Due to Northstate Public Radio’s Spring Membership Drive, there is no regular airing of
In a North State Garden this weekend April 21st and 22nd.

Please join us for a special one-hour call-in of In a North State Garden on Northstate Public Radio (91.7 fm KCHO in Chico; 88.9 fm KFPR in Redding) on Tuesday April 24th from 10 am - 11 am. The show will focus on “The State of the North State Foodshed: A Conversation” with special guests Earl Bloor of Edible Shasta Butte, Noelle Ferdon of Buy Fresh, Buy Local North Valley, Chris Kerston of Chaffin Family Farms, and Wayne Kessler of Shambani Organics and the Shasta Community Teaching Garden.

If you enjoy In a North State Garden and all that it brings to the North State, please consider calling in during the special to make your pledge of support for Northstate Public Radio and its valuable local programming! 1 - 800 234-5246.

In the meantime, while the apple blossoms are blooming, I thought it was a good time to revisit the Trinity Heritage Orchard Project in Weaverville. The orchards will be breathtaking this time of year.

“A Lilac bush and an Apple tree
Were standing in the woods,
Out on the hill above the town,
Where once a farmhouse stood.

In the winter the leaves are bare
And no one sees the signs
Of a house that stood and a garden that grew
And life in another time.”

Kate Wolf - The Lilac and the Apple Tree

The North State has many rich legacies. One of them is heirloom apples. Since 2006, Carol Fall, Program Representative for the University of California Cooperative Extension in Trinity, has been working year-round trying to trace and document this very legacy for the Trinity Heritage Orchard Project (THOP). Photo: An heritage apple tree in full production at the Steiner Flats orchard site in Trinity County.

The Trinity Heritage Orchard Project is “a multi-purpose effort by the UCCE which seeks to preserve the horticultural history of the County, promote heirloom orchards as a food resource, and demonstrate techniques to care for these neglected trees.” It is one of the branches (pardon the pun) of “Trinity Roots,” an initiative sponsored by UCCE in Trinity County in order to promote agritourism and locally-supported agriculture. Photo: Carol Fall, UCCE Program Representative in Trinity County, beneath a fruiting apple on the grounds of the Young Family Ranch in Weaverville.

Among many other programs on which Carol works, the Heritage Orchard Project is clearly close to her heart. She is animated and infectious in her enthusiasm for the project, the heritage it strives to protect, and the very trees themselves. Weaverville and Trinity County in general are clearly close to her heart. Photo: Carol Fall, UCCE Program Representative in Trinity County, discussing the quirks of some of the heritage trees at the BLM-owned Steiner Flats orchard site.

Carol works out of the Young Family Ranch, a remnant pioneer homestead dating back to the 1850s in Weaverville, located alongside the historic Weaverville Cemetery. The Ranch is owned by the Young Family Ranch Trust and managed by the Trinity County Resource Conservation District. When she is not out in the trees, or implementing one of the other UCCE nutrition or agriculture-education programs in the county, Carol is at the Young Family Ranch diligently mapping the location of old trees in the County, writing up seasonal conditions reports, inventorying the trees identified so far, and even tending to young grafts of some of the most significant old varieties. Photo: At the end of the grape-vine enclosed nursery garden at Young Family Ranch stands an elegant old barn.

Recently, Carol toured us around the Young Family Ranch grounds - citing the history of the buildings and the trees. Over a delicious and completely Trinity-County-sourced lunch, she talked with passion about the fun and satisfaction involved in locating the County’s old trees. She described hiking through snowy wilderness areas, orchard ladder in hand, in early spring “because that’s the easiest time to spot the trees - when they’re blooming!” she explained. Photo: The entrance sign at the Young Family Ranch.

THOP got its start in early 2006 with an effort to save and document old trees around the historic Lowden Ranch in Lewiston. A stage coach stop, post office and the location of a critically important bridge crossing the Trinity River, Lowden Ranch once boasted 3000 orchard trees. Like most of the heritage orchards in Trinity County, Lowden Ranch’s orchard was originally planted by settlers coming to the area after gold was discovered in the County in 1858. Among the many things that settlers brought with them from their former homes were cuttings and root stock for both productive and ornamental plants. Many, many varieties of apples were brought to the area and planted not only for their fruit but as importantly for producing hard cider. Now owned by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Lowden Ranch has just a few remaining trees - including ‘Sweet Bough’ and ‘Siberian Crab’ apples. Photo: Spring apple blossoms.

In the spring of 2006, when the decision was made by UCCE to undertake such a project, the first thing on the agenda was trying to locate old trees and remnant orchards in the County. While settlers may have “streamed to the area” following the discovery of gold, many historic homesteads were abandoned and allowed to return to their natural state once gold fever had passed. “At this point,” laughs Carol, “Trinity has more bears per capita than it does people.” Trinity County which covers around 2 million acres, is largely rural and boasts two of the North State’s most revered wilderness areas, The Trinity Alps and the Yolly Bolly Wilderness. Although many historic trees and orchards remain around existing towns, these wilderness areas are also dotted with historic apple trees marking the spots (along with other fruit trees and lilac bushes) where once homesteads stood. Photo: A heavily laden branch of ‘Sierra Beauty’ with an old shed side and the Weaverville Cemetery in the background.

To get the initial old-tree inventory started, the UCCE got information from a variety of sources. A Trinity County-legend, botanist and forester, Alice Goen Jones walked Carol through topographical maps of the County and marked areas in which she knew there were, or had once been, producing trees. Alice, who died at the age of 98 in 2010, was the 9th woman graduate of a forestry program in the United States and only the 3rd in the state of California, according to Trinity County Historical society sources. She received her degree in Forestry from UC, Berkeley in 1934 and subsequently moved to Trinity County with her husband. Alice was one of the leading advocates for the Trinity Alps to be designated as an official Wilderness Area, which it was in the 1980s. Alice knew the wilderness areas of Trinity County as well as anyone and Carol expressed how lucky she was to have received so much first-hand information from Alice. Photo: A largely untended, but fruitful ‘Rome’ apple dating back to the 1860s at the Steiner Flat orchard site.

Carol and the UCCE also reviewed existing historical records and put out a call to local residents through ads and community announcements requesting any information about old trees. Over 145 locations of old trees were reported and listed by mid-2006. Some were single trees, Carol said, others were larger orchards. Photo: The freshly cut but quickly browning flesh of a famed cider apple, the ‘Hubbardston Nonesuch.’ This apples develops a protective russet-colored netting on its skin as it matures, making it an excellent ‘keeper’.

Between 2006 and 2007, staff on the THOP visited 50 of the reported tree sites. “In the fall of 2006 and 2007, apples and pears were collected from 118 trees at 28 locations,” Carol reported. Of the originally visited 50 sites, 22 of them did not bear fruit. Collected fruit was sent to Ram Fishman of Greenmantle Nursery in Garberville for identification. Carol described Ram as the “Godfather of Heirloom” in the area, and his nursery is dedicated to “All the old timers, Long may they thrive”. After years of working with him, sending fruit to id and cuttings to graft and propagate, Carol has learned a lot. Over time, she has developed her own sense of which trees are most interesting, bear the best fruit, might be a variety as yet undocumented by the project, or might be worth reproducing as clones to protect the lineage. But she is always excited when she finds something she is not sure of and sends it off to Ram for confirmation. Photo: Heritage pears are also tracked and documented for the Trinity Heritage Orchard project. This one ornaments the entrance to the Young Family Ranch in Weaverville.

Ideally, Carol maintains a fairly systematic schedule of visiting old trees in spring to see if they are in bloom, reporting on time and condition of bloom and then re-visiting those same trees again the following autumn to collect and report on the tree’s fruit. “I try to collect fruit from one tree six times over the course of the fruit production, each time collecting from a different part of the tree. I note things such as ripening time, color of fruit over time, flavor, juice, aroma, flesh texture and the color of the fruit when cut.” All of these factors indicate different things, such as how well people will like the apples, and help Carol decide to collect ’scion wood’ cuttings in order to reproduce the trees or not. “People used to have very different standards as to what made a good apple,” Carol said. “For one thing, whether it kept well without refrigeration. For another, how soft it was. Many people today prefer a crisp, firm apple. But back then, they did not have the teeth we have now or the dentistry and so a soft apple - like ‘Golden Sweet’ was preferred. They also used a lot of apples for drying, cooking, and making cider and hard cider. Many of these heritage apples, such as ‘Hubbardston Nonesuch’ and ‘Smith Cider,’ aren’t great eaten fresh, but make great cider or cookers!” Photo: Heritage lilacs, roses and pears are also tracked and documented for the Trinity Heritage Orchard project. This pear ornaments the entrance to the Young Family Ranch in Weaverville.

One of the goals of the THOP is to identify and reproduce culturally significant varieties, especially ones no longer in cultivation and in danger of being lost as a genetic strain. Between data collected on the fruits of the heritage trees and the identification provided by Ram Fishman, Carol and UCCE decide whether or not to collect cuttings from which to grow clones. Cuttings are taken as hardwood cuttings from the top of the tree in February when the tree is dormant. Apples are some of the longest lived fruit trees, especially in the ideal (for apples) climate of Trinity County, with its cold winters and dry hot summers. But Carol admitted to there being a certain urgency to the work, for her, as these trees begin (after all these years) to “senesce and head towards the end of their useful life.” She worries that important old varieties could be lost before she gets to them to take cuttings. In spring 2008, Carol identified a significant tree in one of the wilderness areas, but wildfires that summer, caused so much damage in the region, that the tree was lost. “It was heartbreaking.”

When a tree is chosen for cloning, multiple cuttings are grown-on to increase the chance of success that one or more will reach maturity. Ram Fishman keeps some of the clones, and the UCCE takes some them. Once the clones are big enough, the UCCE plants the young trees in public areas such as schools and banks and libraries in order to keep the genetic variety alive and to provide fruit and access to this ‘living history’ to the public. “Trees from scion wood collected in 2006 have been planted in the Weaverville Children’s Garden, Hayfork Children’s Garden, Weaverville Community Forest, Lowden Ranch, and the Young Family Ranch.” Photo: Apples from the Steiner Flat trees.

“You can request this work be done by us as well.” Carol related with regional pride that a long-time resident of downtown Weaverville requested that UCCE take cuttings of the name-unknown old tree in her garden. “She’s 98 and happily paid the small fee for identifying and taking cuttings under the condition that we re-plant the tree at the local school before she dies. There’s a great legacy.”

If you’re headed to Trinity County, you can visit many of the historic orchards on your own, and public gleaning is allowed, but gleaners are asked to follow good gleaning etiquette, for instance do not climb or otherwise cause potential damage to the trees and ask first to pick any fruit from private property. Although originally planted by miners and homesteaders following the Gold Rush, many of remnant orchards and trees are on land now owned by local or federal agencies. Photo: Apples from the Steiner Flat trees.

The following orchards are listed as easily accessible:

Lee Ranch House, Weaverville
Located on Lorenz Street behind the Jake
Jackson Museum, owned by Trinity
County.The ranch house was built in 1918 by
Sam Lee, a miner, farmer, storekeeper
and descendant of a pioneer
chinese family.
Apple trees include Gravenstein, Lawver
and Grindstone (AKA American Pippin).

Steiner Flat Orchard, Douglas City
Turn on Steiner Flat Rd from Hwy 299 at Douglas City. Go 3
miles. Orchard is on your left. Owned by BLM.
Steiner Flat was settled by Benjamin Steiner in 1850. The
ranch produced fruits and vergetable to sell to the mining
community.
Apple varieties include Sweet Bough, Roxbury Russet,
Holland Pippin, Hubbardston Nonesuch, and Rome Beauty.

Lowden Orchard, Lewiston
Located on Lewiston Road, 2 miles north of Hwy 299.
Look for Parking Area & trailhead. Walk trail 1/4
mile north through pasture. Owned by BLM.
William Lowden established a homestead here in
1852. His Grass Valley Ranch supplied produce
to a hotel and stage stop at the ranch and other
locations beginning in 1858. Only a few trees remain
from an orchard that once included almost 3000 trees.
Apple varieties include a Sweet Bough and Siberian Crab.

Highland Art Center, Weaverville
Located on Hwy 299, across from Jake Jackson Museum
Owned by Snyder-Highland Foundation.
The Highland Art Center was formed in 1953. The facilities
were orginally a residence built in 1894 with various out-
buildings added over the years.
The apple tree adjacent to the white picket fence is a
Keswick Codlin.

UCCE serves Trinity County through its 4-H Youth Development Program, Nutrition, Family & Consumer Science Program, and Agriculture & Natural Resources Program. Carol is hoping to also begin a Trinity County Master Gardener program in spring of 2012. Photo: Heritage trees that have been visited by Carol or other UCCE staff are pin-pointed using GPS and labeled as well as entered into the computerized data-base of the THOP trees.

The Young Family Ranch hosts a series of events to educate children and their families about gardening, nutrition and natural resources, including the Summer Day Camp, Pioneer Day, a Pumpkin Patch and Cider Pressing. For more information on upcoming activities, contact: TCRCD at (530) 623-6004.

Follow Jewellgarden.com/In a North State Garden on Facebook.

To submit plant/gardening related events/classes to the Jewellgarden.com on-line Calendar of Regional Gardening Events, send the pertinent information to me at: Jennifer@jewellgarden.com

Did you know I send out a weekly email with information about upcoming topics and gardening related events in the North State region? If you would like to be added to the mailing list, send an email to Jennifer@jewellgarden.com.

In a North State Garden is a weekly Northstate Public Radio and web-based program celebrating the art, craft and science of home gardening in Northern California. Made possible in part by the Gateway Science Museum - Exploring the Natural History of the North State and on the campus of CSU, Chico, In a North State Garden is conceived, written, photographed and hosted by Jennifer Jewell - all rights reserved jewellgarden.com. In a North State Garden airs on Northstate Public Radio Saturday mornings at 7:34 AM Pacific time and Sunday morning at 8:34 AM Pacific time. Podcasts of past shows are available here. Weekly essays are also posted on anewscafe.com a regional news source that is simultaneously universal and positively North State.

In my experience, gardening is a motivating and compelling force to bring people together. Even with our time and attention constantly split and fractured, we still find ways to come together over gardening - perhaps particularly so over food gardening. While there are pros and cons to the ever increasing presence of technology in our lives, many gardeners have found that technology can be an incredible boon to our gardening knowledge and resources and connections. Photo: Members of Chico Garden Share Project at a project-hosted permaculture workshop “Making Bokashi and Creating a Winter Garden with Sheet Mulch”. Members shown include Agb biotics, Rosie, Wendy and Joseph Wiklund, Leslie Wilson Corsbie, Laurie Niles and Monica Bell. (more…)

It is not only the time of year for gift giving, it is also the time for planting and pruning! Roses, fruit trees, perennials, vines - the garden is a daily destination for planting or pruning something. Every year, people ask me for good gift ideas for gardeners. Gardeners might be some of the easiest-to-please gift recipients on the planet, perhaps because they are both romantic and pragmatic by nature. They love most things of beauty, and beauty to them can include the elegance of a new pair of well-made hand-held by-pass pruners. Trust me - these things are beautiful. In no particular order, I can safely recommend the following items for any gardener in your life:

New By-Pass Clippers; a good cleaning and sharpening for all their old (and trusted) pairs of clippers or loppers; any new garden book or gift card to an independent bookseller that carries good garden books; a gift card to any independent nursery in your area (see my links and resources for listings in your area); a new wheelbarrow, good watering can, pair of gardening gloves, or sun hat; a gift certificate from their household to garden guilt-free for one full day without any questions about what might be for dinner (ok, the last one was aimed at my household - think they’re reading?) (more…)

In February we continue to prune out the old and plant seeds for the new. Brian Marshall and Nancy Heinzel of Sawmill creek farm in Paradise wrote this beautiful description of February on their market farm: “February is often the cruelest month here in the north state. Tantalizing glimpses of clear blue sky are followed by days of incessant spitting rain and fog that make noon seem like twilight. Safely tucked inside the heated greenhouse however are trays and trays of seedlings, slowly unfurling. Amazing to see the tiny leafy beginnings of what will hopefully become sturdy and productive tomato plants. The heralding of spring is about to begin, I gently pass my hand over the seedlings, lightly ruffling the new leaves. And I inhale… the scent. Tomato essence.”

Summer, with its color and high drama, is out there somewhere - a seedling. Winter is about enjoying the texture and nuance that will in time lead up to spring and summer.

This month keep pruning dormant trees and vines, and roses in the warmer sections of the North State. Bare root plants are now or soon to be widely available at our local nurseries and ready to be planted during breaks from bad weather if your soil is not too frozen or too wet. If you are going to start tender vegetable or annual seeds indoors, bad weather February days and early February evenings are good times to do this; some cold happy vegetable starts or seeds including lettuce beets broccoli carrots and chard can be sown outside already.

The whole month is loaded with good classes on pruning trees, vines and roses. Other events include the listings below. If you are interested in our regional events, be sure to check the On-line Calendar of Regional Gardening Events at jewellgarden.com regularly – events are added almost everyday. I do my very best to keep the calendar up to date and accurate, please confirm all events with the event host’s contact information. If you are aware of a mistake on my calendar, please send me corrected info: Jennifer@jewellgarden.com! Thanks.

February 3 – Mt. Lassen Chapter of Cal Native Plant Society: Regular Member Meeting & Program on Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex 7:30 pm Butte County Library, Chico. Presenter will be Joe Silveira, Wildlife Biologist from the US Fish and Wildlife Service. For more information: http://www.cnps.org/cnps/chapters/newsletters/pipevine.pdf

February 5 – Redding: Wyntour Gardens: Grape Vine Pruning Classes 11 am. All classes are free, class size is limited, please call to reserve your seat: 530-365-2256. 8026 Airport Road Redding, CA. For more information: www.wyntourgardens.com

February 5 - Redding: Shasta College Community Teaching Garden - Fruit Tree Pruning Workshop 1pm - 3 pm. Room 812, Shasta College Main Campus. Learn the basics of fruit tree cultivation and pruning techniques from local certified arborist and horticulturist for the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation. Presenter: Rico Montenegro. Fee: $15.00 For more information: http://www.shastacollege.edu/teachinggarden/

February 6 - Chico: Mt Lassen Chapter Cal Native Plant Society - Field Trip: UC Davis Guided Conservatory Tour Reservations being taken: $4/person. 8:30 am Meet at Chico Park & Ride (Chico’s intersection of Hwy 99/32 interchange.) Bring lunch, water, insect/sun protection, and money for ride sharing. The greenhouses are warm so dress appropriately. We will take an hour long tour of the 3,600 sq ft greenhouses and see amazing diversity of plant adaptations. Form and function of plants from the world’s deserts, tropical forests, and carnivorous habitats as well as the interactions of plants with insects. Time and weather permitting, we will stroll some of the 100 acre arboretum. To make reservations call: Gerry Ingco 530-893-5123

February 6 – Chico: Chico Organic Gardening Class: Robert Atkinson, Home Gardener 1:30 - 3:30 Chico Grange. Robert will discuss raised bed gardening for beginners and intermediates. Using straw as a mulch, integrating bees into the home garden, results with various varieties. Lots of slides. For more information or to register, go to: http://valleyoakmagazine.com/about/monthly-publication/organic-gardening/chico-organic-gardening-society-cogs/chico-organic-gardening-class.

February 12 – Redding: McConnell Arboretum & Botanical Gardens at Turtle Bay: Trees in the Landscape Series: Homeowner’s Guide to Tree Care 10 am - Noon. Trees are usually the largest and oldest plants in a landscape. Providing beauty and shade, they are also undoubtedly important investments of time and money for homeowners. In this class, Turtle Bay’s Lead Gardener, (and a News Café’s “Tree Goddess” columnist), Marie Stadther, co-teaches with local IPM (integrated pest management) expert, Paul Stockton, about tree selection, correct planting, pruning, disease control, and care of older trees. Free with Park or Garden admission. Meet at West Garden Entrance. Take N. Market Street, turn on Arboretum Drive. Take the right fork. Parking lot and entrance are on the left. More info: 530-242-3178 or www.turtlebay.org/nursery

February 12 - Whiskeytown: Camden House Historic Site and Orchards - Advanced Pruning Workshop on Restoration of Mature Trees 10 am - 11 am. Restoration Workshop for fruit trees and ornamentals – Free - limited space available - please RSVP: Rico at 530-365-1920. Hands on fruit tree restoration activity – Also, for those who have assisted in the past and those who may be interested in learning and volunteering to help restore 100 to 150 year old apple trees. Open to people who have taken one of my classes over the last several years or similar with someone else. You don’t need to take the restoration workshop class to help with the apple restoration activity. This activity takes place right after the above workshop at 11 AM to? At the Camden House on the same day as the above. Please feel free to contact Rico Montenegro for any questions at 530-365-1920.

February 12 - Whiskeytown: Camden House Historic Site and Orchards - Hands on fruit tree restoration activity 11 am - 2 pm. For those who have assisted with the historic trees at the Camden House in the past and those who may be interested in learning and volunteering to help restore 100 to 150 year old apple trees. Open to people who have taken one of my classes over the last several years or similar with someone else. This activity takes place right after the above workshop at 11 AM to? At the Camden House on the same day as the above. Please feel free to contact Rico Montenegro for any questions at 530-365-1920.

February 12 – Redding: Wyntour Gardens: Care and Pruning of Berries: Blueberries and Cane berries 11am. All classes are free, class size is limited, please call to reserve your seat: 530-365-2256. 8026 Airport Road Redding, CA. For more information: www.wyntourgardens.com

February 16 - Chico: Chico Horticultural Society: Regular Member Meeting & Program by John Whittlesey on Water Conservation in the Garden 9:30 - 12 noon. Regular member Meeting and Program by nationally-renowned horticulturist John Whittlesey of Canyon Creek Nursery & Design on Water Conserving Gardening Techniques. Butte County Library, Chico Branch 1108 Sherman Avenue Chico. More info: email President Jon Bennet at: ChicoGardenClub@yahoo.com.

February 16 - Redding: Shasta Rose Society: Regular Member Meeting< & Program 7 pm City of Redding Corporation Yard, 2055 Viking Way, Building 4, Rm 401. For more information: http://www.shastarosesociety.org/Shasta_Rose_Society/Home.html

February 17 - Redding: Shasta Chapter CNPS: Regular Member Meeting & Program 7 PM at the Shasta College Health Science & University Programs building in downtown Redding, 1400 Market Street, Community Room 8220 (clock tower building at the north end of the Market Street Promenade; enter on south side of building). For more Information: http://www.shastacnps.org/calendar.html

February 19 – Redding: McConnell Arboretum & Botanical Gardens at Turtle Bay: Dynamic Soil! 10 am - Noon. Billions of microscopic creatures can live in a handful of healthy soil, and healthy soil equals healthy plants! Plants that are strong are more resistant to pests and diseases, and they make gorgeous gardens! Join Ken Waranius as he discusses the components needed to take your soil from exhausted to bountiful, naturally! Free with Park or Garden admission. Meet at West Garden Entrance. Take N. Market Street, turn on Arboretum Drive. Take the right fork. Parking lot and entrance are on the left. More info: 530-242-3178 or www.turtlebay.org/nursery

February 19 – Redding: Wyntour Gardens: Grape Vine Pruning Classes 11 am. All classes are free, class size is limited, please call to reserve your seat: 530-365-2256. 8026 Airport Road Redding, CA. For more information: www.wyntourgardens.com

February 21 - Colusa: Garden Club of Colusa County Regular Member Meeting & Program 6:30 - 8:30 pm. St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church. For more information go to: http://colusa-garden-club.webs.com/

February 22 - Chico: Butte Rose Society General Member Meeting & Program 6 pm gather, 7 pm meeting and program begin. Chico Veterans Memorial Hall at 554 Rio Lindo Ave. For more information: http://www.butte-rosesociety.org/

February 22 - Red Bluff: Red Bluff Garden Club Regular Member Meeting & Program by Rebecca Yarrow on Herbs 12:30 pm gather, 1pm meeting and program begin. 12889 Baker Rd., Red Bluff. For more information go to: www.redbluffgardenclub.com

February 23 - Chico: Chico Horticultural Society: Evening Gardeners Meeting 7 - 8 pm. Planting a Vegetable Garden with Master Gardener Kay Perkins. Butte County Library, Chico Branch 1108 Sherman Avenue Chico. More info: email President Jon Bennet at: ChicoGardenClub@yahoo.com.

February 26 – Fair Oaks: Fair Oaks Horticulture Center: Open Garden 9 am - noon. Sacramento Master Gardeners’ Advice to grow by – Ask a Master Gardener. Talk with Master Gardeners while you visit the water-efficient landscape gardens and the orchard, vineyard, berry and vegetable areas. Fair Oaks Horticulture Center is in Fair Oaks Park. Questions? Call 916-875-6913, or go to http://groups.ucanr.org/sactomg/Fair_Oaks_Horticulture_Center/

February 26 – Redding: McConnell Arboretum & Botanical Gardens at Turtle Bay: Walk With Lisa Endicott, Horticultural Manager 9:30 am. Bring your notebooks and camera! We’ll make our way through the Gardens with frequent stops for discussions about (what else?) plants! Free with Park or Garden admission. Meet at West Garden Entrance. Take N. Market Street, turn on Arboretum Drive. Take the right fork. Parking lot and entrance are on the left. More info: 530-242-3178 or www.turtlebay.org/nursery

February 27 - Redding: Shasta College Community Teaching Garden - The Early Spring Garden: Gardening in the Mud 1pm - 3 pm. Room 812, Shasta College Main Campus. This workshop will feature tips and techniques of how and when to seed and transplant early spring vegetables when your garden soil is waterlogged and seemingly unworkable. Presenter is a local organic nurseryman and advisor to the Teaching Garden. Presenter: Wayne Kessler. Fee: $15.00 For more information: http://www.shastacollege.edu/teachinggarden/

February 27 – Chico: Chico Organic Gardening Class: Lee Callender and Francine Stuelpnagel of GRUB Farm 1:30 - 3:30 Chico Grange. Lee and Francine from GRUB will share their favorite seed companies and varieties for both spring and summer planting. They will also discuss planting dates, methods, and their practical experiences in raising four acres of organic vegetables. For more information or to register, go to: http://valleyoakmagazine.com/about/monthly-publication/organic-gardening/chico-organic-gardening-society-cogs/chico-organic-gardening-class.

In a North State garden and Jewellgarden.com are THREE YEARS OLD as of February 2011. Happy Anniversary! All purchases made from Jewellgarden.com’s shop page of beautiful, botanically inspired printed products directly support the production of this weekly gardening program. All remaining 2011 Calendars and holiday cards are now on Sale 50% off! Follow Jewellgarden.com/In a North State Garden on Facebook - become a fan today!

To submit plant/gardening related events/classes to the Jewellgarden.com on-line Calendar of Regional Gardening Events, send the pertinent information to me at: Jennifer@jewellgarden.com

Did you know I send out a weekly email with information about upcoming topics and gardening related events? If you would like to be added to the mailing list, send an email to Jennifer@jewellgarden.com.

In a North State Garden is a weekly Northstate Public Radio and web-based program celebrating the art, craft and science of home gardening in Northern California. It is made possible in part by the Gateway Science Museum - Exploring the Natural History of the North State and on the campus of CSU, Chico. In a North State Garden is conceived, written, photographed and hosted by Jennifer Jewell - all rights reserved jewellgarden.com. In a North State Garden airs on Northstate Public Radio Saturday mornings at 7:34 AM Pacific time and Sunday morning at 8:34 AM Pacific time. Podcasts of past shows are available here. Weekly essays are also posted on anewscafe.com a regional news source that is simultaneously universal and positively North State.

Winter in the garden involves - or is supposed to involve - a lot of pruning. In January of 2010, I recorded an interview with horticulturist and arborist Rico Montenegro, working with the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation, about the pruning of the historic apple trees at the Camden House historic site near Whiskey Town lake. Much of this essay is excerpted from that post. This January, Rico recorded an In a North State Garden segment with me on pruning of fruit trees in general - the whys and wherefores. Photo above: The historic Camden House at Whiskeytown Recreation area seen through a shroud of 100 - 150 year old ‘Lady’ apple tree branches. (more…)

If you are like me, you love your tools. If you don’t love your tools - you should. Every gardener needs tools that they love - that help them to accomplish their many gardening tasks with relative ease and the least amount of discomfort. They should have a handful of tools that are well-made, good quality and worth taking care of for long-life. (more…)

How’s the pruning going for you?

I’ve just finished pruning my ‘Pink Lady’ apple and ‘Santa Rosa’ plum trees. I am still working on the roses and grapes, but the fruit trees are done. It went pretty well this year – but then, I was really inspired this year. Photo above: The historic Camden House at Whiskeytown Recreation area seen through a shroud of 100 - 150 year old ‘Lady’ apple tree branches.

I don’t know about you, but pruning can be a tricky task for me. As an enthusiastic and long-time gardener, I know that I should prune my fruit trees and vines every year – for form, for production and in many cases for the long-term health and life of my plants. But some years, the task seems more troubling than others: I diligently study the sketches and graphs in the books and articles, I even take the diagrams out to my trees. I look at the book, I look at the tree. I look back at the book. Hmm. Sometimes the tree looks so differently than the book’s sketch that I am just not sure. Other times the tree looks great – so why prune? I have been known in gardens and seasons past to look one final time at the book, shake my head and take my book, my clippers and my intimidation back into the house for another time/season/year. Photo: Rico Montenegro discussing the growth of one of the old apple trees at the Camden House site. (more…)