Greenhouse: Fertile Ground for Growing Minds

www.lomavistafarm.org – The Greenhouse
The Greenhouse
Rita’s Monthly Gardening Tip!
January 2009 – Gardening is for the Birds!
January 2009 – Gardening is for the Birds!
Wild birds in the garden and yard provide a natural form of pest control and offer endless beauty and entertainment. This is a great time of year to learn to identify a few new birds. Children will hold on to fond memories of birds feeding, nesting and bathing in their own yard. During the cold winter months, these beneficial creatures have a greater need for food and shelter. Different birds prefer different foods, but foods with higher fat content during the winter will make a nice meal for many. A great activity for children is to spread peanut butter on a pine cone, roll it in bird seeds and hang from a tree branch where you can watch the birds enjoy your gift. Hummingbirds are in this area year round, so a hummingbird feeder may entice the little beauties. Birds will be encouraged to come to your yard if there is a source of water for them. They love a clean, shallow, rough-textured bottom birdbath. They are especially attracted to moving water. Birds need shelter from bad weather and predators. Many styles of birdhouses can be bought or made. This spring when you are planting your garden keep the birds in (and the Farm's greenhouse) mind. Plant a diverse landscape of flowers, bushes and trees. Incorporate as many native plants as you can and remember the negative effects of chemical pesticides harm all of nature. For inspiration in appreciating some spectacular birds, go to the Suisun Wildlife Center to see a Golden Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, American Kestrel, Great Horned Owl and others. Also, the 13th Annual San Francisco Bay Flyway Festival is held on Mare Island February 6-8, 2009. Many experts will be on hand to lead bird walks, and help you

become more aware of the many great natural resources all over the bay area.

The Greenhouse
February 2009 – Succulents
February 2009 – Succulents
Drought! For most gardeners that is an exceptionally sad word. How do we enjoy our Horticultural Therapy without the guilt? One fun way is succulents. Succulents are plants that have thick leaves or stems, which hold moisture. A cactus is one type of succulent that usually comes with thorns or bristles. If you don’t like the spines, there are an incredible variety of non-cactus succulents to choose from. Succulents are adapted to dry areas and come in an endless variety of shapes, colors and sizes. They are wonderfully forgiving of an occasional dry spell. The Farm’s greenhouse has a collection for display and for sale. Some of this assortment includes the Aeonium(e-o-nium) which, grows tall and looks like a magenta colored flower. Some that look great in hanging baskets are the Ghost Plant (Graptopetalum) and the Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera). Hen and Chicks and Peanut Cactus look adorable in little clay pots. Aloe Vera is the medicinal member of the Aloe family whose inner gel heals minor burns and boo- boos. There’s a Sedum variety for every growing desire such as ground covers, seasonal color, little ones for pots and beautiful trailing ones for hanging baskets. Propagation is often super simple using a leaf or stem or easy division. Come on over and ooh and ahh over the diverse and delightful array of succulents. More fun + less water = happy gardening!

The Greenhouse
March 2009 – Soil
March 2009 – Soil
This years planting season is about to begin. Is your soil ready? What happens when you mix severe economic times, drought conditions and an overused, underappreciated soil? These conditions came together on April 14, 1935. It was a day referred to as Black Sunday. Massive clouds of thick dust moving 60 miles per hour paralyzed the Great Plains. This was only one storm of many that took a huge toll on this country over several years. In 1935, Congress was meeting in Washington, D.C. with FDR’s advisor testifying on the need for soil conservation legislation when the dusty gloom made its way to the east coast and blotted out the sun. This was the year that the Soil Conservation Act was passed. The most valuable lesson learned from the Dust Bowl was to take care of the land. Whether you are the caretaker of a suburban plot of land or many acres, our care and understanding of what goes into creating healthy soil affects us all. Join Loma Vista Farm staff on March 13 from 12:30 to 2:30 to learn about techniques you can use to enhance the quality of your soil. Learn how to improve the drainage of your soil when it rains a lot and to increase the soils ability to retain moisture when it doesn’t. And learn how to create a healthy environment for your plants to thrive in. Farmer Thom taught us decades ago that it’s not dirt; it’s soil. The difference is in how we use it and care for it. To sign up for the workshop call the Farm, (707) 556-8765.

The Greenhouse
April 2009 – E-benefits of a Vegetable Garden
April 2009 – E-benefits of a Vegetable Garden
If you are thinking it would be great to have a garden for all the free veggies you would get, you might want to know the veggies are not exactly free, but the benefits are still numerous. Michelle thought it might be nice to have a vegetable garden and now the whole world is watching. Her children, Malia and Sasha, yes, Obama, will reap the benefits that growing their own vegetables have. The family will have the educational benefits of seeing first hand how a seed germinates, how a ladybug eats an aphid, what happens if you water too much or too little. They will have the emotional benefits of spending time together in their own patch of self-created nature; bonding over broccoli, reminiscing over rhubarb and dreaming while dragonflies dart over their dandelion greens. They will reap the environmental benefits of growing food without the need for pesticides, chemical fertilizers, mass transportation and processing. The economic benefits will be apparent in the low cost of seeds, combined with the labor of love, to produce mountains of potatoes and summer squash. The food will be more nutritious, delicious and more appreciated. The children will grow up with an appreciation for how food is grown around the world, the value of the folks who grow it and the desire to keep the water and air clean so our little piece of self-created nature on earth can continue to flourish. Happy Gardening!

The Greenhouse
May 2009 – Snails Are A Fact of Life
May 2009 – Snails Are A Fact Of Life
Snails are a fact of life. Prepare for them and their “shell-less” kin, the slug, before you set out your luscious greenery. Use the following tips to keep your plants out of the digestive tract of your local mollusk.
#1: Hire a child to go snail hunting for you. The going rate is a minimum of ten cents per snail. Require the child to calculate what you owe them. They can collect the snails in a container for you to check their math. For an extra charge, they can dispose of them for you in a way you deem appropriate. This is a wonderful way to offer the camaraderie of an adult and a real life lesson in economics, math and science.
#2: If you’re snail hunting on your own, go out early, or even in the dark, with a flashlight and container. You can fill your container with soapy water then pour the slug soup into your compost pile. Slugs like to hide under boards, pots, etc. You can use this against them by purposely setting up boards, pots, etc. to trap them.
#3: Copper bands, available at garden centers, can be installed around planter boxes as a natural barrier to snails and slugs.
#5: Chickens, ducks and geese are natural predators of slugs and snails. Careful strategy is necessary to determine what

plants the poultry may eat. Speaking of eating the snails, ancient Romans dined on buttered snails. This caught on over the millennium in France where the chefs served the snails in French style as Escargot. Now we’re really thinking Step #1 sounds best.
#6: When setting out yummy snail food like marigolds, zinnias, hostas, strawberries etc. use only non-toxic snail bait. Plant, water, then sprinkle a protective line of snail bait around your plants. Check your local garden center for non-toxic products such as Sluggo or Escar-Go and follow label directions.
Happy Gardening!

The Greenhouse
June 2009 – Watering Plants in a Container
June 2009 – Watering Plants in a Container
Plants in a container need to be watered more frequently than plants in the ground. You may need to water them up to once or even twice a day in order for them to survive. The area in your yard that receives the hot afternoon sun will be your greatest challenge. The smaller the pot the faster it dries out and clay pots dry out faster than plastic pots. For clay pots in the hot sun, I recommend succulents or very drought tolerant plants. To cut down on the time and amount of water needed put container plants prone to drying out quickly where they will receive some shade in the afternoon. Put a saucer under them. This will help to guide your watering. When water begins to come out of the holes in the bottom of the pot into the saucer you know you have watered enough. The water should reabsorb into the pot within a few hours. If the water doesn’t reabsorb, dump the saucer or don’t use one. Plants in standing water too long will develop a lack of oxygen in the root area and rot. If you notice that when you water a container the water seems to run directly out of the bottom holes that means that the water is not being absorbed sufficiently into the root ball. The saucer will help your plant absorb enough water to rewet the root ball. There are clever water globe devices you can buy that hold water and drip slowly as needed into the root zone; pretty but pricey. You can also make your own watering device using plastic 2 liter

bottles with small holes drilled into the lid and the bottoms cut off. Water holding compounds are being touted on the market as an incredible water-conserving device. But of course, anything a person is trying to sell is incredible. The actual scientific results have been mixed and conflicting. Next time you come to the Farm to buy some of the incredible plants let me know what water-conserving ideas have worked for you.

The Greenhouse
July 2009 – A Labor of Love
July 2009 – A Labor of Love
Is your yard a labor of love or all labor? It’s fair to expect your yard to give something in return. I came upon a website that is called plantwhateverbringsyoujoy.com. It’s such a liberating concept in the sometimes seriousness of gardening. There are great benefits for those who plant only California natives in savings in water and maintenance. And for those who only plant food-producing plants, you have the best food possible. Other growers may be hobbyist who love their prize roses, dinner plate sized dahlias, or exotic orchids. My garden tip this month is to plant whatever brings you joy! Or else what’s the point? If you can, try to find multiple benefits from your plants such as: beauty, food, low maintenance, drought tolerance, curb appeal, increased value of property, lower home cooling expenses, share to feed the hungry, reduce global warming, something for children to love and develop a life-long appreciation for…. Keep the list going. What are your favorite benefits of growing plants? Go out and sit in your yard and ask yourself if the plants that you are investing your care, money and space for, bring you joy. If not, it’s okay to replace them with ones that do. Think about what benefits you would personally like from plants, and then your time and effort to care for them will be a labor of love.

The Greenhouse
August 2009 – What To Do When
August 2009 – What To Do When
Garden problems come upon all of us. The problem may be insects chewing the leaves, weeds overgrowing the garden, wild animals helping themselves to everything in site, plant diseases, etc. What do you do? Where do you go for advice? This month, I recommend Golden Harvest Organics (ghorganics.com). This website offers products and advice on almost any garden/landscape problem. Most businesses that sell products wouldn’t recommend anything but their product. This business gives you advice on many options for many problems without having to buy anything. For a .com business, it gets an A+ in education. For example, if you have a problem with aphids click on insects. On this page, they give a quick listing of the environmentally friendly products they carry to use as control. Then they give a healthy dose of educational info on aphids. Not an overwhelming wikipedia version just enough to understand what you’re up against. Then it lists natural predators. It’s hard for most consumers to let nature wage its own battles but it is truly the best initial place to start. Only when necessary should we intervene. If only we had waited 5 minutes longer, the ladybug cavalry was just arriving. Now our chemical spray has killed them off, along with the aphids.
Next, they list plants that you can grow that will repel aphids such as chives and nasturtiums. History has shown repeatedly

that growing as many different plants in an area (plant diversity) creates a healthier environment for everyone. Did you know monocultures (growing only one crop) were a factor leading to the dust bowl and the south losing the civil war and the decline of ancient civilizations? Indeed, agriculture affects everyone; always has and always will.
Back to the Golden Harvest Organics website. Next, they list many other options to help you with your problem such as mechanical means like squishing, trapping, etc. and homemade remedies such as garlic spray and strategically placed banana peels or aluminum foil. This website sells great environmentally safe products, but best of all it provides education on how to walk gently down the garden path, as our choices affect everything and everyone.

The Greenhouse
September 2009 – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle your Landscape
September 2009 - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle your Landscape
Reduce
Reduce the amount of lawn that you have. For all the work and expense that a beautiful lawn needs, maybe you have a side yard where all that hard work is not really seen. Or maybe it’s hard to mow along the edge of your yard or around a tree.
Reduce the amount of organic matter that your landscape creates. Ask when you buy a new plant how much pruning it requires yearly. The yearly ritual of cutting back fruitless mulberries and sycamores should be avoided like the plague. Choose trees and perennials that don’t need a lot of pruning. Consider how big the plant or tree will be when full grown so you don’t feel the need to constantly prune to keep it within a limited area.
Reuse
Reuse you grass clippings and crunched up leaves in your mowers bagger for the best mulch in the world. It’s the best because it combines nitrogen rich grass clippings and carbon dense leaves. It will help your soil retain moisture, deter weed growth and slowly break down to feed your soil with life giving nutrients. And it’s free!
Or consider grasscycling, where you let your clips fall where they may. Allowing the small amounts of grass clippings to go back on

the grass recycles the nitrogen back into the soil. Grass is a heavy user and creator of nitrogen, the number one nutrient needed for lush, green plant growth. The grass clippings also provide mulch for your grass with the previous mentioned benefits.
Recycle
Composting is a way of recycling nutrients, but the most work of the three. If you reduced the amount of organic matter your landscape produces and reused other organic matter directly, at this point you won’t be overwhelmed with what is left to compost.
Happy Gardening!

The Greenhouse
October 2009 – Brown Butterflies and Boys with Blue Hair
October 2009 - Brown Butterflies and Boys With Blue Hair
This month’s tip is in honor of a 9-year-old boy with fluorescent blue hair. I met him when I visited Alemany Farm in San Francisco in September (alemanyfarm.org). A boy after my own heart; he was scrambling around the 4 ½ acre garden looking for butterflies. He showed me the white cabbage moth he had caught and dutifully placed in a baby food jar for closer observation. He was now in search of a painted lady. He offered me a net to allow me the honor of assisting him in the pursuit. He said it was a fast butterfly and he didn’t know if he could catch it. I asked him where we should look and he gave me a very expert explanation of what flowers it likes to feast on and which ones it may lay eggs on. I was sold and off we went on separate paths. Within 5 minutes, he signaled me with a “Whoop” and a baby food jar held high in the air. He had bagged his treasure! I congratulated him enthusiastically and admired his catch lovingly. I live for moments when nature and children reach out and touch each other.
In honor of children and butterflies everywhere, please consider adding a plant or two to your yard that provides food and shelter to butterflies. This is the perfect time of year to plant perennials and trees. The winter rains will help your plant develop a hearty root system before the dry season begins again.

Loma Vista Farm has plants for sale year round. Some nice butterfly loving plants include: penstemon, butterfly bush, columbine, coral bells, hollyhocks, pincushion flower and red-hot poker. To help get you started, if you mention this article, I will give you a free coral bell plant.
Happy Gardening!

The Greenhouse
November 2009 – Increasing Light for
Houseplants
November 2009 – Increasing Light for
Houseplants
A few strategically placed houseplants will add
beauty, improve air quality and keep us
connected to the world of nature. The first step
is to match the light in your home with the light
that a plant needs. Each window of your home
is a plant growing opportunity. The south
facing windows receive the most light,
followed by the west, then east and finally the north receiving
the lowest amount of light.
The light quality (or intensity) is determined by the direction of
the source of light and how close the plant is to that source of
light. Also, take into account obstacles that obstruct light
outside your windows such as trees, awnings, buildings, etc.
Curtains and dirty windows will decrease light intensity, as well.
You can tell your plants need more light if they have spindly, pale
colored growth instead of short compact dark green growth.
Plants needing more light may also grow towards the light. Light
is the source for plants to create their own food, decreasing your
need to fertilize. You can increase the light a plant receives by
putting it closer to the window, cleaning the windows, or
increasing the number of hours of light by keeping the curtains
open more.
If you would like to grow a plant with greater light needs than

your windows can supply, you can use artificial lighting. A simple
cool white fluorescent light will help foliage plants to grow. They
have the blue and red spectrum needed to help the plant create
its own food. Flowering plants also need infrared light, which
can be supplied by incandescent bulbs, warm fluorescent or
special grow lights. Be careful of the heat that incandescent
bulbs produce. Use natural light to grow plants, as much as
possible. This saves money in buying artificial lights and the
extra electricity needed to power the light bulbs.
Set yourself up for success by choosing plants that are easy to
care for. Houseplants are labeled as needing high, medium, or
low light. Medium and low light needing plants are more
successful in a home environment. Some examples of easy to
grow houseplants that are available at Loma Vista Farm are:
Peperomia
Prayer plant
Ferns
Aspdistra (cast iron plant)
Pothos
Heart-leaved philodendron
Sansevieria (snake plant, bird nest)
Peace lily
Plants are for sale anytime the Farm is open. Check the website
for dates and times.

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The Greenhouse
December 2009 – It’s Time To…
December 2009 – It’s Time To…
But first a word from our sponsor: Kaiser Permanente encourages healthy eating and active living. Gardening is good for your physical and mental health. Excessive time spent indoors leads to health problems such as decreasing muscle tone, increasing weight, and depression.
The following is a list of garden activities that will make you look better and feel better and will, also, make your garden healthier and happier: Turn down or off your timed watering devices to conserve water, but water as needed when it has not rained for a while. Protect frost sensitive plants Prune your roses Prune fruit trees when fully dormant and spray dormant oil as necessary Pull out or cut back annuals and perennials Rake and clean up the garden to prevent hiding places for bad bugs and diseases

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Make a compost pile with your pruning’s and leaves to create healthy soil for the next growing season
Spread the joy of green living by buying a plant from the Loma Vista Farm greenhouse to give to someone as a gift.

Greenhouse: Fertile Ground for Growing Minds

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Greenhouse: Fertile Ground for Growing Minds