susan:(Rudbeckia sp.) Stems turn dark brown, seed heads even darker. Great with ornamental grasses.
Sedum Autumn Joy: My all time favorite for all year interest. Starts out with green rosettes peeking out of the ground in the spring. makes tall clumps of succulent green foliage, then in autumn produces brick red flowers that turn cinnamon color, then blacken, then bleach out to gray by winter's end.

Posted by Pat Rubin at 02:47 PM | Comments

September 14, 2007

Giant pumpkin update

If you’re growing giant pumpkins, don’t give up just because the weather is turning cooler. Those pumpkins will continue to grow all September. Do remember to watch watering practices, however. Our cooler mornings and evenings mean the plants need less water. They simply aren’t using as much water to survive at this time of year. The ground should be kept moist, but not soggy.

Remove any deteriorating leaves (I will do so soon!). At this time of year the older leaves on the vines can succumb to various fungal diseases. Toss any diseased leaves in the garbage, not the compost. If you have to remove leaves that have been shading the pumpkin, put a towel or sheet over the pumpkin so it doesn’t sunburn.

The Cosumnes Community Services District in Elk Grove puts on a huge pumpkin festival October 7, so think about entering your giant pumpkin in the contest. There’s loads of prize money to be won.

I planted my giant pumpkin seeds quite late, but as you can see from the photo, I have a giant pumpkin in the making. I hope to see you October 7.

Posted by Pat Rubin at 02:40 PM | Comments

September 13, 2007

Seed Savers Exchange

When I was new to vegetable gardening many years ago, I discovered the Seed Savers Exchange. I joined the organization, grew heirloom varieties of vegetables and traded seeds with other members.

I lost track of the organization after a few years until Home & Garden reader and avid gardener Paul Williams loaned me an extra Seed Savers Exchange catalog. I was struck by how things have both changed since the group’s inception in 1975 and at how things have stayed the same.

Members still offer rare varieties of seed to each other, and the group still works to preserve heirloom varieties of vegetables and flowers. They still produce an annual yearbook that lists all the seeds members have to offer.

SSE also publishes a free full color catalog of seed available for sale to the public. It was exciting and inspiring to browse through its pages and reading the stories behind the many varieties of vegetables and flowers. To my surprise and delight, I found a variety of garlic, Chet’s Italian Red, I’d grown for 20 years, but, due to life’s many twists and turns, I wasn’t able to keep it going the past couple of years. I sent an order in immediately for it, and plan to reintroduce it to the garden this fall.

You don't have to be a member to order from SSE's color catalog, but if you're interested in helping the group in its efforts to preserve heirloom crops, membership is $35 per year. There’s also a flower and herb exchange for $10 annually that lists 3,000 varieties of old time flowers and herbs offered by members.

Posted by Pat Rubin at 01:23 PM | Comments

September 12, 2007

Almost time to plant garlic

September is going fast, and before you know it fall will be here in full force. A fall chore I’d recommend for all gardeners is planting garlic. October through December are prime months for planting garlic. I’ve waited until December 31, but have to admit October and November are better months.

Plant where the soil is light and friable. Raised beds work well. If you have problems with gophers or moles, put hardware cloth on the bottom of the beds. And, yes, gophers will eat garlic. The moles will disturb the bulbs in their search for earthworms or insects.

Separate the head into cloves. Don’t peel them, and only plant the big, outside ones. Plant them a couple inches deep and four to six inches apart. You can plant them closer, then thin them by harvesting every other one for “green garlic.” That means you can use the entire plant.

Keep the bed weeded, and let the garlic grow. It will be ready to harvest in June. The plant needs about three weeks of hot weather at the end of the season for the bulbs to fully form. You want to harvest the garlic once the bulbs are big, but before they ripen too much and split. (They’re still good if they split, but they won’t last in storage as long).

My favorite places for reading about allsorts of exotic types of garlic are Seed Savers Exchange, Nichols Garden Nursery and Peaceful Valley Farm Supply.

Posted by Pat Rubin at 12:10 PM | Comments

September 10, 2007

Don’t give up on the late summer garden

As mornings begin to turn cool and the summer garden starts to look ragged and tired, gardeners are inclined to give up and pull everything out. I admit I was on the verge of pulling everything out, composting the beds, covering them with mulch and taking a long winter’s break.

But I didn’t, because the tomatoes kept producing. In fact, the Sungold tomatoes are producing better now than they have all summer. There are still cucumbers to pick and the basil looks great. The fig tree is loaded with a second crop. The apples are ready, and the pear crop has just finished. And for only the second time in 20 years, I have almonds to pick. All the other years the squirrels and birds got them and left none for me.

Somehow I never noticed how bounteous September could be in the garden. So I’m waiting a bit longer.

Meanwhile, I’m enjoying tomatoes, almonds, apples, cucumbers, basil, parsley, oregano….

Posted by Pat Rubin at 04:19 PM | Comments

September 07, 2007

Join a garden club

I spoke to the Folsom Garden Club this week, and was thrilled to see 75 or more members in attendance. I arrived a tad early, and was able to listen to members discussing their various projects in the community. They had a variety of projects going designed to beautify the area and teach others the love of gardening. I came away convinced more than ever that joining a garden club is a wonderful way to meet like-minded people, do something good for the community and have a great time doing it.

California Garden Clubs, Inc. has a huge network of clubs all over the state. According to their website, CGCI is the “online home of over 21,000 California gardeners.” Chartered in 1931, CGCI lists it goals: “create, promote and further interest in horticulture, gardening, floral and landscape design, plant and bird life, and appreciation of the natural beauties of the State of California; encourage civic beautification and roadside development; assist in projects for the conservation of our natural resources; coordinate and centralize the work of the various California garden clubs and bring them into a relationship of mutual helpfulness, and cooperate with other agencies in furthering interests in educational areas .”

In the Sacramento area alone, for example, it lists 17 clubs with 730 members, as well as eight youth gardening groups. Some of the clubs are specialized: there are clubs devoted to growing geraniums or flower arranging, for example. Others are more general in their interests.

Log onto their web site and find a garden club in your area.

Posted by Pat Rubin at 03:31 PM | Comments

September 05, 2007

Saving tomato seeds

The tomatoes I’ve missed over the season have fallen to the ground. I’m noticing tomato seedlings, especially under the cherry tomatoes, already. Unfortunately, the cherry tomato is a hybrid, which means it’s a cross between two other tomatoes. If you plant the seed, it will likely revert back to one of the parent tomato plant types. Or it could be something totally unexpected, and not necessarily desirable, prolific or delicious. So if you want to save seed, you need to grow open pollinated, non-hybrid varieties of vegetables.

The heirloom tomatoes in my garden are perfect for saving seed. Tomatoes are self-pollinating, so I don’t have t worry about them being pollinated by the neighbor’s tomatoes.

There are two schools of thought for saving tomato seeds.

The traditional method is to wait until the tomato is really ripe, past its prime for eating, soft and squishy and splitting. You’ scoop out the seeds, and put them in a container for a few days to ferment. And ferment they will. They’ll get a frothy, scummy covering on the top. Next step is to rinse that off, getting the seeds clean, and then spreading them on a paper towel to dry. Once dry, package them, label them and store them in a cool, dark place until next year.

Then there are the tomato seed savers who simply scoop out the ripe seeds, clean them, dry them and store them. No scum. No fermenting.

Both sides say their method works well.

So why not try saving tomato seeds and growing your own starts next year?

Posted by Pat Rubin at 01:12 PM | Comments

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