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Eschscholzia caespitosa – Tufted Cal Poppy

Tufted Cal poppy is native to California and Oregon. It is 10″ by 12″ wide, ferny foliage, fragrant yellow blooms, loves sun. Like its famous cousin, the orange California poppy, it self-seeds easily.   First planted in my Sunnyvale garden: Winter 2014

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Edible Wild Plants

book Edible Wild Plants

Edible Wild Plants provides what you really need to know to have your own wild food adventrues. Whether a beginner or advanced wild food aficionado, gardner, chef, botanist, nutrionist, scientist, or a dieter with special needs, this book is for you. author John Kallas gives you unprecendented details, maps, simple explanations, and multiple close-up photographs of very plant covered at …

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The Gardener’s A-Z Guide to Growing Organic Food

book A to Z Guide to Organic

Denckla presents a wealth of gardening information ina an accessible format, while showing that creating a healthy soil and working with the earth’s natural systems are the foundation of a productive, sustainable, and satisfying garden. Each plant has the following info: Site Soil and Water Needs Teperature Measurements Growing and Bearing Support Structures Shaping Storage Requirements Pests Diseases Allies Author: …

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California Apricots

book California Apricots

Robin Chapman has written a good book (California Apricots) similar to Yvonne Jacobson’s book “Passing Farms: Enduring Values”. Chapman recalls the seaon when the Santa Clara Valley was the largest apricot producer in the world and recounts the stories of Silicon Valley’s now lost orchards. From the Spaniards in the eighteenth century who first planted apricots in the Mission Santa …

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Helichrysum argyrophyllum

Helichrysum argyrophyllum, the Golden Guinea Everlasting Daisy, makes a great groundcover in open sunny spots and is perfect for sunny rock-gardens. This South African native has small silver/grey leaves and from late summer into autumn it is covered with masses of bright yellow everlasting daisies. This is a tough plant that will survive heat, drought and even frost. We purchased …

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The Last of the Prune Pickers

Tim Stanley’s The Last of the Prune Pickers was published in 2009 and emphasizes his family history with prunes in Saratoga. Several other authors have covered various fruits. In 1984, Yvonne Jacobson wrote “Passing Farms: Enduring Values”. Jacobson’s book, in my opinion, is better written. It is more cohesive and the personal narratives are better integrated with the other themes. …

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Passing Farms: Enduring Values

book - Passing Farms: Enduring Values

Yesterday the Santa Clara Valley was a leading center of agriculture and food production. Today, better known as Silicon Valley, the region attracts world-wide attention as the center for high-tech and scientific research. In this special look back on the history of this very special place native scholor Jacobson offers a history with more than local interest. Rare photographs from …

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Plum – Weeping Santa Rosa

Weeping Santa Rosa Plum – semi-dwarf. The Weeping Santa Rosa fruit similar to Santa Rosa, but ripens two weeks later. The Weeping Santa Rosa has beautiful weeping habit making this a remarkable landscape specimen. Also good for espalier as height can be kept to 6-8 feet. Low chill, self-fruitful. Estimated Chilling Requirement 200-400 hours below 45°F Note: In drought years, …

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Viburnum tinus

virburnum tinus

Viburnums are one of the most versatile genus of shrubs. They have pretty foliage and growth habits. They also have pretty, and sometimes even fragrant, flowers. The fruits are appealing to birds and other wildlife. Viburnums are a genus of more than 150 evergreen, semi-evergreen and deciduous woody plants from the Adoxaceae family. They are native primarily to Northern temperate …

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