Tangerine Dream

There is a lovely citrus fruit that helps me through the shorter, colder days of winter, the delectably sweet tangerine. Its happy flavor reminds me of sunshine on the ugliest of winter days. I’m not the only one who relishes winter citrus, recently CNN ran an Eatocracy piece on one author’s love of Clementine oranges. 

Citrus trees are ubiquitous in Southern California; many homes in established neighborhoods host multiple kinds of citrus. I grew up climbing trees in mini-orchard of that included grapefruit, orange, tangerine, tangelo, tangerine, lemon, and lime. In my current garden, I inherited well-established tangerine and lime trees. We planted a lemon tree that was a gift from my in-laws and this will be the first year we have fruit!

But those tangerines, those lovely, sweet, smiling tangerines – sweet enough to divert attention away from processed sugary snacks and healthy enough to give a much needed dose of Vitamin C during cold and flu season!  Scientists are now theorizing that tangerines can help fight our nation’s obesity epidemic. 

Tree is a little droopy because of all the fruit!

I usually have the first ripe fruit by mid-December, but happily the bounty has come early this year. My tree is so weighed down by fruit that I have been harvesting as soon as the tangerines become ripe! I take them to work to share (very popular with the co-workers) and I leave a bowl of them in the family room for easy snacking. 

Since the turn of the twentieth century, there has been an American Christmas tradition that my family follows to this day: an orange or other sweet citrus fruit in children’s stockings. Historically, fresh fruit was very dear during the winter, especially in areas where fresh food was not immediately available.  It was a small sign of great love from parent to child for this orange fruit contained a promise of health and warmer days to come.

Home grown tangerines don't have the even coloring like supermarket fruits, but they taste so much better!

Time to winterize your garden

Before calling it quits on this year's gardening season there are a few more things that should be done to ensure plants make it through the winter. Remove any debris in your garden, including dead leaves, sticks and twigs and plant tags from annual bedding plants. Cut back dead growth on perennials. These activities will prepare your garden and flower beds for planting and new growth next spring. This will also prevent pests and diseases from overwintering on rotting foliage. Be sure to discard any diseased leaves and don't add them to the compost pile.
 
Remove fallen leaves from lawns. If the grass is still green underneath, it can use all the light available to prepare for winter. Removing leaves also allows water and air to reach the grass. Heavier, thick leaves can pack down and rot slowly. These leaves do not make good mulch for perennials and should be removed from perennial beds.  Place some type of loose organic mulch around shrubs, trees and perennial beds. The mulch helps protect roots from winter's cold and fluctuating temperatures. Don't use more than a few inches of mulch around trees and shrubs. If packed too thick around tree trunks, mulch can smother the trees and cause them to die.

Placing mulch around shrubs, trees and perennial beds helps
protect roots  from winter's cold and fluctuating temperatures.

  

Prevent deer damage to landscape plants

Deer can cause extensive damage by feeding on plants and rubbing antlers against trees. In urban areas, landscapes may become deer's major food source. Damage is most commonly noticed in spring on new, succulent growth.

Because deer lack upper incisors, browsed twigs and stems show a rough, shredded surface. Deer strip the bark and leave no teeth marks. Damage caused by rabbits, on the other hand, has a neat, sharp 45-degree cut. Rodents leave narrow teeth marks when feeding on branches.

Practical management strategies include selecting plants unattractive to deer, treating plants with deer repellents, netting and tubing, and fencing. Placement of plants in part determines the extent of damage. Plant more susceptible species near the home, in a fenced area or inside a protective ring of less-preferred species.

Hungry deer will find almost any plant palatable, so no plant is "deer proof." Also, a plant species may be damaged rarely in one area but damaged severely in another.

In urban areas, landscapes may become deer's
major food source.

Avoid deicing salt damage on landscape plants

Deicing salts can damage landscape plants whether the salt is sprayed on plants from passing traffic or shoveled onto plants near sidewalks. Salts deposited on the surface of twigs, branches and evergreen leaves can cause excessive drying of foliage and roots. Salts can be taken up by plants and accumulate to toxic levels. Sodium salts can also cause a nutritional imbalance by changing the soil chemistry and harming the soil structure.

The most apparent damage is death of buds and twig tips as a result of salt spray. As stem tips die, plants respond by producing an excessive number of side branches. Accumulation damage is more slowly manifested and may not be noticeable for many months. Affected plants might show stunting, poor vigor, die back of growing tips and leaf burn or leaf drop.

Sodium salts are the most common type used for deicing, since they're inexpensive and most readily available. Sodium salts are the most likely to cause plant damage. When possible, use alternatives to sodium products, such as calcium chloride or calcium magnesium acetate (CMA).

The most apparent damage from deicing salts is death
of buds and twig tips as a result of salt spray.

Consider drought tolerant plants

This past summer's drought in many parts of the country resulting in water bans or restrictions may cause some gardeners to examine the water requirements of some of their favorite plants. Certain species of annuals and perennials are more drought tolerant than others. Drought tolerant plants still require water to survive, but have the ability to tolerate periods of little water.

All plants require water to become established in the garden. It is a good idea to incorporate compostof organic matter into the soil before planting to increase the soil's ability to retain moisture. Plants may be watered more efficiently by using soaker hoses or trickle irrigation systems. Also, consider applying organic mulches, black plastic mulch or landscape fabric to help reduce evaporation from the soil's surface.

Adding mulch to landscape beds can help
reduce evaporation from the soil's surface. 

 

 

Implement environmentally friendly gardening practices

Home garden and lawn care practices can impact the health of rivers, streams, lakes and aquifers. Whether starting a new landscape or maintaining a well-established one, implement environmentally friendly gardening practices to help protect natural resources. Plus, your garden and yard will demand less time and be healthier, attractive and more productive.

Garden practices that you can impelement include:
* Plant the right plant in the right location.
* Use water efficiently.
* Fertilize appropriately. A soil test can help determine the amount of fertilizer needed for healthy plant growth.
* Apply mulch to moderate soil temperatures, reduce evaporation and minimize plant water needs.
* Manage yard pests responsibly using cultural and mechanical methods that enhance natural enemy effectiveness. If pesticides are necessary, apply least toxic ones.
* Recylce and compost grass clippings, leaves and yard trimmings.

As a rule of thumb, lawns and gardens need
on average 1 inch of water each week.

 

Bringing Back Tea Time

In our fast paced world, I often long for traditions that re-center my day and provide a welcome respite from the turmoil of the modern jungle.  I also found that I needed a late afternoon recharge if I wanted to make it to a six or seven pm dinner time. I often identify with the Italian side of my family more so than the other branches, but I found the English had something to contribute and with American Anglophilia on the rise (not to mention my obsession with BBC dramatic programming), I concluded it was time to bring back tea time.

Tea time goes back much further than its English permutations and has many manifestations from a full meal to a simple snack.  My tea time most resembles a “cream tea,” a hold-me-over snack between the midday meal and supper. It usually consisted of a black tea with milk and sugar and scones with clotted cream. I modernized my tea to include a pastry of the week and an oolong or herbal tea. 

Teapot for seeping loose leaf tea, air tight tea container, tea cups, pumpkin bread and electric tea kettle

Like most American girls, I am usually a coffee drinker through and through. Coffee is well and good for morning wake-up, but less desirable for creating calm in the afternoon. I’m not a fan of green or most black teas; I find them too bitter and harsh. But after some trial and error, I found I liked oolong and white teas. (Herbal teas were already in pantry and used as home remedies for common ailments.) Good tea has become easier to find due to the rise of local tea shops and the ability to find rarer items on-line. I am a fan of going to the brick and mortar store since it is a green place to smell and taste test your tea, especially for novice tea drinkers like me. Teavana has an excellent variety and interesting blends of teas from traditional to more modern blends.  (We are currently drinking the Toasted Nut Brulee Oolong Tea.) A word to the wise, although I like Teavana, they will try to upsell you on everything. Come prepared to purchase a set list of items and be strong about refusing the upsell so you don’t break the budget (they are expensive, especially compared to bagged tea found the supermarket).

When it comes to snacks, I love scones, but I don’t like being limited to them for tea time. I’ve opened up the menu to include quick breads, muffins, and biscotti. We keep the portions small so as to not bust the calorie bank! Hubby and I have experimented with a couple of tea time recipes and these are our favorite so far:

Snickerdoodle Biscotti

Pumpkin bread

Lavender scones

Tea time is decompression time. We sit at the table or outside on the patio and discuss our work days, concerns, and plans for the immediate and farther future. This is a time to slow down, re-center, re-charge and use our senses to enjoy a fragrant cup of tea and a sweet treat, a time to bring back a small tradition to bring calm to our frantic modern world.

A Little Privacy Please

I live on a busy street and contend with need to establish privacy without appearing unwelcoming. In research process of my privacy project, I found inspiration in a beautifully illustrated gardening book, Landscaping for Privacy: Innovative Ways to Turn your Outdoor Space into a Peaceful Retreat, by Marty Wingate.  The author addresses garden intrusion in many forms, but I will be focusing on the privacy needs of my front and side yard gardens.

Solution 1: Buffers

Pride of Madeira cover up the unwanted view of alley.

Buffers help the homeowners avoid seeing things they don’t want to see or hearing things they don’t want to hear. When we bought our home, our three established plumerias acted as a buffer between our property and our neighbor’s property to the west. They also buffer some of the road noise and the road dust that blows toward the house on that side. The east side of our home had no such buffer. Approximately 2 years ago, Hubby planted a half dozen Pride of Madeira along the east side of our yard to buffer traffic noise and dust from the alley that runs along that side of our property.  With the plumerias on the west and the Pride of Madeira on the east, we informally established the boundaries of our property and removed the site lines directly into our neighbor’s yard and the alley. 

Solution 2: Barriers

Japanese variegated mock orange non-hedge

Barriers can be a touchy subject. On one hand, the homeowners want exclusivity, but do not want to appear unwelcoming to their guests and neighbors. Fences are the logical choice and there are a wealth of materials, heights, and styles to accommodate any garden. However, fencing is expensive and must comply with city codes and HOA restrictions. My solution to the expense of fencing was a hedgerow of my favorite shrub, Japanese variegated mock orange. Hubby indulged my whim in removing the kangaroo paws, succulents, and tea trees from the beds facing the sidewalk. The mock orange will create a lovely barrier to digging (and pooping) dogs, plumeria pickers, and road dust and debris . . . once they grow.  Mock orange have a slow to moderate rate of growth compared to other options, but I insisted on this plant because I love the bright appearance and the gorgeous fragrance their blooms release starting in February.  For now, I am stuck waiting for the individual plants to grow into a hedge and create the barrier I desire.

Solution 3: Screens

Fourth of July are climbing roses that will make good screens.

Screens are an ideal means to provide partial coverage but retain accessibility. I would love to create a screen of sorts that covers the garbage and recycling cans we keep on the east side of the front yard, but I have yet to devise a cost effective solution that works for the space. I have also contemplated creating a jasmine trellis to enclose the north side of the backyard patio. I am unsure if I want to create division in that part of the garden, but I would love to cover the compost container.  Lastly, Hubby and I would like to screen our cinder block wall near our fruit trees with Fourth of July Roses. Thorns will be a good barrier to incursion, but be prepared to deal with them effectively. Thorn plants are not good choices for families with children and inquisitive dogs, and there is much care involved in thorn plants so they do not become unruly. Word to the wise: Always do your research!

Good barriers make for better security, vistas, sounds, and ultimately, better peace of mind. The key is to complete these privacy modifications in an esthetically pleasing way that hopefully impresses the neighbors and guests without appearing unwelcoming. To better address your privacy needs, I recommend reading Landscaping for Privacy as a starting point for ideas and an extensive plant list that will accommodate all North American climates.

Pilfered Plumeria!

I sincerely believe that gardeners are generous folk. We love to share big, beefsteak tomatoes with our co-workers, succulent cuttings with our neighbors, and dried herbs with our friends. Need gardening tips or help? Please ask! We’d love to lend a hand or provide you with experienced insight! We have a wealth of intellectual and material resources and our well-being grows every time we share it.

But please, oh please, do not take from our private gardens without permission! Yes, it may seem like there is plenty to go around. But unthinking scavengers may not understand that certain resources may be specifically earmarked for other people or other endeavors. Even worse, ripping, tearing, or pulling on delicate plants can be very harmful or lethal!

Deliberate cuts were made on the right and left side of the plant.

On Thursday morning, I pulled out of my driveway and as I drove past my front yard, I noticed that my plumeria closest to the street was missing two large branches! I pulled over to the side of the road and inspected the damage. This was not a simple break of small fingerling limbs I have experienced in the past. Some ne had very deliberately sawed off two large branches that would have yielded approximately a dozen cuttings!* I was furious, just flat out spitting mad! I glowered in my office with my door shut until mid-morning, hoping that no poor, hapless co-worker had the misfortune to walk through my door.

Someone thoughtlessly broke this branch by hand.

After I got over my anger, I felt hurt. I have been very generous offering cuttings to my neighbors. I handed out cuttings to visitors when I participated in the Clairemont Garden Tour in 2010. When I trim my plumeria, I leave a bucket of cuttings in the driveway for passers-by to take. I love giving thank-you plumeria cuttings to my co-workers in appreciation for all the ways they support me and our company. These thieves took branches I had earmarked as “thank you cuttings.” They stole, not understanding that those cuttings were meant for someone else. Plumeria cuttings are a hot commodity and can earn between five dollars and thirty dollars (and up!) per cutting depending on the kind and quality. If I make a conservative estimate that my twelve cuttings were worth ten dollars apiece, the thieves stole $120.00 worth of product from me. 

More damage to green wood

I sadly feel a whole lot less generous than I did previously about sharing my plumeria cuttings.  I even contemplated installing a vinyl privacy fence. Barriers may deter the thoughtless pilferer, but they will not stop a determined thief. I don’t want to be one of those crotchety neighbors constantly screaming, “Get off my lawn!” But I would like some privacy and respect for my property, especially when I have been so generous in the past. If you would like a cutting or a piece of fruit, please knock on my door and ask. Chances are, I’ll say yes. If I don’t, then you need to respect my answer and understand that I have my reasons for refusing. 

We are very tempting, especially in our gorgeous, late fall bloom, but please leave us alone!

 *Plumeria plants are propagated by removing a small portion of green wood called a cutting. Cuttings can then be planted, and with proper care, will grow into another plumeria plant.