I love it when a nice reader takes the time to call me to suggest a topic they’d like to see me write about or remind them what needs to be done at a certain time of year. Take Helen, who lives in Spring Lakes in Scotts Valley, for instance. Helen told me she grows tomatoes in the summer and has 4 fruit trees including a satsuma plum, an espaliered apple and a tangerine. Helen battles peach leaf curl on her plum and coddling moth larvae inside her apples and would like to know exactly what to use and when to control these problems. So this column is for you, Helen.

The rush for seats in the grandstand facing the dammed San Lorenzo River began early in the evening. As twilight faded into utter darkness, the crowd watched the Carnival Queen’s barge float toward her throne. Then the lights — more than a thousand incandescent globes augmented by brilliant arc lamps — were turned on, transforming the aquatic amphitheater into what one dazzled reporter described as “an arena of liquid gold with a canopy of glittering light.”

I may not live where I can grow fruit trees but that doesn’t stop me from dreaming. Looking over the availability lists of bare root fruit trees at our local nurseries I see several new varieties that I’m hoping to find eventually at the farmer’s market.

Along with each New Year comes new kitchenware products which my Hubby always called “another one for the barrel in the basement”.

We all celebrate the holidays in different ways. Each family has their own traditions and warm memories from years gone by. Some of us celebrate Christmas, some Hanukkah, some Kwanzaa. Many of our traditional Christmas customs originate from Winter Solstice celebrations. The plants associated with each are an important part of tradition and symbolism.

With the holiday season upon us I enjoy colorful plants on my tabletop and window sill. How safe are holiday plants for pets and small children?

   My refrigerator is practically empty, with only a few jars of condiments and a vegetable or two gracing its shelves.  I have created two major Christmas party menus and have spent the last few days of this month writing a long grocery list; its length, for a single person, seems a bit overwhelming. 

Finally the rain has come. Outside my window a Townsend warbler feasts on suet. It’s a rainy day and I”m enjoying the vivid colors of my late fall garden. Backlit leaves take on a whole new look. There are so many ways of combining plants in the garden. I’m taking notes so I remember my favorites to include in my own garden and future designs. 

It’s a chilly November morning as Ron Trader stands outside on the deck in Felton with a cup of coffee in one hand and a cigarette in the other. This is Trader’s morning ritual.