Auburn had it’s harvest festival Saturday. I was invited to be a guest on the KAHI ‘Garden Guru Show’, featuring Don and Chere Yamasaki. We did a live ‘feed’ from the festival, where Don was to judge the biggest pumpkin contest
These things are huge! The largest one weighed in at 1001 lbs. It was grown by a man in Santa Rosa who trucked it in for the contest. He won a $1000 first prize, which explains why he would transport it around.
The event was fun and it really is something to see such freakishly large fruit.
Went to a nursery trade show in Reno. On the way back we passed through Tahoe and came upon this grove of aspen. The color will go fast, so if you haven’t had a chance, head to the high country. Fall in the mountains is to be savored.
Fall in the foothills rocks. These trees are Sassafras (Sassafras albidum), The sassafras tree is native in Eastern North America from Maine to Ontario and Michigan then as far South as Florida and Texas. Tea, dye, lumber, and fuel are made from the outer bark and roots. The roots are also used to flavor soups and stews. Oil from this tree is also used in perfumes, soaps, lotions, and to flavor medicine.
When I was first made aware of these trees I had a hard time identifying them. They are not listed in Sunset’s Western Garden Book. They are very hard to propagate, which is why they are impossible to find in almost any garden center.
These pics are of trees growing at Marshall Rd. and Empire Cr. about a 1/4 mile south of Lower Main St. in Georgetown. In about a week or two they will be about the brightest fall color trees you have ever seen. I’ll try to post some pics of them when they are in full color.
