Happy Valentine's Day!

 

Two kinds of lettuce, red and romaine, freshly picked this morning by our Supervisor  Del K.  Del most definitely has a green thumb when it comes to vegetable gardening, and these were too pretty to go undocumented before they wind up in our salads. A most unusual but appropriate Valentine's bouquet!

Fun with plant identification, February 2013

I found this photo in our files that Chris Cutler had taken awhile back.  After some research we decided it was a type of geranium, but what exactly? There are many websites to help you identify plants, if you can set some parameters: petal color, leaf shape, height etc. This plant clearly has toothed leaves, pink flowers and hairy stems.  I do remember at the time the name 'cranesbill' was mentioned. So searching for : cranesbill, geranium, pink etc. led me to a very informative UC Davis article on the Geranium maderense
This plant is endemic to the island of Madeira.  The name 'cranesbill' refers to the shape of the seed pods on geraniums which resemble a long crane’s bill. The article is very useful in sorting out the difference between Geranium pelargonium and the 'hardy' geraniums like G. maderense.  It is a really unusual plant and thank you to Chris for getting a high resolution on both the leaves and flowers (makes plant ID so much easier to see all parts of the plant clearly).

 To see more suggestions for drought resistant landscape plants, visit stevensmithlandscape.com

Found! In our photo archives - Peacock Flower

Searching through our extensive photo archives, I came across this striking flower, from one of our residential installations.  It belongs to Caesalpinia pulcherrima, also known as Peacock Flower, Red Bird of Paradise, Dwarf Poinciana or Pride of Barbados.  Caesalpinia is a rapid growing mounding deciduous broadleaf shrub to about 8-10 feet tall and wide and likes full sun, heat and is drought tolerant. You'll find it blooming orange-red or yellow in the warm months.  In the spring prune it back hard for a more compact plant.
To see more suggestions for drought resistant landscape plants, visit stevensmithlandscape.com

More landscaping tools transformed into art

 Once again Steven Smith Landscape, Inc. got a request  from our friends at Stone Brewing Company.  This time Chris Cochran, Community Relations Manager asked for well worn pickaxes, for the September 2012 groundbreaking ceremony of Stone's new, 22,000-square-foot restaurant and brewery in Liberty Station. Our President, Steve Smith, and Chris Cutler, our Maintenance Superintendent gathered together a great collection from our 'tool archives', not a shiny new one in the bunch.  Thank you guys for unearthing these vintage axes for the project. The Stone's artists then transformed them into objets d' art for groundbreaking day.  After the ceremony  pickaxes were presented to former City of San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders, Kevin Faulconer and Brian Bilbray (shown in photo flanked by Stone Pres. Steve Wagner and CEO Greg Koch) And we also received one which for display at our Escondido headquarters. Don't forget to check in with stevensmithlandscape.com to see our portfolio of projects.

Holiday color

Cyclamen persicum  (red and white varieties pictured ) is a beautiful choice for holiday color beds and planters.  Unlike the Poinsettia, Cyclamen is a hardy tuberous perennial with longer lasting blooms (3-4 months vs. just a few weeks for Poinsettia).  The red and white Cyclamen blooms are offset by dark green  heart shaped leaves that have a silver marbling effect.  Cyclamen is widely available for your winter color  needs and can provide a spectacular Christmas presentation.

Please visit stevensmithlandscape.com for  information on drought tolerant plants, our latest projects and much more.

Steve Smith rides in the 2012 Million Dollar Challenge for the Challenged Athletes Foundation

Steve Smith made an incredible journey this October in the 2012 Million Dollar Challenge for the Challenged Athletes Foundation.

'The 620 mile journey down the California Coastline from San Francisco to San Diego is a week filled with iconic scenery, epic mileage, and friendship. Every year, this journey delivers a life-changing experience for all participants. This event is unique in the world of cycling, it builds a community of riders with a deep and lasting appreciation for life- and for those who overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges to live life to the fullest. Helping to raise $1 Million dollars to help challenged athletes is deeply satisfying. But it is the journey that will change your life forever.'

For Steve and the other participants the experience was exhilarating and inspiring.

In Steve's own words from Day 3:

"It was difficult for me - I can't imagine what the double below- the-knee amputee felt like. All these guys have the greatest outlook on life. They don't feel that anything is owed to them and have a 'never give up' attitude."

We are so proud of Steve for what he accomplished!

Beware the falling Bunya-bunya cone!

Araucaria bidwillii, Bunya-bunya pine or false monkey puzzle tree is native to rainforest areas near the coast in SE Queensland, Australia. The Bunya-bunya has gigantic cones and razor sharp needles, and can grow up to 120 ft. of more. Close relatives are the Norfolk Island palm (Araucaria heterophylla) and true monkey puzzle tree (A. araucana). The large, female fruiting cones of the Bunya-bunya are the size of a small watermelon and can weigh up to 15 lbs. or more. They generally mature in summer through to early autumn but they are not formed every year (approx.once every three years).

It was considered a sacred tree and an important food source to the Australian Aborigines.  The cones contain wedge shaped nuts that are similar in flavor to a chestnut.

This cone was collected on the ground by one of our Supervisors, Armando Diaz.  (not on a property we maintain!)  There is some real concern during fruiting season, as these extremely heavy cones can cause injury or damage to property.  
Author: Leslie C.   Photo credit, cones: Debra Moore