Hot!

Remember that you had beautiful Rose blooms this spring? Remember when everything looked so lush and green? That's history now...twice Sacramento  has been up into the 100's, and when that happens the plants just buckle down and survive! There are a few that don't mind the heat: Crape Myrtles go into bloom when everything else is hanging on for dear life...My Dahlias are starting to bloom and they are spectacular! The tomatoes are coming in, the Nepeta is in bloom (that's Catnip - and in my garden, it's like having a beer garden open 24 hours for my cats!), the Canna is in bloom, my Lemon Balm has gone to seed, the Black Eyed Susans' and the Echinacea is in bloom. So, that's why it's important to have your evergreen foundation plants...they hold down the fort in the winter, and the perennials that will bloom throughout the summer months. Your garden should never have a dull moment! Oh, and did I mention the Day Lilies and the Achillea (Yarrow)???

Great Article on creating a new landscape by Emma Dewhurst

Simple Tips For Enhancing Your Garden

Having a garden is one of the great joys of life – it’s your own personal bit of paradise away from the hustle and bustle of the daily grind. Your own small corner of the natural world where you can commune with nature and feel at ease whenever external circumstance are beginning to get you down – or when you just want to have some friends or family over for a good barbecue or relaxing afternoon in the sun.

Since this bit of the great outdoors belongs to you and you alone, it pays to make the most of it and to try and keep it in the best order possible. It can either be an investment in your sense of wellbeing – where the time, money and energy that you put in ends up paying dividends directly, with untold hours of happiness and satisfaction -- or it can be a wasted resource, sitting there beside your home as a shrine to unrealized potential.

The options for experimental flair are limitless. You can turn your garden into a purely functional yard-space fitted with a well-sized shed and turned wholly towards some practical purpose; you can have it be a shrine to relaxation and the more harmonic side of life by creating a pond and introducing an artistic ornamental rock arrangement, you can have it be a gardener’s paradise laden with harvestable fruit and vegetables. The bottom line is that the power is in your hands if you choose to use it.

So if you’re the type of person who wants to get the most out of their garden and seize the project of designing the perfect tailor-made environment by the horns, here are some simple tips which can get you on the road:

Explore Your Options

Depending on your local environment and the kinds of plant-life that might thrive there, your garden could end up being the embodiment of an entire ecosystem in miniature. You could either replicate the most exotic parts of your own immediate surroundings, you could introduce a variety of plant-life and features which are not native to your geographical region but which are none the less compatible with your climate, or you could use a variety of clever landscaping techniques in order to provide some practical benefit such as a landscape of drought resistant plants, deer resistant plants, etc. (Of course the viability or necessity of either option depends largely on whether you’re likely to have deer in your garden, or whether your local ecosystem is given to undergoing periods of drought. Knowledge of your own unique circumstances is the key factor in this step)

Clear Up

Before you can embark wholeheartedly on your gardening project, you’re likely going to have to face a certain unfortunate reality which most homeowners tend not to fully appreciate until they decide to take a more active interest in gardening, or garden design. That is – gardens are often far more messy places than you might have at first imagined. Beneath your attractive lawn, flower beds, or any given bit of earth, it is not uncommon to find construction rubble, waste, old trinkets, or any number of other strange things buried away out of sight of prying eyes.

This issue becomes especially apparent when removing firmly planted outbuildings and structures -- which are likely to require some demolition work in order to clear away completely. In order to address this problem and move forwards, you may need to contact an specialist, or general purpose waste removal company, or (if you’re confident that you won’t be dealing with hazardous materials, but will just be needing to invest some elbow-grease) may at the very least need to get hold of a good set of gardening tools and take care of business yourself.

Do Things In The Right Order

Once you’ve got your garden vision defined, and have done the necessary clean-up work in order to set the stage, your next step is to just get started – but to do so with a careful consideration of the order that things need to be done in.

Don’t plant new plants until you’ve prepared the flower bed for them properly, and have calculated your space requirements. Don’t introduce new features such as rain-barrels or composters unless you’re roughly sure of where you want them placed in order for them to not interfere somehow in the garden at large (i.e. by blocking sunlight to some plants, by unbalancing the aesthetic of the garden on the whole, etc). Take the old saying “measure twice, cut once” to heart. If you have your ideas in order and carry out your various tasks sequentially, you’re likely to end up with a great result. If not, then you may just learn the hard way that constantly re-arranging a “garden in progress” can be a stressful and sometimes damaging proposition.

Solar Light

Look what I found...hand-blown glass solar lights for the yard. They are mostly ornament and not to be considered landscape lighting. They do light up, but like most solar lights, they give off the same amount of light as a glow worm! They should be considered art for the garden. I bought them in a garden store in Santa Cruz. It seems that the closest place to Sacramento to buy them is in LaFayette! I am working on getting them in locally.

A Room With a View

We often buy art to complement a room or even our furniture. A beautiful landscape can frame your windows and be an ever-changing portrait of natural beauty!

Get ready for spring - amend your planting beds!

At this time every year I get excited about my vegetable garden. Each year I mentally review what happened with the veggies that I planted the year before, and think of ways I can improve things. Sometimes it's the variety of vegetable, sometimes it's adjusting the irrigation; but what is an important MUST DO is amend the soil. This year I have amended my garden soil with an Organic Fertilizer combination that I read about in Natural Home Magazine (Nov./Dec. 2011). Here is the mix:

4 parts seed meal (I could only find soybean meal)

1/4 part ordinary agricultural lime (I used Oyster Shell)

1 part bone meal (or high-phosphate guano)

1/2 to 1 part Kelp meal

They recommend that before planting a crop, or once a year, you spread one quart of fertilizer mix and 1/2" of finished compost evenly atop each 20 sq.ft. Blend with a hoe or spade.

What I did was sprinkled about 1/8 to 1/4 cup of the mix on the small areas individually and planted my starts.

I'm excited to see the results! The photo in the magazine of the man who came up with this mix, Steve Soloman, showed him sitting next to HUGE vegetable plants. That's what I want!

Other drought tolerant plants besides rosemary

The Pie Shape

NEWS!

I've started a new blog over on Tumblr--this blog will allow you to come with me as I start new jobs and then transform them! Also, I now have a Facebook page and a Twitter for you to check in on...Come on over and check them out. This blog will remain here for your reference.

Spring in Brussels!

How Amazing...a vast carpet made of flowers! It really is breathtaking. Spring is about renewal - it's nature's celebration after the darkness of winter, where it bursts into flower and birds into song. With all the earth changes, the tragic natural disasters that have recently devastated Japan, Haiti, New Orleans and Chile (they recently had an earthquake) we can count on the Spring and know that all is well and where the cold and snow stripped the flowers and the leaves and made things seemingly dead, they were only sleeping and now they are awakening again for a new start.

LEED Platinum

The Design-Build team (of which I am a part) at Habitat For Humanity are very proud and honored by this certificate. We have created beautiful, energy efficient homes for hard-working, low income people. This house that was awarded Platinum in the LEED Certification still has a credit on their energy bill of $50.00 after nine months of living in the house - and full use of the heat and air during the summer and winter months!

Hey Look! Sunset just came out with a new soft cover book. It's in grocery stores and on the newsstands until May. It recaps a lot of great ideas from the last few years - from vertical gardens, creating herb beds and before and afters...and they included both of my previous articles. One is of my house and getting rid of the lawn and the other is about a side yard renovation. It's $10.00. Check it out!

Habitat For Humanity

Last night was the 17th Annual Hammy Awards (after 'Grammy') put on by Habitat For Humanity. It's always a lovely and moving event and I am so happy to be a part of it. During the course of the evening Francisca Flores spoke to the large room. She is a recipient of a Habitat Home. Since moving in over 8 months ago, she still has a credit on her SMUD bill of a little over $50.00. Her home and the homes that we work on are energy efficient, and Francisca's home is a Platinum - LEED certified home.

Francisca Flores told her story of how she had her first job at the age of 6 years old in Mexico. She eventually married and had 6 children. Her husband was an abusive man and would not permit her to work, only to stay home and take care of the children. They divorced after 20 or more years, and Francisca was left with her children (3 of whom were now out of the house) and the other 3 with whom she lived with in a 1 bedroom apartment. Two of the younger children slept with her in her bed and the older boy slept of the sofa. Being untrained, Francisca found a job doing janitorial work. Eventually she went to work with K-Mart up in Grass Valley. Over time, with her hard work and dedication, she was made a manager of her department. Working full time and raising her children, Francisca went to school. I forgot which community college, but she studies in the evening and is working on her degree. With all of this, she still put in the 500 'Sweat Equity' hours that is required to qualify for a Habitat Home. While she stood before us in the hall, she started to cry as she told us how she felt when she received the keys to her new home...it was so moving.

Dan Wilson, who is the head of building and the head of our Green building 'Charette' introduced me to the room, kindly saying that he couldn't say enough about me. He said that since I started working with them I had not charged them a dime. When you hear the stories of the families that have worked so hard and suffered so much in the way of trials and tribulations, but always went forward with their hopes and their dreams, creating a landscape design is not about being paid with money; it's about the joy I receive knowing that I can contribute in some way.

Spring is almost here...I have changed my vegetable garden over to a flower/herb garden due entirely to my new family of cats!

2011 Home & Garden Expo

The 2011 Home & Garden Expo was a hit! This year I took on the challenge of designing a 50'x20' demonstration garden, and the crews - Jeff Abdallah with Sacramento Valley Landscape and Roger Pajo with Creativescapes put it all together.

A very big thank you to Theodora from Green Living Design Solutions for lending me and bringing up the beautiful copper cut-work panels from Parasoleil; they were truly the hit of the show. I believe Sacramento was introduced to them in a big way! (To see more go to: www.greenlivingdesignsolutions.com)

Another thank you to Emigh Casual Living for lending their fabulous outdoor furniture. I used a set from Gloster that was also show stopping! Lara Hawthorne from Sierra View Nursery is, as always, the best - and her plant stock wonderful! Cascade Rock...you guys...I don't know where Sacramento would be without you! I have been working with them for over 12 years. Their rock selection is great and their service is even better! Green Acres supplied the beautiful pottery and the fountain.

Delta Blue Grass came through with a no-mow, native grass. Absolutely beautiful. A lawn that you can mow or now and takes 50% less water than a normal lawn!

Thank you everybody!

Free Home & Garden Show Tickets!

The Home & Garden Expo is coming up - January 28th, 29th & 30th. This year we will be given tickets in December so they can be sent out with Christmas cards...so, if you’d like tickets to the show (one tickets admits two), please email me with the number of tickets that you would like and I’ll be happy to send them.

2010 Volunteer Spirit Award

I am the very proud recipient of the 2010 Volunteer Spirit Award! I was nominated by Habitat For Humanity and the award was given in the category of the Environment. I do the landscape designs for all of the new Sacramento Habitat Homes - Pro Bono. This is very rewarding work. The homes that we have built this year have all been LEED certified (Leadership in Environment and Energy Design). Our house have made Gold and the last two, Platinum - the highest level. The landscapes are all no-lawn and drought tolerant. Our ‘charette’ or group that designs and builds these homes just won the National Green Building award. We are very proud.

I strongly urge folks to go to the Sacramento Habitat for Humanities website and find out when their tours are (generally once a week). You will learn about what the families need to do to qualify, you’ll learn about the families that have been chosen for the Homes - there stories are amazing and moving. You’ll also get a tour of the Habitat Re-Store - a great resource for finding building materials and other odds and ends cheap!

Also, a word about VolunteerCenter of Sacramento: they have many programs that allow people to get involved in our community be it with animals, our parks, food banks or even assisting in giving birthday parties to children that live in shelters and have never had the opportunity to have a party. You can find them online at info@volunteersac.org or call: (916) 567-3100

Regarding energy efficient homes: Did you know that SMUD was given a Federal grant of several millions dollars to give in rebates for Homeowners to retrofit their homes to make them more efficient? The call the program the Home Performance Program and you can qualify for up to $5,000.00 in Rebates. You start with selecting a contractor. There is a list of approved contractors on SMUD’s website:www.smud.org/rebates or call them at 1-888-742-7683 ext. 18.

Fall November 2010

It’s Fall! The leaves are all changing colors and dropping to the ground forming a blanket of vibrant hues...that’s the beautiful part, the other part is that it’s time to rake! The fall weather lends itself to being outside and doing a chore that is also great exercise, not to mention, rewarding; you can instantly see the results of your work.

My garden is winding itself down. I still have many little orange tomatoes hanging on stringy vines. These will all come out as well as the pepper bushes. I can harvest my beets, although I have been doing that throughout the summer. All in all it’s been a good season. It ended up that the slugs left me only one squash plant...normally gardeners are inundated with squash but I could have used a little more.

Because I now have a plethora of cats (the feral mother cat, ‘Mimi’, bequeathed me with two litters before Happy Tails came out and assisted me in trapping her) I’m having a hard time keeping the cats out of my vegetable garden. Cat feces are toxic and should not be anywhere in the soil around your vegetable plants. I have tried all sorts of tricks and products, but once it rains, you have to apply all substances again! So, instead of fighting this I am going to change my garden over to flowers and herbs. The bulkier the plants get, the less the cats find room to dig. I’m okay with this decision - I am an avid frequenter of the Farmer’s Market and usually substitute what I haven’t grown with their vegetables - except for tomatoes, and by next year I’m sure I’ll be able to squeeze some plants in between the herbs without the cats getting in.

By the way, I have 3, 4 month old kittens that I would like to find homes for. Because the mother is feral, the kittens are shy and need some time and TLC to help condition them to a new home. They are outside cats, and after they stay indoors for a couple of weeks, they would be happy outside. They are excellent hunters...the squirrels tend to hide their nuts in other yards now, not mine. The kittens are all Tabby.

A week ago I needed a break and decided to slip out of the office and head up to Apple Hill.

If you ever want to get away and not have to drive too far, I highly recommend this trip. The fall is the best for Apple Hill. Besides the colors and the natural beauty, apple desserts are such a treat! There are also wineries to stop at to wine taste, Jack Russell Brewery and of course, lots of apples to buy. The picture was taken at the Boger Winery.

Food Critic

As I drive throughout the city to my various clients, I'm always on the lookout for good coffee and good food that I can pick up fast. I am amazed at the number of eateries with less than wonderful food... I'm being kind. I thought that since I get around town so much and so often, I would stop at a new place to check the menu and review the food. Here is my latest:

Good Eats. It used to by Andiamo! on Folsom Blvd. It' is now a big, beautifully renovated building with (what I thought was) so much potential, but it turns out, it has very little to offer. When I came upon it I was excited. I had heard something about it before it went in. Now, here it was AND it was lunch time! As I walked through the door I marveled at the space. It reminded me of the Elephant Deli in Portland, Oregon. When I browsed through the counters of available choices, the comparison quickly fell to pieces. In the front of the store is their restaurant where you can sit down and order a salad for $11.99, or you can go by the hot food counter, the fresh salad counter (there were four salads to choose from) or the pastry counter (the cakes are from Freeport Bakery) . There was also a sandwich cooler. The hot food selection had less of a selection than Raley's or Bel Air - complete with Macaroni and Cheese as one of the wonderfully exotic dishes. Pizza was also in the offering. The salad I chose was recommended by the guy behind the counter...the salad was called the 'Chop Chop Salad'. It had an assortment of chopped vegetables along with artichoke hearts and iceberg lettuce, which at the time I ate it, was soggy. I grabbed a sandwich, turkey and jack cheese. It was dry and hum-drum even though it came with a packet of mayo.

Please Google the Elephant Deli in Portland - check out their menu! Their soups are made from scratch, as are their pastries and everything else they offer. They have opened a deli with the intention of creating and serving the best and most unique tasting foods. They even deliver sack lunches. When I see a deli or restaurant I see pure potential. It seems though in Sacramento, people spend fortunes on interiors, only to replicate every other tasteless joint! Did you see Meryl Streep's bakery in the movie 'It's Complicated'? Yes, it was a movie, but that was a real bakery/coffee/restaurant. The tables were loaded with delectable pastries, scones, cakes, etc.

Okay, I'm starting to rant. Suffice it to say that I was not at all impressed with Good Eats.

New Website!

New Website! Finally after years of neglect I have a new website...created by Genevieve Walker, my daughter, and me; although Genevieve did all the graphic design and technical details. I now have new pictures in the gallery and a before and after page. I’m very excited about this and I hope that you take a minute to check it out: www.robertawalker.com

Newsletter Update

You may have noticed that the newsletter is late...the new schedule will be on a quarterly basis instead of monthly. You can always check in at my blog to see if there are any new updates or events that I think everyone might be interested in.