Spring is in the air! Let Time Stand Still...

 

Time to visit the E.F. Gamble Historic Home & Garden in Palo Alto, Silicon Valley.  I didn't make it in Spring so far, but I was able to stop by for a visit in January and February.  And I was able to find lots of blooming shrubs, such as Azaleas, Camellias, Rhododendron, and amazing Magnolias. The property includes a rose garden, cutting garden, formal herb garden, demonstration bed, wisteria garden, and an allée. 
.

Gamble has over 50 distinct camellia cultivars or species, including Camellia japonica ‘Kumasaka’, one of the oldest camellias in continuous culture. In fact, Gamble Garden is listed on the American Camellia Society's American Camellia Trail.  

The Gamble Garden Camellia Collection has a total number of camellia plants: 61.  Miss Gamble purchased many of her camellias and rhododendrons from Toichi Domoto, a Japanese-American pioneer camellia grower and world-class hybridizer whose family had a nursery in Hayward, California. The Domotos imported camellias and azaleas from Japan in the 1920s and 1930s under perilous conditions.  In 1939, Miss Gamble purchased a Camellia japonica ‘Kumasaka.’ It is one of the oldest camellias in continuous culture. Kumasaka was clearly recorded in Japan in 1695 and thrives in Gamble Garden today. 

The small botanical garden is a non-profit education center and garden, open to the public. 

The 2.5-acre garden includes formal and demonstration gardens. 

.

The Gamble Garden's Spring program includes their famous Spring Tour, and classes to help you prepare your own garden for the coming year.  Don't miss this popular Bay Area celebration, now in an all-virtual format. 
.

A ticket to ‘Preview Party at Home.'  The event includes the talk with Jennifer Jewell, (Garden Writer & Editor, Radio Host) and exclusive access to Over the Garden Fence (OTGF), Silent Auction, Vendor Marketplace, and Plant Sales, all online.
.

The Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden the perfect setting for your wedding ceremony, reception, rehearsal dinner, bridal shower, baby shower, day-after-wedding brunch, anniversary event, etc.

.

The garden is open to the public every day during daylight hours. Admission is free, but donations are gratefully accepted. The gardens are not receiving any financial support from the (wealthy) city of Palo Alto...
.

Enjoy your visit

1431 Waverly Street, Palo Alto, CA 94301 - off HWY 82 or train station Stanford

.

<><><><><>

Magnolia Tree Propagation

You will need a lot of patience to propagate Magnolias.  Seedlings will sometimes appear under trees, but most propagation is done through seed, cuttings taken in the summer, or from grafting.  Cutting grown plants are vastly superior to most seedlings because they begin flowering two after propagation while seedlings may take 15 to 20 years to bloom. 

Rooting magnolias is not easily done.  Even with intermittent mist systems and rooting hormones, the percentage of successfully rooted cuttings is often very low.  Evergreen magnolias such as southern magnolia, Magnolia grandiflora and sweetbay magnolia, Magnolia virginiana are best planted in early spring. Deciduous magnolias can be planted in autumn or early spring.

Autumn is the better time to plant in the south, while northern gardeners should opt for spring planting. Apply some mulch after planting to moderate soil temperatures and moisture conditions.

Magnolias are beautiful and relatively pest free. Most have large showy flowers and attractive large leaves. Many are evergreen and attractive year round. There are lovely shrub-sized magnolias for the smaller garden too.

It is Possible to Root a Magnolia Tree from a Cutting!
The best time of year to take your cuttings is between July and September when the terminal bud has set.  You will need a good root hormone for this project.

• Sterilize your knife and glass with rubbing alcohol before you take your cuttings.  Cuttings are susceptible to fungus and disease before they root, so give them a healthy start.

• Fill small planters with perlite and moisten it. Planters measuring 3 to 4 inches in diameter with an overall height of 3 to 4 inches will suffice. You'll need one planter for each of the cuttings. Pour some of your root hormone into a shallow container.
• Select the sections of the magnolia tree for your cuttings. You'll need a growing tip of the plant, from 6- to 8-inches long. Cut the clone from the stem with one quick motion so as not to harm the mother plant. Take several cuttings from a mature, healthy magnolia tree to optimize your success rate. Place each cutting in the drinking glass to minimize the amount of oxygen the clone will receive between cutting and planting. Make your cuttings as quickly as possible.
• Remove all but the top few leaves from each magnolia cutting. To remove the leaves, slice them at the base of the leaves where they meet the stem. Cut a 2-inch slice vertical slice at the base of your cutting to further improve the chances of rooting the magnolia tree.
• Dip each of the cuttings in the root hormone according to the manufacturer's instructions. If you are using a powder hormone, dip the ends of your cuttings in water first.
• Insert the tip of a pencil into the center of the perlite to make a hole for your cutting. The hole should only go about 1/3 of the way down into your planter. You need to leave room for the roots to grow. Carefully place a cutting into the perlite so that the root hormone stays put. Gently fill in around the sides of the cutting with the perlite.
• Place the planters in an area where they will receive indirect light.  You can tent each one with a plastic bag to maintain moisture levels.  Mist the cuttings often and make sure that the perlite stays moist.  Your magnolia cuttings should root in about eight weeks, when you can transfer them into larger 8- to 10-inch pots filled with potting soil.

Dr. William C. Welch, Professor and Landscape Horticulturist at Texas University writes:

Growing magnolias from seed.
The seeds should be collected as soon as possible after the fruit is mature which is usually mid-September or early October. The cone-like fruit should be spread out to dry for several days until they open. The seeds can then be shaken from the dried cone or fruit.
If the seed is to be kept for any length of time, the red pulp should be allowed to dry enough to lose its fleshy character, placed in sealed containers and stored at 32 to 41 degrees F. If stored over winter at room temperature seed will lose its viability. The seed should be cleaned before planting or stratifying. To remove the fleshy seed coat, soak the seed overnight in warm water. Remove the seed coat by rubbing against hardware cloth or window screening. After cleaning, the seeds should be sown immediately or stored for 3 to 6 months at about 40 degrees F and planted in the spring. An excellent way to stratify seeds is to use a polyethylene bag and place alternating layers of a moist medium such as a sand and peat mixture and seeds in the bag. Tie the top of the bag and place in a refrigerator at about 40 degrees. The medium should be just moist enough to stick together but not so wet that it will drip if squeezed by hand.

Whether sown in the fall or stratified in the refrigerator and sown in the spring, the seeds should be covered with about l/4" of soil and mulched to prevent drying. Seedbeds should be kept moist until germination is complete. Partial shade should be provided the first summer for seedlings.