Sneak Peak: Halloween Centerpieces

Thought I'd give y'all a sneak peak of a Halloween centerpiece I'm working on.  It includes a selection of black/gray/purple plants such as Dyckia, Aeonium, Ophiopogon nigrescens, and muskrat skulls.  AAAHHH!  Scary!  I'll plant them in tarnished silver serving dishes, top with oodles of spanish moss and viola!

Bending Wood Without Superhuman Powers

I'm noticing that my photography skills are pretty much limited to extreme close-ups of flowers, but I had to share this project I just finished a test piece of.  It's going to be a line of skinny trellises- bent lamination S-curves to gently help your vines get a leg up in the world.

The mock-up went surprisingly well and I only had a few cracks and snaps during the glue-up.  The last time I attempted bent lamination I was in school at California College of Arts and Crafts, which sported a gorgeous vacuum bag and clamps galore.  Not quite the situation in my shop, but still quite fun!

Plant of the Week: Santa Barbara Daisy

I  have to admit, I used to despise Erigeron.  It just seemed so... everywhere!  I've since realized that everyone uses Erigeron because it adapts to just about anywhere and takes an experienced plant killer to do it any harm.  And yet it's one of those mysterious "natives" you've heard things about!  It blooms pretty much all year round with it's innocent white and light pink eyes, keeping pollinators happy and filling in those expanses of empty mulch space.  It can also give the native garden a cottagey look, if you're into that kind of thing.  There are many varieties, one commonly seen and pictured here is a young Erigeron karvinskianus.

Soil:  Just go for it.  I'm sure it won't care.  (Well, within reason- don't torture the poor thing with hardpan or standing water)
Sun:  Full sun to part shade, although I've seen it very successful in mostly shady gardens as well.
Plant:  Any old time.
Buy it:  Seriously, if every nursery doesn't carry this then they are really behind the times.  However, support your locally owned/specialty nurseries and buy from them!  They might have cool varieties that will make your planty friends do double takes, like this Erigeron glaucus at Las Pilitas Nursery!
Good for:  Filling in blank spaces, adding a creeping element to containers, black thumb gardeners, cottage gardens.

Edible Gardens as Urban Renewal in Flint, MI

There's no coffee in the house and I'm moping about this morning.  So it was a great little perk-up to read this article in the New York Times to give me a little energy.  Flint, Michigan seems to have seen the worst of what the economy can do to a town, so it's inspirational to see people adapting to the changes and doing what they can to make their town and neighborhoods better.  Hooray for edible gardens!

Apple Pandowdy

Despite the erratic weather, Fall always gets me itching to make apple pandowdy.  Apparently, there are very different variations, but I like the one made with pie crust, because butter makes it better!  I find it ironic that I post recipes here from time to time as I rarely follow any to a "T", but here goes my own adaptation of the version in Joy of Cooking.

Make your pie crust (any basic recipe will do), roll it out, wrap in plastic-wrap and refrigerate.
Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Cut about 4 apples in 1/4" slices
Toss around with a very scant 1/4 cup of maple syrup or dark brown sugar, 2 tbsp flour, some dashes of cinnamon, dash of salt or so and any other appley spices you'd like represented.  Sometimes I just want to keep it simple, but go right ahead.
Stick the apple mixture into a buttered loaf pan.
Dot the top with a few tablespoons of butter.
Get the pie crust out of hiding and lay it over the top.  Hmmm, doesn't fit, does it?  Tuck the excess around the insides of the loaf pan, effectively wrapping the apples.  It doesn't have to look pretty, unless the Queen is coming.  In that case, make something else!
Bake for about 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and smash down the top of the crust with a fork or spoon.  Try to submerge the top with the apple juices a bit. 
Reduce oven temperature to 350 F and put the pandowdy back in for another 30 minutes or so.
You're supposed to let it cool for 15 minutes, but I'd rather suffer a burnt tongue!  You can try to extend your patience by busying yourself with making bourbon whipped cream to go along with it.
Don't plan on sharing it with more than 4 people- it goes pretty quick and you'll want a smidgen the next day for breakfast!

Plant of the Week: Fairy Cups

Malacothamnus fasciculatus doesn't have a common name, so I've decided to give it one.  This seems like the ultimate tea party plant as she gives the garden a kind of kid glove and ribbons appeal.  Why do I not see this more often?!  Malacothamnus is a shrubby evergreen (gray) that can become quite hedgy at about 8' high.  Her gray leaves provide an excellent foil against the house or greener plantings (mine's behind a Manzanita) and she will host many a butterfly and hummingbird.  I think I'll experiment with pruning mine and make two open and airy and use another for screening. 

Soil:  well drained to clay, doesn't seem too picky
Sun:  full sun to part shade.  This lady is from So Cal, so make sure she gets her suntan
Plant:  when, you ask?  Well, right now would be a good time!  Be careful when transplanting, the roots seem of the fragile variety
Buy it:  I got mine from a wholesale nursery, but you can certainly ask your local nursery to stock them for you.  I've seen some at Cactus Jungle. 
Good for:  wildlife, a backdrop for tea parties, adding a touch of gray to your garden, creating a hedge between you and your noisy neighbors.

The Rains Came Down & The Floods Came Up

Yet another reminder that we need a new roof!  The glass on the right is currently 3/4 full after about a half hour.  But now I know why I keep saving yogurt containers, and at least I got most of my planting done.  I think the new grasses will fare much better than this window frame!  Batten down the hatches, guys!  Prime planting season is waiting for us after the storm!