I'm fairly certain I offered a giveaway from my garden earlier this year but, if that's so, I can't find documentation of it. I've been thinking of putting out plants for neighbors to take since I accumulated a large number of Agave 'Stained Glass' bulbils in August thanks to Denise of A Growing Obsession. However, I thought I'd hold off until the tiny plantlets developed roots and I had a wider range of material to offer. This week I decided I couldn't put off harvesting the persimmons any longer so that triggered my decision to move ahead at last. As it was, the critters (probably raccoons) have been breaking the persimmon trees' branches on a regular basis.
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I'd already passed along a bag of 'Fuyu' persimmons (Diospyros kaki) to a friend but the 'Hachiya' variety was increasingly under siege by critters as well so I picked a bucket of both. Fruit that had been chomped went directly into the green bin. There's still 'Fuyu' fruit that looked too green to cut but the only 'Hachiya' fruit I left behind was that too high in the tree for me to reach.
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With the persimmons ready to go, I assembled the other items I had to offer and printed information sheets to help neighbors decide what they might want to take home. Yesterday morning I got everything laid out along the street.
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I usually put all giveaway items next to the driveway entrance but, as the hedge running along the street is currently in full flower and buzzing with bees, I moved everything down the street to an area that allows passers-by to keep some distance between themselves and the bees
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I've never seen this Xylosma congestum hedge as covered in flowers as it is now. The chartreuse yellow flowers are a magnet for bees.
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This is my little display
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It includes 16 rooted variegated octopus agave bulbils (Agave vilmoriniana 'Stained Glass') in 4-inch pots. I'm saving 2-3 for myself and plan to pass along others to friends.
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Somehow, cuttings of Euphorbia 'Sticks on Fire' end up in most of my giveaways. We removed one plant in our back garden because it was in my husband's way when he was working on our irrigation system problems. (Those seem to be resolved at last.)
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A friend told me that the 'Fuyu' persimmons in her local market are going for $4 apiece so I wasn't surprised to find people taking those but the 'Hachiya' fruit is moving at approximately the same rate. I left small paper bags so people could carry them home more easily.
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I finally finished planting out two areas with Aeonium arboreum cuttings I took earlier so in the late afternoon I added 2 buckets filled with extra cuttings next to everything else
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There have been far fewer people walking the neighborhood of late but apparently people do brake for plants when driving through the area. What I put out in the morning was half-gone by 6pm. I'm not sure how much interest there will be in the Aeoniums but I thought I'd check rather than tossing all those cuttings directly into the green recycle bin.
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material © 2012-2022
by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
You are a great neighbor!
ReplyDeleteThanks Phillip. It makes me happy when neighbors can use something that might otherwise go into my green bins.
DeleteI couldn't help but notice how fabulous your garden directly behind the giveaways is looking! Also—I'd have scooped up those aeoniums in a heartbeat.
ReplyDeleteIn this climate, Loree, once you've got an Aeonium plant or two, you're pretty much set for eternity. Every rosette replicates itself multiple times over and over...My neighbors who've picked up cuttings during my prior giveaways, have probably figured that out.
DeleteI can imagine one of the fancy PV restaurants loving to get their hands on your persimmons. I'd have to research what to do with them. The agaves have made wonderful growth -- you're such a good caretaker, and a wonderful neighbor!
ReplyDeleteMost people I know who say they like persimmons are more enamored with the non-astringent, 'Fuyu', variety. Few seem to be up for the waiting period required for the 'Hachiya' variety to reach the mushy status required to be edible, although some online connoisseurs claim that 'Hachiya' is more of a delicacy. There are a LOT of recipes online for using them in baked goods but it's been a long time since I've done any baking.
DeletePersimmons...I haven't tasted them much. Maybe in a salad or part of a dinner at an event. They're attractive. You are so generous with your garden goodies. :)
ReplyDeleteAt the moment, persimmons (and some berries) are about it in terms of "fall color" in my SoCal garden, Beth. They are a pretty fruit. Unfortunately, the voracious raccoons and other critters are attracted to them too.
DeleteYou may be single-handedly making your neighborhood more "water wise"!
ReplyDeleteI gave away oranges last winter because we just had sooooo many. A neighbor down the road was giving away various citrus so I lugged a box down and set it next to her boxes. That was more successful than the plant giveaways I've tried.
There's a big hedge of Xylosma down the road and it's all in flower, too. Massive bee attention--it must be nectar-rich.
I'd like to think I was influencing how some of the neighbors are gardening, HB, although I'm not sure the neighbors 2 doors down that installed a massive amount of faux turf isn't having more impact. I talked to one neighbor yesterday who brought up the idea of replacing his lawn with fake grass so I shared a few concerns.
DeleteIn my experience, offering multiple items in a giveaway is generally more effective - unless what you're giving away is 'Sticks on Fire', which seems very popular (at least with people who don't realize how big it can get).
You are such a great neighbour Chris. I am sure people really appreciate your generosity. We suffer from similar raiding to our apple tree that you do to your persimmon. Another midnight visitor (read porcupine) got itself stuck in our trap. Hence, another very late night drive out further into the country to let it go. Am hoping this is the last one for the year. Thankfully not as numerous as racoons.
ReplyDeleteIt's good of you to take the time to drive into the country to release the porcupine when you discovered it rather than leaving it in the trap until sometime the next morning, Elaine. May it never find its way back to your garden.
DeleteJust like Mr. Rogers used to sing: would you be my neighbor?
ReplyDeleteNot only a fabulous street-side garden, all those giveaways... I think I'd be passing by on regular basis to never miss a free gift. Those persimmons look delish.
Does anyone ever leave a thank you note?
chavli
I would love to be surrounded by more garden enthusiasts, Chavli ;) As I recall, I've received 2 thank you notes, both much appreciated. One came from an 8-year old and the second was accompanied by a dozen eggs from that woman's own chickens. I've had numerous exchanges in passing, though, usually when someone stops while I'm still in the process of putting stuff out.
DeleteYou are such a nice and generous neighbor, Kris!! Not only in your give-aways, but in keeping such a beautiful garden too admire and be inspired by. I bet those Xylosma flowers make great honey!
ReplyDeleteI took a Hoshigaki workshop a few years ago. It's a Japanese method of drying the astringent Hachiya by hanging them by string on a south facing wall. The drying process renders them very sweet, and the color is beautiful! Link here if you want to try it. The end product is very tasty! https://flutterandhum.wpcomstaging.com/2018/01/08/hoshigaki-a-first-attempt-at-an-ancient-process/
I saw that post on Hoshigaki, Anna. Huell Howser had a TV segment on the process years ago too. It's interesting but I just don't have the necessary patience for that. All my giveaway persimmons were picked up, though - and, what was surprising to me, the 'Hachiya' variety went first!
DeleteGood heavens Kris ! were you a teacher or a librarian ? .. you are so organized (and very generous !) .. since I had worked in a library I tend to be over the top about information sheets when I give plants away too (which sadly is not that often ? LOL) .. I would be so happy to collect one of everything that you have left out .. and a thank you note as well deserved !
ReplyDeleteI have no garden enthusiast here ... I'm an island of plant madness ? LOL
Well done you !
No, I wasn't a teacher or a librarian, CGJ, although I was a volunteer docent at the local botanic garden for a time ;)
DeleteSuch generosity, Kris! And your lovely neat signs with their info would be much appreciated by those benefiting from your largess. I love Fuyu persimmons and would certainly have helped myself to those! I planted a tree about 18 months ago, but I think I’ll have to wait a long time before any fruit appears.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous again, but I’ve worked it out….just have to remember to put in details.
DeleteI inherited both persimmon trees with the garden, Jane, but, since the gentleman we bought the property from was obsessed with planting fruit trees during the year he owned the property, they were probably young when we moved in. I didn't see any fruit at all for the first 3 years and it was relatively sparse until this year when both trees outdid themselves. I'm guessing it's been 12 years since they were planted. Of course, our persistent drought may have slowed their development ;)
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