New tree to the South of South House

Dear House,

There is currently a large Australian Cherry (does not actually produce cherries) tree to the south of south house.  This tree is in competition with the house foundation and consequently must go.  There are a few options for what to do with the space post tree removal and I am looking for feedback from the house.  The purpose of this blog post is to create a forum for discussion so please comment if you have an opinion.

The options as I see them are:

1- to plant another large tree in place of the one being taken out, but further away from the house
2- to plant a smaller tree
3- to not plant a tree, which will increase the amount of sunlight to that area making it easier to grow other ornamental plants.

My recommendation is option 1.  Here are some trees that might suit the space.

Liriodendron tulipifera- Tulip Tree

This tree, even with a full canopy, would let in a fair amount of light. 

Magnolia graniflora- Magnolia

A Magnolia graniflora would compliment the row of magnolias that the people across the street have.

Melaleuca styphelioides- Black Tea Tree

this tree gets pretty tall.  its all about the peeling bark

Aesculus californica- California Buckeye

A CA native.  This tree doesn't get that tall really, but I have to include it because its my favorite.  Its shape is also unpredictable.

Alnus rhombifolia- White Alder

I also really like this one, a CA native.  It has cool catkins and white bark.  This tree is normally found in riparian habitats so it might require more water.

Quarcus suber- Cork Oak

Yes, this is the tree that cork comes from.   They are all over the UC Davis campus and look beautiful there.  I've seen multiple specimens around Berkeley that look very healthy as well.

 

 

Braided Garlic

While our adventures in braiding our garlic harvest did not always yield the most aesthetically perfect products, our garlic braids provided an effective way to store and dry our garlic in preparation for use. When the garlic heads were very small, we combined 2 or 3 into each strand. We braided the strands together while they were still damp. We hung our strands in a cool, dry place (the co-op storage closet) before use.

Gardening in the winter months: Lessons Learned

To Bay Area Gardeners: Beware of planting during the winter months (especially late November thru early January). The cold soil temperatures and lack of sunlight does not bode well for direct seeding into the soil. Whether it be a hardy winter veggie or cover crop, we had a hard time getting things established when planted mid-season. Add in the bountiful rain season due to the strong hit of La Nina's jet stream.

Click HERE for more info on the effects of La Nina across the country, and click HERE to find out what it means for NorCal. Basically, it's a crap shoot of whether our winter will be wet or dry during La Nina. This year, it was strong enough to pummel NorCal with heavy rains, in weaker years the bay area will take on the drier qualities of the Southwest.