Biodynamic Wine Farming – California Dreaming 3

Benziger Winery is not just another pretty vineyard. As we strolled around the visitor’s area waiting for our tour, I was immediately struck by the presence of fruit trees and huge clumps of lavender planted among the vine rows. This, we later learned was all part of their biodynamic farming process.

Biodynamic farming is a system of sustainable farming expounded by Austrian philosopher Rudolph Steiner in the 1920s, that goes one step beyond organic farming. The farm is viewed as a closed system in which all materials necessary, such as manure and animal feed are produced right on the farm, and all farm “waste” is recycled.

As it plays out at Benziger’s, the vineyard has a natural advantage for creating such a closed system: It is a bowl that is completely enclosed by mountains, with the Sonoma Mountain volcano (extinct) on one side. Variations in the natural soil compositions lend themselves to supporting a wide variety of grapes. After careful study, the Benzigers plotted out which grapes grow best where, so the vineyards are rather like a patchwork quilt.

A large, open garden sits on prime real estate at the center of the vineyard. This is the Insectory (top photo), where the goal is to re-establish the native insect population that preys on bugs that damage grapes. This completely eliminates the need for pesticides.

Only half of the vineyard’s 85 acres is planted in grapes. Elsewhere, woods, wetlands, pastures, two cows, and a flock of sheep provide other elements necessary for farming. This promotes diversity of animal, bird, and insect species that keep the farm’s environment in balance. Water used in the winemaking process is naturally cleaned and recycled. The vine rows are planted far enough apart for seeding and mowing with a tractor. While that cuts down on the number of grapevines that can be planted, it also allows Benziger to grow cover crops between the rows. During the grapes’ dormant season, sheep graze the cover crops (middle photo). Discarded grape skins, other vegetable matter, and cow and sheep manure all go into the natural compost that is used as fertilizer.

For those of us who are concerned about large, unsustainable, corporate farms, the Benziger family provides hope that some farmers still care enough about the land to treat it with the respect it deserves. They have put their money where their mouths are, not only in their own vineyards, but also by paying a cash incentive to subcontractor farmers who are willing to employ either organic or biodynamic methods.

Our visit to Sonoma wine country came to an end as we entered the great vault of wine barrels (bottom photo) stored in caves that have been dug out beneath the vineyard.

You can learn more at http://www.benziger.com . For those who prefer video, click on Farming for Flavors, or Benziger on Sundance.

California Dreaming 2

Choosing the right place to stay when traveling makes all the difference. Our drive to Sonoma allowed me to experience California as I had never seen it before --- green. We wound our way through cow country, through the vineyards, getting lost a couple of times. As dusk approached, a certain nail-biting tension arose in the rental car. “Can’t we just stop and ask that guy over there?” I asked. Silence. The car kept moving. Then we discovered rush hour in the countryside --- trapped in the commuter traffic returning from San Francisco.

We arrived at Beltane Ranch http://www.beltaneranch.com/ just as the sun was setting. No phone, no TV, acres of grapevines and olive trees, comfortable rooms, a spectacular breakfast, a wood fire to take the chill off, and a wonderful garden. We were too early for the roses, but there were late daffodils and tulips, lush hellebores, exuberant jasmine vines, live oaks with Spanish moss, and euphorbia, which I determined to grow in my own garden. This was such a delightful experience that we decided to start seeking out lodgings with gardens whenever possible.

Alexis, our wonderful hostess, recommended three restaurants in Glen Ellen. We chose Fig and, while we had to wait about 10 minutes, we ultimately got the best seat in the house: A cozy nook in front of the bay window. It was the next thing to having a private room.

The following day we drove around a bit, had an olive tasting and, at the suggestion of both Alexis and the hostess at Fig, decided on a tour of the Benziger Winery. It sounded like our kind of place --- a commercial vineyard that employs organic farming methods.

More next time.

California Dreaming 1

In March, Dan and I ran away to California. We needed to escape politics, grant-writing season, and winter, plus Dan wanted to visit friends and family. He lured me by promising a visit to wine country, good food, and a stay at a bed and breakfast with a garden. I had never been to San Francisco, so we did all of the touristy things, and enjoyed the warmer weather.

What’s SF without Fisherman’s Wharf? We had an absolutely fabulous lunch overlooking the Bay. We visited the new-ish Maritime National Park, consisting of historic ships moored in an enclosed harbor, as well as the Maritime Museum. We toured the Balclutha https://pwrcms.nps.gov/safr/historyculture/balclutha.htm probably the only time I’ll have the chance to board a large sailing ship. I have to say this is one of the best uses of taxpayer money I’ve ever seen. We eavesdropped on the local kids’ class tour and there was wonderful play-acting by the interpretive staff, who engaged the children in hands-on activities.

Then it was off on a cable-car ride to Chinatown, where I picked up that great, “real pashmina” paisley shawl – for me, $15.99 today only; everybody else $25.00. When you’re having fun and you find something you like, it’s a bargain every time. The haggling was worth the price just for the entertainment.

Then it was off to the Japanese Tea Garden at Golden Gate Park http://www.sftravel.com/japanese-tea-garden.html , developed for the1894 World’s Fair. Serene and not too crowded at this time of the year, it was a relaxing place to visit although, after walking around San Francisco since 8:00am, my feet had pretty much given out by 3:00pm.

We jumped in the car, drove across the Golden Gate Bridge and headed for Sonoma.

More next time.

This week, I attended a press event for the Mansion in May, http://www.wammh.org/content.aspx?contentid=12 , a designer showhouse and gardens that is presented by the Women’s Association of Morristown Memorial Hospital. The designers have done a spectacular job and the $25 ticket price goes to support a good cause --- pediatric oncology services at Morristown’s Goryeb Children’s Hospital. The mansion and grounds, Froh Heim (Happy Home), are open now through May 31st.

Ensconced in the bucolic setting of Far Hills, this Spanish Revival home is not only unusual for horse country, but also for the Mansion series. I’ve scouted quite a number of showhouses through the years and am always on the lookout for great garden settings, as well.

The original gardens of Froh Heim were designed in the 1920s by the “dean of American women landscape architects,” Ellen Biddle Shipman, who wrapped them in an enclosure of stucco walls, creating Spanish courtyards. John Charles Smith & Associates, http://www.johncharlessmith.com/HOME_PAGE.html a firm that specializes in historic garden restoration, researched the Shipman archives at Cornell to find old drawings and photos of the original gardens. Their restoration revealed some surprises, such as the fountain that had been covered over. Statile & Todd’s interpretive restoration of the adjacent courtyard is equally charming, and shows off the original period paving of brick, bluestone, and river cobbles, set in floral patterns. The end result of both firms’ work is a restful, colorful, almost meditative space that was difficult to leave behind.

Not to be missed is the smokehouse and gardens. While this originally was a purely functional building, the years have crowned its wonderful slate roof with a thick covering of moss, a sight that lures the soul with a magical, almost ethereal, siren song that speaks temptingly to woodland gardeners. I immediately came home, downloaded my pictures, and told Dan that replicating this structure in some form, even as a ruin, is a must-have. Now, if I could just win the lottery …..

The nearby rain garden, designed by Davies Associates, http://www.bjdavies.com/cwo/Meet_Bruce_Davies with its native plants is an excellent example of how homeowners can make a difference by restoring habitat with an aesthetically pleasing garden feature. Bruce John Davies and his crew immediately enlisted in my crusade to eradicate ugly detention basins from the face of the Earth. Thanks, Bruce. I need every warrior I can get.

There’s lots more to see for avid gardeners, including a wonderfully well-done balcony on the third floor by J&M Home and Garden http://www.jmhg.com/ , which also overlooks both courtyard gardens, interesting treatments for transition areas between garden rooms, etc.

Although I had to shoot in the rain, that enhanced the colors, textures, and contrasts even more. I got soaked, but enjoyed myself tremendously. Thanks to all of the designers, publicists, and volunteers who shared their time and expertise. And thanks to the Bernard’s Inn http://www.bernardsinn.com/ for a cozy spot to dry off and a fabulous lunch!

Perfect Gifts for Gardeners

If someone in your family is a gardener, it’s hard to go wrong by purchasing gift certificates for their favorite local plant nursery. Yesterday, I set out to spend last Christmas’ present from my brother and sister-in-law in one fell swoop. I combined that with some cash left over from last year’s donation to my plant fund made by my cat and dog. In the end, I only had to add $20 to get every single plant I wanted --- a mere two garden carts full. I had a ball.

Cash toward longed-for garden ornaments, structures, antiques, gates, fences, etc., mean a lot to gardeners, since the gift will be seen every day. I suppose some gardeners daydream about tools, but I’ve inherited two generations' worth of every tool imaginable. Correction, every tool I can imagine. Well, there is that mini-backhoe thing, but then we’d have to build a garage for it ….

Garden books also make welcome presents, though with my library pushing 150 volumes, well-meaning friends and relatives are taking a chance by making a selection themselves. A better choice might be a gift certificate to a bookstore, or to Amazon.

There, an armload of used books can be purchased for a pittance. Since the information in gardening books rarely goes out of date (except, perhaps, for pesticides, preservatives, and pests), I enjoy buying early books by garden writers, landscape designers, and photographers whose work I admire.

Sometimes surprises can work out well, though. My sister-in-law chose for my birthday a book called A Gardener’s Life by the Dowager Marchioness of Salisbury. Christine must have been paying close attention during the description of my favorite garden fantasy, wherein I stroll the gardens in the evening, like Vanessa Redgrave in Howard’s End, attired in my most favorite luminous, fluid, white outfit from Haroon’s, like a ghost at dusk. There on the cover is the Marchioness, in her most elegant, white flowing dress, making her rounds of the garden! Inside the book, the huge, manicured, formal garden estates were all owned, designed, or re-designed by the Marchioness, a fantasy for landscape designers , to be sure.

Dan and I will never become landed gentry. But gardening is primarily about dreaming, isn’t it? I could actually get that dress out of the closet and float around the garden in it. Will it offend anyone if Dan calls me “Lady Lois” in the privacy of our own home?

Gardeners hope to dream something from our mind’s eye into existence, just as I envision my twilight fantasy. Any gift that helps a gardener birth that dream into the real world is the perfect gift.

Deer, Oh Deer!

Over the last 15 years, we’ve gone from no deer problems to severe deer problems, with a herd of 50+ that passes through our property. In late spring, there are invariably fawns and we do enjoy watching them grow up. I long for the days when the dairy farmer next door left corn standing in the fields over the winter. I’m sure he shot a few, but I’m also sure his family ate the meat. (Drawing, Courtesy Robert Savannah, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

Now the farm is a housing development. The last of the houses was completed about the same time the deer problem began. Hmmmmn. Do you think there could be a connection? So, if we can’t get smarter building practices, we have to get smarter deer control.

When deer pressure was low, we tried Irish Spring soap, hair, netting individual shrubs, led the dog around and showed her where to pee, etc. As the situation progressively worsened, we instituted stronger measures, and have found that a combination of solutions works best for us.

We built a deer exclosure around that part of the house where we want to garden. This is a fancy way of saying we put up a very substantial deer fence, made of plastic with 2-inch mesh grids. In our woods, this is nearly invisible. Garden doors allow us free passage to the rest of our property. The fence extends around both sides of the house, but stops at the front façade. On one side, most of the fencing is hidden by a berm; on the other, it is below eye level (except from my desk) because it is on an area that slopes downhill.

Out front, we use Wireless Deer Fence. These are battery-operated shock-sticks that are baited with a floral scent. It takes the deer a while to learn that good-smelling things “bite.” The shock is a mild one, but it gets their attention. The AA batteries last about a year, but you need to replace the bait once a month.

I’d really like to have a cattle-guard for the driveway, but it seems too difficult and expensive to retrofit ours. I’ve talked to people who do have them and they seem to work like a charm.

Finally, we use a spray called Deer Solution, my preferred deterrent. Deer Solution smells of cinnamon and needs only to be applied once every 90 days. Frankly, I'm surprised it isn't more popular. It is a systemic that is taken in through the leaves, and once on the plants, causes them to permanently taste bad to the deer. At the beginning of the growing season, it needs to be applied to all new growth, so more frequent spraying may be necessary.

This isn’t quite as much work as it may sound, since everything doesn’t have to be done simultaneously. We’re pretty laissez-faire, or fairly lazy, depending upon how you look at it. For now, these methods are working for us. We’re happy, and the deer are happy.

We don’t consider deer vermin, or hoofed devils, as some do. Since it is we who have created the problem, we are the one who must solve it.

The Detention Basin Queen

Pictured at left, my current nominee for the ugliest detention basin.

Just call me Lois Jean, the Detention Basin Queen. Slowly but surely over the past three years, I’ve been making converts to my new belief system that no detention basin needs to be ugly. In case anyone forgot, I’m out to eradicate those aesthetically obnoxious stormwater collection holes from the face of the Earth! See http://loisdevries.blogspot.com/2007/09/detention-basins-good-bad-and-ugly.html

My ever-dependable cohort in this enterprise, Environmental Commissioner Diane Gillespie, and I have spent the past two years traipsing through wind, rain, sleet, and snow (but not the dead of night) to stare into yet another ugly hole in the ground and shoot its portrait. We’ve dragged our municipal engineer, as well as a federal biologist from hole to hole, seeking the answer to our question, “What can be done about this?”

The answer is (drumroll, please) they can be converted to stormwater gardens that qualify as habitat restoration projects. On October 17^th, The Morris County Parks Commission’s Frelinghuysen Arboretum and the Andover Township Environmental Commission are partnering to present an all-day symposium on the subject. Speakers include experts on stormwater, engineering, and native plants. On the lighter side, there will be an ugly detention basin contest, so potential contenders might want to start prowling their towns now with digital camera in hand. To get on the mailing list, send an e-mail to lparness@morrisparks.net More on the symposium later.

Meanwhile, I’m hoping to get more phone calls like one I received the other day. “Hello? I’ve got a detention basin that not only doesn’t work, but it’s the ugliest thing you’ve ever seen. Can you help me?” YES!