Through The Garden Gate March 2018, Vol. 9, Issue 17€¦ · 1 Elk Grove Garden Club Through The...
Transcript of Through The Garden Gate March 2018, Vol. 9, Issue 17€¦ · 1 Elk Grove Garden Club Through The...
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Elk Grove Garden Club
Through The Garden Gate
March 2018, Vol. 9, Issue 17
Linda Rivera & Susan Maggy Editors
“Nature is not a place to visit. It is
home.” Gary Snyder
Next Mtg.: 2nd Thurs., 3/8/18
10:00 Mixer & 10:30 Meeting
Elk Grove Congregational
Church, 9624 Melrose Ave.,
Elk Grove, California
Inside This Issue
Minutes, Garden Checklist,
March Program, Member’s
Birthdays, Garden Clubs, Art
Group Update, Recipe, NASA’s
List of Air Filtering House-
plants, Member Updates, Gary
Snyder, New Plants, Farmer’s
Guide, Members & Treasurer’s
Report, & Out & About In March
President’s Message by Nancy Baldwin
I’m enjoying the spring weather, both warm and cold. The daffodils are still going strong, cheery flowers that they are. I’m starting to plan my summer vegetable garden. The soil is way too cold to plant now, but I might dig out my mini-hoop tunnel and see if I can warm up part of the garden enough to get an early start for a few things. We are also in the midst of pruning our grapes. I was listening to a country station while pruning and heard a lyric that has been stuck in my head for a week now – but not quite in the way that you might imag-ine. Instead of being annoyingly repetitive, the way most stuck lyrics are, it is impressively thought-provoking. So I will share it with you. What is the last thing you have done for the first time? See? It’s deep! It applies in many parts of life, including our gardens, of course. Are there any good cultivation practices you haven’t tried yet? Any new plants you want to experiment with? If you haven’t done anything new for a while, see what you can come up with. Be adventurous!
Happy gardening! Nancy
Tutto E Possible
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FEBRUARY MINUTES
Elk Grove Garden Club, 2/8/2018
Pres. Nancy Baldwin called the meeting to order at 10:32.
Our guests introduced themselves.
The program for the day was Wildflowers
of Sacramento County. Chris Wassermann
& Jan Fetler presented a beautiful slide
show.
The members were asked to introduce
themselves & name one flower that makes
them think of spring.
The minutes & treasurer’s reports were
approved as printed.
Correspondence: A letter was received from Consumnes
College regarding our participation in their scholarships
program.
Sunshine: We recently lost one of our life members,
Gladys Howard.
Great Gardens: None
Tips & Techniques: Susan Maggy told about hanging
basket liners & beneficial insects.
Vivian Sellers told about a yellow growth, dog vomit fun-
gus, on sidewalks & how to get rid of it.
Old Business:
Committee reports: The Anniversary Committee told of
some of the exciting plans for the celebration.
Remember we will be doing the May SRVD Plant Sale,
so start your divisions now. Vivian needs 4” pots.
A follow-up of the budget expenditure was discussed.
We have decided not to contribute to Chicks in
Crisis at this time.
Announcements: Everyone was advised to read
the newsletter for upcoming events.
Our annual bus trip will be May 2nd,
Tickets are
open to the public March 1st. Signup sheets are
available on our website.
A signup sheet for the February 20th SRVD Meeting was
passed around.
Additional photos for the yearbook are available. See
Nancy if you didn’t receive the sheet of photos.
There is a possibility of a partnership with CSD.
Respectfully Submitted Punky Dias, Secretary
MARCH GARDEN CHECKLIST
By Jan Fetler
Test the watering system for leaks & plugged
or broken parts. Test monthly.
Consider investing in a smart controller that adjusts wa-
tering based on the weather.
Water ornamental trees & shrubs if rainfall is be-
low normal.
Start leek seeds indoors & potatoes outdoors.
Plant vegetable seeds outdoors: beets, mustard,
lettuce, carrots, chard, radish, turnips & cilantro.
Wait to plant tomato & eggplant seedlings until
late April.
Fertilize blueberries, young fruit trees & green-in-
winter lawns. Use a slow-release fertilizer.
Test soil acidity (pH) for blueberries, add sulfur if needed.
Consider testing vegetable garden soil once every 3 to 5
years for pH & nutrients.
Divide and/or transplant summer or fall blooming perenni-
als such as daylilies & asters.
Spray grapes for powdery mildew as shoots begin to
grow & daytime high temperatures are 73°F or over. Con-
tinue weekly until daytime temperatures are over 95 F.
Look for aphids, slugs & snails.
Happy Birthday Members!
Cathy Jow, March 8
Susan Muckey, March 8
Donna Williams, March 13
Kris Schoeller, March 14
Jamie Ryan, March 20
&
Kathy Olson, March 28
March Program
Roll Call Question: What is your favorite Easter candy?
Program: Project Mission Blue Butterflies
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If You Didn’t Try Diane McPher-
son’s Sumptuous Poblano Corn
Chowder With Shrimp At Febru-
ary’s Mtg., Now’s Your Chance
4 tbsp. butter, room temperature, divided
2 tbsp. flour
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
3 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
1 or 2 large poblano or pasilla chiles,
seeded & chopped
2 (14.75 oz.) cans cream-style corn
1 (16 oz.) pkg. frozen corn kernels, thawed
4 cups ( 32 oz.) chicken broth
1 cup whipping cream
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper, optional
1 lb. uncooked shrimp, peeled, deveined, coarsely
chopped
6 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro, divided
salt & pepper to taste
Mix together 2 tbsp. butter & flour in a small bowl
& set aside. Melt remaining 2 tbsp. butter in a
large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, cel-
ery & chiles; saute until soft, about 6 minutes. Add
cream-style corn, corn kernels, broth, cream, sugar
& cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce
heat. Whisk in butter-flour mixture & simmer for
15 minutes to blend flavors. Add shrimp & 4 tbsp.
cilantro & cook for about 5 minutes longer. Season
with salt & pepper.
Ladle chowder into warm bowls. Options: sprinkle
with remaining 2 tbsp. cilant-
ro, crumbled bacon & a wedge
of lemon. Thank you Diane.
From the Sacramento Bee
Did You Know? There Are All
Kinds of Garden Clubs.
R ylstone is tiny town in North York-
shire, England whose population
was 160 in the 2011 census. The
Rylstone Women’s Institute, akin to a garden
club, is based in Skipton, North Yorkshire,
where a handful of mature women (some in
their 60s) decided in 1999 to do a fundraiser.
And a fundraiser they did. Posing discreetly in
the nude they made a calendar & became the
“calendar girls”. It was an unexpected smash.
They raised over $2 million pounds for leuke-
mia research & inspired a hit movie. Little did
they realize that apparently they would also
inspire men’s garden clubs in the U.S. There
are maybe 36 men’s garden clubs across the
U.S. I can’t say if the men in the Dallas Club
are doing a fundraiser or just being part of
nature, but they look happy.
“I want to do with you what
spring does with the cherry
trees.” Pablo Neruda
Art Group Update by Pat Schreiber
F our members of the Art Group met in February.
Barbara Gumbs brought her jewelry. Jaimie Ryan
had her creative work with dried flowers & Chris
Duane had photos of her latest litter of poodle puppies for a
shared discussion. This was followed by a productive dis-
cussion of our goal to find & sustain inspiration for our indi-
vidual artistic talents. We want to continue our plein air ex-
cursions to the Elk Grove Rain Garden each spring & fall.
Jamie Ryan is putting together a list of sites such as the Elk
Grove Fine Arts Center & the Crocker Art Museum for out-
ings to keep us inspired & provide opportunities to have
lunch & nurture our social relationships. The feeling was
that we should expand our interests to include music & all
of the fine arts. Do any of you have any more ideas about
our expansion? Pat
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Ah , A Breath of Fresh Air
NASA’S Top Air Filtering Houseplants
N ASA researchers set out to find the best
ways to clean the air in space stations
conducted The Clean Air Study. Plants
were the solution for cleaner air. They identified 18 house-
plants as the best natural filters. People spend the bulk of
their time indoors, even gardeners who love being outside.
Our indoor plants generate peace & calm & they can also be
good for our health acting as awesome indoor air cleaners
filtering out harmful common chemicals in our home.
Benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene, & ammo-
nia are chemicals that have been linked to headaches &
eye irritation & are fairly common in homes. Volatile organ-
ic compounds (VOCs) are emitted as gases from certain
solids or liquids. Concentrations are higher indoors than
outdoors. VOCS are emitted in a wide array of products
including paints, solvents, aerosol sprays, air fresheners,
moth repellents & dry-cleaned clothing.
The NASA research suggests having at least one plant every
100 sq. feet of home or office
space.
Toxic for dogs & cats.
From March 2018, Better Homes
& Gardens, submitted by Mary
Tolan-Davi.
Boston Fern Kimberley Queen
Fern
Spider Plant
Anthuriums Lilyturf Barberton Daisy/Gerbera
Jamesonii
Dwarf Date Palm Bamboo Palm Broadleaf Lady
Palm
Cornstalk Dracaena Red Edged Dracaena
“stay together
learn the flowers
go light.” Gary Snyder
Chinese Evergreen Ficus Golden Pothos
English Ivy Snake Plant Peace Lily
Potted Mum
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G ary Snyder is a poet, environmentalist, Zen
Buddhist, & educator. In 1975 he received
the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. He was born in
San Francisco & taught creative writing at the Universi-
ty of California at Davis. He was inducted into the Cali-
fornia Hall of Fame last year. He lives near Nevada City
in a home he built with friends over 45 years ago. He
has a lifelong love for the natural world & has written
over 20 books of poetry and prose.
When The Morning Hours Begin With Birdsong -
Finally Spring
Farmer’s Guide
March is a special month hosting two full moons,
daylight saving time, & the first day of spring
Daylight Saving Time Begins, Sunday, 3/11.
Spring forward at 2:00 am.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day, Saturday, 3/17
Vernal or Spring Equinox, Tuesday, 3/20. Both
day & night are approximately 12 hrs. long.
Full Moon/Full Worm Moon, Thursday, 3/1. The ground softens
enough for earthworm casts to appear inviting the return of
robins & migrating birds.
Second Full Moon of March/a Blue Moon, Saturday, 3/31.
Heirloom Cutting Zinnias, Happy Birthday
Mix. Bold & beautiful 3 - 3 1/2’ tall, red &
white cutting zinnias. Butterflies & hum-
mingbirds flock to them. $2.54 packet,
Renee’s Garden, reneesgarden.com
Tomato, Atlas Hybrid. First ever big,
beefsteak tomato for porches, decks, &
containers. Compact, bushy plants shoul-
der 1 lb. tomatoes. Plants or seeds,
Burpee Seeds, burpee.com
Snapdragon, Madame Butterfly
Bronze. New, unique, double petal type
snapdragon. Full, fluffy blooms create a
Victorian look. Excellent cut flower.
$4.25 seed packet, Johnny’s Selected
Seeds, johnnyseeds.com
Did You Know?
U .C. Berkeley has an Urban Bee Lab that
documents bee diversity & bee frequencies
on wild Calif. plants. The Lab found that
bees have definite preferences for certain plants at
certain frequencies regardless of whether the plants
are native or exotic to California. The Urban Bee Lab
is a fabulous resource for gardeners. Their website,
helpabee.org includes information on the Lab’s ex-
perimental bee garden, a free bimonthly newsletter,
publications, gardening insights, lists of best bee
plants for California, bee condos (see below) & more.
Bring In The New, Plants 2018
For All by Gary Snyder
Ah to be alive
on a mid-September morn
fording a stream
barefoot, pants rolled up,
holding boots, pack on,
sunshine, ice in the shallows,
northern rockies.
Rustle and shimmer of ice creek waters
stones turn underfoot, small and hard as toes
cold nose dripping
singing inside
creek music, heart music,
smell of sun on gravel.
I pledge allegiance
I pledge allegiance to the soil
of Turtle Island,
and to the beings who thereon dwell
one ecosystem
in diversity
under the sun
With joyful interpenetration for all.
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Our February 2018 Meeting
Garden Club Members
You Are The Best!
Absolutely fabulous, new
member Toni Rango with
friend Karen Shelby.
Her smile is conta-
gious, VP Rhinda
Furtado is radiant.
Two joyful friends, Linda Di
Marco & Mary Hill. They
make you feel good.
What a great group!
Gorgeous smiles all
around: Kay Scott,
Cathy Jow, Rosemary
Fowler & Judy Bukowski
Mary Gress you are too
cute! She’s a little valen-
tine even down to her
socks.
Benevolent Susan Mag-
gy explaining how to
make a hanging basket
for Tips & Techniques.
Expert Vivian Sellers
explaining what dog
vomit fungus is. Looks
horrible.
Kind & thoughtful, Kris
Schoeller listening &
enjoying the moment.
Our Feb. speak-
er’s well-done
book.
Standing/Chris Wasser-
mann & seated/Jan Fet-
ler presenting in Feb.
March’s luncheon host-
ess & volunteers work-
ing on details.
Million dollar smile Kay Scott
with catching & snappy Valen-
tine centerpiece.
What is a shamrock?
Most botanists agree it’s
Trifolium repens (white
clover).
Happy St. Patrick’s Day
Take Care Of The Birds In Winter
Attracting birds in winter is easier than you
might think. The most straightforward way
to attract winter birds is to provide the
foods they love & offer them safe places
to take shelter. Try these:
1. Find the right feeder spot. To get the
most winter bird traffic, place feeders
at varying heights & locations.
2. Get crafty. Make a wreath or small
container garden & decorate it with
bird’s favorite foods.
3. Record it. Keep a bird journal. Jot
down important details when you spot
a new species.
4. Be messy. Birds appreciate a little
garden debris, like seedpods, leaf
piles & fruit that fell from trees.
5. More seed. An extra large tray or hop-
per feeder holds more seed, which
means you’ll fill it less often. It’s a win/
win.
6. Think shelter. Place feeders near
trees and shrubs so birds can take
shelter from predators.
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Out & About In March 2018
3/2 to 3/4, Fri. noon to 6 pm; Sat., 10 am to 6 pm; & Sun.
10 am to 5 pm. $7 admission & $10 parking., Sac. Home &
Garden Spring Show, Cal Expo,1600 Exposition Blvd., Sac.
(916) 965-9653, sachomeandgardenshow.com
Sat., 3/3, 3 pm to 6 pm; & Sun., 3/4, 10 am to 5 pm. Annual
Camellia Show, free, Sac. Memorial Aud., 1515 J St., (916)
264-5291, camelliasocietyofsacramento.org
Sat., 3/3, 10 am to 5 pm, Northern Calif. Eggstravaganza
Egg Show & Sale, free, featuring egg artists exhibiting, sell-
ing & teaching, Crowne Plaza Northeast Hotel, 5321 Date
Ave., Sac.., (916) 687-8721, norcaleggshow.com
Sat., 3/3, 10 am to noon, Worm Composting, $25, UCCE
Master Gardeners of Sacramento
County, UC Cooperative Ext. Office,
4145 Branch Center Rd., Sac.., Pre-
registration required.
sacmg.ucanr.edu (916) 875-6913
Sat., 3/3, 11 am, Dr. Gordon Frankie &
researchers at U.C. Berkeley’s Urban
Bee Lab lectures on Bee Diversity &
Calif. Native Plants. His book, Calif. Bees & Blooms will be
available for signing. Annie’s Annuals & Perennials, 740
Market Ave., Richmond 94801 (888)-266-4370 anniesan-
nuals.com
Sun., 3/4, 1 pm to 3:30 pm, Turnip Your Backyard With
Chanowk Yisrael. An edible gardening series designed to
empower community gardeners & city residents to grow &
eat more fruits & vegetables. The course includes class-
room instruction with hands-on gardening projects in the
field. Pre-registration is required. Individual classes/$25, all
four classes/$85. Here’s the schedule: 3/4, Seed Saving;
3/11, Soils & Compost; 3/18, Organic Gardening Tech-
niques; & 3/25, Integrated Pest Management. The Yisrael
Family Urban Farm, 4505 Roosevelt Ave., Sac. 95820
Eventbrite.com
Mon., 3/5, 6:30 pm, Gardeners of the Grove Mtg., A Day In
The Life Of Commercial Growing, Big Oak Nursery, 9250
Laguna Springs Dr., #100, Elk Grove 95758 (916) 479-0323
gardenersofthegrove.org
Tues., 3/6, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm, Felled, a documentary film
about one tree & inspiring others to giving new life to fall-
en urban trees. Donation $1 to $25, Tower Theatre, 2508
Land Park Dr., Sac.., (530) 682-6548, in-
Sat., 3/10, 9 am - 1 pm, Members Only Appreciation Sale
& Pollinator Paradise. 10% off purchases, refreshments &
$10 member gift, UC Davis Arboretum Teaching Nursery,
Garrod Dr., across from Vet School. Join online or at the
door, (530) 752-4880 arboretum.ucdavis.edu
Sports Leisure Vacations has three, exciting flower-
themed trips on the horizon. Travel is by motorcoach with-
out the worry of tolls, traffic, & parking, (916) 361-2051,
sportsleisure.com The three SF trips are as follows:
1.) Tues., 3/15, Casanova & Bouquets to Art . In the morn-
ing a tour of the exhibit Casanova: The Seduction of Europe
at the SF Legion of Honor. The afternoon travel is to the de
Young Museum in Golden Gate Park for Bouquets to Art
2018. This popular, annual event features galleries of fresh
floral arrangements inspired by paintings & works of art in
the permanent collection. See intricate & inspiring floral
arrangements by floral artists. Lunch on your own in the
museum cafes. $116
2.) Thurs., 4/5, San Francisco Flower & Gar-
den Show, Cow Palace. “Return To Paradise”,
after 10 yrs. elsewhere the Flower & Garden
Show is back at the Cow Palace. Enjoy the day strolling
through garden landscapes, sitting in on seminars &
demonstrations & visiting the vast marketplace of garden-
ing pleasures. On your own lunch. $101
3.) Sun., 4/15, San Francisco Cherry Blossom Festival, cele-
brating it’s 51st year is one of California’s most prominent
celebrations of Asian traditions & the biggest on the West
Coast. The festival is held in Japantown on Post St., live
bands, food, & performances. $85
Ongoing ticket sales for EGGC
Tour of Lake Merritt Gardens
In Oakland, Wed., May 2,
2018. Public tickets go on sale
Thurs., March 1. Cost is $55 &
includes motorcoach travel,
morning coffee & doughnut &
garden tour with experts. Lake Merritt has over 7 acres of
exciting gardens. Includes a stop at Jack London Square for
on your own lunch. Get the tour application on our web-
site: elkgrovegardenclub.org & mail with payment to
EGGC, PO Box 385, Elk Grove, CA 95759:
In March & April, free public tours of vernal pools at
Mather, sacsplash.org. Wait list only.