Today is the Winter Solstice

grown from cuttings-Summer '25

I spend much of my gardening day chasing the sun..my patio is well-shaded by 2 Birch trees, 2 Magnolia's & a row of Palm trees, across the street. The landscape trees keep my apartment cool in the summer, shield the patio from rain, to some degree & serve as windbreaks from the north-westerlies that can suck the life right out of a plant.

However, it also means that I have to shift plants around to try & make sure that they get their fair share of sun, or at least enough to stay alive during the shortened fall-winter days. And so, as we approach the Winter Solstice, I am starting to anticipate more hours of sun, less sun-chasing & happier plants.

Meadow Rue (Cal Native) - '25

Historically, the winter solstice was far more than an astronomical event; it was a matter of survival. In a world without electricity or global supply chains, the solstice marked the "death and rebirth" of the Sun. It represented the pivotal moment when the days stopped getting shorter and began to lengthen again—a literal turning point toward spring and the promise of future harvests.

The solstice served three primary roles in ancient civilizations:

• The Agricultural Marker: It was the time to slaughter livestock (since they couldn't be fed all winter) and ferment wine and beer. This provided a rare abundance of fresh meat and alcohol, fueling massive feasts.
• The Architectural Alignment: Civilizations went to incredible lengths to align monuments with the solstice sun.
• The Victory of Light: Most celebrations focused on "helping" the sun return or celebrating the victory of a sun deity over the forces of darkness.

Euphorbia - '25

Many of these ancient traditions were eventually absorbed into modern holidays. The Roman festival of Sol Invictus (the Unconquered Sun) and Saturnalia directly influenced the timing and customs of Christmas, such as the use of evergreens, candles, and communal feasting.

The word "solstice" comes from the Latin sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still), because for a few days around the solstice, the sun's path across the sky appears to stop before reversing direction.

So, I will celebrate the Solstice today by perhaps "tipping a cup or two" to welcome the sun back to the patio.

New Addition to the Collection

Italian Stone Pine - Fall '25

 We have a new tree to add to our growing collection..please welcome the Italian Stone Pine (pinus pinea) as the newest member.

An evergreen, and also one of the only pines with a canopy that resembles an umbrella. From the Mediterranean, this is an excellent pine for beach gardens and coastal planting, as well as for use as a street tree. While it's an excellent evergreen tree for a wide variety of landscape applications, it's an especially good choice for homeowners looking to create a Mediterranean landscape.

This Italian Stone Pine is drought tolerant and performs well when planted in full sun. A dry pine, it's a moderate grower and will require low to moderate watering, once it's established.

Birds are attracted to this graceful giving tree. In fact, if you love pine nuts, then you know how expensive they can be. Plant a thriving Italian Stone Pine and save money - it's the source of the edible, nutritious pine nut! Fun fact: this is the pine depicted in many of the famous Italian Renaissance paintings.

Follow his growth & development as time goes on, at https://www.jerryspatio.com/p/italian-stone-pine-pinus-pinea.html or look on the "Tree Inventory" menu (r-side of page) & click-on the name.

How evergreen trees shaped human history

By Beth Saulnier - Cornellians 

In the early 1770s, American colonists furious over British meddling in their trade of a key agricultural product finally had enough and rose up – an act of rebellion that would ultimately spark a revolution.

But this wasn’t the Boston Tea Party.

It was the Pine Tree Riot – a bit of rural lawbreaking by some New Hampshire residents that would inspire their Massachusetts brethren a year later. And it’s just one of the myriad ways that evergreens have played a transformative role in human history – chronicled in “Evergreen,” a new book by Trent Preszler, M.S. ’02, Ph.D. ’12, a professor of practice in the Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, in the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business.

 “It’s like the courtroom drama that would unfold if you brought evergreens onto the witness stand and swore them in,” Preszler said. “They kept the receipts about everything, from world wars to religion to construction booms. I basically just wrote down everything that they’ve been trying to tell us for 365 million years.”

Click here to read full article

UPDATE: Fremont Cottonwood (Populis Fremontii)

"the Fremont" seems to have fully-recovered from what ever was causing his leaves to blacken & die. In fact, he is growing a bit & "putting-on-some-weight" as he is beginning to build a canopy of side-branches & shoots, although he will never grow much taller than he is, right now.

But no one told him that this is December, when deciduous trees are supposed to change colors & lose their leaves..I wonder if this California native observes the seasonal changes like his Eastern cousins? Perhaps someone out there can answer that question?

If you're interested in learning more about this tree, you can access his Photos/History page here.