Robert's and Jasmin's Garden Paradise

[Robert]

Here in our Sacramento, California garden, after the removal of our large walnut tree in July, the ornamental component of our garden is in a state of flux and chaos. We are coping well with these changes, as well as the anomalous temperature extremes and the wild fluctuations in our weather that are taking place in our region. Jasmin and I are still pursuing our goal to create a beautiful healing garden, which integrates vegtables, grains, fruits, herbs, as well as ornamentals plant species into a harmonious composition.

We have a system that builds resiliency into our garden and helps us achieve our gardening goals. It has worked well for us for many decades. Below are some of the key components:

Seed saving.

We save seeds of our own varieties with an emphasis on maximizing genetic diversity while maintaining the purity of the variety or species. This is essential when maintaining vegetable varieties. We consider this to be equally essential when maintaining ornamental species and varieties.

Plant Trials.

We continuously conduct plant trials to find the varieties and species that perform best in our garden and have the specific characteristics we enjoy the most. We keep only the best and discard the rest. We have no time, space, or the inclination to collect plants.

Plant Breeding.

We breed and maintain many of our own varieties. For us this is a very enjoyable and creative process. Breeding toward specialized regional adaptations is one of our primary goals.

We have found these steps essential if we wish to create a resilient, productive and beautiful garden despite the rapid climatic changes taking place in our region.

[Jasmin]:  Indeed, everything is in a state of flux and chaos.  Usually health is not the focus of anything written regarding gardening; although a couple of years ago the ROCK GARDENER had an article by an elderly gentleman about his rock gardening after a stroke.  Here, there was no stroke or overt or underlying health issue that led to my waking up one morning unable to move, the muscles weak like a six-month-old infant and great pain.  No diagnosis.  My bones feel like they rattle around in my flesh, as if I am a sack.  Strength and mobility is gradual and slow. 
     I am just terribly stubborn.  I personally am spiritual, and have prayed a lot.  I also argue with God “If You want me, let’s just get this over, but there are some things that need to be taken care of, and my birds and husband need me or the equivalent.”  I also have another prayer, “I don’t like this, but thank You for helping me get through this.”  These are likely helpful; if nothing else, I am not whining and feeling sorry for myself.  I have had to figure out everything from dressing to toileting, and that has been with persistence.
     At one point, Mr. Ian Young discussed his reasons for gardening in his BULB LOG.  It was at a time I wondered if I even was or would be a gardener.  Even my hearing was affected, such that I could hear my husband’s voice without comprehending the sounds.  When I watched the supplemental BULB LOG video, I recognized Mr. Young’s wonderful voice, but could not understand anything.
     Thus, the garden fell into greater disarray since Robert had neither my help, and had to care for everything.  There was no means to keep up with anything.
     As for the walnut, it was declining these past three years.  Thankfully, we made the decision to remove it completely:  there was rot deep within at both the crown and stump where heartwood should have been.  With the extreme heat, it was a miracle it had not collapsed entirely and suddenly.
     Before the tree’s removal, I pushed myself into the garden to help Robert as much as possible.  We potted up what we could of our most beloved plants.  As for many others, they just were transformed into compost.  So imagine a garden jungle similar to Mr. and Mrs. Young’s being radically cut down and opened up.  Some plants are waiting for late autumn and early winter so we might transplant them to the front, where the shade garden will be.  We removed plants there too, so that we might have room for our absolute favorites from the back.
     Amazingly, the plants that were suddenly exposed to the extreme sun and heat are surviving.  Yes, there has been burning, but that has happened in other sunnier areas during the same period.  Much of the garden is either potted up, or waiting, and there is disarray, the organized chaos of flux.  As for this body I inhabit, it too is experiencing changes; I seem to be dwelling in it a little more gracefully moment-by-moment.  Mornings and nights are not the easiest, and my husband really is long overdue for sainthood.
     As to whether I am a gardener, and why, my best answer is therapy.  There is nothing like the passion of a garden challenge and project to lift a real gardener off and outside, to feel truly alive.  I will know I am no longer a gardener when I am incapable of excitement and enjoyment of beauty.  My concept of Heaven is a garden or outdoors, so I think each of us is creating our vision of Heaven while we are here on this planet Earth.

[MarcR]

Jasmine,

I'm so sorry to hear of your sudden impairment! You will be in my prayers. Hopefully the Lord will lift this from you as quickly and suddenly as He allowed it to come on.

[Jeffnz]

Hi Jasmin
Best wishes for an improvement in your health.
Gardening for me

[Robert]

[Jasmin]:  Thank you so much for all good thoughts and prayers. 
    One of the most potent healing “medicines” is a positive outlook.  It never ceases to amaze me how much of a difference hope, enthusiasm, and humor make.  It requires some discipline to look for the positive, when we can all be overwhelmed by the negativity in the news.  Yet, there are so many blessings in our lives.
    I am really looking forward to the reconfigured garden.  Planning what to plant where, and envisioning this with Robert fills me with joy and excitement. 
    I keep doing as much as I can, and I remember to rest rather than expect myself to do things beyond my capacity—and ever so slowly it seems this capacity does grow.
    The weather is changing:  autumn is around the corner, although we expect some severe high temperatures in the coming weeks.  It might be like a few years back, when everything roasted from Washington to California, some massive high pressure.  Crazy weather is everywhere now, but we gardeners are determined to create beauty.

[ruweiss]

Jasmin, after reading about your enormous health poblems let me wish you a quick
improvement. I think of you and wish you all the best.

[Robert]

Currently another string of 100 F (37.78 C) high temperature days is ending. This summer has been brutally hot. High temperature records continue to be broken. The current June through September period will likely be the warmest in our recent history. The impacts of climatic change are here now, and the pace of change is accelerating in our region. Our gardening efforts need to be adjusted to compensate for these dramatic climatic shifts.

Despite the extreme high temperatures our vegetable garden has been productive and lush with healthy growth. Some crops paused in production during the July through early August heat wave, however production resumed when the weather cooled in mid-August. Common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris, Eggplant, Solanum melongena, and Tomato, Solanum lycopersicum are examples of crops that stopped producing during the July-August heat wave. We are currently breeding tomato varieties that will continue setting fruit during periods of extreme heat. This is one approach we are using to compensate for the climatic changes taking place. We are applying this concept to our ornamental species as well; we want our ornamental species to perform well and thrive during extreme heat too. In addition, our philosophy is that healthy soil is the genesis of healthy plants. Healthy soil and healthy plants are much more resilient to capricious weather conditions and other variables too.



The rice harvest will start soon. My goal is to grow 95% to 99% of all our food in an eco-efficient, sustainable way. Our ornamental species need to fit into our sustainable methodology too.



Many of the autumn blooming species are starting to bloom in our garden. Pictured are Colchicum.



All of our Colchicum plants were grown from open-pollinated seed. Many are likely hybrids. Putting names to the plants would be misleading. All of our Colchicums are pretty and grow extremely well in our garden. They are keepers!



Cyclamen hederifolium is coming into bloom too. In our garden they range in color from white to almost red. Their foliage is also very attractive and variable. They grow extremely well in our garden and are keepers too.

[Robert]

My goal is to have flowers in our garden all summer. Finding species that will bloom all summer and perform well in the extreme heat has been challenging. Many common bedding annuals grow well in the heat, however they do not look right in our garden. I still have not found what feels right for our garden.

I am working with Digitalis lutea (pictured). It is extremely heat and drought tolerant. This species will also repeat bloom during the summer. The flowering scapes tend to fall over; however selective breeding will likely solve this problem.



Our Dahlia hybrids were hit hard during the July-August heat wave. Many were burned badly in the heat and stopped blooming. Most put out new growth when the weather cooled in mid-August, however they still have not bloomed again. A few have continued or started to bloom again. I did observe that the higher the ploidy level of the plant, the more likely the plants would continue blooming and the foliage was much more resistant to burning. This is a clear direction for future breeding with these summer blooming plants.



Our California native perennial, Diplacus aurantiacus, is extremely heat and drought tolerant. Some forms will bloom sporadically throughout the summer. This is a characteristic that I think will respond well to selective breeding. I believe it is possible to create varieties that will bloom all summer with our climatic conditions. There are also many different color forms of Bush Monkeyflower in the nursery trade in California, so eventually summer blooming plants could be created with a range of colors.



Salvia guaranitica blooms all summer in our garden. The species gets large for our garden, but we still have a few here and there around the garden.  [Jasmin]:  The big, beautiful leaves are Cucurbita moschata, Musqué De Provence Squash.  Last year, we had one the size of a truck/lorry tire/tyre (Take your pick which English you want!).  It is no wonder these were grown, they could provide for a large family and then some.  I enjoy a thick soup with lots of vegetables, potatoes, and celery stalk, leaf and seeds.  The addition of celery seeds really smooths the flavor, and leftovers are even better.

[Jasmin]:  Thank you Rudi for your kind thoughts as well.
     The heat has exhausted us as well, not just the plants.  Every day has been so hectic, just attempting to nurture the garden and ourselves through this time, and taking care of those tasks that can only be done in this season.  It always seems to come all at once.  Our only asset has been the ever-shortening day length.  Nights are remaining warm, hovering up and down from 15 C.
     As slow as I am, amazingly things do get done, so I am very grateful for the prayers and good wishes.  If I have neglected to write and thank anyone, please forgive me!

[Robert]

It has been a brutally hot summer this year. Many high temperature records have been broken and continue to be broken. Currently we are in the midst of yet another heat wave. The current heat wave is similar to the record-breaking, epic (once in a 100 years, clearly not any more) heat wave of 28 September to 6 October 1987 (see chart below, temperatures are in degrees Fahrenheit).



103 F (39.44 C) is the record high temperature for October (set in 1987). This monthly high temperature has been tied twice, 1 and 2 October, so far this month. The forecast is for more near record breaking high temperatures for the next few days.

Record breaking high temperatures have occurred frequently all summer and now into the autumn. The extreme and persistent high temperatures pose many challenges for our garden. For example, the flowers of the early blooming autumn Crocus and Sternbergia wither and wilt quickly.



Even the flowers of the autumn blooming Narcissus elegans do not last long. (pictured above)



The autumn blooming Salvia species are holding up much better (Salvia elegans pictured above).

Jasmin and I will report on the details, with photographs, in the coming weeks, but right now I need to get out and continue watering the garden.

[Robert]

Here in our part of Northern California, climatic change is having a significant impact on both managed and unmanaged ecosystems. Many of the climatic changes taking place have been progressing for years. We are now seeing weather events that were unheard of 30 years ago. Many ornamental plants species that once thrived in our garden are now ineffective, either performing poorly or have died. Not only do we need to reassess our plant choices for our garden, but we also have to reevaluate the methods we use to cultivate our plants. We firmly believe that a satisfying and stable garden ecosystem can be created that is resilient to rapidly changing and highly variable climatic conditions now taking place. These changes may not be easy to accept or implement, but gardening can continue to be a rewarding and pleasurable activity into the future.

Below are a few charts where we have quantified some of the high temperature extremes we have been experiencing, both past and present. Many other impactful climatic changes have been taking place, however these are some of the most noteworthy to report at this time.

The recent record breaking October 2024 heat wave ended on 8 October. Below is a chart plotting the high temperatures for this event. Daily high temperatures for the record-breaking heat wave of 28 September to 8 October 1987, and the 30-year average high temperatures for this time period are also included. Temperatures are in degrees Fahrenheit.



The recent October heat wave is of a similar magnitude and duration as the October 1987 heat wave. This year, a number of daily high temperature records were broken and the record high temperature for the month of October was tied. This heat wave was preceded by the warmest June through September time period on record. Many record breaking high temperatures were broken during this time period. Below is a chart recording the number of ≥ 90 F (32.2 C) high temperatures from 1988 to 2024. There have been 103 days with ≥ 90 F (32.2 C) high temperatures so far this year. This ties the record set in 2008. Hopefully we are finished with these high temperatures for the year, however the weather has been very difficult to forecast in this regard.





This year we set a new record for the number of days with high temperatures ≥ 100 F (37.78 C), at 50 days. This exceeds the old record of 37 days set in 2022. This new record exceeds the old record by 13 days. This is an extraordinary new record that is of great concern.



When analyzing this record with the data recorded on the histogram pictured above, the changes taking place become more alarming. Prior to 2008 we never recorded a high temperature above 110 F (43.3 C) in the 40 plus years we have been recording weather and climate related data at our Placerville farm. Now these high temperature extremes are occurring on a near yearly basis and we are now experiencing these temperatures for more than one day most seasons.

The weather and climate are in a constant state of flux, however the trends show no sign of stabilizing or declining. Currently our data and data from around the world suggest that these trends are accelerating. To successfully garden we are hoping to stay ahead of these trends and create a satisfying garden into the future.

[Jasmin]:  If you think these temperatures are something, let me tell you about the lows!  For months, the average low temperature has been around 14 C.  During many of these heat waves, the temperature around midnight was frequently around 22 C.  In the past, our area was always much cooler, influenced by the nearby river, and forest which has fallen to development.  We would normally have a couple of hot days, and maybe a warm night that at most would be 12 to 14 C.  This would quickly dissipate, blown away by the Delta breezes.  These cool, ocean breezes would come through the gap in the coast range, following the river from the Bay Area and Delta up the Sacramento Valley.  When the winds were strong enough, they would cool not only our immediate vicinity, but the entire valley and reach the foothills.  This year, there were no cooling Deltas.  The air was incredibly still.  As for the foothills, in the past cool mountain air would sink during heat waves, so if cool air did not come from a strong Delta breeze, it would come from higher up the mountain.  That mountain air always carried wonderful memories, the scents of childhood camping.  Since the Caldor Fire, there is nothing, and there was absolutely no cooling.
     After such a dismal survey, we must choose our bright spots to nurture hope.  I have managed now and then to capture some of the more miraculous survivors during this long season of upheaval:

We begin with Aristolochia californica, which had a very long bloom period this year.

[Robert]

And we remember Frankie, our beloved old Franquette walnut, my dear childhood friend.  I still remember being so young and small, I had to stand on the hump of the graft zone to reach up the first limb reaching out over the garden.  I have been here 54 years now, and this was my first summer without her presence.  She was old when I moved in as a child, and given the rot she had, her removal was the wise choice, for she would have collapsed at any moment, especially during this summer of extreme heat.



These lilies managed to miraculously put on a lovely show.  One was dug up prior to Frankie’s removal.  It bloomed beautifully despite the disruption.  The second grows in a more sheltered location along our side fence.  It blooms during the peak of summer, and was not too bothered during the constant heat.





After the lilies, there was not much in the garden here, but I did manage to visit the Placerville property for the first time in a long while.  My body is not completely cooperative, and I have to move with care, but I was stubborn enough to tackle the hilly, uneven terrain, and the terraces.  In this image, many former growing areas are returning to their original habitat.

[Robert]

The orchard, however, is slowly being rehabilitated.  Although the peach crop looked perfect, all the fruit was eaten before we ate any.  Apples are in the process of ripening.

Peach

Apple

The lavender and Epilobium in the vegetable growing area were beautiful, brightening the landscape.



Back in our home garden, this Dahlia started blooming as soon as it cooled a tad.  It has brightened an otherwise flowerless hot season.



Our favorite, cyclamen, always signal hope for better days:  This particular tuber somehow ended up by our cinder block dry bulb garden, and has managed to thrive.  Who can have the heart to relocate such a determined plant?  Our other cyclamen species are blooming prolifically, whether in the ground or in containers.

[Robert]

Our fall and winter vegetables have looked a little beleaguered with the extreme heat, but the amaranth is looking lovely in its waning days.

Amaranth

Brussels Sprouts, Chinese cabbage

Our small rice crop is currently in but beforehand it swayed beautifully, bent with the weight of the grains.



The Comice pears were a bit misshapen by the rains earlier this year, but their flavor has been wonderful.