I was pleased with the response to my inquiry concerning the origin of the name for the “Spruce Goose”. Larry of Sunnyvale telephoned me to explain that it was an airplane built entirely of wood, primarily spruce. It was only flown once and only for few miles at very low altitude to a custom built hangar in Long Beach. Some thought that it’s awkward form resembled a goose; therefore naming it the “Spruce Goose”. The restaurant onboard the Queen Mary (which was the only “Spruce Goose” I was aware of) was named after the airplane. My father, of Tomeo Nursery in Poulsbo, Washington also telephoned me to confirm this information after reading the Sunnyvale Sun online.

Because my father’s family has been in Sunnyvale since the beginning of time, he is the authority on local history. He once explained to me why the entertainment industry had become established in Hayward and later, Long Beach and Hollywood. It is because there is no other place on the continent which is so close to so many various environments. California contains more climate zones than vast areas of the rest of North America.

Fortunately, garden enthusiasts in the Santa Clara Valley need only be concerned with three of the twenty four popularly recognized climate zones. For convenience, these zones are numbered. The three local zones are 15, 16 and 17. The Coyote Valley is classified as a similar but distinct zone 14. Zone 7 includes the mountains to the east and the higher elevations of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Each zone is distinguished by specific climatic conditions.

Selection of plant species for the garden should be limited to those which are recommended for the climate zone. Species which would not perform well here are generally not available in nurseries. However, some specialty items which require more than routine care to live here are available to those willing to accommodate their special needs. For example, most tropical plant species which grow well on a sheltered patio must be brought inside for protection from frost.

Most horticultural texts (such as Sunset - Western Garden Book) include a vast range of species used in all twenty four zones, and will also specify which zones each species prefers. This is why such text include much more than what is available in nurseries. (Nothing bothers nurserymen more than clients who use the Sunset - Western Garden Book as a catalogue, assuming that all species described should be available.)

Zone 15 is a “coastal climate”, influenced by ocean air most of the time. Weather is generally mild, but may get too warm in summer for some species or too cool in winter for others. Conversely, summers are warm enough for those species which prefer heat; and winters are cool enough to sufficiently chill those which require cold winters. This zone is also typified by a regular afternoon breeze in summer. The area covered by zone 15 includes most of San Jose, the northeastern half of Campbell, the northeastern half of Cupertino, most of Sunnyvale and most of Mountain View.

The thermal belts of zone 16 are nearly identical to zone 15, but exhibits milder winters. Thermal belts are either slightly above a valley floor or on a slope; so that cold, denser air flows downhill into zone 15. Los Gatos, Saratoga, southwest Campbell, southwest Cupertino and Los Altos Hills are all within this zone.

The area nearest to the Bay is in zone 17; including the northern edges of San Jose, Sunnyvale, Mountain View and most of Santa Clara. Summer weather is usually cooler than within the other zones and insufficient for species which require heat, such as citrus. Winter weather is also milder and may interfere with dormancy of species which prefer colder winters. Zone 17 experiences more fog than other zones.