October is a transition time in our Sunnyvale garden. The last of the summer fruits and vegetables taper off. There is a tomato that will never ripen. The last of the marionberries got ripe – it tasted great. All of the black mission figs and panache figs were consumed by either squirrels or the dreaded night squirrels. The fall and …

Tagetes lemmonii is new to our Sunnyvale garden in 2018. This herbaceous evergreen perennial in the sunflower family (Asteraceae) is native to Arizona and northern Mexico. The highly aromatic, fine textured medium green leaves are arranged on brittle stems. Electric yellow-orange daisy-like flowers provide intense fall color. Tagetes produces many small flower heads in a flat-topped array, each head with …

The Tecoma Sparky is a hybrid plant that was created in 2012 by Arizona State University. This plant was even named after the Arizona State Mascot “Sparky”. It is a variation of the Tecoma plant that is mainly a yellow flower with a red-orange center. Tecoma Sparky is found in the southern regions of the United States, mainly in Arizona, …

Red Fountain Grass dazzles with 10-inch bottlebrush plumes emerging burgundy-red in mid-to-late summer. Plumes shift a golden hue in fall and remain in place throughout winter. Flowing, ribbon-like grass blades adds texture and motion. ‘Red Head’ stands apart as one of the earliest-flowering fountain grasses. An excellent cut flower, fresh or dried. Plant in full sun and water sparingly to …

I wanted more hot peppers in my Sunnyvale garden this year and I got them: Yellow habanero peppers; Red Savina peppers; thai peppers; and ghost peppers. Now I am trying a fermented hot sauce. If you have ever had Tabasco or Sriracha, then you have had fermented hot sauce. Fermenting is not difficult and it is safe. Lacto-fermentation is the …

Nutsedge, often referred to as nut grass, is a common weed in landscapes and gardens in the Central Coast valleys, including Sunnyvale. The plant thrives in waterlogged soil and its presence often indicates poor drainage (particularly an issue with clay soils), too frequent irrigation or leaky sprinklers. Once established, nutsedge will tolerate normal irrigation conditions or drought, making it even …

So I have a lot of ghost peppers and am always looking for uses. This Beet hot sauce combines roasted red beets and red onions for sweetness, red wine vinegar for tartness and preservation, red bell pepper for mildness and redundant redness, and of course ghost peppers. I only used 2 peppers in this edition. For more info on growing …

Cotyledon is a genus of 10 species of perennial shrubby leaf and stem succulents with numerous varieties and cultivars. Mostly from Southern Africa, they also occur throughout the drier parts of Africa as far north as the Arabian peninsula. This particular cotyledon is growing in a succulent sampler pot only 4 inches deep. Members of the genus are shrublets, generally …

I don’t remember ever eating a rhubarb dessert in my life. But the idea was always intriging…A celery like vegetable with a tart taste often paired with sweet fruit like strawberry. A few years ago I purchased a plant as a novelty. I grow it in a large pot since I have limited ground area. Our rhubarb plant finally got …