Folsom Garden Club - FGC Member Photos

Folsom Garden Club
Neighborhood Gardeners since 1934
Volume XIII No. 12
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1681,
Folsom, Ca 95763
Website: www.folsomgarden.org
December 2013 Newsletter
Winter, a lingering season, is a time to gather golden moments, embark upon a sentimental journey, and enjoy
every idle hour. --John Boswell
Monthly Business Meeting
December 5th, 10 to 12:15
Rotary Clubhouse, Lew Howard Park
*
A Short Business Meeting, and
Holiday Potluck with a Visit by Santa!
Voluntary Gift Exchange, a limit of $10 value,
Wrapped but without your name.
*
We will also be participating in the “Folsom Christmas Basket Project”
More information on Page 2.
*****
Please note that there will be no Raffle, Hodgepodge or Book Exchange.
*****
Be Green: Bring your own cup.
Remember your name badge.
FGC Calendar of Events
More details in the FGC Yearbook or on www.folsomgarden.org
December
Date
Time
Location
Event
Chairperson
Contact info
Contact info
No Dirt Gardeners this month
January
Date
Thurs
9*
*Note
the date
Tues
14
Wed
22
Thurs
23
Time
Location
Event
Chairperson
10 to
12:15
Rotary Clubhouse,
Lew Howard Park
*Business Meeting
Guest Speaker: President of the
Chicago Park Garden Club
Talk on creating a Victorian topiary
Joy Greene
1pm
TBA
Garden Tour Meeting
Sharon Barnett
Rose Pruning
Dan Knott
Dirt Gardeners
Care and sharpening of garden tools,
by Dan Knott
Creating Succulent Container Gardens
by Succulent expert Merlyn Lenear
Nina Sanders
10 am
12:30 to
3:00
FGC Newsletter
FGC Garden Park
At Natoma and Sibley
Folsom Senior Center
48 Natoma Street.
Page 1
December 2013
The Presidents’ Corner.
It's almost Thanksgiving and I can smell the turkey and stuffing
roasting! I'm sure you are all starting to gear up for the
holidays. Plans are underway for our "Annual FGC Holiday Party &
Potluck Lunch". If you are new to the club you are sure to enjoy the
whole program with a visit from Santa. For a number of years our
holiday party has been put on by Carol McKee with assistance from
Carol's sister Marilyn Starbuck and Carol's husband Ira. They are pro's at putting on fun parties and
they do an outstanding job.
Dan Knott is once again in charge of the FGC's involvement in three holiday community projects: (1)
putting up holiday lights at the Folsom Zoo (2) putting up and decorating a Christmas tree at the
Folsom Convalescent Hospital and passing out holiday cards, (3) and decorating a Christmas tree at the
Folsom Zoo for the annual "Wild Night and Holiday Light" program. Dan joined our club in 2001 and
has always worked very hard to help make this club what it is today. Thank you, Dan for all your hard work
year after year. You are the best!
The other thing that makes this meeting so special is the time we have to just visit with all our friends in the
club. We will have a short business meeting but most of the time will be devoted to having fun. Joy and I both
feel so lucky to be a part of the FGC because we have met, and made friends, with so many wonderful people.
We would like to wish each one of you a very special holiday season!
Joy Green & Sally Berry
We will be collecting toys at our December
5th meeting & potluck for the “Folsom Christmas
Basket Project”. This program has been held in
Folsom for over 25 years and serves families in the
Folsom/Orangevale/El Dorado Hills and Granite Bay
communities. Last year they served over 890 families
and gave toys to over 1,000 children.
If you would like to donate to this wonderful project
bring your new unwrapped toy (you can donate as
many toys as you would like) to our meeting
on 12/5/13. If you would prefer to make a financial
donation to the project instead, make the check
payable to Twin Lakes Food Bank Christmas 2013.
FGC Newsletter
Page 2
December 2013
The November meeting:
83 members attended and 2 guests.
Our total membership is now 128
Penny Pines: $ 65.06
The Hodgepodge Table $ 59.60
The Raffle $ 128.
November Plant of the Month, presented by Joyce Roderick.
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, “Wood’s compact”, Bearberry.
One of the manzanitas, which are native from Northern California to Alaska and around the
world – “circumpolar”. This variety was developed in California. It is prostrate, spreading and
rooting as it grows; eventually forms a mat 15 ft. wide. Small, glossy, bright green leathery
leaves turn red or purplish in winter. White or pinkish flowers are followed by red fruits.
It is really a useful plant for tough spots in a large landscape plan.
Requires excellent drainage; prefers poor, rocky/sandy, acid soils to rich, heavy ones. For
quick coverage, plant about 2 ft. apart, then mulch to suppress weeds and encourage rooting
along stems. The first summer, water every 4 to 7 days. Once established, once-a-month
watering in well-drained soil; or even just once or twice a summer.
The berries were gathered for food and the leaves are used in folk medicine. For
example, a poultice for poison oak, or an infusion for headache.
Other recorded names are: Kinnikinnick, mountain cranberry, sandberry, bears’ grape
(uva-ursi) and, the self explanatory, mountain tobacco.
The month of November proved to be a very “biodynamic” month for Folsom Garden
Club members!
Harald Hoven, Director of Raphael Garden at Rudolf Steiner College, was the guest
speaker and introduced members to the principles of biodynamic gardening and
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). He
explained how working with decay and turning it
into gold is the most important step in the
process. He treats the farm as a self-regulating organism. As a follow up to
his informative and inspirational presentation, 37 members and guests were
treated to a tour of the farm on Thursday, November 21. The three-acre
farm, located just off Fair Oaks Boulevard, includes a diverse vegetable
garden, orchard and pasture. A cow, chickens, sheep and ducks are
valuable members in creating an environment that resembles mixed farms
of the past. Crop rotation, planting cover crops and using fermented herbs
are also important elements to the success of this incredible, productive garden. After the rain,
before the wind, and with the sun’s warmth, it proved to be a wonderful day to enjoy nature at
its best before year’s end....so very much to be thankful for!
Contributed by Sherril Gomes
FGC Newsletter
Page 3
December 2013
Dirt Gardeners field trip to the Raphael Garden at Rudolph Steiner College, in Fair Oaks.
Harald Hoven, director of Raphael Garden, master gardener and founder of
BDANC (Biodynamic Association of Northern California) was our guide. He
teaches the Biodynamic Farming and Gardening workshop series, leads evening
study groups, and teaches gardening and phenomenology to students enrolled in
programs at the college
Everything from the
farm, whether it is seeds,
vegetation, manure, even
carrion is preserved and
recycled into the land.
Produce is sold through
the CSA (community
supported agriculture)
program. More info at:
steinercollege.edu/csa
Explaining the finer
points of (above & right)
manure and (below)
compost
215YEAR ROUND BRONZE
OAK Cert. BD/OG40-45 days.
This delicious oak leaf variety was
developed by Harald Hoven out
of Lingue de Canarino. It forms
large, sweet, fast-growing heads
that are late to bolt, even in the
intense summer heat of California.
It also performs well in winter,
surviving a few degrees of frost
outside, or in the greenhouse. The
color varies according to season
and light.
S$3.00
Right, young Brussels sprouts
G$6.25
XL$12.50
0.5 oz.$18.00
Above, the catalog and an excerpt
from turtletreeseeds.org
Flightless Indian Runner
ducks earn their keep by
eating snails and weeds!
FGC Newsletter
Page 4
December 2013
Community Service Projects
Bulb planting at The Murer House
With the help of nine garden
club members, and volunteers from the
Murer House and Intel, the bulb planting
project was completed the first week of
November. Over 1,000 bulbs were
planted in 50 pots. If all goes well, the
spring display should be beautiful. As
the bloom begins, I plan to contact the
local media to drum up some publicity
for the Folsom Garden Club and the
historic gardens at the Murer House.
Thanks go out to Harriett & Ed Schaffer, Joye
Gephart, Jennie Lewis, Sharron Anderson, and Tinka Davi
for donating pots and bulbs. And a special thank you to;
Sharron Anderson, Sharon Barnett, Kathy Bunney,
Adrienne Coolidge, Joye Gephart, Cheryl Rivas, Ed &
Harriet Schaeffer, and Nina Sanders for all the dirty work
of planting and fertilizing the bulbs. The weather was
perfect and after planting, everyone enjoyed lunch under
the grape arbor in the garden.
To see more photos, check out the Facebook page on the
Murer House website. www.murerhouse.org.
Thank you, garden club members, for approving the donation to finance this endeavor.
Rhonda DesVoignes
Folsom Zoo Sanctuary “Wild Nights and Holiday Lights”
The light crew (l to r):
Kathy Bramall
Ruth Stark
Julie Kelly
Dorette Carlson
Dan Knott
Denise Martinez
Karen Hoff
Not pictured,
Mike Martinez
Stringing lights around the Raccoon Exhibit
(Above) Raccoon breakfast.
Yes, that is (was) a quail!
FGC Newsletter
Page 5
December 2013
Our Gardeners of the Month come from Folsom Garden Club Grants Program
Last year, FGC awarded their first grant to an Eagle Scout project. This year the Grants Committee formalized
the process and it is now on our website. We had two elementary schools which applied for the grants. Both
schools are located in Folsom.
Natoma Station Elementary School began their program in 2010. Their garden was started through a grant that a teacher
at this school applied for three years ago. Today, they have 8
concrete block planting beds and 9 large pots. Their garden
even has an outdoor sink. The Folsom Cordova Unified
School Maintenance Crew provided discounted labor and
materials to prepare the site as well as construction necessities
such as irrigation, iron rod fencing with gates, and
plumbing. Also, a local construction company discounted the
materials and labor to construct the block planting beds. The
design of the beds and path material was specially selected to
accommodate the special needs population that uses
wheelchairs and walking apparatuses.
FGC awarded Natoma Station Elementary School $1,500.00.
Sandra J Gallardo Elementary School was the second school which applied for a grant. Last
May, with the help of Gallardo staff and families, their student council, and local Boy Scout Troop,
they installed five raised beds. They planted a cover crop over the summer and several families
alternated days to tend the garden. This fall they will begin to build their hands-on science and
nutrition program. They plan to offer the plant and work in the garden to all students through a
docent program run by volunteers.
FGC awarded Sandra J Gallardo Elementary School $1,000.00.
Contributed by Sharon Barnett
FGC Newsletter
Page 6
December 2013
Gardening Tips
December 21 is the first day of winter!
A frost occurs on a clear, still night.
A freeze is when cold arctic air moves into the region and can last days.
Frosts are common this month, so be ready to
provide protection, e.g. lights, blankets, plastic, etc.
for
frost-tender
landscape
plants
(citrus,
bougainvillea, etc.). Put newspaper (or similar) over
lettuce and other greens at night. Don’t worry about
Brussels sprouts, broccoli, spinach, kale and those
types of crops. They welcome the cold.
Protect your in-ground plants near the house
from becoming waterlogged by extending your
home's rain gutters with flexible pipe. Clean your
gutters again.
Fix any dripping outdoor faucets and then
wrap the exposed portion of the water pipes.
Insulation that becomes saturated from a leaky faucet
is of little protective value during freezes.
Drip irrigation systems should be turned off if
a freezing morning is forecast; remove the end plug
for drainage. Drain and coil water hoses.
Take a walk through the garden
and collect all the hand tools that are lying
around. Clean off the dirt. Remove gas
from the lawn-mower and clean the blades.
Make sure all equipment such as
gloves, hats, kneelers, wheelbarrows and
tools are clean and stored in a dry place.
Flowering quince, acacias and winter daphne
will be the first plants to bloom in a few weeks.
These harbingers of spring can be planted now.
Winter and spring blooming annuals
available at local nurseries this month include
foxglove, columbine, primroses, snapdragons,
cyclamen, pansies and violas.
Keep planting hardy items like shrubs trees,
perennials and bulbs, even thought many of them are
dormant. They’ll get a good root system established
before spring and be ready to grow as soon as the
weather permits
Dormant roots of asparagus and artichokes
are available now in some nurseries. Plant in areas
that have good drainage, such as raised beds or
hillsides.
“Dormant
spray”
to
control
overwintering insects and diseases. An easy-to–
remember
schedule
for
spraying
is
Thanksgiving, Christmas and Valentine’s Day.
Prune:
Hybrid tea roses. Don’t leave any buds.
Remove dead, spindly or crossing branches.
Deciduous trees now through January. Get a
good pruning book (Sunset, etc.) before you start
...better yet, attend a pruning clinic (look for those
held by Cooperative Extension, nurseries, the Tree
Foundation, etc.) Leave fruit trees until January or
February.
Bring your living tree in just a few days before the Holiday and keep indoors for no more
than 10 days. First, be sure to thoroughly hose it off with water to eliminate insects;
check the soil and around (& under) the pot for pests.
Keep in a cool spot away from hot or cold draughts.
Allow the surface to slightly dry out before watering, but don’t allow the soil to dry
completely.
It’s not too early to think about starting plants for the FGC Garden Tour plant sale in April. All plants, big or small
are welcome. Last year edibles were much in demand: herbs or vegetables. FGC is also hosting/providing the plants
for the Sacramento River Valley District plant sale in February.
FGC Newsletter
Page 7
December 2013
Happy Birthday!
Co-Presidents
Sally Berry
Joy Greene
~~~
Co-1st Vice Presidents
Sherril Gomes
Nina Sanders
~~~
Co-2nd Vice Presidents
Garden Tour Directors
Adrienne Coolidge
Sharon Barnett
Treasurer
Joye Gephart
~~~
Recording Secretary
Cyndi Murdoch
~~~
Past President
Erin Angulo
Lisa Wu-Murphy
Dianna Leight
Ruth Stark
Cheryl Vivas
Gary Stout
Gigi Gerber
Chuck Greene
Bertha Sazo
Haydee Gaffney
John Chance
Koby Warren
Merry Reaves
Tinka Davi
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Attention Garden Club Members
Our newsletter editor, Ruth Stark, will be unavailable to create the March
2014 Newsletter. She has created a template that makes putting the
information together fairly easy. She is very willing to share her
knowledge with someone who might like to enhance their skills and take
on the task for an edition or two in the coming year. If you have a
computer and are willing to try a turn at creating our newsletter, please
contact Ruth or Dianna Leight.
Left, fermenting stinging nettles at the Raphael Garden, in the white bucket on the left. Aromatic!
Did you know? Stinging Nettle tea is the finest fertilizer liquid that can be applied on any
garden. It's extremely high in phosphorus, potassium, nitrogen, calcium, magnesium, etc. and
the best part is that all of these nutrients are in the best form for quick uptake by the plant.
A 1:20 ratio is in the safe zone. Apply it about every 3rd watering and apply it as a foliar
application up to the 2nd or 3rd week of flower and then limit it to the soil.
Besides being an outstanding fertilizer, nettle tea is effective against mites and
powdery mildew
Stinging nettle has a flavor similar to spinach, and is rich in vitamins A, C, D, K, and many
minerals including iron, potassium, manganese, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, silica,
iodine, silicon, sodium, and sulfur. Nettles also provide chlorophyll and tannin, and they’re a
good source of B complex vitamins.
Stinging nettle has high levels of easily absorbed amino acids, and they’re ten percent
protein—more than any other vegetable!
Gleaned from various internet gardening blogs.
FGC Newsletter
Page 8
December 2013