Question from a gardener re: wildfire ash in CA
17 days ago
last modified: 17 days ago
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ash in soil for my garden???
Comments (12)When you burn something you release into the atmosphere a large number of the nutrients that material had, as pollutants, in addition to large volumes of carbon (the carbon is what colors the smoke from inadequate combustion. The darker the smoke the more carbon there is which is why petroleum fires have black smoke). The only thing left behind in the ash is the mineral part of what was burned. Composting is not like burning anymore than the digestion of material on the forest floor is like burning. This much slower process does not release nearly the amount of pollutants that burning a similar amount of material would even over a long period of time. It is the volume of garbage burning puts into the atmosphere that is the problem, the stuff that interferes with some peoples ability to breath fairly well....See MoreATTN: MissSherry: Question re Wafer Ash
Comments (20)Yes, they've used mine many times, but if I find eggs on it, I usually cut out the part of the leaf with the egg on it and transfer it to wild black cherry, which I've put in a cage to raise myself. I don't have that much wafer ash, and I don't want to use it for caterpillars that do so well on wild black cherry, which is the most common place I find tiger eggs and/or cats - I like to save wafer ash for the giant swallowtails. I have raised them on it, though, when I found caterpillars on it, and they grow quickly. It's a great plant, but it's never been easy for me to grow. This spring, slugs have been eating the leaves! :( Sherry...See MoreCA Vacation - Which Gardens to Visit?
Comments (18)I second the Muir Woods suggestion; it's relatively close to SF and there are finally some decent places to eat in Larkspur, Tiburon and San Rafael. If you must eat Chinese food in SF, you are better off eating in the Richmond or Sunset neighborhoods, where enormous #s of Asians live (we did, for 17 yrs before moving across to the East Bay). For dim sum, Koi Palace in Daly City or Hong Kong Flower Lounge in San Mateo are cheaper and almost as good as the iconic Yank Sing, which has two locations, both OUTSIDE Chinatown: 101 Spear St. (Embarcadero) and 49 Stevenson (alley in the Financial District). Whatever you do or wherever you stay, try NOT to drive downtown! Take public transit instead. Parking is impossibly difficult; meters are now graduated rates according to time of day and accessibility. San Francisco is the pilot program for the Dept. of Transportation's new program to discourage urban drivers. Meter rates can vary from 50 cents to as high as $10/hr for the same parking space, depending on computerized availability during day and evening. Frankly, the best food in SF can be found in the smaller new bistros, such as Rich Table, State Bird Provisions, Quince/Cotogna, Benu, etc. Although if I were dining with an out-of-town foodie, I would pick Aziza, whose fusion cuisine has wandered far from its original Moroccan roots without disdaining them. Mourad Lahlou and his pastry chef Melissa Chou are both utterly brilliant, creative, and inspired. No other restaurant in Northern CA does the kind of cuisine Lahlou does. It is literally one-of-a-kind" -- never less than very good, and much of it 5-star greatness. Monterey/Carmel is a great area but there are not a lot of big public gardens. Carmel-by-the-sea has lovely courtyard gardens of beautiful container plantings hidden between buildings - check out the back courtyard of Anton & Michel's restaurant (but don't eat there, it's awful) for one of the prettiest, complete with splashing pool. Starting May 1st (tourist season officially begins) is the small-scale Secret Gardens of Old Monterey, which I linked below. Do try to reserve a tour at Tor House in Carmel, too - the little English garden is quite pretty, the setting absolutely superb, looking out over the Pacific. Website is http://www.torhouse.org/. Most people do the 17 mile drive, but don't realize that there's a coastal trail you can walk (weekdays are much less crowded than weekends!) leading to and from Asilomar State Beach, in Pacific Grove. You can actually start at the Monterey Bay Aquarium but I always find it very crowded with both tourists and locals. Almost everybody drops away after Lover's Point, where it's a level stretch to Asilomar Beach, walking along the Pacific's edge - absolutely gorgeous on a nice day! Here is a link that might be useful: May 1st: Secret Gardens of Monterey...See MoreGot the REAL Wildfire!!
Comments (51)Jen, It may not be someone who knew it, it was after a PSA Garden Tour at her house, she may have mentioned to people she was going on Vacation...don't really know. Again this was years ago. But many have had theft where people even dug their way in under a fence. Hetty had her stuff ripped off years ago also, Doug Jones told me when he had his nursery in Solano Beach, someone I believe dug their way in and stole from him...more than once... I know someone else in Orange County CA that had posted last year on MPG that someone was cutting branches off his prized plumies in his back yard, that his 8ft tall block wall did not stop them. I think there was an alley way in back of his property, someone probably had a van or SUV and was on the roof and was able to reach over and cut big branches off. Thanks for sharing the info about AB and Paula. I did see the Pansey Ring pic, but AB didnt look the same as it does her color wise... Cheers...See More- 17 days ago
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