July 2014 Upbeat Times is Upbeat Times!

18 • July 2014 • UPBEAT TIMES

Consider The Garden by Kimberly Childers • kimberlychilders@att.net Think about more

g arden, an array of color- ful drought tolerant and easy to grow choic- es, many of them self- sowing for next season. A depend- able native of the south- west, Gaura is

a

SANTA ROSA, CA, ~ Don’t you love summertime?! Juicy, luscious fruit dripping down your arm, fresh fruit pies, slic- es of sweet watermelon, but- tery corn on the cob...delicious summertime. Speaking of which, the farmer’s markets are the places to be. They’re brim- ming with homegrown, organic vegetables, flowers, herbs, lo- cal honey and great, happy energy.

Invite a friend and fill

your basket! There are always so many perfect plants for the

tough

perennial, b loomi ng

from summer with a daz- zling display of white flow- ers emerging from pink buds. There is a pink variety too. Gaura is drought tolerant once established and needs excel- lent drainage. Growing 2 to 4 feet tall with slender upright stalks, this perennial requires full sun and is quite long lived. Toadflax with petite flowers resembling snapdragons is also drought tolerant once es- tablished. Plant masses of this

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charming flower in the garden. Masses of Black Eyed Susan are bright and wonderful as well and they will return every year denser than the last. Yellow buckwheat did not disappoint in my drought tol- erant garden and many other plants are doing just fine with thick mulch, not too close to the stems and we are all gar- dening with less water to ev- eryone’s amazement. Gray succulents are sending up their unusual flower stems and cro- cosmia are ready to cut for tall vases. Greek oregano blooms in purples and whites, color- ful, whimsical zinnias, heir- loom tomatoes, juicy and sweet at last. I’ve been dividing and planting swaths of soft accents of many different varieties of Tulbaghia for their very ed- ible blossoms in fall and their narrow, pungent, two foot tall leaves. Gather an ample bunch, rinse, chop and sauté gently in ¼ stick of melted organic but- ter, spread mixture on thick slices of crusty whole wheat bread and toast lightly in a pre- heated oven. Divine! July is a great time to give your plants a nice ‘drink’ of growth boosting fish emulsion. Mix 1Tbsp. fish emulsion to 1 gallon water, perfect to fill up your watering can.

Clean up

fallen fruits, browning leaves. Chop fruits and other debris to make composting more ef- ficient. It’s about time to har- vest onion bulbs, garlic, pota- toes, storing them in a cool, dry shaded spot. Ponder building or ordering a

wire berry ‘house’ to grow your berries in safely from maraud- ing birds.

xeriscaping and water wise de- signs in the garden.¬ Beyond food, simply for peace of mind, plant some of the many col- ors of self-sowing coreopsis, lovely Cupid’s Dart, ornamen- tal, drought tolerant grasses like the whimsical Eyebrow or Mosquito grass.

Plant milkweed especially for Monarch butterflies. Milk- weed is their only food source and nothing brings such joy when you see the cocoons hanging from plants with Mon- arch caterpillars growing inside into incredibly beautiful butter- flies. Their habitats have been so destroyed they need our help now, as do so many species. I’m beginning to see marvelous new ‘guests’ flitting and danc- ing about in the yard now. Set some ladybugs ‘free’ on a quiet evening. They are avail- able in most nurseries. Lady- bugs eat a tremendous amount of destructive aphids and do something wonderful for the garden soul. Twining vines tangle with de- licious flowers of honeysuckle, sweet aromas wafting in the air on these hot summer days, helping to diffuse some of that never-ending mental chatter. Gardens are so perfect for do- ing just that. Pull up a comfy chair. . . Breathe in the simple essence of paradise in the gar- den. Reserve a few precious moments of your day so you can surrender to the splendor of it all.

Weird Facts & Fun Trivia -7 The area known as Soho in London, England, used to be part of King Henry VIII’s hunting grounds. When a hunter spied a deer, he yelled “Tally-Ho” but when he found a smaller prey (like a rabbit), the cry became “So-Ho.” As the area was developed, the name stuck.

Richard and Saralee Kunde Honored by Sonoma County Fair

SANTA ROSA, CA. ~ A Fair-time romance that blos- somed into an extraordinary partnership, forever changing the face of Sonoma County. This, in short, describes the two amazing people named for this year’s top distinction at the Sonoma County Fair. The So- noma County Fair Board and Staff are honored to dedicate the 2014 Hall of Flowers to Richard and Saralee Kunde.

4th of July ... continued from page 13

reads: “…A common way of making cherry bounce is to put wild cherries and whiskey together in a jug and use the liquor as wanted.”

Happy, safe 4th, everybody!

In every walk with nature one receives far more

than he seeks. John Muir

Perhaps the truth depends on a walk around the lake. ~Wallace Stevens

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