The Dodecatheon SIERRA NEVADA WILDFLOWERS Inside this issue:
Transcription
The Dodecatheon SIERRA NEVADA WILDFLOWERS Inside this issue:
The Dodecatheon Volume38, Number 6 Nov/Dec. 2014 Newsletter of the Delaware Valley Chapter of the North American Rock Garden Society SIERRA NEVADA WILDFLOWERS Inside this issue: Sierra Nevada Wildflowers,…41,43-44 The Chair’s Corner ....................... ….42 Annual Meeting ...……………………45 Fall Plant.Sale Results……………...46 Chapter Meetings. & News…….……47 Looking Ahead ............................. ….48 Part Two Milena Bucek This is a continuation of the report on the Sierra Nevada Wildflowers trip, published in the last Dodecatheon, Vol. 38, No.5, Sept/Oct. 2014 issue. From the Squaw Valley, our travel continued southward along the eastern Sierra Nevada escarpment to the Mokelumne Wilderness area that we entered by hiking from the Carson Pass. The trail started at an elevation of 8,573 feet and led us through subalpine forest to the alpine zone of the Frog and Winnemuca lakes to an elevation of 9,000 feet. The alpine zone in the vicinity of the lakes provided not only breathtaking vistas of the surrounding mountains but guided us to the most beautiful of nature’s rock gardens. Dry open habitats of granitic outcrops with occasional erratic boulders, the reminders of the area's glacial history, provided warm, dry sites for many plants such as penstemons, phloxes, sedums, or eriogonums that we rock gardeners try with varying degree of success to grow in our gardens. The plants were often growing in narrow fractures of the granitic rocks adjacent to small spreading shrubs such as ribes (R. viscosissimum) and sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata). Eriogonum umbellatum Some of the flowers blooming in the dry sites included the species such as pussytoes (Antennaria alpina), pussypaws (Calyptridium umbellatum), Weston’s wild buckwheat (Eriogonum nudum), sulphur flower (Eriogonum umbellatum), wooly sunflower (Eriophyllum lanatum), rosy sedum (Rhodiola integrifolia), sierra stonecrop (Sedum obtusatum), mountain pride penstemon (Penstemon newberryi), showy penstemon (Penstemon speciosus), sticky cinquefoil (Potentilla glandulosa), Douglas’catchfly (Silene douglasii) and the ubiquitous subshrub of prickly gilia (Linanthus pungens). Somewhat different plant species were observed in areas where moisture was more abundant, e.g. in low swales or open areas of meadows, often with stands of blooming wooly mule ears (Wyethia mollis), in addition to mountain pennyroyal (Monardella odoratissima), scarlet gilia (Ipomopsis aggregata), western blue flag (Iris missouriensis) or the beautiful sierra primrose (Primula suffrutescens). Sedum obtusatum There is another striking plant that needs to be mentioned here - it is a member of the gentian family that can grow up to six feet in height. It is aptly called the monument plant (Frasera speciosa) or the green gentian. It has star-shaped, somewhat unassuming, greenish white flowers. It grows mostly in grassy areas within the pine and fir forest that we encountered before reaching the timberline. Following a day of hiking in the Mokelumne wilderness area we returned to the Carson Pass and continued our journey further south. After a comfortable night and great cookout at Woodford Inn, we stopped at Virginia Lakes (9,770 feet) for lunch and a short excursion in our further search of wild flowers. Our final destination was the town of Mammoth Lakes where we were to lodge for the rest of the trip. Penstemon speciosus with Castilleja continued pg. 43 Vol. 38, No. 6, Nov./Dec. 2014 Page The Dodecatheon This publication is issued on the first of odd numbered months. All copy must reach the editor no later than the 10th day of the preceding month. Any text in this newsletter may be used in any other NARGS publication, unless otherwise specified. Please credit the author and The Dodecatheon. Chapter Officers: Chairperson — Mary Ann Ulmann, ulmannc@msn.com Vice-Chair/Program Chair — Arle Kruckeberg, drarlek@yahoo.com Recording Secretary — Hope Punnett Treasurer — Jerry Rifkin Membership Secretary — Chuck Ulmann, ulmannc@msn.com, 610-431-2511, 1320 Ashbridge Road, West Chester, PA 19380 Dodecatheon Editor — Joan Haas, ladylobelia@verizon.net Director at Large — Janet Novak and Hope Punnett ******************************** AV equipment — Rick Ray Brunch Chair — Hospitality — Libations — Donna Noctor Name Tags —Paula Burns Phila. Flower Show Coordinator -Jerry Rifkin Plant Sales -- Betty Mackey, and Janet Novak Plant Show — Radford MacFarlane and Michele Hall Pot Shop — Sharee Solow Web Master — Janet Novak viola@indri.org, 215-248-2642 For membership info, the latest program changes and bad weather cancellations check out our web site: www.dvcnargs.org We do send out email notices from time to time between issues of The Dodecatheon to those who have given us email addresses. Please check your email address in the membership list and if it is wrong, send us the right one! If you don’t have email and want a phone call on these notices, give us a call and we’ll put you on a phone list. THE CHAIR’S CORNER My time as chapter chair is coming to an end. I hope that the changes we have made will advance the chapter. It is a time of change for all of us but the board felt these changes needed to be made. In particular the way we do the flower show reflects the current reality of our capabilities as well as the current reality of many horticultural organizations in the Delaware Valley. I hope you will all support our new chapter chair and our new program chair. These jobs take a lot of effort. The new chairs will need your help. So when they ask for it, please say, “Yes!” NARGS is seeing a reduction in membership as our chapter has seen. If you are not a member of NARGS, please consider joining. Check out the website at www.nargs.org for the benefits of being a national member. Chuck and I have been national members for thirty years. We know the fun you can have when you attend the events, read the bulletin and grow the seeds! Anyone interested in packing seeds may email Joyce Fingerut (alpinegarden@comcast.net) to volunteer. Betty Mackey’s idea of bringing a friend to the plant sale has helped us get four or five new members! I hope we continue this new idea and gather some more members this way. The plant sale is what got me interested in rock gardening when Anita Kistler told me about the plant sales at the Philadelphia Flower Show back in 1980 or 1981 (I can’t remember that far back!). As winter approaches I am finally getting things under control (?)! It has been a hard year in our garden because I have been helping Elizabeth so much in her garden. My three greenhouses were in disorder but now I am nearly finished in cleaning and organizing them. For those of you who don’t know, I also grow tropical orchids and other tender plants in my greenhouses. Lee Raden used to say everyone eventually goes to orchids. These last ten years I have been trying to cultivate these and am finally getting many large and beautiful orchids. Anyone who is interested can visit my greenhouses. Just give me a call. In my cold greenhouse, rock garden plants can be seen over wintering. I want to thank the members who helped during my time as chapter chair! Happy Gardening all! Mary Ann Ulmann Carole Neumer John and Carole have been members of our chapter since 1972. Carole passed away this past August 21st, after having Parkinson's disease for the past two plus years. Since John was caring for Carole, their participation and attendance at our chapter meetings and events was limited, and John indicated they both surely missed these activities. Carole was an avid watercolor painter, and as per John, painted just about every flower and plant. Thanks to Bill Bauer for providing this information. Our thoughts are with John on the passing of Carole. Chuck Ulmann, Membership Secretary ulmannc@msn.com, 610-431-2511 Page 42 The Dodecatheon Sierra Nevada Wildflowers, continued from page 41 The transportation of our small group of eleven, including the driver, allowed impromptu stops to inspect local flora along the road while passing through vast sagebrush scrub areas. At one such stop, we had an opportunity to see the showy yellow blazing star (Mentzelia laevicaulis) and equally showy white prickly poppy (Argemone munita). Some road cuts were just covered with various buckwheats, penstemons, monardellas, in places with the stately Sierra angelica (Angelica lineariloba). Our next excursion was to the Saddlebag Lake (10,000 feet) by the Tioga Pass road, near the eastern entrance of Yosemite National Park. We all appreciated a water taxi ride on the lake toward its northern edge where Mentzelia laevicaulis we comfortably reached a wonderful alpine meadow with a lot of wild flowers. (The high altitude hiking on this high Sierra trip was often rather strenuous, especially for the oldies like me, and the easy water ride was quite welcomed.) The banks of the Saddlebag lake were covered with large colonies of yellow monkey flowers (Mimulus guttatus). The meadows, especially in places where the stream spreads over large areas, are rather wet and create an ideal habitat not only for the monkey flowers but also for dwarf rocky mountain willow (Salix petrophila), alpine shooting star (Dodecatheon alpinum), white heather (Cassiope mertensiana), mountain red Mimulus guttatus heather (Phyllodoce breweri), swamp (bog) laurel (Kalmia polifolia) and many Anderson’s mountain crowns (Oreostemma alpigenum var. andersonii). The Saddlebag lake meadows are also dotted with many outcrops of metavolcanic rocks that provide topographic highs suitable for plants that prefer drier soils, such as various species of penstemons, e.g. Penstemon speciosus, P. heterodoxus or P. rydbergii. Phyllodoce breweri After a sudden change in weather and a short and very intense storm, our hiking plans for the day were changed. Our group visited then the nearby Mono Lake Visitors Center and later hiked in the Convict Lake Valley with the well-known panorama of the Paleozoic folded rocks of Morrison Mountain and Sevenhaha Cliffs in the background. Our last day hike and further search for wild flowers at high altitudes started along the Little Lakes Valley trailhead at an elevation of 10,250 feet, located in the National John Muir Wilderness Area of Inyo National Forest. The lower portion of the trail from the Mosquito Little Lakes Valley rock garden Flats follows the local drainage way of Rock Creek and heads toward a series of lakes, the legacy of the last glaciation of the area. The creek banks have lush vegetation where we found many ‘wet habitat’ blooming plants such as the elephant’s head (Pedicularis groenlandica), ranger’s buttons (Sphenosciadium capitellatum), whiteflowered bog orchid (Platanthera leucostachys), larkspur (Delphinium glaucum), alpine goldenrod (Solidago multiradiata), alpine shooting star (Dodecatheon alpinum) and on the stream flood plain (Mosquito Flats), carpets of Coulter’s daisies (Erigeron coulteri). Vol. 38, No. 6, Nov./Dec. 2014 Page 43 Sierra Nevada Wildflowers continued from page 43 Near Right: Potentilla fruticosa Far Right: Penstemon newberryi var. newberryi Where the lower portion of the trail intersects the outer slope of a glacial moraine, the soils are sandy, rocky and well drained. The plants blooming here during our hike included thick-stemmed aster (Eurybia integrifolia), yarrow (Achillea millefolium), mountain strawberry (Fragaria virginiana), flattopped pussytoes (Antennaria corymbosa), alpine flames (Pyrrocoma apargioides), crimson columbine (Aquilegia formosa), white daisy (Erigeron glacialis) besides many blooming lupines, cinquefoils, castillejas and penstemons with mountain pride penstemon (Penstemon newberryi var. newberryi) being the most ubiquitous. After the initial climbing part of the trail, we reached the portion of the valley with unforgettable views, many granitic rock gardens and ground hugging alpines. And this is where we assembled for our last and farewell group picture (see photo). It is very hard to put in words and describe the beauty of the Sierra Nevada mountains and its flowers. Hopefully we can all come back, meet again and get another taste of the beauty that resides there. Note: I would like to thank Rose Wolford for keeping notes of plant names which made the preparation of this report much easier. Castilleja linariifolia Photographs by Milena Bucek, except the group picture in Little Lakes Valley - by John Baston. CALL FOR SPEAKERS Members’ Show & Tell JANUARY 10, 2015 This annual event is a lot of fun for all of us. Bring your plants, tools, slides, PowerPoint presentations, digital images, drawings or anything else that works for telling us about Rock Garden or Horticultural related activities. Aim at keeping your presentation to about 10 minutes. We’ll have a PC and a projector there for digital pictures. If you are bringing slides please let me know in advance so we can be sure to have a slide projector present. Bring the digital stuff along on a CD or USB drive. If you would like me to put photos into a PowerPoint presentation for you, send them along by email or send me a CD. For those of you who know how Dropbox works, you may use that to get digital images to me. Call 610-431-2511 or email ulmannc@msn.com in advance with what you are planning to do so I'll have everything ready for the meeting. It would be wonderful if we have another overflow session that might spill into February or whenever we have a bit of extra time! (Chuck Ulmann) Page 44 The Dodecatheon December Meeting Our annual meeting and luncheon will be held at the Overbrook Golf Club in Radnor on Saturday, 13 December. We will start at 11 AM for visiting. There will be a cash bar for your convenience! Our sit down luncheon will be at 12 noon. Upon completion of the luncheon we will hold our annual meeting (very short) and will have our speaker, Stephen Maciejewski talking on aspects of Chinese and Vietnamese horticulture. The cost of the luncheon is $24. Please complete your meal choice, complete the form below and send your check and the form to Jerry Rifkin. The deadline for signing up for the meeting is Friday, 5 December. We’re looking forward to seeing you on 13 December. Menu Appetizer Wild Mushroom Bisque Entree, Choice of Sautéed Breast of Chicken Picatta Style with White Wine, Lemon and Herbs Potato Dauphinoise Asparagus OR Hearty Vegetable Fettuccini Alfredo Dessert Bassett’s Vanilla Ice Cream with Godiva Drizzle Assorted French and Italian Cookies Rolls, coffee and tea Tear on the dotted line and return with your check! Reservation form for the December Annual Meeting and Luncheon on Saturday, 13 December Name(s) ___________________________________________________________ Address, City and State _______________________________________________ ________________________________________________ Select your meal Chicken Picatta Number _________ at $24.00 Cost ________ Fettuccini Alfredo Number _________ at $24.00 Cost _________ Total _________ Make your check payable to DVC NARGS and send it to Jerry Rifkin, 310 Valley Rd, Merion PA 19066. DEADLINE FOR RESERVATIONS IS FRIDAY, 5 DECEMBER 2014 Vol. 38, No. 6, Nov./Dec. 2014 Page 45 Fall Plant Sale Results I am pleased to report a successful fall plant sale on September 13th at the Robbins Nature Center in Ambler, Pennsylvania. Shoppers and plant donors combined forces and we collected $666.00 in sales, along with signing up a new member. There was appreciation for the good looks of our donated plants and auction items. Hardly anything was left over. Bill Bauer, a relatively new member, made and donated two large round hypertufa troughs to the silent auction, and the bidding was lively. Thanks a lot, Bill! It takes many helpers to make this event happen -- we need setup, check-in, replacement plant labels, donated plants, pricing, refreshments, and more. Many members donated food and plants. Others pitched in to do whatever needed doing, without being asked. Thank you, Mary Ann and Chuck Ulmann, Jerry Rifkin, Janet Novak, Rad MacFarlane, Arle Kruckeberg, Joan Haas, Joan and Bill Schmitt, Sharee Solow, Paula Burns, Chris and Bob Stamper, and everyone who helped, donated, shopped, or took part. Our spring 2015 plant sale will again be held at the Robbins Nature Center. In 2016, we may join forces with the spring plant sale activities at Morris Arboretum, but probably will retain the fall plant sale as it is. It is such a great way to get our annual activities off to a good start. Betty Mackey, Chair DIRECTIONS Directions To The Overbrook Golf Club Plymouth Township Community Center 2910 Jolly Road, Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462 www.plymouthcommunitycenter.org From Pennsylvania Turnpike I-276 Take Exit 333 (Norristown, old exit 25). At the end of the ramp, turn left onto Plymouth Road. At the light, turn right onto Germantown Pike West. Continue approximately one (1) mile, through four (4) traffic lights (not counting the left hand turn light at Sandy Hill Road). At the fifth light, turn right onto Jolly Road. The Community Center is on the right. From Blue Route (I-476) Take exit for Germantown Pike West (Exit 20). Continue on Germantown Pike west for approximately one (1) mile, through five (5) traffic lights (not counting the left hand turn light at Sandy Hill Road). At the fifth light, turn right onto Jolly Road. The Community Center is on the right. Traveling north on I-476 (Blue Rt.) Follow Route 202 to Germantown Pike. Travel EAST on Germantown Pike, through five (5) traffic lights. At the next traffic light, approximately half a mile, turn left onto Jolly Road. The Community Center is on the right. Page 46 From West Chester: Take Rt. 3 (West Chester Pike) to Bryn Mawr Ave. (3rd traffic light after Rt. 252) and turn left. Follow Bryn Mawr Avenue to Sproul Road (Route 320). Turn left on to Rt. 320 North and follow to 2nd traffic light (Godfrey Rd). Turn left on to Godfrey Rd. Club entrance is about a block down on the left. From King of Prussia or Valley Forge: Head East on the Schuylkill Expressway (Rt. 76) to Exit 331A (Rt. 476 S) towards Chester. Take Exit 13 and turn right onto E. Lancaster Ave./US 30, towards Villanova. Turn right onto Sproul Rd./PA 320 S. At second light turn right onto Godfrey Rd. The entrance is on the left at the bottom of the hill. From Center City Philadelphia: Head West on the Schuylkill Expressway (Rt. 76) to Exit 331 (Rt. 476 S). At Exit 13, Lancaster Ave./US 30, turn right towards Villanova. Turn right onto Sproul Rd./PA 320 S. At second light turn right onto Godfrey Rd. The entrance is on the left at the bottom of the hill. From Points North (Bucks and Upper Montgomery Counties): Go South on Roosevelt Blvd. to Schuylkill Expressway (Rt. 76 W). Exit at Rt. 476 S and get off at the next exit (Exit 13 - St. Davids). Turn right onto Rt. 30 East; then turn right onto Rt. 320 South (Sproul Road). Follow 320 South to the 2nd light at Godfrey Rd. Turn right on to Godfrey and Club entrance is on the left at the bottom of the hill. The Dodecatheon Upcoming Chapter Meetings Biography (from the book Crazy About Cacti and Succulents) Stephen Maciejewski is still married to the green world. He either spends his time attending to the large garden behind his house in Center City Philadelphia; or in the award winning Fitzwater 2000 Community Garden located down the street, which he helped established and maintains. He has also started raising bees there. When he's not working on the outdoor plants, he's caring for the countless Join Stephen Maciejewski from the Liberty Bell chapter plants growing on the windowsills or light carts throughout his of the Gesneriad Society in Philadelphia as he takes you home. Son of a Polish farmer, he started acquiring plants as a boy on a 15 day journey into a seldom seen section of China. with his paper route money. Years later he started showing plants at Follow him and Professor Wei Yi-Gang, author of Gesneriaceae of South China as they travel 3,000 kilo- the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s annual Harvest Show. He developed and perfected his growing and exhibiting skills and techmeters in search of beautiful, rare and still unnamed speniques by joining and participating in numerous local plant clubs. cies of gesneriads. You'll see plants never seen before: He has also held leadership positions in various plant organizations many Primulinas, other gesneriads and plants like the Today, he's a fixture in the competitive division at the Philadelphia cave growing iridescent blue Begonia edulis. Plus specInternational Flower Show's Horticultural Court. For the past dectacular scenery, including otherworldly karst mountains, ade he has immersed himself in the world of gesneriads. He is caves larger than ball parks, elaborate rice fields and President of the local Liberty Bell Gesneriad Society chapter and quaint villages. And learn how a little caterpillar can have co-Chairperson on the international Conservation and Student Grant a major effect on your travel plans. For those with a culi- Committees. He is also the co-founder of the Gesneriad Conservanary interest, there's: marijuana soup, white bees with tion Center of China, created to study, grow and keep local gesginger and green slime fungus with vegetables. A feast for neriad species from going extinct. He explores for gesneriads and lectures extensively. He will be honored with a newly discovered all your senses. Book will be for sale. species of gesneriaceae being named for him. The plant will be called Primulina maciejewskii. Topic #2: Wild Vietnam: Leeches, Vipers, Bat December 13, 2014: Stephen Maciejewski Topic #1: China: Disappearing Mountains, White Bees, Venomous Caterpillars and Grandma's Primulina. Boys and Gesneriads Stephen Maciejewski will now take us on a fifteen day journey into Vietnam, going where few have gone before. Follow him and a group of Chinese and Vietnamese botanists as they travel from Hanoi in search of plants and adventure. You'll visit: Hang Kia Pako, Pu Hu, Pu Hoat, Pu Huong, Phong Nhake Bang and other places. You'll see plants never seen before, plus birds, snakes, frogs, butterflies, Hmong people, a Vietnamese wedding, memorable food, beautiful buildings and also spend a night with the Forest Rangers. Welcome New Members to the DVC chapter of NARGS: Cindy Nuss Tracy Constantine Jenny Rose Carey ENTER YOUR PLANTS IN THE FLOWER SHOW It's almost Philadelphia Flower Show (PFS) time again. A dedicated group is busy constructing a fabulous Educational Entry to represent us. But another part of the show is the Hort Court. That's the place where individuals shine and the public takes notes. John Ray is our chapter's outstanding star at present, and Ann Rosenberg has also won many honors over the past few years. These two gems are threatening that they will not go on entering forever! In order for us to have a presence in the Philadelphia Flower Show Hort Court, we need to have more members enter. In order to have Rock Garden Classes as part of the Show, we need to have more entries. Thank you for helping! Here's how: Please enter the PFS on behalf of DVC-NARGS! We bet you can do it! Note the succulent classes, for example. Have you had a lovely specimen since December 1, 2014? That's all it takes. The process sounds complicated, but it is not taxing once you get started and there will be people (from NARGS, even) to help you. Actually, it is better to ask for help ahead of time. Mary Ann Ulmann, the Slaters, Joan Schmitt, the Rosenbergs, Jill Evans and probably many others will help you if asked. All information is written down in the Exhibitor's Guide for March 2015. See pages 42, 43 (classes _350 to _406) and 49 (class 4630). How do you find a guide? It's noted below. Here are some of the Rock Garden classes that you could enter: (This info is very condensed to save space.) 1)Primula in bloom; 2)Hardy and non-hardy rock garden plants (and also bulbs, corms, rhizomes and tubers) in bloom; 3)Non-Hardy rock garden garden plants (and also bulbs, corms, rhizomes and tubers) in bloom; 4) Also non-flowering specimens (see above categories); 5)Herbaceous (non-woody) natural-cushion rock garden plant, foliage or flowering; 6)Hardy rock garden cactus or other succulent, except Sedum or Sempervivum; 7)Non-hardy rock garden cactus or other succulent, except Sedum or Sempervivum; 8) 6" and over 6" pots of Sedum or Sempervivum; 9) Trough Classes include Life on the Rocks, Life with a Log, a miniature rock garden for flowering, and another for non-flowering; 10)Lewisia in bloom to be entered in its own class on the 2nd Friday only. Could also be entered before that in another class. To get started (and we HOPE you will) you can download an Exhibitor's Guide and take a look at http:/theflowershow.com/exhibits/exhibit-at-the-flower-show (it is 61 4x8" pages) OR email fsguide@pennhort.org with your name and address. This address is for ordering the guide only, not for asking questions. Or go on line and look at pages 42, 43 and 49 to find a plant in your house that is just crying out to be entered. Go for it! DVC thanks you. Vol. 38, No. 6, Nov./Dec. 2014 Page 47 The D o d e c a t h eo n Joan T. Haas, Editor 70 Iron Bridge Road Pipersville, PA 18947 FLOWER SHOW BABYSITTING AIDES Looking Ahead Delaware Valley Chapter NARGS Meetings and Activities. Nov. 8 Speaker tbd, PTCC Dec.13 Stephen Maciejewski: Chinese and Vietnamese horticulture (see page 47), Overbrook Golf Club Jan. 10: Members' Show and Tell, PTCC Feb. 14: Speaker, PTCC March: Philadelphia Flower Show (Jerry Rifkin) Mar. 16 (Thursday): NARGS Spring 2015 Speakers Tour Dieter Zschummel, from near Leipzig, an avid rock gardener. Venue tbd. Hosting for Dieter and his wife - volunteers needed, for housing and to fulfill "his desire to see wild flowers whenever possible." Apr. 11: Speaker, PTCC May 9: Members' Garden Tour - volunteers welcome! Contact Janet Novak if interested Check The Dodecatheon and the DVC-NARGS website (www.dvcnargs.org) for details before each meeting. Arle Kruckeberg, Program Chair, drarlek@yahoo.com Page 48 It is time to start thinking about helping our chapter's efforts at the 2015 flower show. We need volunteers to "babysit" our exhibit during the show. Show dates: Saturday 2/28 through Sunday 3/8. To see the schedule and time slots that are open, go to our website dvcnargs.org and on the left side, click on "volunteer". The schedule and info on how to contact me will come up. Thanks all. Jerry Rifkin 2014 Chapter Membership Renewal submitted by Chuck Ulmann 2014 Chapter Membership Renewal Time is here!!! Save a stamp (for you and the chapter) and save a tree and almost $1.50! That is what it costs to generate the renewal letter and the return envelope! If you want to renew early before we mail out the renewals, go to the web site (DVCNARGS.org) and renew through our PayPal options. Click on the ‘Membership’ link on the left side of the screen. Follow the directions to purchase a membership. I'll know it is a renewal! You do not have to have a PayPal account; we accept credit cards at the Paypal web site. The site is a secure way to use your credit card on the internet. The only person that will see your credit card is Paypal! You’ll get a confirmation from PayPal and I’ll send you one as well just to be sure we both agree that you renewed. If you haven’t paid through the web site by 02 January 2015 or you want to pay the usual way by check, you will receive the renewal information in the mail during the first week in January, 2015. For Membership Information: Visit our web site www.dvcnargs.org or contact Membership Secretary Chuck Ulmann, ulmannc@msn.com, phone 610.431.2511 The Dodecatheon