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www.dagc.us Newsletter of the Danville-Alamo Garden Club October 2019

The Flower Pot Volume XLVI Issue 2

Inside this Issue: Page 1 President’s Message, Index Page 2 Program, Lunch Bunch, Food Bank, Plant Exchange Page 3 Tour, and Future Tour Dates Page 4 Winter Event! Page 5 Workshop, Social, October Birthdays Page 6 Bookworms, Book Bees

Page 7 Community Outreach Page 8 Friends Helping Friends, Historian, Penny Pines Page 9 Membership, Project Produce, Notices Page 10 Horticulture: Winter Vegetables Page 11 Sponsor Updates Page 12 Calendar

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Many thanks for all the encouragement and positive feedback I received after the September Welcome Back

Meeting and Brunch! It was super to see so many of you there. Judy DeHont and Jess Ann Meadors with their

energetic Social Team had made the decor look fabulous and the food tables were filled to capacity with your

dishes.

I shared my ideas and plans for the year at the meeting and promised to recap them here. My goal is to make

everyone feel included and inclusive. We all joined this club to be with fellow gardeners and share our interest in

gardening. Do sign up for a tour, go to one of the workshops, help with community outreach, squeeze into one of

the book groups (might be time to start a 3rd one!), and join one of the groups looking for additional help. Visit the

sign up table at our meetings to see what’s happening!

Gardeners’ Question Time

This was the name of my father’s favorite BBC radio program which he listened to faithfully every week. A panel of

experts would answer questions posed by the live audience. I have made a Gardeners’ Question Time Box which

will be placed on the Sign Up table at our meetings. You can write any gardening questions you have and pop them

in the box. No question is too silly or simple! They can be anonymous….we’ll see if our horticulture experts can

answer these questions or maybe another member has the answer. Shorter questions are preferable but any

longer or detailed questions could be used by the horticulture ladies at another meeting. Anything of general

interest can be written up in the newsletter.

Garden Stumper photos

Is there something weird or wonderful growing in your garden? Email the photo to me and we’ll put it up on the TV

for viewing and see if anyone has an answer or knows the name of it!

Garden Gazing and Grazing

My idea for this is that a few members who live within easy driving distance of each other offer their gardens for

viewing one afternoon each month. You do not have to an impeccably manicured garden, maybe just one area is

your pride and joy! Or maybe a problem area is the bane of your life and you’d like some positive suggestions. This

can be great way to share ideas and get feedback for the hard work and energy we all put into our gardens. The

grazing bit is maybe having some refreshments available! Cont. page 2

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PLANT EXCHANGE

“How deeply seated in the human heart is the liking for gardens and gardening.” ~ Alexander Smith, Scottish Poet

It is so true. The human heart sometimes seems to crave a garden. The Plant Exchange is the perfect way to satisfy

the need for a garden. Bring in your plants and exchange them for something new in your garden or browse to see

what we have for sale. Your heart will thank you.

Jenny Offringa and Ellen Efros, Plant Exchange

OCTOBER PROGRAM “PUMPKIN PASSION” will be presented to DAGC on October 10 by Rebecca Byrom, Patty Davis and Joyce Michalczyk, three members who have bonded over pumpkins!

“My favorite word is “pumpkin”. You can’t take it seriously. But you can’t ignore it either. It takes hold of your head and that’s it. You are a pumpkin person or not. I am.” Harrison Salisbury Come and see why these three are definitely “pumpkin people”. You will be educated and entertained with a bit of horticulture information, a slide show, pumpkin crafts (win a beautiful pumpkin arrangement), pumpkin décor and pumpkin food. This should certainly increase your appreciation of the iconic autumn plant and have you heading for the nearest pumpkin patch!

Charlotte Graham and Rebecca Byrom, Program Chairs

Please join us for our first Lunch Bunch outing after our October Pumpkin program. It is time for cooler weather and

all things pumpkin spice.

We shall meet at Forbes Mill in the Livery after our meeting. We may have a slightly later start as the Pumpkin

Queens (Patty, Rebecca and Joyce) may have a little packing up to do.

Please RSVP to me, Joyce via my email, by October 8th, so I may give the restaurant an accurate number.

Joyce Michalczyk, Coordinator

Lunch Bunch

President’s message continued:

Sharing Gardening Resources

Do you have any favorite gardening related websites you like to visit? Anything on Pinterest, Instagram, Etsy? Or

any interesting local or far flung vendors you frequent? Send any information to me and I’ll include it in future

newsletters.

I look forward to seeing you at our next meeting on Thursday October 10th. Please remember that our meetings

now start at 9.30am, so come at 9am for socializing and refreshments.

Linda Scotting, President

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OCTOBER TOUR

Fall in Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Time!

October 22nd

The air is crisp, the nights are cool and the days are shorter and that means Fall is here...Pumpkins, Mums, Pansies and a Pumpkin Latte.

Join a fun group of ladies who love to shop, lunch and, of course, wander through acres of flowers and greenery.

Our adventures will begin at ROCKET FARMS WHOLESALE NURSERY where you can shop to your hearts content at

wholesale prices which include...... Indoor Plants, Flowers, Succulents, Herbs, Orchids, Roses, Pottery, Potted Arrangements and much more.

PASTORINO NURSERY has a very festive pumpkin patch with haystacks, pumpkins and gourds of all colors.

Meander through the large barn where you will find fall arts and crafts and seasonal decor.

REPETTOS NURSERY has a very large selection of fresh cut flowers for creating your own centerpieces!

If your car has time, there is HALF MOON BAY NURSERY on your way out of town that is charming and has a lot of great potting plants and a large selection of seasonal items.

We will have lunch at a local restaurant. The restaurant and time will be selected after we confirm the number of

attendees. You will be emailed with the details a couple days before our tour.

There is no charge for this tour, however, please bring cash for lunch and an additional $7 to pay your driver (gas & toll).

We will carpool from Community Presbyterian Church 222 El Pintado, Danville and depart at 8:45am sharp.

If you can drive please list the number of people you can accommodate; please allow room to bring back all our purchases.

Look for the sign up clipboard at our DAGC Meeting on October 10th.

E-Mail Susan Polk if you wish to sign up prior to that date.

Mark your calendars to remember these Future Tours:

November 15, Friday Duarte Poinsettias – Modesto

December 2, Monday Modesto Garden Club Holiday Tables, Modesto

February 18, Tuesday Oaktown Spice Shop and Grand Lake Ace Hardware

April 3, Friday Chapel Tulip Exhibition, Oakland

May 19, Tuesday Bus Tour: Watsonville Growers and Nurseries, Watsonville

Darlene Guzman and Susan Polk, Tour Chairs

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Winter Event 2019

What:

Mark your calendars for our annual Winter Event

When: held on Thursday December 12th 2019

Where: at 11.30am at Diablo Country Club.

Darlene Wiskel is coordinating all the plans and will have information available at our October General meeting.

(A Big thank you, in advance, to Darlene Wiskel who has

volunteered to coordinate this event.)

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To our members who share the birth month of October :

Judy Allen, Marsha Anderson-Landau, Evelyn Boetes, Fran Crisman, Myra Cummins,

Ellen Efros, Dee Evans, Rose Gogarty, Nancy Goreth, Page Krause, Diane Ringwood,

Barbara Ruderman, Jeanne Ryan, Sharon Townsend, Kerry Weisser, Ally Whiteneck,

and Julie Zimmerman.

Enjoy those Birthdays Ladies!

October Workshop

Thursday, October 17 10:00 AM

Tiny Wooden Bird Houses

October’s workshop is Decorative Bird Houses for the garden. They also look great in pots. The photo is similar but not exactly what you will be painting. There is a set of three waiting for you. The cost of the workshop is $30. All supplies are furnished. We will be spray painting, so dress appropriately. Please contact Judy Lauper if interested.

There are only five spots left. It is held on Thursday, October 17, at 10:00 am.

Judy Lauper, Deborah White, and Susan Terzoli, Workshop Chairs

Social Support

It’s starting to smell like Pumpkin Spice! Thank you to our wonderful members who signed up to bring food for our October meeting; we ask that you consider bringing an “Autumn Themed” dish. Some ideas: pumpkin bread/muffins, sliced apples with caramel dip, toasted pumpkin seeds, butternut squash, pumpkin/apple pie, etc. We are also suggesting wearing the beautiful autumn colors, orange, rust, green & yellow or an autumn print to get ready for the wonderful season ahead!

Thank you to all that came early to help set up for our lovely Welcome Brunch. All of your help is very much appreciated!

Judy DeHont and Jess Ann Meadors, Social Chairs

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Bookworms

Bookworms meets to discuss fiction and non-fiction books with a gardening or nature theme. Whatever the book

we always have fun socializing with a lively book discussion.

Date: Wed. Oct. 16 Time: 10 a.m. - noon

Place: Home of Joyce Michalczyk

Subject: Two short books: French Dirt by Richard Goodman is the charming, true story of an American man who

goes to live in a small French town for a year. Part travel book and part gardening book, French Dirt is the love story

of a man for his vegetable garden. The second book is The Victory Garden by Rhys Bowen. In this historical novel,

a twenty year old upper class young woman escapes her restrictive home during World War I and volunteers for

the government-sponsored “army of land girls” to do farm labor and gardening to save Great Britain from

starvation.

Note for the future: Nov. 20 meeting will be at 1 p.m. (note time change) and will

discuss The Simplicity of Cider by Amy Reichert.

RSVP: email me or sign up at the DAGC monthly meeting

Nancy Balles, Bookworms Chair

Get Your Reading Buzz On........with the Book Bees

Are you ready for fall? What’s your favorite tea, is it hot or cold? Let’s try some very flavorful teas on

Thursday, October 24th at 10:00 am after you read our featured book.

Address: Jess Ann Meador’s Home

For All the Tea in China, How England Stole the World’s Favorite Drink

By: Sarah Rose

Please look for our sign-up sheet at our general meeting or e-mail Jess Ann Meadors or Susan Polk if you would like to join us.

Our hive is full at the moment, but if you would like to be on the buzzing around list, we will get in touch with you if we have room for more bees.

Jess Ann Meadors and Susan Polk, Book Bees Chairs

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Community Outreach

Thursday, Oct. 24th – 1:00 – 3:00

Contra Costa & Solano County Food Bank

Join us when we volunteer at the Contra Costa Solano Food Bank to check expiration dates on food items and sort food into specified categories.

We’ll meet at Peet’s Coffee in the Alamo Plaza by 12:15 P.M. for carpooling.

Be sure to sign up at the DAGC meeting or email us so we know how many will participate.

We hope many of you will be able to join us in this fun and fulfilling activity. It’s a great way to meet new friends as we support those in need.

Save these dates for joining us help our community:

Thursday Nov. 14th - DAGC General Meeting

Donations for Foster Children.

Bring holiday gifts for children to our general meeting.

Gifts do not need to be wrapped.

Thursday April 9th - DAGC General Meeting

Food Collection for Contra Costa & Solano County Food Bank

(Help load collected food into car for transport to Food Bank)

Thursday April 30th - 10:00 – 12:00 Flower Arranging for Hospice of the East Bay

Darlene Guzman and Dee Evans, Outreach Community Co-Chairs

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Penny Pines Update:

Thank you for your generosity. We are off to a good start!

You donated $146.70 towards Penny Pines.

This is more than enough for two acres of plantations in Shasta Trinity National Forest.

Let’s keep it up.

A great big thank you to all!

Gurpreet Gill for Verna Kershaw, Penny Pines Chair

FRIENDS HELPING FRIENDS!

If you or someone you know in the club is experiencing a health issue, a family crisis or is in need of cheering up, please give that information to Julie Grisham, our Corresponding Secretary. We will attempt to help in whatever way we can to ease the burden.

Being a member of DAGC means you are not alone. We are here to help.

Julie can be reached by phone or email.

Thank you!

Julie Grisham, FHF Chair

From the Historian ….

As the historian of the club, my job is to keep a photographic record of all the activities with which we are

involved. Many of the photos will be posted on the club’s website and will also be collected for a year-end slide

show shown at our June meeting. I know that I won’t be able to attend every workshop, book club meeting, tour

and many of the other events that are offered during the year; so, if you take any photos during the events you

attend please share them with me. Thank you in advance to these ladies that have volunteered to take photos this

year with me: Ally Whiteneck, Penny Adams, Victoria Polivka, Jeanne Ryan, Liz Stuart, Cindy Wininger and Kathy

Harkins. Thank you!!

Rose Goherty, Historian

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The NEW 2019-20 DIRECTORIES

will be available for pick up at the

October meeting.

Please be sure to get your personally labeled copy.

If you find any incorrect entries please let us know.

Thank you —

Monika Witte, Directory Editor

Newsletter Articles Due Date:

All articles for the Newsletter, should be sent to me by

the 3rd Thursday of the month. For the November

newsletter the deadline is October 17th.

Many thanks,

Linda Holmes, Newsletter Editor

DAGC Welcomes 17 New Members!

We are excited to welcome 17 new members to our Club and to introduce them at our September/October general meetings. Each new member has a garden club ‘buddy’ to welcome, guide and acquaint them with our activities. Please introduce yourself to these lovely, enthusiastic ladies; you’ll be able to recognize them by the yellow ribbon on their name badges.

Please sign in at our membership table and pick up your name tag. (Members need to attend three meetings between September and April to keep their membership active.) Guests are welcome. They need to sign in, pay a $10 meeting fee, and if they want to be added to the waitlist, complete a short application with their contact information. See you soon!

Charlotte Arton, Joann Blackburn and Beth Topor, Membership Chairs

PROJECT PRODUCE... What's That?

Project Produce is DAGC's Community Outreach activity that occurs at each general meeting. Members drop off produce (home-grown or store-bought) and non-perishable commercially packaged food at a table outside of our meeting entrance door.

I deliver it to the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano Counties, a nonprofit organization that is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Their federal tax-exempt number is 94-2418054. They distribute the donations to needy people and agencies that feed needy people and never sell, transfer, or barter them for money.

They thanked us for our 5 lb. September contribution. In future articles I will give more details.

Helen Miller, Food Bank Coordinator

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HORTICULTURE: Time for Winter Vegetables With our recent rains and cooler weather, the fruits and vegetables of summer are almost a memory, making room for cool weather vegetables. Local nurseries have lots of winter vegetables available in 6-packs and there is lots of time to add them to our gardens. Some vegetables to consider, and when they can be planted:

Plant now (through mid to late October): 6-packs: beets, broccoli. Seeds: leeks, parsnips, peas, carrots.

Plant mid-October through November: 6-packs: broccoli raab, cabbage, cauliflower, chard, kohlrabi, romaine, spinach, loose leaf lettuce.

Late planting: Garlic (into December), onions (into January), turnips (seed, until April), and radishes (year-round). If you are new to vegetable gardening, lettuces and arugula are very easy to grow from seed.

Other easy vegetables available in 6-packs include onions, garlic, radishes, broccoli, and cauliflower.

Some valuable tips from Kristin on these veggies:

A. Beets and chard re-seed in Kristin’s garden, so once you plant them, you may not need to replant each

year! I’ve also heard that arugula also re-seeds freely all year round.

B. Kristin finds lettuce challenging to grow from seed, although I have heard from others that it’s easy.

6-packs are available, so take advantage!

Container gardening can make growing vegetables even easier. Make sure your container is deep enough for the

roots, some vegetables only require 9-12 inches, others may need up to 16 inches of depth. Use a good quality

potting mix. Containers will also require more frequent watering and fertilizer.

If you don’t want to grow winter vegetables after your summer efforts, consider planting a cover crop. This is a

single crop that will improve your soil over the winter with little work. Benefits of a cover crop: improve your

soil by adding nitrogen, attract beneficial insects, and suppress weeds. Some cover crops, such as fava beans

and radishes, will also break up your soil with their heavy root systems. This will work wonders with compacted

soil. All that is involved with planting a cover crop is to let it grow after planting, then cut the green growth off

at ground level and work the greens into the soil, like compost.

Some great websites for additional information:

UC Contra Costa County Vegetable Planting Guide for Interior Regions: http://ccmg.ucdavis.edu/files/131284.pdf

Growing Vegetables in Containers: http://ccmg.ucanr.edu/files/213843.pdf

UC Green Blog – Cover Crops: https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=27687

UC Vegetable Garden Basics: https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/pdf/8059.pdf

Pest Notes – Ground Squirrel: http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PDF/PESTNOTES/pngroundsquirrel.pdf

Pest Notes – Tree Squirrel: http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PDF/PESTNOTES/pntreesquirrels.pdf

Pest Notes – Moles: http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PDF/PESTNOTES/pnmoles.pdf

Pest Notes – Gophers: http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PDF/PESTNOTES/pnpocketgophers.pdf

Pest Notes – Rabbits: http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PDF/PESTNOTES/pnrabbits.pdf

Holly Sauer, Kristin Yanker-Hansen and Monika Witte, Horticulture Chairs

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SPONSOR NEWS AND EVENTS

‘’ Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower”. Albert Camus

As we look forward to cooler weather and the spectacular colors of fall, we can anticipate entering a wonderful time of year for gardens. Fall is for planting. Shrubs, trees, bulbs, perennials and winter vegetables will have the winter rains to establish their roots.

Armstrong Garden Center in Dublin at 7360 San Ramon Road is a wonderful source for your fall planting. A lifetime guarantee on all trees and shrubs is offered. They also specialize in ordering hard-to-find plants that may not be in stock. The selection of indoor plants is huge.

If you need help in planning your fall garden, Armstrong services are available. A local expert designer will walk your garden with you and discuss your preferences and budget. You can choose just a garden consultation with advice and recommendations or a complete landscape design and installation.

For those wanting gardening knowledge, the following classes are offered in October:

October 12, 9-10AM - Garden Veggies and Herbs - Free

October 19, 9-10AM - Make and take a succulent pumpkin - $50.

October 26, 9-10AM - Carnivorous Plants - Free

Seasonal videos are available on their website. www.armstronggarden.com

Check the website for weekly sales.

Armstrong Garden Center is open daily 8:30-6:30. When there, say hello to Manager Elisabeth Blackstone and thank her for their generous donations to our plant raffles and their 10 percent discount to our DAGC members.

Patti Dobbin, Diane Ward and Page Krause, Sponsor Reps

Ace Hardware

3211 Danville Blvd., Alamo, CA,94507

925-837-2420

Annie’s Annuals & Perennials 740 Market Ave., Richmond, CA 94801

510-215-3301 or 888-266-4370

Armstrong Garden Center 7360 San Ramon Road, Dublin, CA 94568

925-551-0231

Cottage Jewel

100 W. Prospect Ave., Danville, CA 94526

925-837-2664

Lucky Garden Dublin Hydroponics 7071 Village Pkwy, Dublin, CA 94568

925-828-4769

Orchard Nursery

4010 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette, CA 94549

925-284-4474

Rakestraw Books 3 Railroad Ave., Danville, CA 94526

925-837-7347

Regan Nursery

4268 Decoto Road, Fremont, CA 94555

510-797-3222

Ruth Bancroft Garden 1552 Bancroft Road, Walnut Creek, CA 94598

925-944-9352

Sloat Garden Center 828 Diablo Road, Danville, CA 94526

925-743-0288

800 Camino Ramon, Danville CA 94526

925-837-9144

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Dates & Times Events Details

October 3, Thursday 9:30am

Board Meeting Home of Darlene Wiskel, Judy Lauper co-host

October 10, Thursday 9:00am

DAGC General Meeting “Pumpkin Passion”. Rebecca Byrom, Joyce Michalczyk and Patty Davis. See page 2

October 12, Saturday 9:00am-10:00am

Armstrong Nurseries Dublin

Cool Season Vegetables

Learn what to plant and how to plant now for bountiful harvests in fall, winter and spring. Free class, no reservation required. .

October 16, Wednesday 10:00am

Bookworms French Dirt, by Richard Goodman

The Victory Garden, by Rhys Bower. See page 6

October 17, Thursday 10:00 am

Workshop Tiny Wood Bird Houses (you will make 3). See page 5

October 22, Tuesday Time: TBD

Tour Fall on Half Moon Bay—Pumpkin Time! See page 3

October 24, Thursday 10:00 am

Book Bees For All the Tea in China, by Sarah Rose. See page 6

October 24, Thursday 12:15 p.m.

Community Outreach

Volunteer at the Food Bank.

Contra Costa & Solano County Food Distribution Center. See page 7

October 26, Saturday 9-10:00 am.

Armstrong Nurseries Dublin

Carnivorous Plants

Talk and Demonstration of Carnivorous Plants. Free.

November 7, Thursday 9:30 am

DAGC Board Meeting Home of Beth Topor, Verna Kershaw co-host

December 12, Thursday Winter Event MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!!

www.dagc.us Danville - Alamo Garden Club

October Calendar