Bay Area Gardening

[gaden]

OJ, what grows best this season in the bay area?  Since I'm not from around there my mini garden lord sense doesn't align.  I want to send someone some plants to grow.

I'm thinking maybe some cool season plants like snapdragon or cabbages.

[Liliaceae]

The Bay has so many different climate cultures, so whatever OJ grows will not probably fare well with me

On any given day it is possible to have a 15-25 F difference between SF and SJ. My general climate is more misty, foggy, and overcast with the occasional burst of low-warmth emitting sunshine. I would very much like to grow something that I can equally use.

[Liliaceae]

Would anyone happen to know how to dry/press flower petals for decorative purposes? Came across this yesterday and noticed that the purple was still vibrant (not brown and lifeless). I find it a bit difficult, because most organic material tend to rot. The environment here has also been very humid, with thick moisture.

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[Liliaceae]

Here's a microclimate map of San Francisco that I find 90% accurate.
Blue (cool, misty, overcast); Orange (dry, warm, sunnier).
(Sorry about the size. There was no option to reformat.)

Quadrant three should actually be blue.



Topographically, SF is really fun in the sense that the terrain is challenging. I've seen some of the most structurally innovate gardening additions made to private yards. And they vary by that person's culture. Same goes for the front of the house. One block may contain houses with 5 different fronts. Lots of Spanish, Asian, German, and Mediterranean influences. Others are modern and whimsical.

The challenge with renovation is hauling material to and fro the yard since most properties *do not* have separate side entrances. You'll need to lug it through the garage to the backyard. Another is noise pollution. Neighbors are wildcards. Most I find are passive aggressive. They'll file a complaint with the city instead of notifying you first. Ugh.



The trick to maximizing space is building upwards. Layers. And finding multiple purposes in one nook. The bed for the tree also doubles as a bench. The wall is visually appealing as it is versatile for growing various herbs and spices.



^ I love this design a lot. It's not as rigid nor modern. The oversized palms overhead gives the illusion of privacy and space. It's tiny but brimming with life.

[gaden]

Would anyone happen to know how to dry/press flower petals for decorative purposes? Came across this yesterday and noticed that the purple was still vibrant (not brown and lifeless). I find it a bit difficult, because most organic material tend to rot. The environment here has also been very humid, with thick moisture.

Is that Statice? It's great for drying and preserving.  The colors doesn't fade when dried. 

I heard people freeze dried flowers to preserve it.  You could also press it in a book.

[Liliaceae]

Is that Statice? It's great for drying and preserving.  The colors doesn't fade when dried. 

I heard people freeze dried flowers to preserve it.  You could also press it in a book.

I had to look that up but yes, it looks like it. Your knowledge of botany is amazing. I love how statice comes in different colors. Have you grown them before?

[gaden]

I had to look that up but yes, it looks like it. Your knowledge of botany is amazing. I love how statice comes in different colors. Have you grown them before?

Yes, I have grown statice before, a long time ago.  I forgot if it is an annual or biennial.  Thanks for conjuring up my memories.  I might look for it and plant them again.  I remember it had very deep solid colors.

I remember pressing the cut flowers in a book to preserve them but I forgot which book.  It's probably in a book that I never read, and it's lost forever.

[Liliaceae]

Yes, I have grown statice before, a long time ago.  I forgot if it is an annual or biennial.  Thanks for conjuring up my memories.  I might look for it and plant them again.  I remember it had very deep solid colors.

I remember pressing the cut flowers in a book to preserve them but I forgot which book.  It's probably in a book that I never read, and it's lost forever.

I'm curious what the title of this book is.. @gaden, pressing his lovely flowers in a book. If you were a Disney princess you'd be Belle handsdown :P

[gaden]

I'm curious what the title of this book is.. @gaden, pressing his lovely flowers in a book. If you were a Disney princess you'd be Belle handsdown :P

The only books I've ever read fully was Life in Hell by Matt Groening and some Playboy magazines.  I have 100 other gardening, traveling, and engineering books but I only skimmed over them. 

[Liliaceae]

Sharing some inspiration. Modern Vietnamese architecture + open green space. Really enjoying this simplistic, close to nature concept.

[Liliaceae]

I found this pretty upsetting considering how much volunteer work I've put in with environmental restoration projects around the bay. So much disbelief...

http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/02/03/for-clean-energy-a-hazy-path-ahead-under-trump/

[gaden]

I found this pretty upsetting considering how much volunteer work I've put in with environmental restoration projects around the bay. So much disbelief...

http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/02/03/for-clean-energy-a-hazy-path-ahead-under-trump/

What are you working on for clean energy?

[Liliaceae]

What are you working on for clean energy?

Right now? Just learning about and teaching others how photovoltaics work. Syncing it up into a power source and using for appliances have been pretty fun instead of relying on grid source.

[gaden]

Right now? Just learning about and teaching others how photovoltaics work. Syncing it up into a power source and using for appliances have been pretty fun instead of relying on grid source.

You mean solar panels?  Can you hookup some solar panels to my home trailer?  Can it run all the appliances in that trailer?

[Liliaceae]

You mean solar panels?  Can you hookup some solar panels to my home trailer?  Can it run all the appliances in that trailer?

Yep! Solar panels! Should be easy to do once you get a schematic going. I thought you were an electrician? C'mon @gaden, hook 'em up yourself. Don't be lazy 

[gaden]

Yep! Solar panels! Should be easy to do once you get a schematic going. I thought you were an electrician? C'mon @gaden, hook 'em up yourself. Don't be lazy 

What?!  How can I be a mini lord electrician when my slave won't do the work for me?

I have a few solar panels but I don't have the right kind and size of batteries to power some of the appliances.  I need at least 5,000W, mostly because of the AC.  I've been using a big car battery but it doesn't last long. 

[Liliaceae]

What?!  How can I be a mini lord electrician when my slave won't do the work for me?

I have a few solar panels but I don't have the right kind and size of batteries to power some of the appliances.  I need at least 5,000W, mostly because of the AC.  I've been using a big car battery but it doesn't last long.

Whoops. Can't help you there. I don't know know much about AC systems to understand specs and how much energy they require to run for more than several hours. Most homes here are not built with an AC.

[gaden]

Whoops. Can't help you there. I don't know know much about AC systems to understand specs and how much energy they require to run for more than several hours. Most homes here are not built with an AC.

I tink I'm going to eliminate the battery and get an in-grid inverter and connect the solar power directly to the grid.  That way it should feed back some of the excess power.  And you would always have power any moment without the sun.

I see there are a lot of windmills in the SF area too.  What are you guys doing?  Stealing wind from other people?

[Liliaceae]

I tink I'm going to eliminate the battery and get an in-grid inverter and connect the solar power directly to the grid.  That way it should feed back some of the excess power.  And you would always have power any moment without the sun.

I see there are a lot of windmills in the SF area too.  What are you guys doing?  Stealing wind from other people?

Really? There's only like... 1? But yeah I suppose we could learn about renewable energy from the Dutch.

[gaden]

Really? There's only like... 1? But yeah I suppose we could learn about renewable energy from the Dutch.

I remember traveling from Fresno to SF I saw a lot of windmills along the route near SF.  I probably passed through the Altamont Pass Wind Farm along highway 580.  I think you guys were trying to catch the polar jet stream.  You guys should stop that, or else you will slow down the rotation of the earth and cause El Nino or something.