Last summer we harvested maybe 40 fruits from a five year old apricot tree. And yes I did try to count all the fruits.  The tree just started bearing fruits for the last two years.  And the apricots have turned out to be one of the best tasting fruits I’ve ever eaten.

This spring I noticed we are getting more fruits.  They are growing in clusters of at least 3 to 5 fruits. And many more of them are starting to fall off when the fruits are still green and young.

It turns out this is how the tree is “thinning” itself.  Many stone fruits require thinning to encourage bigger fruits.

The more I researched “growing apricots” I found that it’s best to thin of the clusters and leaving only 1 or 2 fruits near each other. And it’s best to not let them touch as this could cause fungus to grow.

An interesting note, the ones that fell are a mixed bunch, some having dimples and markings while others are just normal looking.

These 2 fruits don’t look too healthy with the dark spot.  I’m waiting to see if they will drop off on their own.

A tip on thinning from BC Ministry of Agriculture:

“If the tree sets a heavy crop and no thinning is done, the fruit will be small at harvest time. Thus, removal of part of the crop is necessary. To do this, space the fruits about 1 - 2 inches (3.8 - 5 cm) apart. Early thinning results in more uniform ripening.

Fruit on well-thinned trees will ripen several days earlier than on poorly or unthinned trees. There will still be mixed maturities, even on well thinned trees, so more than one pick may be necessary. Heat greatly accelerates maturity.”

Check out the harvest from a gardener in the SF bay area yard.  And it doesn’t even look like they did any thinning of the fruits.  Talk about bumper crop!

I really enjoyed reading this by William Rosenzweig, it was from his acceptance speech at the “Oslo Business for Peace Award”.

Business Lessons from A Quiet Gardener

The people who know me best know that at heart I am just a quiet gardener. My garden has probably taught me the most about how things grow - and thrive in a vibrant and sustainable manner. These lessons have shaped my approach to encouraging responsible growth in business and to the ways I apply my intention, attention and energy.

Tranquil garden at Leaping Lamb Farm in Oregon. Photo from Flickr.

A gardener sees the world as a system of interdependent parts - where healthy, sustaining relationships are essential to the vitality of the whole. “A real gardener is not a person who cultivates flowers, but a person who cultivates the soil.” In business this has translated for me into the importance of developing agreements and partnerships where vision and values, purpose and intent are explicitly articulated, considered and aligned among all stakeholders of an enterprise - customers, employees, suppliers, shareholders, and the broader community and natural environment.

The garden has taught me about patience and persistence and the ethical principles of generosity and reciprocity. It has illuminated the importance of appreciating the cycles of life and decay. For the gardener, composting is a transformative act - whereby last season’s clippings (or failures) can become next year’s source of vigor.

I’ve learned that it’s not just what you plant, but how you plant it that brings long - term rewards in life, work and the garden. Gardeners know that once strong roots are established, growth is often exponential rather than linear.

Also gardening, like business, is inherently a local activity, set within an ever-changing and unpredictable global climate. Showing up in person, shovel - and humility in hand is essential.

Gardeners, like entrepreneurs, are obsessed with latent potential - and can be known to be pathologically optimistic. We can vividly imagine the bloom and the scent of the rose even in deepest of winter. As the American naturalist Henry David Thoreau once wrote: “I have great faith in a seed. Convince me that you have a seed there, and I am prepared to expect wonders.”

In essence, the gardener’s work is a life of care. We cultivate abundance from scarce resources. We nurture, encourage, fertilize - and prune when necessary - while being respectful of the true and wild nature of all things. We know that creating enduring value requires vision, passion, hard work and the spirit of others.

I am just coming to understand this work of business gardening - and investing in keeping people healthy - as an act of universal responsibility. His Holiness Dalai Lama reminds me: “Each of us must learn to work not just for one self, one’s own family or one’s nation, but for the benefit of all humankind. Universal responsibility is the key to human survival. It is the best foundation for world peace.”

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You can read the whole speech here. Or visit his website.

The only thing about spring that makes knitting hard is that it’s much nicer to be outside enjoying the sunshine.

This is one of my first attempt at knitting something for my wardrobe.  It’s not perfect, but it’s just warm enough for spring days and nights.

It’s made with a wool and bamboo blend yarn. I knitted the two pieces separately and then sew the seams together along the sides and shoulder.

Learning lessons: Next time around I will use smaller needles and maybe use seed stitches for the ribbing and collar.

I’ve also just finished making a cardigan and that took me forever! Making adult sweaters take way too long.

Maybe I’m one of those folks that like smaller projects for variations. But meeting new knitting challenges can be fun too. As there is still more to learn and grow.

I am currently working on a toddler’s cardigan knitted in one piece from the top down. Hence no need to sew the seams. It’s a quicker knit and uses much less yarn.

I am attempting to model part of this spring vest here. One of these days I’ll have to get me a dress form.

I haven’t enjoyed new music as much as I’ve enjoyed Of Monsters and Men. All I can say is that this music makes me feel alive again.

Of Monsters and Men are an indie folk/indie pop band from Garðabær, Iceland. The band was formed in 2009 when Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir decided to add to her solo project, Songbird.

Of Monsters And Men - King And Lionheart

Their debut album “My Head is an Animal” was released in Iceland in September 2011. I got their mp3 album . Lakehouse and Dirty Paws are some of my favorite songs.

And if you want to check them out live, find their tour dates here.

I have to agree with this Amazon reviewer J. Loudon who states this is one of the best debuts in quite some time.

More from J. Loudon, “My Head Is an Animal” is a fun record. That alone deems it worthy of a listen, but there is far more to it than mostly positive lyrics and sing-along choruses. There is also a certain musical chemistry between the members of the band that finds its way into the recording. The harmonies, not just between Nanna and Ragner but the entire band, are extraordinary.” Ditto!

Golden Gate park has many attractions for garden and nature lovers. The Japanese Tea Garden is also located just across from the botanical garden. And not far is the Conservatory of Flowers. For family fun, there is the Academy of Science.

This time around I only made it to the botanical garden. And here are more photos. So let’s continue with our garden walk.

One of the Magnolia tulip trees that was in bloom.

Huge azaleas tree with bright pink flowers.

There is a shady part of the forest which includes this lush and green area fill with ferns and fiddleheads.

I love seeing moss grow on rocks. Also love ferns too.

Silk tassle bush. Not quite in bloom yet. I wrote about it earlier.

Pretty and simple pink flowers.

Just outside the garden is this pasture of free range buffaloes.

By the time we got to the windmill it was almost sunset. This is the Queen Wilhelmina Garden. The garden was dedicated in 1962 in honor of the queen of the Netherlands. Every spring it’s fill with tulips. This year I didn’t catch the bloom in time. But they did replace it with colorful poppies.

We now end our walk and drive towards the Pacific Ocean for a sunset. No photos but it was nice and very chilly.

My latest batch of handmade soaps include many natural ingredients.

The first bar is my favorite, made with Sea Buckthorn oil. The oil of this berry is full of vitamins A (derived from -carotene), vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and vitamin E (-tocopherol). So a perfect ingredient for soaps and skin creams.

There’s also turmeric powder in this batch too. Turmeric is commonly used for natural skincare in parts of Asia. Many of it’s benefits include getting rid of blemishes to dark spots.

Turmeric root is anti-bacterial and has been used in herbal medicine to treat skin infections and burns.

When using turmeric powder you have to be careful not to stain your clothing. As it’s very yellow and won’t come off easily. So adding some of the turmeric root powder to this batch of soap is a better idea.

For a natural scent, I’ve added grapefruit essential oil. It has a light and uplifting scent to it.

The soaps are still curing in my crate. So it won’t be ready to use for another three to four weeks. I put the soap crate on the top shelf of the coat closet. Allowing it to cure in peace. It makes the closet smell very nice too.

Read the rest of this entry »

Spring is the best time to visit S.F. Botanical Garden. Lots of camellia, azaleas, rhododendrons, and tulip trees were in full bloom.

And here are some flowers I found along the walking trail.

Proteacea or commonly known as Australian bush flower.  These were grown in the South African garden area.

The Proteaceae family comprises about 80 genera with about 1600 species.  The flower remind me of artichoke.

Simple and small purple violet wild flowers. These were also seen growing outside the park too.  The background is a fallen redwood tree trunk.

These white flowers (peonies) were huge and the plant itself was at least 5 feet tall.  The petals look like crepe white paper.

Purple lilac tree gave off a lovely scent.

This garden is perfect for spending the day outdoor.  With plenty of friendly squirrels and birds to keep you company.

The map can be seen here.  They are working on a South East Asian Cloud forest too. I wonder what type of tropical plants they will have growing there.  

The park used to offer free admissions, but now it’s only free for S.F. residents.  Ticket price is $7 per person.

At least Golden Gate Park is still free to the public. And there are plenty of flowers and wildlife to be seen. Including cherry blossoms, calla lilies, and California native golden poppies too.

Parks like this are a great escape for city folks as well as a nice destination for travelers too.

The walking path at S.F. Botanical Garden.  Click on photo to enlarge.

Some crafty finds from the thrift store all for $5. Lucky me!

Super soft cashmere yarns. In case anyone should wonder, no - it does not smell weird. Just nice clean yarn. I am going to knit fingerless gloves with them.

A vintage knitting pattern booklet for ski sweaters and hats using worsted weight yarn. The one on the right (Fair Isle) is actually very fashionable.

Unlike our Tulip tree with pinkish flowers, these African Tulip Tree are very much different. Of course they are not even from the same family, just happen to have flowers that look like tulips.

Flowers and buds. Although this reminds me of Hibiscus flowers. Photo via Wikipedia.

The petals are usually a reddish to orange to crimson in color. Other common names include Spathodea, Fountain Tree, Flame-of-the-forest, or Nandi Flame.

Native to hot tropical forest of Africa, it also grows well throughout the tropics. The leaves fall during February, then in March and April new ones appear in great numbers. This tree can grow up to 25 m or 82 ft, so a tall tree.

According to Wikipedia,
“The flower bud is ampule-shaped and contains water. These buds are often used by children who play with its ability to squirt the water. The open flowers are cup-shaped and hold rain and dew, making them attractive to many species of birds. In Neotropical gardens and parks, their nectar is popular with many hummingbirds.”

How neat is that? A flower that’s also a toy water gun. And a great flower to attract hummingbirds.

African tulip tree with flowers and fruit. Photo via Plants of Hawaii.

Not only does it flower, but it also has fruits. Not edible, as African hunters boil the seeds to make poisonous liquid.

The fruits appear like the fingers of a hand, pointing upwards and outwards above the leaves. The fruits are about 6 or 8 inches long.