The top places in the Bay area offering high-quality teak furniture, reasonable prices, and knowledgeable salespeople include these retailers:

1. McGill Teak Outdoor Patio Furniture ( http://www.mcgillteak.com/index.php ), in San Jose, designs, creates, and distributes fine quality outdoor teak furniture. They also are very environmentally conscious in how they source their teak. Customers rave about the broad selection and the quality of teak furniture offered by McGill.

2. Paradise Teak ( http://www.paradiseteak.com/index.html ), in San Leandro, offers a broad selection of high quality outdoor teak furniture crafted in Indonesia. The owners are attentive to the needs of their customers, from educating customers about the care of teak to assisting them in choosing the furniture that will fit their lifestyle. Customers rave about the significant savings they found on the attractively styled, well-built pieces that they purchased at Paradise Teak as well as the on time, courteous delivery.

3. West Teak (http://west-teak.com/), in Alameda, offers high quality, well designed handcrafted teak furniture as well as arbors, fence panels, mail boxes, planters, and signposts. Additionally, the owner makes many of the pieces and provides detailed information about how he makes each piece of teak furniture. Customers give high marks for the attention to detail in the design and construction of the teak furniture they purchased at West Teak.

4. CalAsia Trading (http://www.calasiatrading.com/home.jsp), in Union City, is a wholesaler that is willing to sell to the public if you call in advance. The owner is very helpful in assisting customers find exactly the piece of teak furniture that they want, and he will order furniture directly from the manufacturer if he does not have it in stock. He only sources his stock from suppliers who adhere to Fair Trade practices. Additionally, he returns 10 percent of his profits back to the community in Indonesia where the furniture is made.

5. Tom’s Outdoor Furniture (http://www.tomsoutdoorfurniture.com/ ), in Redwood City, specializes in teak patio furniture. Tom’s was voted the Best Outdoor Furniture Store by San Francisco Examiner readers for four consecutive years beginning in 2009. While customers are pleased with the furniture, some expressed dissatisfaction with the customer service. Others report the prices of the furniture seem high when the store is not running promotions.

6. Nomadic Arts (http://www.nomadicarts.com/ ), in SOMA, offers new fine teak furniture for all areas of your home at very reasonable prices. While they have a fair selection of furniture in their storeroom, they can order custom-made furniture, but be prepared to wait two months or more for your order. Although customers have had some issues with the stain color of the pieces not being what they expected, they report they were pleased by the owner persevering to meet his customer’s expectations.

7. Another Time (http://www.anothertimesf.com/Home_Page.php ), located on Market Street in Soma, offers a full selection of vintage teak credenzas, dining tables, and chairs. All of the pieces are restored and customers find the owner friendly, knowledgeable, helpful, and attentive. Some people said although the prices are on the high side, most found them reasonable for 1960s era Danish Modern teak furniture.

8. Antiques and Modern (http://www.antiquesandmodern.com/ ), in Berkeley, acquires and restores mid-20th century Danish teak furniture. In the event you cannot find what you want in their showroom, explore their warehouse in the back that is full of treasures. In Spring 2011, Antiques and Modern opened their garden to showcase their outdoor teak furniture. Customers like the attentive customer service and the prices, which are reasonable considering the high quality of the furniture.

9. The Wooden Duck ( http://www.thewoodenduck.com/v3/), with showrooms both in Berkeley and San Rafael, offers an eclectic mix of high-end teak furniture. Both unfinished and finished teak pieces are available. All of the furniture offered by the Wooden Duck is made on site from reclaimed and recycled teak. Many customers find the prices on the high side, but they find the sales staff knowledgeable and helpful.

What is Pitch Pine Canker Disease and Does it Spread?
Pitch pine canker disease is caused by a fungus called Fusarium circinatum. It is transmitted mainly through beetles that feed on pine trees, such as twig beetles, cone beetles, engraver beetles, and deathwatch beetles. These insects drill holes in the twigs and bark of infected trees, and pass on the fungus to new trees. Pitch pine canker disease affects many species of pine, but Monterey pines seem to be the most susceptible. Trees that are particularly vulnerable are those that already have cuts, gashes, or holes. Scientists believe that the disease originated in Mexico, and today it can be found in the United States, Japan, Chile, South Africa, and Spain.

Symptoms of Pitch Pine Canker Disease
Trees affected with pitch pine canker disease will develop lesions or cankers on the branches. The pine needles may turn brown or red before falling off. The cankers then spread to the trunk of the tree. As a response to the disease, the trees produce a thick resin that oozes out of the cankers. Eventually, the disease overcomes the tree and it dies. Alternatively, insects may feed on the weakened tree, which leads to its demise. A good way to check for pitch pine canker is to check the wood underneath the bark of a tree. If the wood is golden in color and the tree is exhibiting cankers and oozing resin, chances are the tree is infected.

How to Manage Pitch Pine Canker Disease
There is no treatment for pitch pine canker disease, so the best you can do if you suspect one or many of your trees are infected is to cut off the infected branches. This will slow down the spread of the fungus. Some trees may recover from the disease, but many do not. If the tree is severely affected, it is best to remove the tree and burn all parts of the tree to kill off any surviving beetles that could pass on the disease to other healthy trees. In addition, it is prudent to sterilize any tools that you have used on the tree before using them on a new tree.

Because there is no known treatment for pitch pine canker disease, it is very likely that this fungus will spread into new territory if it is not kept under control. This could cause vast areas of forest to be depleted, decreasing this valuable natural resource. In addition, there are many other types of trees that may be susceptible to the disease, including those that are important for trade. Furthermore, if the disease gets out of control, it may be necessary to remove large areas of ornamental trees. This could be extremely costly to homeowners and the taxpayers. If you suspect that you have trees that are infected with pitch pine canker disease, or if you have any questions about this fungus, please contact Aesthetic Gardens at 800-710-2764 or use the contact form on the website to speak to a specialist.

References:

http://frap.cdf.ca.gov/pitch_canker/prevention_management/cal_ag.html

http://www.forestpathology.org/dis_pitch.html

http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74107.html

Ants protect the aphids from predators, provide the aphids with a cold-weather shelter in their anthill during winter months, and then return them to their feeding grounds (plants and trees) once again in spring. In return, the ants collect honeydew from the aphids, which the ants consume. Then, once the aphids have depleted the leaves and shoots of all their nutrients, the ants carry the aphids to a new food source.

The Aphid Problem
Aphids are a major citrus tree threat because they damage the leaves and shoots of the trees and thereby interfere with photosynthesis. If the citrus tree cannot photosynthesize, it cannot acquire enough energy to grow, blossom, or reproduce. Aphids damage citrus trees by literally drinking the leaves dry, and by injecting the host plant with saliva using their piercing mouthparts. The saliva prevents coagulation of the “sap,” and acts to keep the aphids’ food source flowing.

If only a few aphids are present, the citrus tree threat is relatively low and the aphids’ feeding activity will probably not be harmful. But heavy infestations can cause leaves to curl and wilt, shoots to become stunted, blossoms and fruits to be delayed, or even total plant failure.

Aphids are also known to carry dangerous plant pathogens, which they transmit to the citrus trees during feeding. These pathogens transmit disease, and can cause an enormous amount of damage to a citrus tree orchard. In particular, aphids are an efficient vector of citrus tristeza virus (CTV). CTV is a terrible citrus tree threat, and trees can decline and die within one to five years after infection.

Symptoms of Aphid Infestation
To identify an aphid infestation, look for a glaze of a sticky substance that forms on the lower leaves of a tree, or on cars, toys, or lawn chairs sitting under the aphid host tree. This glaze is the collected, dripping honeydew secreted by the aphids. After a few days or weeks, the coating of honeydew will attract brown fungi. The fungi, which harden into a brown crust, are not only unsightly but also further interfere with the tree’s ability to perform photosynthesis.

How to Control Aphids
The normal method of aphid control is very time-consuming. Simply wash them off by hand, if the tree is small enough. Use a solution of water and insecticidal soap to prevent the aphids from returning. Or if the tree is too large for manual removal, use a sprayer to knock the aphids off the tree. Again, use a solution of water and insecticidal soap in order to delay another infestation.

Also, ladybugs are one of the aphid’s primary predators, so encouraging ladybugs to visit is a terrific way to control your aphid citrus tree threat. Ladybugs love fennel, dill, cilantro and alfalfa, so planting those near your infested trees will help draw ladybugs to feast on your unwelcome guests.

http://www.sylvangardens.com/aphids.html

http://jxb.oxfordjournals.org/content/57/4/739.full

http://cisr.ucr.edu/brown_citrus_aphid.html

The Disease that the Asian Citrus Psyllid Carries
The disease carried by this insect is called huanglongbing and it destroys the appearance of the plant while also making the fruit bitter and unpalatable. Huanlongbing is also known as citrus greening disease. While the disease is not a danger to humans, it does destroy the ability of affected trees to produce edible fruit. The symptoms of huanglongbing include yellowing of the leaves, as well as a reduction in size of the fruit produced.

How Huanglongbing is Transmitted
Since the disease is carried by the insect, it is largely transmitted by the international transportation of the plants on which it feeds. Not all Asian Citrus Psyllids carry huanglongbing, but when they get it, they carry it for the rest of their lives. It may also be spread by grafting, if the plant material being used has been infested. Not only can grapefruits, limes, lemons, and oranges be infested, so can plants like the orange jasmine, a common decorative plant which is also a citrus relative.

What can be done about it?
The first step in preventing the disease is to be able to identify its vector, which is the Asian Citrus Psyllid. Being able to identify the disease itself is also important. A positive identification of the insect should be followed by strict pest-control measures involving chemical or biological agents. If a tree is already infected with huanglongbing, it should be removed to prevent the disease from spreading to other trees in the vicinity.

Inspecting for the Asian Citrus Psyllid
Inspections should be done regularly; for example, when pruning or spraying citrus trees, particularly during those seasons where growth is most active, namely spring and fall. Because of the size of the insect, a magnifying glass will usually be necessary to determine its presence. The insect also tends to flatten itself against leaves and stems, making it even more difficult to spot easily. Other places to look include new leaves, particularly those that have not yet unfolded.

Identifying the disease will involve checking the plant’s leaves for signs of the yellow mottling that is characteristic of huanglongbing. While the symptoms may resemble other problems common to citrus plants, huanglongbing is unique in that it does not affect both sides of the leaf equally; therefore one side is usually more mottled than the other.

If you suspect that your citrus plants are infested with the Asian Citrus Psyllid, or that they may be infected with huanglongbing, you will need professional advice and assistance. Please call us at 800-710-2764, or send us a message via the contact form on our website.

http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/plant/acp/

http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74155.html

http://www.fcla.edu/FlaEnt/fe87p330.pdf

1. Las Pilitas Nursery

The owners of Las Pilitas Nursery have grown only native California plants since the 1970s, and they have amassed an enormous collection of photos, descriptions, tips and information about these plants on their website. The site is simple to navigate, has detailed plant descriptions and pictures, and is written in a way that is very easy to understand.

http://www.laspilitas.com/plants/california_plants.html

2. The California Native Plant Society

The CNPS was formed in 1965 and has been dedicated to preserving native plants in California ever since. They also aim to educate people about native plant species. The website contains information about educational courses on native plants, videos and manuals for how to grow native plants, and links to each of their 33 chapters in different regions of California.

http://www.cnps.org/

3. Calflora

Calflora is an extensive data base that contains information and pictures of over 10,000 native and introduced species of plants in the State of California. Visitors can use the advanced search tool to search for plants by name, native or non-native status, life form, elevation, community, rarity, and more.

http://www.calflora.org/

4. The United State Department of Agriculture Plants Database

As you would expect from a government website, the USDA Plants Database is incredibly detailed, and offers lists and details of thousands of plants that can be found across the United States. Visitors can search by state to narrow down the search to California plants. However, visitors should be aware that the search results do not state whether the plant is native or non-native.

http://plants.usda.gov/java/

5. The Theodore Payne Foundation California Native Plant Wiki

The California Native Plant Wiki is an information resource that was designed with the aim of educating people about California’s native flora. There is a plant library which features hundreds of plants with basic information about the species, care and maintenance, and useful links to other sites that contain pictures and details about those species.

http://www.theodorepayne.org/

6. California Gardens

The California Gardens website offers a simple drop down list with scientific and common names of some of the most popular California native plants. Users can click on the names to open pages that contain pictures of the plants, as well as detailed information about plant features, how to grow each plant, and where each plant grows in the state.

http://www.californiagardens.com/Lists/native.htm

7.. Napolito Nursery

Napolito Nursery offers a comprehensive plant list of the species that they sell in their nursery. Visitors can click on the plant name to open a page with a picture and a short paragraph about each plant. Each paragraph is written in easy-going, humorous language, and gives useful information about what the plant looks like, and growing tips.

http://nopalitonursery.com/

8. Wikipedia List of Native California Plants

Wikipedia can be hit or miss, but their page on native California plants is very extensive. Each link takes you to a separate page dedicated to a specific type of plant, with photos, information, and useful links.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_California_native_plants

9. Native Revival Nursery

The Native Revival Nursery is dedicated to growing native flora exclusive to California. They have a comprehensive list of plant species with descriptions of each plant, information about its wildlife value, growing tips, and photos.

http://www.nativerevival.com

10. The Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center

Although this site is not specific to native California plants, visitors can search the Wildflower.org database for native California plants if they know the name or family of the plant they are looking for. Native plant pages include brief descriptions, pictures, and links to websites that offer seeds and plant cuttings.

http://www.wildflower.org

What is Sudden Oak Death?
Sudden Oak Death is caused by the pathogen Phytophthora ramorum, or P ramorum, and it affects the oak and tan oak trees. Symptoms of the pathogen were first recognized in the early 1990s, but very little is known about its origins or its biology. It has a broad host range, living in almost all woody plant species in coastal forests, and can be spread through infected soil or plant material, and rain. The disease is a highly efficient killer, able to reduce entire forests to grassland or shrubland in a very short time. Sudden Oak Death affects all varieties of oak trees, but the most visibly affected are the California black oak, Shreve’s oak, coast live oak, and tan oak. The disease also affects co-existing plant species, such as the bay laurel, the Douglas fir, rhododendron, and coast redwood. In addition, these plants serve as hosts, and insects such as ambrosia beetles and bark beetles aid in the spread.

Sudden Oak Death causes red-brown and black cankers to grow on the main stem of the oak tree. Lesions can occur on stems, branches, and leaves, and the foliage turns brown. The lesions and cankers range from less than an inch in diameter to over 12 feet long, and they bleed thick, dark black to burgundy red sap. The cankers usually occur 3-5 feet from the ground, but can grow at soil level or higher. Infected trees may die quickly, within 2-4 weeks, but the time from initial infection to death can range from months to several years. The disease appears to only infect adult oak trees, with the exception of the tanoak, which is highly susceptible at all stages: seedling to sapling to mature trees.

Environmental conditions play an important role. The disease appears to thrive in cool, wet climates, but researchers hypothesize that heavy rains and warm temperatures are also factors contributing to its rapid spread. They suggest that if climate change makes conditions warmer and wetter in Western North America, Sudden Oak Death may become one of the most damaging of all tree diseases.

Where is it found?
Sudden Oak Death is found primarily along the western coast of the United States and in Europe. Most of the locations in the U.S. are near the coastline, ranging from Monterey County, California, to Curry County, Oregon, with the majority of the infection occurring in the Big Sur canyons, near Santa Cruz, and in San Francisco’s Marin County. The disease has been found in Germany and the Netherlands, and more recently has been confirmed in Spain, the UK, France, and a number of other European countries, as well as in British Columbia, Canada.

What can be done?
The potential of Sudden Oak Death to destroy complete coastal forest ecosystems has spurred government to sponsor research and coordinated maintenance and control activities. The pathogen is being managed through a number of initiatives intended to protect individual trees and prevent the spread to other locations. In many forests in California the pathogen is too well-established to be eliminated, so efforts are focused on preventing spread.

Once a tree has been infected, death is not necessarily a certainty. Many oak trees do survive. Preventative treatments are more effective than therapeutic ones; however, so a key factor in controlling Sudden Oak Death is early detection. Should you suspect the presence of Sudden Oak Death, it is important to contact an arborist for confirmation and treatment advice. Aesthetic Gardens can be reached at (800) 710-2764.

Learn More:
California Oak Mortality Task Force: http://www.suddenoakdeath.org/
Sudden oak death: endangering California and Oregon forest ecosystems: http://theleafsurface.org/faculty/rizzo/lab/Publications/RizzoGarbelotto-SODEcosystems-2003.pdf

Ramorum Blight and Dieback (Sudden Oak Death): http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/cropprot/sod.htm

Custom BBQ Installation - Sunnyvale

Outside of Texas, many people just think BBQ is meat with a tangy tomato based sauce slathered across the top, but they are missing the true definition. Authentic BBQ is meat, cooked over low heat for a long time with lots of delicious smoke. If you live in Texas, you probably already know all about it, how to make and most importantly, where to get the right equipment. But if you live outside of Texas, you’ll be hard pressed to find what you need.

This project was designed for a BBQ aficionado and getting the right grill and smoker was the key element. It would have been simple to pick out a grill and a separate smoker, but there were a few problems with that. First, two units mean twice as much space, and unlike the wide open spaces of Texas, the Bay Area has tiny lots. Second, the client wanted to be able to infuse grilled meats with extra smoke. There are ways to do that with a regular grill, but none were ideal. Third, the client had been searching for the perfect grill for a long time and hadn’t been able to find one.

We spent a lot of time discussing the key features the perfect grill would need to have. We wanted to know exactly what we were looking for so that we’d know it when we found it. Initially, we were having just as much trouble as the client in finding anything more than basic off the shelf grills. However, because of our research of the client’s needs, we made the connection that the client was really trying to cook like a competitive BBQer. As it turns out, there are many online forums that cater to this crowd and on those forums, custom grill makers are easy to find.

Which brings us back to Texas, land of custom BBG grills. It turns out that if you want a high quality grill that meets all your dreams, you’re going to be getting it from Texas. We found a great company (link to company) and started designing the perfect grill for our client. It took a few iterations back and forth to get all the details just right. We learned the ins and outs of grill and smoker design and had to make some trade offs to create a hybrid of the two. Once the design was done, we were ready to place the order, but there was one last thing we thought we had to do.

This custom grill was going to be a significant part of the cost of the project and it was going to be difficult to get on site and get into place. We had to be certain that the build quality was going to be outstanding and the only way to do that was to see one in person.

Did we mention that outside of Texas these things are hard to find?

As luck would have it, the company had just shipped a smoker to a BBQ restaurant and catering company in Southern California. We knew what we had to do. Road Trip! We contacted the caterer and scheduled a trip to visit the smoker. Unfortunately for us, our trip coincided with a record setting heat wave in the Los Angeles area and traffic was brutal. It was all worth it though, the smoker was a thing of beauty. This wasn’t just a cooking appliance, but a work of art. All of the details were perfect. We were sold.

We placed the order and several weeks later a shipping crate landed on the job site. We called up the client and had him come home for an unboxing party. Something this amazing needs to be celebrated. It took some care and some ingenuity to get the grill out of the crate. They packed this grill like the built it, to withstand everything.

Once we got the stainless steel behemoth out of its crate, 4 of us had to carry it into place in the backyard. This grill weighs in at about 800 pounds and getting it into place without a scratch was a challenge. We settled it into its new home and the client was blown away. We had nailed the details and he was amazed. When he made us some steaks a few days later, so were we.

Whether you are in the process of doing some landscaping in your garden or planning a complete redesign of your garden, one of the things that you should keep in mind is the regional water restriction that have been active in California for the past three years. As a landscaper I am constantly trying to advise my clients on making the correct choices of plants that do not require tons of water and also on how to optimise a garden so that it needs as little water as possible.

One of the best ways to go about this is to look at the plants, trees, flowers and shrubs that are local to your specific area. Being in California, you might worry that this may limit you considerably. Not true! At Aesthetic Gardens my team and I can help you find a surprisingly wide variety of trees, plants, shrubs and flowers that have adapted them to the specific weather and water conditions of our region.

So lets get down to business. There are various things that you can do in your garden listed here in no particular order:

1. As I mentioned already, use plants that are suited to the conditions of your specific location. Do research or get a landscaping company like us to do the planning and layout for you.
2. Be inventive. Making use of features such as rocks or weather suited ground cover (like lavender) you can keep bigger areas of your garden in permanent shade. What this does is to lower the soil temperature. When this happens, the soil will retain the water for longer, meaning the plants that you have in your garden has more time to absorb the water. Which brings us to the next point.
3. Plant trees. The common belief is that trees use up tons of water. But if you select carefully, or follow the advise of a landscaper, and pick the correct trees for this area, that statement will not be true. Trees in turn will provide plenty of shade, allowing again for the soil temperature to stay cooler. The shade that the trees will provide also creates an ideal place to plant certain flowers and plants that love the shade. The will be protected from harsh sunlight and use the minimum amount of water because of the cooled soil.
4. Plan your watering times. In my opinion the best time to do watering is early evening just before sunset. This allows the air to cool down naturally, which in turn will cool down the soil. And again, very importantly, the water will stay in the soil for longer, allowing the plants to absorb the maximum amounts.
5. Water according to instructions. Most plants do not need to be watered every day and by planning well and making sure that you have understand the instructions you should be able to cut down on water usage.
6. Keep your soil happy. As time passes, soil will compact and your plants will use up all of the minerals it needs from it. Being compact will also allow it to hold only a certain amount of water and the excess will drain quicker than what the plants can us it. Make use of fertilizer and compost as prescribed by a professional such as myself.
7. Mulch. Mulch. Mulch. I can not say this enough. By adding mulch to cover the soil at the base of your plant you are not only creating a superb looking visual effect but also taking care of your soil. The mulch will again keep the soil temperature low on warm days but also allows for much better water absorption.

And lastly but importantly, always consult a professional when you are in doubt. If you have any questions, ideas or suggestions relating to this post then please feel free to leave you comments below. I am always keen to help where I can and even more keen to learn new things.

By doing proper planning and studying the different plants you can use you will be able to have a garden that looks great all year round. To do this properly there is a couple of steps you should take. Here is a summary of what you should be doing before you start landscaping your garden for an all year round head turner.

1. Find out what type of soil is currently in your garden. This is important, as there are certain plants, shrubs and trees that only grow in specific types of soils. It is not a huge problem if you want to plant something that requires a different type of soil as that area can undergo a partial soil change to accommodate the plant. But you want to be aware of it before planting. We can provide you with the soil, the complete set up or a partial service.
2. Study the plant, shrub and tree types that will grow in your soil type as well as your regional weather conditions. While studying the plants you will also see in what seasons the look best, bloom or flower. Start making a shortlist of everything you are interested in.
3. Once you have a shortlist, make your final selection. Make sure that you get a well-balanced selection that will keep your garden looking good all year round. Keep notes on each plant, shrub or tree in your final selection like whether it needs shade or direct sunlight, watering tips and even tips for planting. The more information you have on each one, the more successful your venture will be.
4. Now you can start planning your garden. It is important to ensure that you do not plant everything that will bloom or flower at the same time, together. So ultimately you want to go for a staggered approach that allows your garden to look great all over, throughout all the seasons.
5. Once you have done your final planning you can start sourcing suppliers for your plants. When you buy, it would work better if you buy the biggest pieces first, then working to the smaller elements. Also make sure that you follow the planting and watering instructions to keep your plants happy.
6. Remember that if you are adding structures like ponds, gazebos or water features that you need to plan it together with your other plants. You do not want to end up in a situation where you want to put a big tree close to a pond that you installed the previous day, and then have to remove the pond’s foundations to get the tree into position.

And most importantly, if you are ever in doubt, consult a professional. We are trained and educated and have a passion for what we do. Look out for my future blogs in which I will start going into much more detail.