Quotation of the Week: "What man can stand with autumn on a hilltop and fail to see the span of his world and the meaning of the rolling hills that reach to the far horizon?" — Hal Borland

SANTA IS COMING TO TOWN!

Patrick with Mr. and Mrs. Claus

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Allium

Have you had this purple onion growing in your garden? Allium, loose translation giant onion, puts forth a show of color in spring. The technical term for this rounded flower head is an umbel.
Now is the time to add alliums to your garden. Plant now, enjoy in the spring. This flower is sure to turn heads with its 4-inch wide globes of tightly packed pink-purple florets sitting at the top of a tall, thick, bare stem (like a lollypop on a long stick). The low strap-like foliage turns down as the plant blooms, making the spherical cluster of blooms a focal point in any garden.
It’s a good idea to plant alliums in multiples of three or more for best results. If you plant extra, they can be enjoyed as cut flowers in the home. If you allow the flowers to dry in the garden, they can add unusual interest and texture to your floral arrangements.
Ryan Cali Green Thumb Garden Pro

November Is the Time To...

Plant groundcovers. Plant a basket of narcissus for holiday bloom. Finish filling flower beds with cool-season flowers for winter and spring bloom. Plant nasturtiums and continue to plant wildflowers from seeds. Plant flowering kale. Continue to plant winter vegetables, including garlic. Prune pine trees and other conifers now through February. Divide and plant agapanthus. Divide matilija poppy. Open up spaces in dense trees to allow wind to pass through. Prune acacias. Prune cane berries other than low-chill raspberries. Cut back chrysanthemums after bloom; clean up the ground. Fertilize cool-season bedding flowers. Continue to fertilize cineraria for growth. Once rains arrive, stop watering succulents growing in the ground. Water bulbs, especially potted ones. Water roses until midmonth - but only when rains aren't adequate. Don't let citrus go dry in cold or frosty weather. Bait flower beds for cutworms, slugs and snails. Spray peach and nectarine trees against peach leaf curl after leaves fall. Stake young trees loosely so they can develop strong trunks. Pre-chill tulips, hyacinths, and crocuses. Wrap the trunks of young citrus and avocado trees with an insulating material to protect them from cold. Mulch, mulch, and mulch some more.

What About Watering?

One of the most frequently asked garden questions is, "How often do I water?" We would love to give you a schedule to go by, but in actual fact, it's a very difficult question to answer. The only real correct answer is "water as needed"--and even that is difficult to define. How much water a plant needs depends on the weather, of course, and also the conditions in which it is growing. Is your soil clay or sandy; is the area hot and sunny with maybe some wind, or shady and cool? Many things enter into a plant's watering needs. Watering should be done thoroughly but infrequently. Watering too lightly will prevent the roots from growing deeply enough, and too much heavy watering can drown them! A plant's roots need air as well as water and nutrients. It's important to wet the entire root zone. This would mean anywhere from a few inches for small plants to several feet for large trees. Most lawn grass roots will be in the top 6"-8", shrubs about 18", and trees 30" or more. You can dig down after watering to check. The water should penetrate to the depth that the roots should be. The goal is to water often enough for the roots to be moist--not water logged. Remember they need air as well. Sprinkling is the most like natural rainfall. You can use an inexpensive hose attachment or have a system installed. To soak trees and shrubs it may help to form a berm at the drip line. Fill and let the water soak in, or lay a hose about one foot from the trunk and let it just barely trickle for several hours. If a plant starts yellowing and losing leaves within the first month (especially the first week), it is usually because water is not penetrating the root ball. Check new plantings daily until they become established. When a plant is under stress, it's usually way too wet or way too dry. One extreme or the other, the symptoms can be the same. That's where digging a little hole and checking the root zone is a simple way to find out. Just dig in and look! Garden Terms: Run-off: The soil is unable to absorb water as fast as it is applied --much like a "downpour" compared to a gentle rain. Percolation: A term for how water moves or "percolates" down through the soil.

What you need: 1 medium onion, chopped 2 teaspoons cooking oil 4 cups chicken broth 3 cups cooked or canned pumpkin 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 teaspoons curry powder 2 teaspoons sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt (or more to taste) Dash pepper 1 cup half & half Chopped fresh parsley Step by Step: In a saucepan over medium heat, saute onion in oil until tender. Add broth, pumpkin, lemon juice, curry powder, sugar, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in cream; heat through but do not boil. Garnish with fresh parsley. Yield: 8 servings