Squash in boxes, an attempt to deter squirrels
Espaliered pears - each branch is a different variety, so the tree bears bartletts, boscs, and more. We took the Edible Landscaping Tour around gardens in Palo Alto yesterday, sponsored by Common Ground and Valley of Heart's Delight. These gardens were amazing and inspiring! Some were lush, extravagent, and tended by full time gardeners; others were hobby gardens with such fun additions as a duck pond, chickens, and bees. All of them provided such gorgeous organic fruits and vegetables and I appreciated the opportunity to see the variety. A big thanks to all of the gardeners who gave us a chance to be voyeurs in their yards.
The highlights for me were varieties I'd never seen growing. At Gary and Carmen Bacon's home, I saw asparagus out to seed for the first time, and the feathery plant bore so little resemblence to the asparagus I buy that I wouldn't have recognized it. Gary showed me his tomatillo plants as well. Tomatillos are ready when their shells fill out; before they're ready, they're like papery balloons awaiting fruit. The Bacons also had the largest sunflower I've ever seen!
Deborah Rose showed us her new espaliered apple tree, an heirloom variety called Ashmead's Kernal that was popular in England in the 1700s. She is also growing muskat grapes, a variety difficult to find for the table because they're so commonly used for wine. Bob Niederman's artichoke is pictured above. His is truly an edible landscape with just a small no-mow lawn tall fescue, I believe - it looks wavy and rather ocean-like, and was much softer than our prickly, mowing required lawn!
Christel Casjens and Susan Osofski have a forest-like yard, growing mushrooms on oak logs, under a big shady tree. They also offer the neighborhood composting program, pictured above. Daniel Steinberg's deep lot houses at least 20 trees, including citrus, apples, cherries, figs, peaches, pears, plums, pluots, and nectarines, and he produced the sweetest plum I've ever tasted, a variety called Howard Miracle.
The most manicured garden belongs to Marva and John Warnock, and it is amazing. The espaliered pear tree and scarecrow with squash boxes pictured above is from this garden. They had a variety of produce growing in raised beds around a gazebo, which must be a wonderful place to relax.
***
Daily Menu
Breakfast
about a cup of plain, fat free Wallaby yogurt (made in Napa)
peach from Full Belly Farm
strawberries from Green Oaks Creek Farm and Retreat
Lunch
More lentil tamale - I think we'll finish the pan of it today!
Milk
Dinner
Snapper Veracruz, with fish from Pietro at the Farmer's Market and heirloom tomatoes from Full Belly Farm
Polenta corn cakes with corn from Full Belly Farm
Green beans
WPA (Weekly Points Allowance) points used today: 0
WPA points available: 35
Activity points today: 0
Activity points this week: 3
Daily 8 - the 8 Healthy Guidelines
1. Fruits and veggies - 5+
2. Whole grains - polenta in tamale pie and corn cakes
3. Milk - yes
4. Healthy oil - yes
5. Protein - yes (lentils, fish)
6. Limit sugar and alcohol - yes
7. Water - 8+
8. Multivitamin - yes
2 comments:
Hi Jessica,
I'm inspired by what you're doing! It's very exciting to read your blog.
I was wondering if you could make a link to the Valley of Heart's Delight. www.conexions.org/vhd
We have events with local foods, local food lists and recipes, farmer's market listings, etc.
I'm glad you enjoyed the Edible Landscaping Tour!
Susan Stansbury
Co-Director
Valley of Heart's Delight
sstansbury at conexions.org
You're on there in the Local, Sustainable Eating section. Thanks so much for hosting the tour - we have been talking about it all week!
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