university of california cooperative...

Inside

this

issue:

‘Ouchless’ Roses ...........................................1

Preservation Pointers...................................2

Bats of the Causeway...................................3

A Visit to Kew ...............................................4

Fall Garden Guide.........................................6

Improve Your Gardening Success.............8

Where to find Gardening Answers ....... 10

Solano County Milestones ....................... 11

Subscription Information.................... Insert

‘OUCHLESS’ ROSES Albert Crepeau, U.C. Master Gardener, Yolo County

OUCH! The scream heard from many rosarians in rose gardens, as a thorn embeds itself deep into their fingers. How many times has this happened to you? Those rose thorns can do some damage, and also cause some serious infections. Many times I've yelled ‘OUCH’ in my rose garden, and have the battle scars on my hands to prove it. Most of the time I wear those heavy gauntlet gloves and protective armor before getting near those nasty thorns. But there is hope for the rose gardener that can make rose gardening much more fun by avoiding those big thorns. They are called THORNLESS ROSES. I've grown many of them over the years and would like to introduce you to some of these thornless cultivars and encourage you to grow them in your rose garden. A number of the thornless roses listed below are also very disease resistant, and tolerate most soils. Additionally, these thornless roses are easy to train on a fence or pergola since you don't have to worry about getting stabbed every time you grab one of the canes. Here are some of my favorite roses that make rose gardening a very safe adventure.

(Continued on page 9)

‘Crepuscula’ is a member of the Noisette group. Photo by Jim Fowler

University of California Cooperative Extension

Solano and Yolo County Master Gardeners FALL 2006 Vol. 1, Issue 1

The University of California Master Gardener

Program currently operates statewide in 36 County

Cooperative Extension offices. Each volunteer

program has access to and provides the same valuable

research based home gardening information, but may

provide it to the public in slightly different ways.

We have been publishing this newsletter, in some

form, for many years. 2006 brought Yolo and Solano

Counties together for the first time in a collaborative

effort to better serve both of our communities. We did

our best to find a name for our newsletter that

reflected all we hoped to represent, but we chose a

title, The Latest Dirt, that was already in use in another

county. After searching and voting, we introduce to

you, Seeds For Thought.

We hope you enjoy Seeds For Thought and welcome

any comments or suggestions you may have to help

us flourish.

THE LATEST DIRT:

A FRESH START Sharon Leos, U.C. Master Gardener

Solano County Editor

SEEDS FOR THOUGHT

PAGE PAGE PAGE PAGE 2222

KUMQUATS - EDIBLE ORNAMENTALS Pearl Eddy, U.C. Master Gardener & U.C. Master Food Preserver, Solano County

One of my favorite

wintertime fruits is the

kumquat (Fortunella margarita). It

ripens in the late fall and

early winter. The bright

orange fruits are oblong,

usually about 1 ½ inches

long. They have rinds like

citrus fruits, but differ in

that the rind is sweeter than

the tangy pulp. At one time

they were classified as

citrus, but because of

cellular differences they

were renamed in 1915 after

Dr. Robert Fortune who

introduced the fruit to

Europe. (Do not confuse

this with the Loquat

(Eriobotrya japonica), about

which I wrote last year).

In the U.S., kumquats

are found mainly in California and

Florida. They are occasionally found

in supermarkets and are rather

expensive but make beautiful

garnishes and salads. They store well

in the refrigerator for a couple of

weeks and are a fair source of

Vitamin C. You can eat kumquats

whole (rinds and all, as the seeds are

very soft), or slice and seed them for

recipes, or substitute whole

kumquats in recipes such as duck a

l’orange, cranberry-orange relish, or

other orange based dishes.

My beautiful little tree is the

‘Nagami’ variety, and is hardy to at

least 18 degrees. It is compact, about

six feet tall, with small bright green

leaves. When the abundant fruits

ripen, the tree appears very festive. I

use a citrus fertilizer (on the rare

occasions when it gets fertilized), and

water it deeply every couple

of weeks in the summer when

it looks thirsty. I usually wait

to pick any fruit until they

begin to fall in the autumn, so

they will have maximum

sweetness. Since the entire

crop does not ripen at once, I

rinse and dry ripe fruit in

small batches which are

thrown in the freezer. When

there are finally enough, I

make batches of preserves,

using both the fresh and

frozen fruits.

For a sweet-sharp, colorful

addition to fresh salads, you

can plump and tenderize the

fruits by blanching in boiling

water for 20 seconds and then plunge

in cold water. Slice the kumquats

very thinly and serve in fruit,

vegetable, meat or fish salads. Try

them with avocado or shrimp salads.

The following recipes were

adapted from Sensational Preserves

and Fancy Pantry.

From Pearl Eddy, U.C. Master Food Preserver

KUMQUAT PRESERVES Yield: 3 pints

2 pounds bright-skinned, firm kumquats 5 cups granulated sugar Boiling water 4 cups water

Place the fruit in a saucepan of boiling water and simmer for 10 minutes.

Drain in a colander. In the saucepan boil the water and sugar together for

5 minutes to make a syrup. Add the drained fruit and simmer, uncovered,

for 10 minutes. Pour the fruit and syrup into a shallow bowl, cover with a

cloth and allow it to stand overnight.

On the following day, return the fruit and syrup to the pan, bring to a boil

and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the fruit is translucent and tender

when tested with a thin skewer. They can then be canned in glass fruit

jars, using the boiling water bath method for 10 minutes.

�

FALL 2006 M VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1


BATS OF THE CAUSEWAY Kathy Donaldson, U.C. Master Gardener, Yolo County

�

From Pearl Eddy, U.C. Master Food Preserver

PICKLED KUMQUATS Yield: 2 cups

18 ounces kumquats, cut in half 1 whole clove

1 tsp. sea salt ½ inch piece fresh ginger, grated

¾ c. plus 2 Tbl. White wine vinegar 3 cardamom seeds (pods) crushed to

¼ cup clear honey liberate the tiny “crumbs” inside

Put the kumquats and salt in a large saucepan. Add water to cover. Bring

to a boil, and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain the kumquats in a colander.

Heat the remaining ingredients gently while stirring until the honey has

dissolved. Raise the heat and bring the mixture to a boil, then add the

kumquats. Bring to a boil again to heat through. Ladle into jars and

process using the boiling water bath method for 10 minutes. Let set for a

month before using.

This product is delicious when added to the juices of roast duck or pork.

I spent a recent evening experiencing the wonder of bats.

The evening was hosted by the Yolo Basin Foundation and

began with a presentation

about the benefits and wonders

of bats. The stars of the

presentation were several well-

behaved live bats that allowed us

to observe them. Especially

interesting was watching them

eat meal worms and observing

their wing structure.

After the presentation, we

caravanned to the wildlife area to

watch as the bats emerged at

dusk to feed. The bats are

Mexican free-tails that have

migrated back to the Yolo Bypass

Wildlife Area to live under the

Yolo Causeway. This maternal

colony consists of an estimated

100,000 to 250,000 bats that return

each summer to feed and raise

their pups (baby bats). Each night

at sunset, they fly out to consume

millions of insects throughout the

farm fields and neighborhoods.

The anticipated flight was the highlight of the evening. As if

on cue, the first group of bats began pouring out in a dense

column. After emerging, the columns swirled higher and higher

to gain altitude, eventually disappearing from view. Two more

groups followed at about five minute intervals. It is not known

exactly how far they travel each

night, but given how high and

fast they fly, many likely go more

than fifty miles in one direction

each night. Once the pups are

born, the mothers will return at

four hour intervals to feed them.

Nursing mothers can consume

their weight in insects each night.

They are typically on the wing

from dusk until dawn.

The most significant threats to

bat survival are persecution by

humans and loss of habitat.

Vandalism and disturbance of

roosting caves, loss of tree snags,

and careless use of pesticides all

seriously threaten remaining

populations.

While the bat tours are

complete for this summer, visit

the Yolo Basin Foundation’s web

site: www.yolobasin.org for more

information about the bats and

check again next spring for the Foundation’s new tour schedule.

Another excellent bat source is Bat Conservation International:

www.batcon.org

• More than 50% of American bats species are in severe decline or already listed as endangered.

• Loss of bats increase demand for chemical pesticides, can jeopardize whole ecosystems of other animal and plants species, and can harm human economies.

• All mammals can contract rabies; however, even the less than ½ of one percent of bats that do, normally bite only in self-defense and pose little threat to people who do not handle them.

• A single brown bat can catch 1,200 mosquito-sized insects in just 1 hour.

• Bat droppings in caves support whole ecosystems of unique organisms, including bacteria useful in detoxifying wastes, improving detergents, and producing gasahol and antibiotics.

• Tropical bats are key elements in rain forest ecosystems that rely on them to pollinate flowers and disperse seeds for countless trees and shrubs.

• Bats are an important natural enemy of night-flying insects.

• Bats are not blind, do not become tangled in human hair, and seldom transmit disease to other animals or humans.

• Bats use echolocation to navigate.

Kumquats (Continued from page 2)

SEEDS FOR THOUGHT


If you are ever in London and want an

easy out-of-town day, head to The Royal

Botanic Gardens in Kew. When I visited this

summer, I was reminded of how many plants

can be grown both in California and England.

The gardens at Kew are adjacent to the

River Thames, cover about 300 acres and

include a large number of special gardens,

including: a rose garden, aquatic displays,

redwood groves, a rhododendron dell, and a

grass garden.

The gardens were originally started in

the 1700’s, shortly after the British Royal family

moved to Kew Palace. The Palace has been

recently restored and was re-opened this year.

As part of the restoration, they replicated an

area in front of the palace with huge beds of

herbaceous perennials and annuals that the

royal family would have grown at that time.

I was drawn by the magnificent,

striking color in the beds as I walked towards

the palace. All of the beds were color-

coordinated from yellow and orange, to blue

and purple, and pink. From afar you couldn’t

tell what was in the beds, just that there was

lots of color ahead. As you got closer, you

could see the beds had mass plantings of the

same varieties for dramatic effect. A close-up

view provided the surprise that I actually

recognized some of the flowers; I really hadn’t

thought that so many plants we grow in

Northern California would also grow in this

more northern, and colder, climate.

The dark blue and purple salvias were

repeated in many beds and were simply

striking; they were complimented by cosmos

and bachelor buttons and inter-planted with

lilies and bright pink allium. The yellow and

orange beds had masses of calendulas, oriental

poppies, and our own California golden

poppies. In many of the beds there were

interpretive signs describing the “plant hunter”

who had brought this particular plant to Kew.

(For much more detail on the plant hunters, I

recommend the book The Plant Hunters by

Toby Musgrave, Chris Gardner, and Will

Musgrave.) It was a history lesson simply to

walk around the beddings, reading the

interpretive signs. I wasn’t the only one

(Continued on page 5)

A VISIT TO KEW Susan Macaulay, U.C. Master Gardener, Yolo County



intrigued by the beautiful gardens; people in

many different languages were “oohing” and

“aahing.”

Reinforcing the idea that many of the

plants we grow also grow in Kew was a tour of

The Queen’s Garden at the back of the palace.

This garden recreates a typical 17th century

garden, a time when plants were mainly grown

for their medicinal purposes. As I wandered

through the narrow paths, I saw sweet peas,

delphiniums, yellow chamomile, dianthus, iris,

ferns, lavender, and more. The interpretive signs

were fascinating and described not only the

plant, but what it was supposed to cure as well.

Though we are an ocean apart, a visit to

Kew Garden reinforces the notion that it’s a

small world after all!

A Visit to Kew (Continued from page 4)

One of my favorites signs stated: ‘White Fruited Strawberry’

(Fragaria vesca)

“The distilled water drunke

with white wine is good against

the passion of the heart

reviving the spirit and making

the heart merry.”

Gerard 1633

Photos by Susan Macaulay

SEEDS FOR THOUGHT


PLANTING

Goin’ greens: Our zones get a second chance at growing delicate salad greens, such as arugula, chard, kale, lettuce and mustard. Spring’s our first opportunity, and it can be fleeting, sending greens to bolt with the first hot spell. Fall is a better choice, and now is the time to plant seed. Greens are some

of the easiest plants to grow from seed, and homegrown tastes so much better than store-bought. Other vegetables to plant include seedlings of broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and spinach. You can also plant seeds of beets, carrots, leeks, onions, peas, radishes and turnips now, too.

Where’s that shovel? Fall is the ultimate time to plant anything, from trees to perennials to bulbs to annuals. If you’ve been dreaming of trees with fall color in your yard, nursery stock will be blazing soon; it’s wise to choose your favorite then, and plant it as weather cools. Add fall-blooming perennials, such as asters, chrysanthemums, gaillardia, gloriosa daisy, Japanese anemone, lion’s tail, purple coneflower and salvia. Pick out the healthiest looking spring-flowering bulbs now; try anemones, crocus, daffodils, Dutch iris, freesias, ranunculus, tulips and watsonia. For instant color, annuals to plant at the end of September (watch closely for late heat waves) include calendula, forget-me-nots, Iceland and Shirley poppies, ornamental cabbage and kale, pansies, primrose, stock, sweet peas and violas.

Natives, naturally: If you have a dry spot in your yard, this may be the place to grow California natives. Check out Arctostaphylos (Manzanita), Fremontodendron (Flannel bush), Heuchera (Coral bells, Alumroot), Mahonia, Mimulus (Monkey flower), Pacific Coast iris, Penstemon heterophyllus purdyi (Purdy’s penstemon), Salvia clevelandii (Cleveland sage) and Western columbine. Don’t forget the long list of beautiful Ceanothus, which will reward you with blue, lavender or pink blossoms in spring.

MAINTENANCE

How’s your division? If your agapanthus, coreopsis, daylilies, yarrow, callas or penstemon have ceased blooming or just look overgrown, it may be time to divide. Use a spading fork or shovel to lift clumps, then cut the clumps into sections with a spade, shovel, sharp knife or pruning shears. Now you need to decide whether to replant the new divisions or share the wealth with friends,

family and neighbors. Make sure new plantings go into well-amended soil and keep them moist while new roots develop.

Keep on picking: If you have tomatoes that are still producing, keep picking! Dig or pull up any plants that have finished producing or have become diseased. Add only healthy plants to your compost pile.

Fertilizer time: Lawns and roses could use a dose of fertilizer right about now. Lawns could also benefit from an application of pre-emergent weed killer to keep winter weeds under control, and to repair bare patches in cool-season grasses, such as the popular fescues. If you want another bloom from your roses this fall, fertilize now. In fact, it’s best to fertilize most plants no later than the end of September. That includes annuals, perennials, fall veggies, landscape and deciduous trees. Use a high-nitrogen fertilizer.

Waiting for rain: If summer’s heat persists, keep up the watering schedule until the rainy season begins. Also keep deadheading annuals to keep the blooms coming. Keep up the slow, deep watering of citrus trees, too.

PREVENTION

Red menace: Little red spidery things on your plants may be cute, but you don’t want them around. Red spider mites can be kept at bay with insecticidal soap, sulfur or an early-evening spray of horticultural oil.

Keep it clean: Fallen fruit and leaves around trees may harbor disease and be a draw to nasty yellow jackets. Don’t let debris pile up.

PLANTING

Use your imagination: October is the best time to set out any kind of plant that’s not frost-tender. Groundcovers, shrubs, trees and vines all benefit from fall planting, when temperatures are cooling and rain is on the way. Allow room for them to grow. Try early perennial bloomers such as campanula, candytuft, columbine, coral bells, delphinium, foxglove and verbascum. Veggie heaven: Seeds of spinach, lettuce, leeks,

beets and sweet peas can be sown now. Set out nursery sets of onion and garlic and plant them in well-drained soil for next year’s harvest. If you are done for the year and want to improve your soil’s texture and nutrient content, consider planting a fall-to-winter cover crop to till into the soil in spring. Try fava beans (which are delicious, too), oats, purple vetch, winter peas and woollypod vetch or crimson clover.

FALL GARDEN GUIDE Kathy Thomas-Rico, U.C. Master Gardener, Solano County

S EPT EMBER GARDEN GUIDE

OCTOBER GARDEN GUIDE



Holiday blooms: Later this month, buy and pot up amaryllis or ‘Paper White’ narcissus bulbs to give as Christmas gifts. They should be blooming just in time. If you have a Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera x buckleyi), put it in a dark room so it will bloom for the holidays.

MAINTENANCE

It pays, really: Keep tidying up, not letting any debris collect, thus allowing diseases and insects to overwinter in your yard. Note any spots in your yard where water pools; you will want to monitor those places during next year’s mosquito season. Keep weeds at bay, pull up spent annuals and vegetables, and clean up fallen leaves and fruit. Place only pest-free debris and weeds not yet gone to seed in your compost pile.

They’re always out there: October’s cool, damp weather means it is time to look for snails and slugs. To control them, apply bait containing iron phosphate, which is safer on edible crops and around children, pets and wildlife.

Other yucky stuff to watch for: Cabbage loopers (or snails and slugs) in your cole crops (broccoli, cabbage or cauliflower). At night, check leaves for snails and slugs. If you find caterpillars (loopers), pick them off and destroy them or spray plants with Bacillus thuringiensis, also known as B.t.

Love your lawn: Now is a good time to dethatch, aerate and fertilize your turf grass. Also, to avoid burning, lower the blades of your mower to one inch once the last heat wave has passed.

PREVENTION

Fighting the gophers: Gophers tunnel through the ground to eat tender bulbs and shoots. To keep them from dining on your favorite flowers, Sunset magazine suggests using wire baskets. Place a basket in the planting hole, add a layer of soil, then add bulbs. Cover the bulbs and the basket with soil. Use a regular hanging basket or buy a chicken-wire pouch sold at nurseries for lining planting holes. Another method is to use hardware cloth to line the bottoms of raised beds. Bend its edges up inside the frame of your planting box.

Blast that rot: Watch for brown rot (Phytophthora citrophthora) and citrus blast (Pseudomonas syringae) on your orange, lemon, grapefruit and lime trees. Remove any diseased fruit. Spray with copper as a preventive or employ other recommend cultural controls.

PLANTING

Great grass: If slopes are part of your yard’s topography, make sure they are thoroughly planted so they won’t erode if winter rains are heavy. To temporarily secure a bare slope or one that is newly planted, sow seeds of a perennial grass such as blue

wild rye grass over weed-free soil in a sunny location. Beat the rain: Before those rains start in earnest, keep up planting cool-weather vegetable seedlings this month. Planting at two week intervals until the rains start ensures a long winter harvest period. Biennial and perennial herbs (chives, Greek oregano, marjoram, parsley, rosemary, sage and lemon or common thyme) should be planted now to get established and provide a good spring harvest. Keep planting spring-blooming bulbs, corms and tubers along with raspberries and blackberries.

No vampires: If garlic is a favorite, plant some now. According to Sunset magazine, Artichoke (common white) types are easiest to grow. Rocambole has intense flavor. Choose a site in full sun with well-drained soil (or plant in raised beds if your soil is heavy and poorly drained). Mix in plenty of compost and plant cloves so tips are about 1 to 2 inches beneath the soil surface. Elephant garlic is not a true garlic, and is milder in flavor. Plant those cloves 4 to 6 inches deep.

MAINTENANCE

Where’s the rain? When winter’s rains begin, adjust your watering schedule. Knock down water basins around trees and shrubs to avoid root rot over winter. If rain is spotty, keep an eye on the vegetable patch; irrigate when the soil starts to dry out several inches down.

For the fruit: Apply dormant fruit spray to fruit trees after leaves drop. Use a 50 percent copper or lime sulfur product for peach leaf curl on peaches and nectarines. Spray the entire tree, including the trunk, branches and twigs. Prevent brown rot by removing mummies that are on or around the trees. Use a fixed copper spray for shot hole disease. On apricots use the fixed copper spray rather than lime sulfur, which will damage the fruiting buds. Apply sprays on days when rain is not predicted for at least 36 hours.

PREVENTION

The good fight: Keep on the lookout for snails, slugs and cabbage loopers. Keeping debris cleaned up is a big help, and it familiarizes you with the nooks and crannies of your yard. Continue fighting snails and slugs with an iron phosphate based bait (safer around kids, pets, wildlife and crops). Fight the loopers - which concentrate on seedlings of broccoli, kale, cabbage and Brussels sprouts - by using floating row covers to keep the adult white butterflies from laying eggs on leaves. Another option is to treat leaves with Bacillus thuringiensis, also known as B.t.

Think ahead: Use pre-emergent weed control among plantings near open fields, or in your lawn. This will help keep winter weeds under control.

NOVEMBER GARDEN GUIDE

SEEDS FOR THOUGHT


Looking for the right plant for a difficult

area of your garden? Not sure when or how to prune

your roses? Dismayed to find large caterpillars in your

tomatoes? The Master Gardeners are here to help!

Master Gardeners are trained volunteers with the

University of California (U.C.) Cooperative Extension

program. We provide information, problem-solving

expertise, and educational opportunities about home

gardening to County residents. A volunteer will

answer basic gardening questions or research more

unusual questions by using the Program’s extensive

library or consulting with other specialists.

Listed below are just a few of the many services the

Solano Master Gardener program offers. The Yolo

County Master Gardeners offer similar services and

programs to Yolo County residents. See page 10, or

visit their website at http://ceyolo.ucdavis.edu for

further information.

Contact a Master Gardener today to improve your

gardening success!

IMPROVE YOUR GARDENING SUCCESS! Erin K.L. Mahaney, U.C. Master Gardener, Solano County

Identification. Bring in plants, diseased plants, and insects (dead or alive) for identification at the Master Gardener office. Please contain insects in sealed clear plastic bags or small jars. If you can’t bring the entire plant or a plant part, bring in a photo. Close-up pictures of the problem are good, but a picture of the entire plant helps too. The Solano County office is located at 501 Texas Street, Fairfield, and is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed for lunch) Tuesday-Thursday. The Yolo County office is located at 70 Cottonwood Street, Woodland, and is open from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Tuesday and Friday.

Hotline. Call or email the Master Gardener hotline with a plant problem or gardening question and a Master Gardener will respond as soon as possible. You can also send photos by email. In Solano County telephone: (707) 784-1322 or email [email protected]. For Yolo County telephone: (530) 666-8737 or email [email protected].

Quarterly newsletter. Serving Solano and Yolo counties, the newsletter provides seasonal gardening information. To subscribe, call the Solano County Hotline at (707) 784-1322 or Yolo County Hotline at (530) 666-8737.

Farmers’ markets. Visit the Master Gardener table at the Benicia, Fairfield, Vacaville, Esparto and Davis farmers’ markets. You can drop off a plant, insect, or disease sample if you can not make it into the office.

Websites. Master Gardeners can direct you to informative websites such as U.C.’s Integrated Pest Management program for information on environmentally friendly gardening solutions (http://ipm.ucdavis.edu). The Master Gardener websites with a calendar of events, newsletter archive and other information for Solano County (http://cesolano.ucdavis.edu/) and Yolo County (http://ceyolo.ucdavis.edu/) and U.C.’s website about home orchards (http://homeorchard.ucdavis.edu/).

Wreath workshop. Held in December, the Wreath Workshop provides a fun opportunity to learn how to design and make your own holiday wreath.

Rose pruning workshop. Held in January, this annual workshop provides information on the when, why, and how of rose pruning and planting bare root roses.

Newspaper articles. Look for gardening articles written by Master Gardeners in the Vacaville Reporter and the Fairfield Daily Republic.

Talks at the Vacaville Public Library, Cultural Center. Talks on a variety of topics on the third Thursday of the month at 7:00 p.m.

Demonstrations, workshops, seminars, talks, and more! Master Gardeners are available to speak on home gardening topics at schools, libraries, meetings, and community functions.



‘Excellence von Schubert’: This shrub rose growing in my back yard has an excellent fragrance. The flowers grow in clusters, with a pink blend of colors. This rose is very tolerant of heat, has green, shiny, dark leaves, and makes a very good thornless border rose. ‘Crepuscula’: This fantastic Noisette rose is growing on my south wall, where it reaches twenty

feet in all directions. The b e a u t i f u l apricot blend flowers are borne on many clusters along a stem. There are s o m a n y flowers at first flush that you can hardly see any leaves. This is a stunning rose that everyone should grow if you have room. It is very

disease free and vigorous grower without those nasty thorns. ‘Lady Banks’: All four varieties of Rosa banksiae are normally thornless and evergreen. It's corymbs of small, fully double, scented flowers are produced in great profusion in late spring. They cover this vigorous and healthy cultivar, a densely growing thornless rambler, which grows up to thirty feet. Among the climbing roses are: ‘Aimee Vibert’ an old Noisette, with white, repeat-flowering rose. The strong musk scent helped this rose to become the most popular of the early Noisettes. The flowers are medium sized in clusters and the buds have a red flush. ‘Kathleen Harrop’ is an old bourbon, light pink, repeat-flowering rose. It reaches ten feet as a climber or half that as a shrub. It is covered by gray-green leaves and has no thorns. Yet another thornless climber, ‘Violette’ is a great rose to have in your garden. It sends out large arching flexible canes. The leaves are always deep green and healthy. The flowers of this rose are very deep purple with hundreds of single petal flowers along a cane and has no thorns. Some ramblers are also thornless. For example, ‘Francois Juanville’ grows over my trellis in the

backyard. This is a very vigorous grower with canes up to forty feet long. There are also ‘Borsaults.’ These thornless roses with blooms in clusters of red and pink are a cross between the Alpine rose, Rosa pendulina and a China rose. They grow in almost any kind of soil and tolerate shade. Among the shrub roses with no thorns are: ‘Cardinal de Richelieu’ an old Gallica, mauve. This is the most floriferous of the Gallicas, and has a strong popularity. It has long lasting flowers, borne in small clusters, opening from globular buds to a rich dark red, that quickly changes to royal purple, aging to slate-gray. It is a medium-growing shrub to four feet. ‘Mme Legras de St. Germain’ is an old Alba. White flowers on this rose appear in clusters. The color is pure white with soft lemony yellow centers. This outstanding rose is easy to grow. ‘J.P. Connell’ is a modern shrub with medium y e l l o w / r e p e a t flowering and no thorns. This is the first yellow rose released in the Canadian breeding program for winter-hardy roses. The abundant foliage is dark yellow-green on a bushy, spreading shrub that reaches five feet. Make your rose garden a safe environment for you and your family. Try growing these thornless roses and shake hands with roses you'll love, without damage to those fingers. No more yelling 'OUCH' in your thornless rose garden.

Ouchless Roses (Continued from page 1)

‘Hippolyte’ is a Gallica rose. Photos by Jim Fowler

‘Excellence von Schubert’ is also heat tolerant.

Noisette, Gallica, Alba, Alpine, and China roses are not the types of roses we are accustomed to seeing in the garden

department at the home center. These types of roses are old roses, grown centuries ago

before the popularity of today’s Hybrid Tea and Shrub roses. Each group has its own growth and flowering characteristics, many of which have been used to develop the modern roses

we grow today.

SEEDS FOR THOUGHT


Many things grow in the garden that were never sown there.

~Thomas Fuller, 1732

Do you have gardening questions? We have answers!

Solano County

Residents

Yolo County

Residents

Master Gardener Hotline (by telephone) Our message centers will take your questions and information. Please leave your name, address, phone number, and a description of your problem. A Master Gardener will research your problem and return your call.

(707) 784-1322 (530) 666-8737

Send an e-mail [email protected] [email protected]

In Person

Tuesday - Thursday

9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

{closed for lunch} 501 Texas Street Fairfield, CA 94533 (707) 784-1317

Tuesday & Friday 9a.m. - 11a.m.

70 Cottonwood Street Woodland, CA 95695 (530) 666-8143

Find Information Yourself on the World Wide Web

Manage and identify insects, mites, diseases, nematodes, and weeds using tools on the University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program web site.

http://ipm.ucdavis.edu

Download gardening, food preservation, and other publications, from the University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, many available for free.

http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu



Annually, the Master Gardeners of Solano County celebrate and recognize their accomplishments for the year. This year, the Master Gardeners had a lot to celebrate with 2,925 hours of service to Solano County. A benchmark of volunteering was met by two Master Gardeners who have been volunteering for the Program for 20 years. Pearl and John Eddy have been volunteers of the Program since 1986. They began only three years after the inception of the M.G. Program in Solano County. Since then, they have spent time volunteering at Farmers Markets, local events like Lambtown and Tomato Day at Morningsun Herb Farm. Pearl Eddy is a Lifetime Master Gardener, which means she has completed over 1,000 hours of volunteer time. Pearl dons the gold badge signifying this accomplishment. She is also a Master Food Preserver and you will see her column Preservation Pointers within this newsletter. John is an avid fruit grower and imparts this knowledge when he trains new Master Gardeners in the winter. Pearl and John are outstanding volunteers that I have had the honor of working with over the past seven years. They are now in a small group of three Master Gardeners who have made it to the 20 year mark. Karen Pryor is the third member of this elite group.

A first for the Master Gardeners of Solano County was an inauguration of the Honorary Master Gardener. This year, we designated David Rico as our first Honorary Master Gardener. David is a helpful, kind and generous gardener. David helps at Master Gardener functions and is always willing to learn more about gardening or impart some of his own garden experience to others. The Master Gardener Program is glad to have David as part of our team.

As the Program Coordinator, I have a perpetual plaque that contains names of people who are recognized for their special contributions to the program. This year, completely by accident, I missed presenting this honor to these Master Gardeners: Mirielle Lombardi, Teresa Lavell, Sharon Rico and Betty Victor. I was so caught up in the excitement of our recognition night, I missed presenting these ladies with this honor. Congratulations to all the Master Gardeners in Solano County. You share your knowledge and love of gardening to those around you. Keep up the good work!

SOLANO COUNTY MILESTONES Jennifer Baumbach, U.C. Master Gardener Program Coordinator, Solano County

Solano County’s first Honorary Master Gardener David Rico.

Master Gardeners John (left) and Pearl Eddy (right) celebrate two decades of service.

Interested in becoming a U.C. Master GardenerInterested in becoming a U.C. Master GardenerInterested in becoming a U.C. Master GardenerInterested in becoming a U.C. Master Gardener????

Contact your local Master Gardener Office for more information: Solano County Coordinator Jennifer Baumbach (707) 784-1321 Yolo County Coordinator Teressa McClellan (530) 666-8143

STAFF Jim Fowler, Yolo County Editor

Sharon Leos, Solano County Editor & Layout Design

FEATURE WRITERS Jennifer Baumbach, Albert Crepeau, Kathy Donaldson,

Pearl Eddy, Sharon Leos, Susan Macaulay, Erin K.L. Mahaney, Kathy Thomas-Rico

PRODUCTION Jennifer Baumbach, Pearl Eddy, Riva Flexer, Gloria Laylin,

Sharon Leos, Joyce Mamer, Karen Metz, Sharon Rico, Renee Syrett, Susan Stern, Betty Victor

_________________________ Mario S. Moratorio

Urban Horticulture and Small Farm Advisor

The University of California prohibits discrimination or harassment of any person on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, pregnancy (including childbirth, and medical conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth), physical or mental disability, medical condition (cancer-related or genetic characteristics), ancestry, marital status, age, sexual orientation, citizenship, or status as a covered veteran (covered veterans are special disabled veterans, recently separated veterans, Vietnam era veterans, or any other veterans who served on active duty during a war or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized) in any of its programs or activities. University policy is intended to be consistent with the provisions of applicable State and Federal laws. Inquiries regarding the University’s nondiscrimination policies may be directed to the Affirmative Action/Staff Personnel Services Director, University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources, 300 Lakeside Drive, 6th Floor, Oakland, CA 94612-3550 (510) 987-0096.

T H I S N E W S L E T T E R I S A Q U A R T E R L Y

P U B L I C A T I O N O F T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F

C A L I F O R N I A M A S T E R G A R D E N E R P R O G R A M S

O F S O L A N O A N D Y O L O C O U N T I E S A N D I S

D I S T R I B U T E D T O C O U N T Y R E S I D E N T S .

SEND A LETTER TO AN EDITOR

By email: [email protected] [email protected] Please put ‘Re: Seeds For Thought’ in the Subject line of emails.

U.S. mail: Solano County UCCE Yolo County UCCE 501 Texas Street 70 Cottonwood Street Fairfield, CA 94533 Woodland, CA 95695

U.C. Cooperative Extension Solano County Master Gardeners

501 Texas Street Fairfield, CA 94533

Jennifer Baumbach, Pearl Eddy, Riva Flexer, Gloria Laylin, Sharon Leos, Joyce Mamer, Karen Metz, Sharon

university of california cooperative...

Documents