May  9 & 10 PHGSC Annual Plant Sale .. pictures.

May  6   Membership Meeting
              "Secrets to Growing Beautiful Dahlias".... pictures
              Deborah Dietz, Dahlia Society of California

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. 
The historic winery-turned-residence houses hundreds of works by California artists. Pictures and updated description forthcoming.

   Our succulent focus this month included a demonstration workshop on how to propagate these hardy, water-retaining plants.
   Kaye Rosso, a long-time PHGSC member and head propagator at the Ruth Bancroft Garden, led a workshop showing us how to make those babies grow.
   The fastest way to root a succulent cutting, according to Kaye Rosso, is to put the stem in a jar with a little water – but not enough to touch the stem.
   Before that, though, it’s essential to let the cutting dry out for three days or longer, Kaye said.
   She offered a wealth of tips and techniques at the succulent propagation workshop she presented April 19 and hosted by Lynn and Rocco Grassano.
   Because succulents store water, they hate being too cold or too wet, Kaye emphasized.
   She prefers to plant succulents in the ground, but favors pots for frost- tender varieties that should be moved to a more sheltered area in winter.
   When potting, Kaye likes to use a 60-40 mixture of potting soil and pumice. Sand, she said, tends to pack and hamper drainage, while pebbles can get hot and burn roots.
   To keep bugs out and soil in, Kaye lines the bottom of her pots with fine screen. She fertilizes sparingly with a 0-10-10 formula because it has no nitrogen, which would make succulents grow too fast and alter their basic shape.
   A newly potted succulent should be placed in filtered sun and not be watered until it shows new growth, Kaye advised.

   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.
   She also recommended repotting every year to give succulents continued room to grow.

      Gardening with Succulents for Bold Year Round Color
                     Ernesto Sandoval, Curator, UC Davis Botanical Conservatory
                     (there is a picture of Ernesto and Ted on WWW page above; Ernesto is on left...)

   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.
   He became interested in succulents when he started college at UC-Davis in 1991 and began working in its Botanical Conservatory. He is now the curator there.  
   Ernesto favors succulents because they are drought tolerant and have year-round interest.
   His talk covered how to grow succulents in pots and directly in your garden, the requirements for light and moisture, and the types of succulents to consider.
   Ernesto’s slide show provided many great ideas.
   For those who were inspired, he sold succulents and other bulbs and plants that were propagated at the UC-Davis Botanical Conservatory. All proceeds will go to the conservatory....pictures

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.
The goal was to sell our arrangements at this year’s plant sale.
Lisa Robinson donated the shells, thanks to a friend who dives for them. Shells not sold at the Plant Sale will be available to workshop participants.
The Workshop was hosted by Julie Schnur & Phil Greig.... thank you Julie & Phil.
The Club supplied the shells (thanks again, Lisa), soil, and used Phil’s expertise as leader.
Thanks again to Lisa and Phil (and Julie) for an enjoyable morning.

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!

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   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.

(http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu)
  Anthony Garza gravitates toward gardens of grasses, rushes and interesting accents.
  This “new naturalism” is a European movement that is slowly taking hold in the U.S., according to Garza, our February speaker.
  He designed and manages a great example of new naturalism at the public entrance to the
UC-Berkeley Botanical Garden, where Garza is supervisor of horticulture and grounds.
  Garza defined new naturalism as:
   » Dense plantings, with random repetition of elements for design cohesion.
   » Heavy reliance on natural species and/or nonhybrid plants.
   » Extensive use of plants that evoke a heightened sense of nature, i.e. grasses and
    grass-like plants.
   » Use of plants that look good year-round, even when dormant or deciduous, i.e. grasses
    and umbellifers.
   » Regionalism: the engagement, rather than coercion, of nature and her processes.
   New naturalism plants that Garza displayed in his slide show included varieties of Restio,
Muhlenbergia, Astelia, Libertia, and Carex.
  Many of these are now in nurseries, said Garza, or they can be bought at plant sales
such as the ones held at the Botanical Garden.
  Grassy and strapped-leafed plants may be accented by palms, cycads and Agaves, Garza said.
  Note:    Garza’s presentation included images from his personal garden in Oakland that was featured, along with an article he wrote, in the fall 2006 issue of Pacific Horticulture magazine.

January 8th Membership Meeting 

Aesthetic Pruning...Prune with Intention and Attention
Presentation by Michael Alliger, Professional Pruner and Pruning Instructor,  Merritt College ...pictures

   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.
   Begin, said Michael Alliger, our January speaker, with a clear idea or purpose for your pruning project.
   It may be to cut back overgrowth, show off the plant in its full natural expression, or correct earlier pruning mistakes.
   Before cutting, look at the plant from all angles to decide where and what shaping is needed, Alliger said.
   Often, it’s best to start at the back and bottom, and even from the inside out, Alliger advised. With branches in hand, he demonstrated:
   Thinning – to reduce density and allow light and air to penetrate.
   Re-leadering – to reduce height and width by creating a smaller side branch as the new leader. It takes a good eye and may take 2 to 5 years to reduce a woody plant properly.
   Heading or tipping – to shorten long shoots and counteract legginess.
   “Think of your plants as letting you into their space,” when you are ready to prune, Alliger said. “Remember, your plants are alive and they can’t run away.”
pictures