Author Archives: zack

Elephant Garlic Escape Pod

Lots going on in the garden these days…  Where to begin?  The elephant garlic – Allium ampeloprasum var. ampeloprasum, botanically more leek than garlic – is ready for harvest.  It produces one or more fat, flavorful cloves, some of which … Continue reading

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Seeds of History: Hibaku, the A-Bombed Trees

A few years ago, I became aware of Hiroshi Sunairi’s Tree Project (see http://treeproject.blogspot.com/), a documentary film and accompanying effort to distribute seeds from trees that survived the bombing of Hiroshima.  There weren’t any seeds available at that time, but … Continue reading

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Lungless Salamander with Herbs

Signs of spring are everywhere.  The shiso and epazote self sowed as I hoped, and are popping up all over the place.  The almond and Felix Gillet quince are waking up, as are the pomegranates, grapes, kiwis, figs, nectarine, peach, … Continue reading

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Seed Stories

Seed Story the First I’ve been following the Bootjack Garden blog for a while, and this post about the making of a seed library inspired me to start one at the college. A generous interlibrary loan from Kate’s seed library … Continue reading

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Signs of Spring, Golden Currants and a DIY Greenhouse

Spent the whole day in the garden, puttering, pruning, and propagating. The rhubarb is waking up, another sign that spring is here, and the Nanking cherries I planted last year are blooming – pictured below is the one planted in … Continue reading

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Constantinople Quince!

I traveled to the Sierra Seed Cooperative’s seed exchange to pick up the Constantinople Quince I bought from the Felix Gillet Institute.  It’s a nice tree – well rooted, lively and healthy.  I put it in the ground in the … Continue reading

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Blue Honeysuckle and Red Currants

Good news – the Lonicera caerulea cuttings I acquired last spring are showing signs of life, and I think that both (zarnitsa and blue velvet) will be ready for planting out in the food forest in the spring. In other … Continue reading

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Friendly Neighbor with Horses and a Front Loader = Sweet Pile of Manure

My neighbor, a horse owner and all-around nice guy, recently acquired one of those sweet Kubota tractors with the front loader attachment.  I spent part of the afternoon over in his horse yard, loading up the truck with lots of … Continue reading

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Felix Gillet – Plant Superhero

I recently became aware of Felix Gillet, a pioneer nurseryman and all-around fruit and nut tree superhero who did much of his work in Nevada City, not far from my neck of the woods. Felix Gillet (born March 25, 1835, … Continue reading

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A Seed Library, Andean Vegetables, and How To Fold a Seed Bindle

At Bootjack Garden, a fantastic blog about a garden not so far from my own (~146 miles south and east, near Yosemite), Katie recently posted about the idea of seed libraries, and I was immediately inspired to see about getting … Continue reading

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