May I show off my town a bit?  Everyone thinks California has no seasonal color, but we have a lot of it! My town of Los Altos has hundreds of Chinese Pistasche trees lining our downtown streets, plus thousands more throughout the neighborhoods.  The colors change from gold to orange to red from October through December.  The bright leaves stay on the trees for what seems like months. It's pretty spectacular.  We have a large one in our back yard and it sports all three colors at once before it finally goes entirely scarlet.  During the summer they are marvelous shade trees.  While the Chinese Pistasche and tall red maples secure that Los Altos will have plenty of fall color, we're flush with the native California Live Oaks, immense redwoods plus the olive and apricot trees that are part of the valley's agricultural past.  I love my town.

To my American friends, Happy Thanksgiving!  I know many of you reading this right now might be smelling the roasting turkey.  I love Thanksgiving Day!  Besides being a graceful celebration, it ushers in the holiday season and all the beauty, love, and hope that surrounds it.  And this season, I imagine we're all going to be seeking that out, more than ever.  I hope you are surrounded by those you love.  Peace.

Links for more reading:

Chinese Pistache

California Live Oak 

Los Altos, California

Uncommon Threads

Knitionary

 

Last year I grew pears in bottles (original post) then filled one bottle with clear brandy and the other with vodka.  They've been resting for a year and this spring or summer we'll have a party and drink them up.  In the meantime they're pretty to look at!  The bottles I used are recycled Balvenie Single Malt bottles.  My husband used to drink Balvenie and I was able to save a dozen or so bottles because I thought they were too pretty to put in the recycle bin.  It's easier than you think to grow a pear in a bottle.  On your tree, find a healthy young pear that will fit into the neck of your bottle.  Remove the surrounding leaves and pears if any, leaving just the one pear.  Insert the pear and branch far into the bottle and with string or strips of fabric, tie it to the strongest surrounding branches making sure the bottle opening faces downward so it won't collect rainwater.  Allow Mother Nature to take over and with a little luck, at the end of summer you'll have large, ripe pears in each bottle.  The survival rate is fairly decent; if the pear sees it through the first week, the chances are excellent that it will continue to thrive.  Last year we did 3 bottles and only lost one.  We are trying for the same odds again this year and one even has two pears inside!  Oh, I really hope those will thrive!

Warning: this is a two person job; one is the steady bottle holder while the other person engineers the secure tying.  It takes a wee bit of thought and a few cuss words, but when it's done, you don't have to think about it again for months.  Other than your regular tree care duties, your only job throughout the summer will be to check on the lashings every once in a while to make sure they are still secure.  Plus you'll want to stop by and admire them every week or so, you know, to cheer them on. 

It's a super fun project and I hope you'll try it. You may have seen last year's post and thought you might try it but never got around to it.  Try it this year!  If you don't have a pear or apple tree, maybe you have a kindly neighbor with a tree?  Just make sure you make an extra one for him!

There's another new store in town, right across the street from The Botanist, and another reason to visit pretty downtown Los Altos.  Sylvia Gray opened her new shop Atelier Gray on State Street this summer to the delight of her long time faithful customers.  Los Altans will remember Sylvia from Cottage Green, the little shop across from Safeway, now Bumble.  Sylvia focuses on one of a kind furniture, vintage finds from France and handmade works from local California artisans.  I have to pop by each time I'm downtown, her vignettes are always beautiful and her style, livable and whimsical.  Plus she's lovely and knows the story behind every unique piece she carries.

Atelier Gray

358 State Street

Los Altos, California

650 917-9788

website under construction

Over the next few months I'll be taking you to a few more shops in town.  

Next week we'll walk a half block down the street and visit my local yarn shop.

Happy Shopping!

Knitionary