Welcome to the Fall Harvest
It's been such a glorious year on the farm, with my trees growing up and producing more than ever. I plant so many varieties with hope, but I don't really know how they will work out. Three, five, seven, years later I get to find out if they are thriving and tasty. Orchard keeping is not for the impatient.
Fall Harvest Boxes
I am excited to offer Fall Harvest boxes with a truly huge variety of the best the orchard. Heirloom apples, gourmet pears, pineapple guava, fresh walnuts, mixed figs and more, these boxes will be on sale from now through Thanksgiving, with their contents changing slightly over the coming weeks. Place your orders here!
Persimmons and Hoshigaki Workshop
Join us on Saturday, November 5th, from 10 am to 12 pm, for a discussion of growing and eating persimmons and a demonstration of making Hoshigaki.
We will walk up to the persimmon trees in the orchard, and discuss sourcing, planting, pruning, fertilizing and growing these beautiful trees. I’ll introduce the dozen or so varieties we grow and discuss the crucial difference between astringent and non-astringent types. Then we will gather for a demo of how to make hoshigaki at home.
Hoshgaki is an ancient Japanese technique for drying astringent persimmons, hanging and drying them over a month while carefully hand massaging them. The result is often called the Kobe beef of dried fruit, for it is astonishing and outstanding. It also makes a great holiday snack and gift. Sign up here!
Holiday Wreath Workshop
Nothing sings of the holidays like making a seasonal wreath to decorate your space. Join us on Saturday, November 26th, from 1 pm to 3 pm, for a hands on workshop where you will make your own wreath to take home.
The multi-talented Jessica Tunis will be leading this workshop, and I will be there for backup help as well. For beginners who have never made a wreath before, Jessica will guide you through the basic techniques of wreath making and help you craft a unique design. For more experienced wreath makers, please enjoy an opportunity to try a different design and work with new plants, textures and colors. Sign up here!
Winter Roses Workshop
December through February is time to prune your roses, and it’s vital to their health that you do. Please join me on Saturday, December 10th, from 10 am - 12 pm for a workshop covering winter pruning and spring fertilization of roses, to set them up for a fabulous growing season next year.
We will cover pruning shrub, garden and climbing roses at different ages of growth with a live demo in the rose field. We will also discuss fertilizing in spring for new growth and preparing the ground for planting new roses.
Every participant will also get to take home a free own root rose of the varieties listed in this previous blog post. Sign up and learn more here!
Cool Flowers Coming Soon
Those of us lucky to live in California can grow flowers all year long. This has been a somewhat recent discovery for me, so I have been diving into cool weather flowers lately. I have loads of flowers started and coming soon for the holiday giving season, including ranunculus, anemone, stock, delphiniums, larkspur and more so keep your eyes open for these beauties, coming soon!
