UPBEAT TIMES, INC., INC • November 2015 • 7 NOVEMBER
Consider the Garden...
by Kimberly Childers
kimberlychilders@att.net
SANTA ROSA, CA. ~ It’s fi- nally cooling off but we’re still hoping for a ‘gully washer’ as my grandparents used to say or the somewhat mythologi- cal, ‘It’s raining cats and dogs or even frogs!’ This drought must be tough for the animals here too. Don’t forget to fill your bird feed- ers with fresh seed and make sure there is no mold going on any- where in the feeder. Let the squawking blue jays remind you! We have all seen the ‘magical’ results of falling rain. Drops upon drops upon drops plummeting from the clouds, feeding plants and stimulating their growth. The increased hu- midity carries scents of bacteria and fungi up from the ground not down from the sky.
It’s
that fresh aroma we love and perfumeries try to duplicate. Spring rain, fresh rain, RAIN! But romantic that I am I will still translate French for the rain is magic, ‘la pluie est magique.’ Kind of warms your heart and being French, well, it’s already romantic! If you have any special plants that are loaded with mature seeds now is the time to collect them. Put them in baskets to air dry and then label your seeds in small envelopes. Start a seed box to keep track and get orga- nized. This is a great project for kids!
Look around in your garden and decide what was/is working and what’s not; what could have worked if you’d planted it there instead of over here next to this plant instead of that plant. Time to divide and transplant peren-
Pleasure and discipline need to stay close friends. ~Terri Guillemets
nials and find perfect places for favorite plants.
Always trans-
plant in the cool evening and offer them a quenching drink to help them along. Covering
your California natives planted during these short days and lon- ger, cooler nights. You can still plant 6-packs and healthy starts of lettuce, bok choy, onions, cabbage, broccoli, col- orful chards and garlic cloves early this month. Design a fun herb gar- den near the kitchen, if you can, for easy access. Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme (Ha!), sa- vory, chives and Greek oregano to name a few. Explore your choices and your many combina- tions!
them with a bucket for a few days helps. After my fragrant lavender was fading it dawned on me that I should plant Verbe- na bonarensis throughout, since is still blooming after the laven- der has finished plus it creates an interesting color combina- tion.
It’s been challenging deal- ing with this drought although better soil, drip irrigation and mulch has saved my gardens and hopefully yours too. Get
Bouquet garni is a French term for ‘garnished bouquet’ and a wonderful addition to flavorful cooking. You can make your own by gathering your herbs, about 4-5 inches long, tie the bundle with unbleached cot- ton twine, butcher’s twine, or wrap in cheesecloth and tie.
It
was originally bound with fresh leek leaves which also add to the flavor. Thyme and Grecian
... continued on page 18
202 West 7th St. Santa Rosa, CA 95401 707-545-7528
UPBEAT TIMES, INC. • November 2015 • 7
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