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Dec
2
Membership
Meeting &
Holiday Potluck... pictures
from the meeting 
A holiday treat
was in store for us following our potluck dinner.John Muir Laws, naturalist, educator, author and artist, will give us a slide show talk on the flora and fauna of the Sierra. Jack, as he is commonly called, backpacked the Sierra Nevada for six years to research and illustrate The Laws Guide to the Sierra Nevada. The pocket-sized field guide references more than 1,700 species and contains more than 2,700 of his original watercolor paintings. It is organized with similar-looking species next to each other for ease in figuring out what is being seen in nature. Members were able to buy the book at the meeting A wildlife biologist, and an associate of the California Academy of Sciences, Jack has worked as an environmental educator for over 25 years in California, Wyoming, and Alaska. He teaches classes on natural history, conservation biology, scientific illustration, and field sketching. He is also a regular contributor to Bay Nature magazine with his “Naturalist’s Notebook” column.
Jack is neither a descendent of, nor named after, the historical John
Muir. But Jack’s ancestors do include a John and a
Muir,
after whom he was named. His parents, however, were quite
aware of how
his name came together, since both were avid naturalists.
Jack has certainly followed in their footsteps, and gave us a great program and plenty to think about and do.
Plant of the Month: Symphoricarpus alba (Snowberry)
Program: Rainwater & Graywater Systems -- Drought-Proofing the Garden John Russell of http://watersprout.org/home.html Water conservation is a growing necessity as our state continues to experience dry conditions and heavy demands on the Delta and our reservoirs. It was therefore no surprise that John Russell, our November speaker, has seen an explosion of interest in rainwater and graywater catchment systems. A landscape contractor and owner of Oakland-based WaterSprout, John has pioneered in creating water efficient gardens throughout the Bay Area. In fact, he constructed California’s first residential wetland in a space of just 5 x 10 feet. John’s slide presentation will show some methods of catching rainwater and graywater, as well as examples of actual projects. While his focus was on systems that might be a bit too complex for the do-it-yourselfer, he also discussed simple measures that most people could implement. John holds a B.S. from UC Davis in evolution and ecology, and a M.S. from the San Francisco Institute of Architecture in ecological design.
Rose
Loveall-Sale of Morningsun Herb Farm & Nursery
Hundreds
of lavender varieties and salvia species make these hardy perennials a
great source of gardening delight in our area. Rose Loveall-Sale, our
October speaker, provided sound information on both, including the
tidbits mentioned here.
Lavenders Known for their fragrance, lavenders also have medicinal applications (Crusaders used lavender to staunch blood) and culinary uses that are coming back into vogue. Although distasteful to gophers and deer, bees are attracted to lavender. Since lavenders like it hot and dry, plant them on a mound in well-draining soil. Fall, when the soil is still warm, is a good time to establish them in the garden. To keep lavenders looking nice, prune them after each bloom (usually twice a year), and cut away the top 1/3 of the wood. Rose fertilizes most of her lavenders in the fall with fish emulsion and liquid kelp. Salvias Hummingbirds love salvias, which are easy to grow and range from 12 inches to 12 feet in height. Salvias come in many colors: an array of purples, as well as pinks, reds and oranges. Prune salvias in late February or early March. Cut to the ground your herbaceous (soft-stemmed) salvias, and cut by 1/3 your woody-stemmed ones. October is the best time, and tip cuttings are the best method of salvia propagation. Sep 2 Membership Meeting - ... pictures from the meeting
California Native
Plants for the Garden
Program by Troy McGregor of Garden Natives Troy McGregor brought his expertise and some of his plants to our September meeting. Troy is propagation coordinator at CREEC (Carquinez Regional Environmental Education Center), which some of us toured in May. He also is a Master Gardener, sells natives at the Markham Arboretum Saturday sales, and has a part-time business aptly titled Garden Natives. Native plants that grow well in our area – including in our heavy clay soil – was the focus of Troy’s presentation. Troy began his presentation with these tips on how to contend with our clay soil: > Select plants that are natural to this area. > Amend with pumice or lava rock to break up the clay and improve drainage. > Drip irrigate; water deeply, infrequently. > Avoid the clay with berms, raised beds or containers filled with planting soil. Troy identified plants that grow well in this area. Those that tolerate clay are followed with an asterisk (*) in this summary: > Trees – valley oak*, blue oak, California buckeye and toyon. > Perennials – Yarrow, milkweed (purple, narrow-leaf and showy), sacred datura*, > California fucshia, sticky gumplant, bush monkey flower, yampah, California bee plant, California blue-eyed grass*. > Grasses – brome, fescue, needlegrass. > Bulbs – single-leaf onion*, harvest brodiaea, soap plant, blue dicks, ithuriels spear. > Annuals – elegant clarkia*, collinsia (Chinese houses), nemophila (five spot), tansy leaf phacelia. In his talk, Troy also pointed out which plants attract which butterflies and insects. For more information about CREEC, go to www.creecyouth.org. You can see the slides from Troy's presentation by going to his web site, www.gardennatives.com, clicking on the "Presentations" button on the left column and then clicking on "Pleasant Hill Garden Club - September 2008" for the slide show.
Jan
Coyle, Pacific Pathways
Travel,
Garden travel tour guide specializing in New Zealand and Australia.
New Zealand lies about 4,000 miles southwest of Hawaii,
1,200 miles east of Australia, and near to the hearts of gardeners.
Some of the country’s most delightful gardens came alive during Jan Coyle’s slide show following our August potluck gathering. A native of New Zealand, Jan operates a travel agency that specializes in tours to her homeland, plus Australia and nearby islands. Jan said the climate in New Zealand is similar to ours, but it gets much more rain, which is fantastic for flora. “People are amazed at how large the plants are,” Jan said, referring specifically to camellias and rhododendrons. A few gardens on her tour are in public parks, but most are on private land “ out in nowhere,” Jan said. Tour gardens reflect the personalities of their owners – from a perfectionist’s tidy and formal showcase to a chatty host’s floral woodland. New Zealand’s most renowned private garden is near Auckland. Originally a farm, the owner has transformed it into an awesome display of plants, ponds and lawns. In Wellington tourists can take a cable car to a hilltop garden and stroll through it as they walk back down to town. Jan’s tour guests also usually enjoy two overnight adventures: one on a boat ride up a fjord, the other on a sheep or dairy farm. Jan’s company website is: www.pacificpathways.com.
Jenny Papka and Diana Granados, Curators, Native Bird Connections Gardeners
can help birds in urban areas
Fascinating facts about birds – plus a chance to meet two of them – made our June meeting special. Besides noting how our gardens can be more bird-friendly, two speakers from Native Bird Connections gave us a lot of basic information. “Gardeners can provide safe places for birds to hide from predators,” said Diana Granados, executive director of the nonprofit that cares for injured birds of prey. “Birds need water, especially during the heat of summer. If they aren’t using your birdbath, move it,” said Jenny Papka, curator. Placing marbles at the bottom of a birdbath will help birds judge the water’s depth, she added. Jenny and Diana also said: • Many birds nest in cavities, which make birdhouses attractive to them. • Ravens are increasing in number and causing concern because they are carnivorous and kill smaller birds. • Ravens can be identified by their pointed tails; crows have square tails. • California has the world’s largest population of Golden Eagles; they live near the Altamont Pass windmills. • Young birds are more likely than adults to try unfamiliar foods. For more: www.nativebirds.org/
Plant Sale
Reflections...
excerpted from June08 Flower Press.
The
plant sale team met recently to review what worked well this year and
what else can be done in the future to make our
annual fundraiser
operate even more smoothly.
If
you have suggestions, please pass them along to Eileen Housfeld,
eileen.hh@comcast.net, or 944-4898. Meanwhile, here are some of the
most positive highlights:
Excellent outcome – proceeds of $4,838. Right prices – prompting shoppers to snap up bargains. Hearty plants – our “product” was of good quality. Good organization – everything came together. Friday preparation – plant deliveries, pricing, placing. Parking control – made it easy for shoppers. Table display – specialty items attracted customers. Plant expertise – knowledgeable members aided buyers. Fine participation – people worked beyond their shifts. Willing cooperation – folks helped out where needed. Speedy clean-up – many people pitched in. Enough canopies – whew!
(excerpted
from June 08 Flower Press)
Since 1926, the dahlia has been the city flower of San Francisco, and there has been a dahlia garden in Golden Gate Park since 1917. With that introduction, Deborah Dietz launched into a detailed dahlia discussion at our May meeting. Dahlias have 15 recognized colors, 19 bloom forms, and come in all sizes, she said. The usual style of propagation is to divide the tubers every year, and no more than every two or three years, Deborah said. It’s important to make sure each tuber intended for germination has an eye, as well as a neck that’s not broken, said Deborah. The best way to do that, she said, is to dig up tuber clumps and store them – dirt and all – in a cool (not cold) place over the winter. In the spring, spray off the dirt, and the eyes will have sprouted. Deborah said tubers may be planted indoors in early spring and put in the ground between April 15 and May 30. Loose soil, good drainage, and in the Diablo Valley, morning sun and afternoon shade are ideal conditions, said Deborah. Dahlias prefer minimal water before germination, then heavy watering, followed by no water until the plants droop, Deborah said. Once buds form, drip irrigation is best. To fertilize, Deborah starts with an even formula, such as 16-16-16 and then boosts blooms with something like a 5-50-17. Potted dahlias require regular fertilization, she noted. Be brave and pinch off the first buds to get a showy plant later, Deborah concluded. April 26 di Rosa Art & Nature Reserve Trip... members only
The
di
Rosa Art & Nature Preservenear
Napa is a natural
wildlife preserve with a wide variety of native plants artfully interspersed with sculptures. April 19 PHGSC Succulent Propagation Workshop ... pictures Our
succulent focus this month included a demonstration workshop
on how to
propagate these hardy, water-retaining plants.
Succulent roots grow sideways as well as down, so put a
potted succulent inside a somewhat larger pot to help protect the roots
from heat, Kaye said. April 1 Membership Meeting
Gardening
with Succulents for
Bold
Year Round Color
Succulents
that grow well in the ground – even in
clay soils
– were part of a lively, energetic presentation by Ernesto
Sandoval,
our
speaker for the April meeting. March 29 PHGSC Workshop.... pictures Shell Gardens A morning workshop learning to make these small shell gardens... both for the Plant Sale and your garden. With the careful planning of
Lisa Robinson and the guidance and coaching of Phil Greig, we
had a successful
workshop March 29th to create
abalone shell gardens
using rooted succulents, along with decorative rocks, small shells,
and other items. March 5th Membership Meeting Presentation by Todd Sutton, Composting Guru, WasteSleuth.com  We
hear it from our speakers all the time: the
best way to amend our soil
is to add compost, compost, compost.At our March meeting we got the “nitty gritty” from Todd Sutton, Master Composter, Master Gardener, and consultant/owner/operator of WasteSleuth.com. Sutton’s motto is “everything rots,” and his theory is that anybody can set up a compost system. He’ll showed us ways that are easy on our budgets and our backs. Sutton’s gave us a bin full of tips, including his “recipe” for successful composting, plus using water to help along the process, avoiding unwanted pests, eliminating odors, and knowing when the product is finished and ready to use. Composting is good for the earth, said Sutton, since we recycle much of our yard waste rather than send it to the dump, and we fertilize less with petrochemicals. Whether you were an experienced composter or just starting out, Sutton’s presentation wasn't a waste! *********************************************
Sutton’s consulting
business specializes in waste
prevention,
reuse and recycling. He previously served 14 years as a program manager
with StopWaste.org,
an Alameda County waste management agency. He is currently working to
debut a television show on Discovery TV’s new channel, Planet
Green.
Life After Lawn:
Toward the New
Naturalism -- Presentation
by Anthony Garza,
Jr., Supervisor, Horticulture and Grounds, (http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu) January 8th Membership Meeting Aesthetic
Pruning...Prune with Intention and Attention
Aesthetic pruning – shaping a small tree
or woody
bush – takes a little forethought, as well as stepping back
frequently
to see how it’s going.
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