Monthly Archives: November 2009

Lingering harvest

We are so incredibly lucky to experience these unseasonably warm days here in Sonoma County.  At the Healdsburg Farmers’ Market last Saturday, I spoke with a winemaker who noted that this year’s harvest has been interminable.  Exhaustion had set in well before the rains we had a few weeks ago that further lengthened the harvest.  [...]

A visit to Russian River Rose Company.

We visited Russian River Rose Company, Sunday, during their last open garden of the year.  Jan and Mike offered a variety of activities in their beautiful fall gardens that are still full of life and color. I spotted a number of bird and butterfly species, including a rather forlorn-looking hummingbird.  It was quite vocal and [...]

Painted Ladies and skippers.

Rain is forecast for this week, so this morning I trotted out to look over the yard and see what is most important to get done before the rains.  But, instead of paying attention to fallen leaves and what plants need to be pulled  out of the garden, I saw—right before my eyes—two painted ladies [...]

What do you do in wine country when you don’t wine?

You garden, you celebrate nature, you socialize at the Healdsburg or Windsor (California) Farmers’ Markets, and you get to know the latest in regional economics and local sustainability.  You learn to celebrate your neighbors and friends who produce the foods you eat.  Gleason chickens…plump and juicy; Bernier garlic varieties…the best in the world…Trull family vinegars…true [...]