the drought tolerant garden - monterey, california

MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS Î August - September 2008

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�The Drought Tolerant Garden— Part One: Design

�Fire-safe Landscapes �Wildfire Prevention Publications

�The Edible Garden �3rd Annual Smart Gardening Faire

�Featured Plant: Melianthus �Epolls

The Sussex Trug� Confessions: Ultimate Drought Tolerance� Event Review: Sculpture Within 2008� 2008 Class Gift� 10 Best Natives� Try It, You’ll Like It� Relevant Internet Miscellany� Advanced Training & Volunteer Opps�

The Drought Tolerant Garden—Kari Olsen, MG06

Part One: Design Why Create a Drought Tolerant Garden?

The number one reason to plant a drought tolerant (DT) garden is, of course, water. Or more importantly, the lack of it. Water is always a precious resource in California but many homeowners don’t think about water conservation until we hit a drought year. Or two. Or more. Regulations and water rationing begin and then we become conscious of how and where we use our water, when in fact we should be water-wise regardless of the current year’s rainfall. The first regulations put in place during drought years regulate outdoor water use—and irrigation is always on the list. DT gardens make outdoor water conservation easy because DT plants get the majority of their water requirements through winter precipitation with very little (or no) supplemental water. Plants are adapted to the ‘winter-wet’ and ‘summer-dry’ conditions of our regional climate. When they do need occasional summer water, the preferred method is a slow, deep watering that soaks into the ground without wasteful runoff, which flows from our streets and drains into the Bay. Less urban runoff also means fewer chemical fertilizers polluting our waterways and, ultimately, the ocean. DT gardens are water savers but each one also protects our beautiful Central Coast and Monterey Bay.

Creating the Design

Designing can be a fun part of renovating or creating a new garden but many people find this phase intimidating. The important thing to remember when thinking about design is that it’s all about what you want so you can’t do it ‘wrong.’ A landscape design brings all your ideas onto paper where you can move them around and play with them as long as you like. A design merges our wants and desires with what is actually there, often an important reality check. An accurate design informs us what size and types of spaces we are working with and which plant communities are best suited to those spaces. Even if you are working with a professional designer, putting your own ideas down on paper helps clarify your wishes, enabling you to better communicate them to the designer. As you learn about your site, plant communities, and the individual plants themselves you may find your ideal garden evolving. And the time for making design changes is while you are still on paper rather than during installation. The basic landscape design assessment and planning steps are essentially the same regardless of the type or style of garden. The list can be long but not complicated and thinking through the questions will help generate additional ideas and refine

GARDENING ON THE E D G E N E W S L E T T E R O F T H E M O N T E R E Y B A Y M A S T E R G A R D E N E R S

Number 131 — August / September 2008

August - September 2008 Î MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS

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But now in September the garden has cooled, and with it my possessiveness. The sun warms my back instead of beating on my head ...

The harvest has dwindled, and I have grown apart from the intense midsummer relationship that brought it on.

~ Robert Finch, Poet

your sense of the space. Your list might include such factors as: a definition of the area’s function (what will the space be used for?); preservation of an existing view; or creation of a screen for privacy or noise reduction. There are many resources available to help the ‘non-designer’; Sunset Western Landscaping Book presents these steps with a simple and clear approach (see Resources). While all aspects of the design process contribute to the final product, the following section focuses on one of the two steps most critical to DT landscaping: Site Analysis. Part Two, featured in the next issue of Gardening on the Edge, October/November, will focus on Plant Selection.

Site Analysis Thorough site assessment is a critical factor in any landscape design but especially so with DT landscaping. Ideally your plants will ultimately depend only on winter rainfall and/or minimal supplemental summer water so matching the plant to the place becomes essential. Here are the primary site-specific conditions to consider. Regional climate and microclimates What are the regional weather patterns? In the West we are fortunate to have Sunset’s climate zones to work with. Rather than just considering the average minimum temperature (USDA zones) the Sunset zones consider a range of factors including elevation, coastal influences, rainfall and temperature. Determining your Sunset climate zone makes the first step much easier. Then it’s important to realize that other factors contribute to areas within most sites: these are microclimates. Exposure is a major modifier within a site; is it oriented north/south/east/west facing? Where are the sun/shade areas? Shade can be cast by the site’s dominant trees or

any existing structures. Which direction does the prevailing wind blow and how strongly? A ridge top can experience blasting winds both summer and winter. Higher elevations in the coastal mountains often have heavy winter precipitation (rain and/or snow) and extreme summer temperatures with little summer fog. Some sites include all of these conditions resulting in hot, bone-dry summers and freezing wet winters. Other microclimate modifiers are created by structures and topography. Plants against south- or west-facing walls will be less likely to be subjected to winter frosts and more likely to heat up in the summer. Most properties also have ‘cold sinks’ where cold air gathers during winter nights making plants in those areas more subject to frost. A single site, even small sites, can have multiple microclimates; it becomes important to consider this during the plant selection phase. Soil Knowing the type of soil you have is essential to plant selection. Soils made up primarily of clay retain water longer, but are slow draining. Sandier soils are faster draining but this generally means less water and nutrient retention. Plants will thrive best in the type of soil to which they are adapted. Soil types can vary within a single site and when you are working with disturbed soil brought in as “fill” after housing construction, who knows what mixture you may find. For information on determining your soil type, refer to the Sunset Western Garden Book.

Topography of the land Are there areas where the land slopes or where water pools during heavy rain? Are there potential drainage or erosion problems that need to be addressed? Erosion problems could be mitigated by choosing plants with extensive root systems, though many mountain sites have extreme slopes which may


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require professional attention and/or engineering in addition to the design work. Determine which direction water drains naturally on the site. Generally, lower elevation areas – even slight dips – can sustain plants which prefer moderately higher water requirements because rain and irrigation runoff will flow toward the lower areas.

Lastly, note any existing plants to be retained in the new landscape. Most often these are the dominant trees; their location can create microclimates and will also impact plant selection. And remember to identify any utility locations (to be avoided).

Putting it all together Thoughtful and comprehensive site analysis, including identification of potential problems and their solutions, will certainly mitigate future headaches and save water, time and money. An accurate assessment of microclimates, including exposure to sun, shade and wind, becomes the basis for plant selection; plants naturally adapted to your particular conditions have a better chance of becoming established. The October/November issue of Gardening on the Edge, ‘The Drought Tolerant Garden, Part Two: Planting,’ will focus on selecting and planting drought tolerant plants that will thrive in your garden. Also see many beautiful examples (some pictured on these pages) of drought tolerant gardens on the Water-Smart Garden Tour, August 9 & 10— www.montereybaymastergardeners.org.

Essential Resources for Designing and Planting a Drought Tolerant Garden…

California Native Plants for the Garden. Carol Bornstein, David Fross, Bart O’Brien. Cachuma Press, 2005.

Designing California Native Gardens: The Plant Community Approach to Artful, Ecological Gardens. Glen Keator and Alrie Middlebrook. University of California Press, 2007.

Plants and Landscapes for Summer-Dry Climates of the San Francisco Bay Area Region. Nora Harlow. East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD), 2004.

Sunset Western Garden Book. Kathleen Norris Brenzel, ed. Sunset Publishing Corporation, multiple editions.

Sunset Western Landscaping Book. Kathleen Norris Brenzel, ed. Sunset Publishing Corporation, multiple editions. Ï

Photos Page one, left: home of Ed Rutter, landscape designed by Brett Graf of Habitat Gardens; right: Susan McDonald, Designer. Page two, photos by Kari Olsen. This page, top left: Weiss garden designed by Susan Wyche and Barbara Olsen; left: Wellstone garden designed by Wade Petrini of Artificial Lawns Direct; top right: the garden of Karen Grobe, the Worm Doctor; above: garden designed by Love’s Gardens. See the gardens pictured on pages 1 and 3 on the Water-Smart Garden Tour; www.montereybaymastergardeners.org for details.


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Master Gardeners can help to provide information on wildfire prevention and dealing with the aftermath of fire dam-age. There are many educational re-sources available in our Watsonville UCCE office or online.

Included in those publications are ‘Landscaping Tips to Help Defend

Your Home from Wildfire.’ This resource might be the first publication to read, as it organizes and describes many of the other publications from UCCE and other agencies. We also

have ‘Living with Fire in Santa Cruz County, a Guide for Homeowners,’ a Resource Conservation District publication that includes information about a local ‘chipper’ program to help neighborhood associations with brush clearing.

We have organized a resource list that is available online at the UCCE Santa Cruz or Monterey Bay Master Gardener websites, and compiled and made available many of the listed publications in the hotline office. Hotline personnel should try to familiarize themselves with this information when they come into the hotline. Our local community is in need, and we can be helpful.

Free Publications Available at UCCE, Santa Cruz County Office (date; publication number) ‘Living with Fire In Santa Cruz County – A Guide for Homeowners’ (05/04) ‘A Property Owner’s Guide to Reducing the Wildfire Threat’ (01/91; 21539) ‘Landscaping Tips to Help Defend Your Home from Wildfire’ (04/08; 8322) http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/pdf/8322.pdf ‘Home Landscaping for Fire’ (07/07; 8228) http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/pdf/8228.pdf Free Publications in Spanish Available at UCCE, Santa Cruz County Office ‘Una Guia Para Propietarios Proteja su propiedad de los incendios de maleza’ (01/91) Websites on Wildfires in Spanish http://www.fire.ca.gov/communications/communications_ firesafety_spanish.php Publications for Sale Available at UCCE, Santa Cruz County Office ‘How Can We Live With Wild Land Fire?’ $10.00 (06/05; 21582) ‘Recovering From Wildfire’ $5.00 (2001; 21603)

DVD & VHS available at http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu ‘Wildland Fire: How Can We Live With It?’ DVD $20.00 (1997; 6574D) ‘Wildland Fire: How Can We Live With It?’ VHS $20.00 (1997; V97-I)

Websites and Resources on Wildfires • http://www.wildfirezone.org/ • http://www.ci.santa-cruz.ca.us/fd/index.html • http://www.ci.santa-cruz.ca.us/fd/index.html • http://news.ucanr.org/newsstorymain.cfm?

story=524 • http://www.fire.ca.gov/index_incidents.php • http://camastergardeners.ucdavis.edu/ • http://firecenter.berkeley.edu/ • http://ceeldorado.ucdavis.edu/

Master_GardenerFiresafe_Landscaping.htm • http://groups.ucanr.org/HWMG/ • http://celosangeles.ucdavis.edu/

Natural_Resources/Wildland_Fire.htm • http://nature.berkeley.edu/~fbeall/

HODefSpaceGuide.pdf • http://www.bof.fire.ca.gov/pdfs/

Copyof4291finalguidelines9_29_06.pdf • http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu Questions? Please contact the Monterey Bay Master Gardeners at UC Cooperative Extension Santa Cruz County (831)763-8007 Ï

Wildfire Prevention Publications—Steve Tjosvold, UCCE

Fire-safe Landscapes —Sue Tarjan, MG06

You’ve probably been hearing the term ‘defensible space’ a lot recently as wildfires have raged across our state. To reduce the risk of buildings igniting during a wildfire and to ensure that firefighters and homeowners can safely defend them, landscapes should be maintained properly.

Plants should be healthy, green, and well irrigated. Trees and shrubs should be trimmed away from dwellings and spaced and pruned to prevent flames spreading. Dry, dead plants and plant litter should be removed to reduce fuel load.

Firefighters won’t risk their lives to defend homes that are indefensible. The following are resources to help you learn how to do your part.

UCSC Fire Department ‘Living with Fire in Santa Cruz County: A Guide for Homeowners’ www.ci.santa-cruz.ca.us/fd/PDF/ LivingwithFireinSantaCruzCounty_6-2004.pdf UC Agriculture & Natural Resources ‘Sustainable and Fire-safe Landscapes in the Wildland –Urban Interface’ ucce.ucdavis.edu/files/filelibrary/1359/41665.pdf City of Oakland ‘Recommendations for Ecologically Sensitive Fire Abatement Vegetation Management Practices‘ www.oaklandnet.comwildfirePreventionRecommendationsforEcologicallySensitiveFireAbatement.pdf Mattole Restoration Council (contains great plant list) ‘North Coastal California Fire-Smart Landscaping’ www.mattole.org/pdf/UMFP_fire_safe_plants.pdf


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Shades of cauliflower (Wikipedia)

THE EDIBLE GARDEN Good Eats and Gardening Tips

—Tammy Tahara, MG06

Cauliflower with Cranberries

OK, so I've never written a column in my life and here I am, going down this garden path which is both scary and exciting. And your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to head down this path with me. Let's learn a little and enjoy the products of our edible gardens together!

I grew cauliflower for the first time the winter of 2006 when a friend gave me a few plants to try out. I took them home, stuck them in a big pot and watched as they struggled to survive. I knew nothing about growing cauliflower and the sorry state of my plants proved it. I would check on them every few days to make sure the soil wasn't drying out and that any insects or diseases didn't get the upper hand. In due time, I was rewarded with tiny little cauliflower heads (called curds). It was about this time that I decided to do some research on how to grow cauliflower – better late than never, right? I discovered that in order to keep the curds white, I needed to “blanch” them by tying the leaves from the base of the plant around the heads to keep them protected from the sun and to keep the curds white. Perhaps I didn’t tie the leaves up enough because when I next checked, a herd of aphids had made a home out of my cauliflower and I ended up chucking the lot into the garbage. Better luck next time – especially after putting my research into practice! Some cauliflower growing facts and hints: Cauliflower is a member of the family Brassicaceae which also includes broccoli, mustard, turnips and radish. It is a cool season crop so is best grown in the fall. You may start from seed in mid-summer but be sure to protect the seedlings from heat and keep them well-watered until you transplant them into your garden. If you choose to transplant starters, be sure to plant them out as soon as you buy them. Transplants kept too long in flats produce smaller heads. Cauliflower will grow in most soils but will produce best in fertile, well-drained loamy soils rich in organic matter. Give the seedlings room to grow by spacing them 18” apart with at least 2 feet between rows. Be sure to mulch around the plants to keep the soil moist and cool and once a month enrich your plants with a high-nitrogen fertilizer such as compost tea. Avoid having your plants produce premature heads or buttons by keeping the soil evenly moist throughout the growing season. To keep the growing curds white and to protect them from the sun and retain their flavor, blanch them by either breaking off a few of the outer leaves and placing them over the top of the head, or gather a few leaves from the base of the plant and

clip together with a clothespin or rubber band. Harvest cauli-flower before the curds start to separate by cutting it off the stalk just below the head. Oh, and about those pesky aphids. Cauliflower is subject to several diseases and pests, aphids being one of them. Insecti-cidal soaps or a strong stream of water may have dislodged mine. Another preventative measure my research dug up is to layer a piece of aluminum foil under the plants. This reflects light on the undersides of the leaves which makes it inhospita-ble to aphids. You may choose to enjoy your cauliflower in this recipe demonstrated at one of the quarterly meetings in 2007. Cauliflower with Cranberries

1 head cauliflower 2 Tablespoons olive oil (or cooking spray) 1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips 1 small white onion, thinly sliced 1 small clove garlic, finely chopped 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated 1/4 cup dried cranberries (or to taste) Salt and pepper to taste

Rinse cauliflower under cold water and break into small pieces. Place cauliflower in blender (or use hand chopper) and pulse or chop until cauliflower looks like grains of rice. Set aside.

Spray a large sauté pan with cooking spray or use 1 Table-spoon olive oil. Add onion and cook until translucent or very lightly browned. Add red bell pepper and sauté lightly. Add garlic and ginger and continue sautéing. Add 1 Tablespoon olive oil and cauliflower all at once and continue to cook, stirring frequently until cauliflower is tender. Add cranberries and cook until plumped up. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately. Ï

Sources: www.essentialgardenguide.com www.farm-garden.com www.howtodothings.com


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Third Annual Smart Gardening Faire

—Tom Karwin, MG99

It’s no secret that this year’s Smart Gardening Faire was scaled down from last year. The summer’s first heat wave and highway closures caused by lightning-sparked fires limited attendance, and the launch of a major new event, the Water-Smart Garden Contest and Tour, occupied the time and attention of many key MGs.

Still, the third annual Faire was successful in many respects: we had a good turnout by exhibitors, with several noting the value of participation; everyone we heard from enjoyed the Faire and the many exhibitors; and the food by Mint and India Gourmet and music by Bluegrass Stomp and the Cabrillo Farmer’s Market String Band were excellent. Volunteers The day’s activities proceeded very smoothly because of the experience gained from two previous Faires and the many contributions of volunteers. MG Simon Stapleton, Faire Manager, provided leadership and coordination and kept all aspects of the Faire in focus and on schedule. Anyone who expressed a need or raised a question was immediately advised to “ask Simon.” In addition to Simon, the Faire Committee included Co-chairs Tom Karwin and Sheryl McEwan, Publicity Coordinator Betsy Shea, MBMG Booth Coordinator Patty Nicely, Treasurer Gigi Tacheny, Webmaster Christina Kriedt, and President Cynthia Jordan. We also welcomed and appreciated the participation of Vai Campbell of the Soquel Creek Water District, representing the Santa Cruz Country Water Awareness Committee. Additional volunteers who made it all happen—and had a good time in the process—included: Paula Anthony, Claudia Boulton, Elizabeth Burns, Marcia Charland, Karen Cozza, Lin Eucalyptus, Sue Forson, Joann Godoy, Tina Heitzman, Darcy Horton, Melita Israel, Sue Kirkpatrick, Darby Kremers, Nancy Martella, Dennis O'Hara, Peter Quintella, Jean Schaaf, Randa Solick, Tammy Tahara, Debra Van Bruggen, Richard Wallstrom, Denise Weatherwax, and Rina Weingold. Sponsors Our sponsors made generous contributions to cover the out-of-pocket expenses of both the Faire and the Water-Smart Garden Contest and Tour. This is developing into a beautiful friendship!

California Landscape Contractors Association City of Santa Cruz, Water Department City of Scotts Valley, Parks & Recreation Department

City of Watsonville, Public Works Department County of Santa Cruz, Environmental Health Department San Lorenzo Valley Water District Scotts Valley Water District Shea-Campbell & Associates Soquel Creek Water District Thomas Karwin & Associates

Speakers We had excellent speakers, who added greatly to the Faire’s educational purpose. We were particularly pleased to have Assembly Member John Laird present, speaking on California legislation related to water conservation.

Brian Barth, Live Earth Farm Sherry Lee Bryan, Ecology Action/Santa Cruz County Home Composting Program Roxanne Evans, Ecocentric Design Brett Graf, Habitat Gardens Dan Harder, UCSC Arboretum John Laird, California Assembly Monique Smith Lee, California Bat Conservation Fund Bobby Markowitz, Earthcraft Design Cynthia Sandberg, Love Apple Farm Christy Schulman, LifeLab Elementary Science Program Roy Sikes, Soquel Creek Water District Robin Stockwell, Succulent Gardens Thomas Wittman, Gophers Limited

A highlight of the day’s presentations was the announcement of winners of the Water-Smart Garden Contest (see smartgardening.org). Chris Perri, board member of the Scotts Valley Water District, conducted the ceremony with Contest Chairperson Candice McLaren, Cynthia Jordan and Vai Campbell. Finances Because of the links between the Water-Smart Garden Contest & Tour, and the Smart Gardening Faire, the financial picture is a little more complicated than usual and —with the Tour yet to come—still emerging. With the help of Treasurer Gigi Tacheny, we’ll figure it all out in time. The good news is that it all looks positive at this point. Feedback and Planning for 2009 We’ve received numerous good ideas about improving the Faire for 2009, with some coming through e-mail, some through personal communications and some during the After the Faire Luncheon. Cynthia Jordan has provided a summary of recommendations to the MBMG Board and will make it available to all interested MGs. Your ideas are always welcome. Several important refinements are already in the early planning stages, as is a strong interest in adopting the theme, ‘Edible Gardening’ for the 4th Annual Smart Gardening Faire. We might even have an outdoor, sit-down gourmet luncheon for that occasion! We’ll probably avoid the Summer Solstice weekend next year, and schedule the Faire a week earlier or later. We’ll announce a firm date soon, so be ready to mark your calendar! Ï


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Featured Plant: Melianthus major, Honey Bush —Bonnie Pond, MG00

The translation of Melianthus is ‘herb-touch-me-not’ and the unpleasant aroma is a warning of its high toxicity. The plant is from South Africa where it is used externally as a poultice for wounds and arthritis. I don’t know what fascinates me most about Melianthus major. Is it the large, arresting, 12-inch blue-green, saw-toothed leaves which fold to create a ‘V’? Or is it the tall red-bronze spikes that produce an interesting bud, which in turn becomes a nectar-filled flower that can be 2 feet in height? Of course, it could also be the wonderful silhouette formed by the leaves, which radiate on short stems and give a palm-like appearance. You decide. The honey bush is considered a half-hardy plant. It prefers a warm, sunny location with good drainage but is frost tolerant to 20 degrees. Although it does better in deep, rich soil with lots of water, I have found that it grows well with little water if kept warm and out of the wind. It is a low maintenance and water-smart plant for all gardens. It grows from 6 to 12 feet tall and can be trained tall, sprawling or bushy. With more water, it could become invasive. When the plants get leggy or scraggly, they should be cut back to encourage new growth. There are birds that come to the honey bush that don’t go to any other plants in my garden. Hummingbirds love it as do finches, orioles and grosbeaks. The flowers also drip nectar that attracts bees and butterflies. Knowledgeable gardeners use this plant for its foliage in the background or as a stand-alone specimen. It can be combined with grasses for a savannah look or with flowers for a lusher tropical feel. Melianthus major is easily grown from seeds sown in autumn or cuttings made from new shoots sprouting from the base. I will be collecting seed for anyone who wants to try this method of propagation. Ï

Photos by Bonnie Pond


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What steps did you take to design your drought tolerant landscape?

Melita Israel, MG95 I put in artificial turf where my gophered grass lawn once was. Expensive but looks so neat. Barbara Gordon, MG98 I took classes at Cabrillo Community College and consulted with Lisa McAndrews. I also read books and shopped at native nurseries. So, I've planted lots of native plants requiring little water. Then I've installed, with the help of MGs, a drip irrigation system on a hillside to water natives rarely. Chris Carrier, MG06 1. Start planning with the users in mind. Who do I want to share the garden with? How can I make it attractive to them? Rewarding? A point of curiosity? How can I hook them into helping build and/or keep the garden up?

2. Plan for diversity. Some people really like the smell of dirt. Some are happy to sit and read. Some may enjoy a chessboard built into a bench. Some really need to change their eating habits and a veggie patch (typically non-native) has its place.

3. If it is a public place, know who your sugar daddy is and what would make him/her look good while also serving those with more pressing needs. Lose your ego. This is about serving others.

4. Plan for beauty. All business and no play makes for a real bore. And if you are already a bore, plan for something on the wild side — put a wiggle in an otherwise straight path.

5. I'm for accommodating animal life with the garden. My first response to hungry gophers is to feed them in a spot where they won't bug me. They are kind of fun to tease. Put out a 6" pipe and you can listen to them scramble when you and a friend alternate lifting an end of the pipe. If a sudden, conclusive, even violent death of a rodent crosses your mind, build a hawk platform and hire out the dirty work. If you are lucky enough to have deer, put out a salt lick and hay in a place handier to them than your garden. Butterflies and hummingbirds are like poppies — they can't happen enough.

6. Garden entirely without pesticides if possible. A good self-respecting chemical pesticide will kill so many things you never realized were there. Really, really, really think how much of an emergency the aphids are or a little scale or any number of nickel-and-dime worries. Zap the aphids with a hose, scrape the scale with your thumb. The new rule for artificial chemical use: if you can sit on the ground anywhere in your garden (clothing optional) and have breakfast any morning, then you are likely striking the right IPM balance.

7. Don't get into the money thing. Gardening is not about money — neither saving it nor out-shining your neighbor. If you have never visited the Last Chance Mercantile and the Marina landfill, do so. Anyone who has been lucky enough

to garden with a grandparent knows gardening isn't about money at all but rather about relationships. What resources did you use to help you design your drought tolerant landscape: classes, books, professionals, etc?

Chris Carrier, MG06 1. Model gardens. Life Lab, Gateway, some native gardens in the South Bay Native Garden Tour.

2. RON program at CSUMB. Invaluable as friends, knowledge source, free plants. Numerous workshops throughout the years.

3. Internet sites. Las Pilitas is a critically important stop. 4. Books. Too many to remember. Bornstein's book on natives was great to have while shopping local nurseries and on the net. If I had $180 to spend, it would go into books before a Master Gardener Convention, but then I hold grudges a long time. What was the biggest obstacle to designing your drought tolerant landscape? Chris Carrier, MG06 1. My imagination. My orientation. I need to study more where native plants do well — why they are called natives — and ask myself how much of that native environment would look super cool in my garden area. It is wrong to start with a mental image of a European castle garden and then ask what native plants will fill it out.

2. In the same spirit, I brought in a lot of fancy soil because we got a nifty grant from Uncle Arnie. Two years ago we were poor. We built our garden from teacher donations, workdays and garage sales. The construction companies left us the impossible Salinas clay which we mounded up, said a few Hail Marys over and seeded in some free plants from RON. There seems to be a real danger of loving and fussing over native plants too much. Our old garden with the worst of the worst soil is thriving. Time will tell how the natives do in the new mortgage hill area.

3. My imagination to create a garden as pleasant to sit in as to do educational projects. It's not as easy as one might think to resist building a school garden out of rows of raised beds and a chain link fence. Planning for the garden to be pretty and inviting is to plan for some sculpture, some benches, some diversity. A too tiny an imagination can be an obstacle. This applies to one's love life and salad-making ability as well. Barbara Gordon, MG98 Getting deer resistant and matching plants.

Epolls—compiled by Sharon Ettinger, MG00


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If you had it to do over, what would you change about the design of your drought tolerant landscape?

Chris Carrier, MG06 1. Put in the drip system before the plants. 2. Plan five (or even three) years ahead. Even if it adds a year to getting your native/drought tolerant garden going, try to find mature plants so you can plan better in your head what gets big in the full sun, what gets medium in the full sun, what ground cover will work in the shaded undergrowth you have created. Repeat for partial sun areas. 3. The only reason God put walls in this world is to facilitate growing vines. Another prop I'd use better are our trees. It is true that a yard without a tree isn't fit for a dog (thank you BoKay Nursery), but a tree needs a vine [as] much as a Vogue model needs substance. Abandoned cars and children in their tenth year of grad school may also qualify. So what I'd do differently is plan for compatibility for tree-vine, wall-vine, lamp post-vine, and mortgage collector-vine combos.

4. I really didn't think about ground cover and smaller plants that would do well under the native plants. I noticed the native gardens in the San Jose tour almost always use wood chips to separate their prized specimens. So they had native plants set out in contrast by dead parts all around them. That's checkbook gardening. Give me an English mess any day even if I know it's contrived. Now I'm crawling under mallow, coyote bush, black sage, Manzanita, and a bunch I can't name trying to get a sedum or a ginger or a sword fern to take root. I think I got the process backwards. 5. I also have to plan for middle school kids. Zero should get in there that at any stage of its life has thorns, berries or anything fuzzy on the end of a stem (asparagus, artichokes, etc.) and of course no grenades (excuse me, tomatoes). We have kids who will weave bougainvillea thorns into their fingertip skin just to gross out a girlfriend. Barbara Gordon, MG98 I'd take more time planning and learn more about hillside planting. I've chosen some wonderful salvias, which have grown so large that they droop down and cover some soil allowing it to dry out and not allow light through so nothing grows under them. I worry about erosion because I'm dealing with a hillside in that part of my garden. Maryanne McCormick, MG04 Plant things farther apart, a rookie move I made! Make sure plants are taken off the auto drip system as soon as they are established.

Keep my eyes open for the spectacular species before I plant (i.e. don't be in such a hurry to just get it done and just plant ordinary plants.)

Are there any drought tolerant plants that you would avoid using?

Robin Sanders, MG95 1.Gaura lindheimeri - beautiful plant - but reseeds everywhere without water. The only way to contain it is ‘shovel pruning.’ So far it has not escaped into the wild parts of my garden. 2.Helichrysum petiolare 'Limelight' - again a beautiful plant. I first had it in a pot on the deck - it outgrew that so I planted it off the deck in a no-water zone - I water in the general area once a month or so. It has taken over - probably 20 feet across and spreading downhill. It's beautiful but I now worry about it becoming a pest in the wild. 3.Geranium maderense - Sunset says ‘likes moist conditions’ - not in my garden! It's truly beautiful but every one of those thousands of flowers will reseed! And it is now growing down the hillside where there is no water. It flowers in spring and then dies off, but comes back again in the winter/spring. It’s truly beautiful but I planted it at least 5 years ago and not since then - I have far more of the plants now than 3 years ago.

Chris Carrier, MG06 Buckwheat is spreading quickly and is hard to tolerate since it’s ugly. California sage and fuchsia have to be policed, but at least they're fit for the eye…the sage needs a haircut a couple of times a year. I would plant it again but in a full sun corner with smaller plants in front.

Darby Kremers, MG97 With my limited experience, it seems that most of the natives only look good for a relatively short time in spring. Trying to maintain seasonal interest and color seems to be a challenge with natives/drought tolerant plants.

Marti bd Feverfew!!! And also that tall yellow primrose...I don't know the name. It just appeared in my garden and it is so pretty! BUT it is now taking over the world....as is feverfew...and for that matter Salvia gesneriiflora ‘Tequila’! Ï

MG Chris Carrier’s Harden Middle School

I have a rock garden. Last week three of them died. Richard Diran


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You can purchase an authentic Sussex trug from The Gardeners Shop in the UK —

http://www.thegardenersshop.co.uk/

The Sussex Trug —Cindy Lloyd, MG08 June 1, 2008 Yesterday was Master Gardener graduation, luncheon, raffle, plant exchange, photo display and floral competition. The party planners truly outshone themselves. After receiving our certificates of completion (and our graded final exams), each of us was formally designated an Intern. Hours of volunteer service and higher education await us in order to become fully qualified to wear a solid, rather than paper, name tag. The weekly trips to Watsonville are over. Each time I passed Moss Landing and the signs to the antique shops, I resisted, for I was ready to get home, drop my binder and books, be greeted by the dogs (Abbey and Lacey, two female mini-dachshunds) and head for the garden. However, yesterday was special. Nearing Elkhorn Slough and Little Baja, I decided to reward myself, to celebrate the com-pletion of the MG program, to find a treasure to remind me of the day. Sleuthing among potential treasures for just the right thing to take home with me, I found it! A genuine Sussex Trug! Imagine my internal excitement when I turned it over to discover it was a Thomas Smith and Sons of Herstmonceux Sussex trug! A number 5. Perfect for my new garden cottage, my summerhouse, my hut, my retreat. Before you label me barmy, I must tell you that I lived in England for seven years. The first two were in London, then in Tonbridge and finally in Weald village near Sevenoaks, Kent. The day I received my nursing license from the UK, I also met a garden designer who needed an assistant. Guess which job won out? Aside from better pay, hours, working environment and status, I also made a wonderful friend. Marin is American, but had lived in London for over 20 years, was the first volunteer at the Chelsea Physic Garden and received her horticultural and design education while raising her three children. The ensuing years of our friendship and collaboration, the further experiences I had with two designers in Kent, my schooling at Hadlow College, visits to gardens large and small, membership on Weald Horticultural Society’s commit-tee, summer supper in the garden of Long Barn…all are subjects for further stories.

Back to my trug. Any respectable English gardener has a true Sussex trug, along with a wax jacket and Wellies. I bought my wax jacket and Wellies at the South of England Show. Both served me well for years of rambling and gardening. Both returned with me to Carmel six years ago. Neither has been used as much since coming home. However, at the Kent County Show, after seeing the prize cow be-ribboned from neck to heart girth, I met a Sussex trug maker. After watching him demonstrate how he crafted trugs from willow and chest-nut, fastening them with copper tacks, I chose my first, my very own, my prized trug. I use it everyday. In it I keep my secateurs (English for pruning shears), hand fork, trowel, weeding implements and other small tools brought from England, along with garden gloves of varying degrees of acceptability. Each profession has its subtle badges of identification. As a nurse, I wear my stethoscope around my neck. A lawyer carries a briefcase. Doctors used to have their black bags for house calls. Teachers are laden with books. An English gardener has a Sussex trug. For more information, Google ‘Sussex trug’ and learn what Queen Victoria did for the modest wooden basket. You can even order one online. But it won’t compare with finding one in a Moss Landing antique shop after Master Gardener graduation. Ï

“A Sussex Trug is a wooden basket mainly used for gardening. Construction is a framework comprising a handle and rim of coppiced sweet chestnut which is hand cleft and shaved using a drawknife. The body of the trug is made of five or seven boards of cricket bat willow, also hand shaved with a drawknife. Rough forms of trugs have been made for hundreds of years, often by farmers for their own use or by woodsman or 'bodgers.' They are probably made in Sussex because of the abundance of chestnut coppice and willows found on the marshes. In the early nineteenth century the Sussex Trug developed into quite an important industry, most of this happening in the village of Herstmonceux where there is still one producer. Shapes and sizes became standardised, the most well known shape being the 'common or garden' trug ranging in volume from one pint to a bushel. Sussex Trugs were shown at the Great Exhibition of 1851 where they were admired by Queen Victoria who purchased several for members of the Royal family. Since then they have always been sought after as the quin-tessential garden basket. They are renowned for their strength and durability.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sussex_trug)


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Confessions of a Reluctant Gardener: Ultimate Drought Tolerance —Christina Kriedt, MG06

We have all seen them, those oceans of ivy, expanses of Juniperus evergreens, forests of fortnight lily. They are among the pièce de résistance for those who desire the ultimate in low-maintenance, low-water, low-everything landscapes. These plants require no real attention and appear to manage quite nicely with whatever water innocently comes their way. Ivy in particular is very drought tolerant. Just try to kill it or remove it from your landscape. (Flame-throwers? Grenades? Bulldozers?) Hedera is a genus comprising fifteen species. It is a native plant—but not to California; Europe, North Africa, and Asia are motherlands to this vigorous scrambler-slash-climber. Clearly, Hedera has found a happy new home in our temperate climate. Provide a tree, wall, or Mount Diablo and ivy can climb it to a height of 25-30 meters (yes, that’s almost 100 feet). And if attracting wildlife is your thing, birds eat the berries (and generously spread ivy seeds all over our forests and wild lands); and the flowers attract holly blue butterflies and swallow-tail moth caterpillars. A few other cuddly critters find refuge in ivy—rodents among them. If you’re a fan of rats, you’ll love your English ivy. They’re very long-lived (not the rats; they live 2-3 years and a female can only birth 64 rat-kins a year); I read that one ivy plant can live up to 400 years. Aren’t you excited to learn this?

Just a smidge of special advice: try not to use the leaves, stems, berries, flowers, or roots in your garden-surprise salads because any part of the plant is poisonous; if you eat a lot, you could begin to have some trouble breathing and maybe even lapse into a little bitty coma. And since the sap has ‘polyacetylene’ compounds (whatever), don’t use it as a poul-

tice for the rat bite. You could develop a nasty rash. (You could blame the rash on ‘poison ivy,’ except that everyone knows it doesn’t grow around here.) Also try to avoid breath-ing near ivy flowers – you might be allergic to the pollen. Wear a face mask and keep your inhaler with you at all times. Aside from these few minor nuisances, it’s a really nice land-scape plant. Very, very green. All this and no-extra-water too! Ever. Oh, I forgot to mention the snails. Escargot!

The California Invasive Plant Council (Cal-IPC), picky people that they are, consider Hedera helix (H. canariensis) to be problematic. According to them, the plants can “smother understory vegetation, kill trees, and harbor non-native rats and snails.” I told you they’re picky.

There is an American Ivy Society (http://www.ivy.org/) that provides information about lots of Hedera cultivars that are NOT invasive. But what fun is that? Ï

Sources and further reading: California Invasive Plant Council, Cal-IPC http://www.cal-ipc.org/landscaping/dpp/plantpage.php? region=centcoast&type=Ground%20covers http://gardening.wsu.edu/library/comm001/comm001.htm http://www.paghat.com/ivy.html http://www.juniperus.org/ http://www.poison-ivy.org/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivy

Ivy on a University of Chicago campus building (Wikipedia)

Lovely juniper landscape with fortnight lily, aka gas station lily, Dietes, in background (Photos above and below by C. Kriedt)

Right: Juniper, juniper, juniper, juniper, juniper, ivy


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Event Review Sculpture Within 2008: Garden and Community —Denise Weatherwax, MG08

For an avid gardener, it’s difficult to imagine any more delightful way to spend an hour or two than strolling through a beautiful Mediterranean garden. Add to it the opportunity to view an outdoor sculpture exhibit and the experience expands to new levels of enjoyment.

Sierra Azul Nursery and Gardens in Watsonville recently unveiled its third annual exhibit of contemporary sculpture, in conjunction with Pajaro Valley Arts Council. This year, the exhibit showcases 82 sculptures by 46 artists from Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties. The sculptures, created using a variety of media, are installed throughout Sierra Azul’s beautiful two-acre demonstration garden. Each sculpture is nestled among plantings, and is identified by a small sign containing the title of the work, the artist, and medium employed.

I was impressed by both the variety and quality of the works. Among my personal favorites were the large wrought iron Schooling Hammerheads and Mooring Buoy #30 by Kirk McNeill. These and several other ocean-themed sculptures present an interesting counterbalance to the surrounding drought-tolerant landscape. Pieces rendered in vivid colors popped out of their backgrounds -- specifically Carol Gaab’s glass-clad standing woman, Marilyn Kuksht’s

multi-colored Tilt-o-Whirl, the ceramic totems by Carole dePalma, and the Painted Sticks by Jeff Rosendale (owner of Sierra Azul) and his wife Erika.

The demonstration garden provides the added benefit of seeing xerophytic (water conserving) plants in Mediterranean mounds, complete with companion plantings such as grasses, boulders, mulch, and an irrigation system. The mounds provide the added benefit of requiring water only once a month in the summer, according to Rosendale.

As a side benefit, if you visit, you may find some plants that you just can’t live without. Many plants are available through the retail kiosk, so bring your checkbook. Depending on your checkbook, you also might decide to find a place in your garden for one (or more) of the sculptures, most of which are offered for sale. There are pieces of many different sizes (and in a wide price range) that would fit nicely in an intimate corner or stand out in an expansive area. A complete list of the sculptures with prices is available either at the kiosk, or elsewhere in holders along the paths.

Sierra Azul, 2660 East Lake Avenue, Watsonville, is a retail nursery that specializes in Mediterranean plants for our local climate. For directions to the nursery and some additional information, including links to web sites of some of the featured artists, check the Sierra Azul web site at http://www.sierraazul.com/index.html. Ï

Photos by Denise Weatherwax


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2008 Class Gift: Elizabeth Hill Interview—Denise Weatherwax, MG08 On Saturday, May 31, the graduating Master Gardener Class of 2008 presented its class gift to the Monterey Bay Master Gardeners. The gift, a handmade mosaic, was the brainchild of the graduation committee: Elizabeth Hill, Bonnie Lindquist, Tanja Roos, and Amy Thistle Tackett. The committee raised funds to cover the cost of the gift and the graduation party by holding a raffle during the lunch break of each class session. Items for the raffles were donated by MG class members. The garden-themed (what else?) artwork was designed and crafted entirely by members of the MG class of '08. Each class member was given the opportunity to create his or her own three-inch tile by signing or drawing a picture with an indelible marker. These personalized tiles were then used to create a border for a large (three feet by three feet) design of flowers and leaves composed of bits of broken tile. The final product was assembled the week before at a potluck dinner open to class members. Creatively inspired by a glass of wine (or two), participants set about happily breaking up the colored tile with hammers, then placing the pieces on a cement backer board following a design drawn by Liz Hill. Later, Liz completed the mosaic by fastening the tiles to the board using tile adhesive then applying grout. The completed mosaic, weighing about 50 pounds, was trans-ported to the University of California County Extension (UCCE) office and mounted on the wall in the courtyard, with assistance (and muscle) provided by Liz’s and Amy's significant others. I recently interviewed Liz about this unique project. Q: I understand you are an art teacher. Please tell me a little about your background and your current job. A. I studied art at Stanford University. During my senior year, I volunteered as an art teacher in several schools in the San Jose area and fell in love with teaching. A few years later, after starting and then selling my own baking business, ‘Lizzie's Cookies,’ I returned to school for my Elementary Teaching Credential and Masters of Education. I am currently working for the County of Santa Cruz. During the school year I am the director of an art and science after-school program and during the summer I teach art at an art and science summer camp. Q: How did you and the other committee members think of crating an art project for the class gift? What was your inspiration? A.We had been trying to think of a suitable class gift for a couple of months. At first, we wanted to install a worm bin for the courtyard, so we could compost our food scraps from our class meetings. Maintenance would have been an issue, so we thought it would be nice to add some sort of garden art to

the courtyard. I have done a few mosaics before, so I sug-gested the idea. It wasn't an immediate hit, because we all knew how much work would be involved. It grew on us, however, and after I drew a sketch of a possible design, we were all excited about the idea. The inspiration came from looking at the site where we wanted to hang the mosaic. It is on a wall, next to a vine, so I thought doing a mosaic of a flowering vine would work well for that spot. I was also influenced by a vine motif that Bonnie brought in when we were brainstorming for the invitation design. Q: Several people expressed interest in the supplies required, especially the scrap tile used for the mosaic. Tell me a little about shopping for, finding, and selecting the supplies. A. I purchased the HardieBacker Board, tile adhesive, grout, grout float, grout sponge, sealant, masonry drill bits, screws, copper wire, and lumber at Home Depot. I had never done a mosaic that was going to be outside or hung vertically, so I talked to the employees at both Home Depot and Lumber-man’s for a few hours to determine the best products and methods to use. In addition, Amy has a friend who is a pro-fessional mosaic artist in San Francisco. She contacted her and got recommendations for the best tile adhesive, grout, and sealant to use. I purchased the tiles at Capitola Salvage on 38th Avenue, which is behind the Orchard Supply on 41st Avenue. They have an incredible selection of tile for a very fair price. I purchased the porcelain pens that were used for the signatures at Michael's in San Jose. I had never used these before in a mosaic and even though I baked the pen marks onto the tiles, it was no match for the sanded grout, which scrubbed some of the names off. On the day of the gradua-tion, I asked people to touch up their tiles. Then we applied a sealer. Q: Would you like to give an estimate of how much time you spent to design and complete this project? A: Now that I’ve counted it up, the grand total was about 22 hours! There was the design and discussion, then the shop-ping for all the supplies, including selecting the scrap tile. Other tasks were preparation of the board (cutting, mounting lumber, sketching the design), preparation of the wall (drilling into the masonry and mounting the lumber, and baking the tiles. At the group potluck, we broke the tiles and pieced them into the design. Then there was fitting and gluing the broken tile pieces, grouting, and finally ‘touching up’ the designs and signatures and sealing. Q: Is there anything you would like to add? A. I would just like to say what a pleasure it was to be a part of the Master Gardeners Class of 2008 and to work with the graduation committee to plan the celebration. It has been an incredible experience and I look forward to continuing my involvement with many Master Gardener events to come. This unique piece of art now hangs in the courtyard of the UCCE office at 1432 Freedom Boulevard, Watsonville. Please take a moment to see the MG08 mosaic the next time you visit the UCCE office. Ï


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MG '2008 class members Tanja Roos, Denise Weatherwax, Susan Proctor, and Page Fox work on the project in the back

yard of Liz Hill's home.

The finished mosaic on the courtyard wall.

Photos by Denise Weatherwax


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10 Best Native Plants for the Central Coast Garden —Claudia Boulton, MG99

1. Arctostaphylos species (Manzanita) 2. Ceanothus species (California Lilac) 3. Heuchera species (Coral Bells)* 4. Mimulus species (Shrubby Monkey Flower)* 5. Woodwardia fimbriata (Giant Chain Fern)* 6. Adiantum capillus-veneris (Southern Maidenhair Fern)* 7. Salvia species 8. Eriogonum species (Buckwheat) 9. Carpenteria californica (Bush Anemone) 10. Verbena lilacina 'De La Mina' * #3,4,5,6 have the added advantage of growing in part shade

Try It, You’ll Like It —Tammy Tahara, MG06

Relevant Internet Miscellany—Christina Kriedt, MG06

�Fascinating: “Although far less toxic than poison ivy, which is unrelated to this genus, ivy [Hedera] contains triterpenoid saponins and falcarinol, a polyyne. Falcarinol [a natural pesticide and fatty alcohol found in carrots and red ginseng*] is capable of inducing an allergic reaction (contact dermatitis), although it has been shown to kill breast cancer cells as well.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivy *http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falcarinol

�Red is okay, but green fountain grass, Pennisetum setaceum, “spreads aggressively by seed into natural areas by wind, water, or vehicles. Fast grower; impedes the growth of locally native plant species and eventually takes over natural areas. Also raises fuel loads and fire frequency in natural areas. Is spreading rapidly in California. Existing research indicates that red varieties of fountain grass (P. setaceum 'Rubrum') are not invasive.” To learn more about invasive species and alternative plants go to: http://www.cal-ipc.org/ip/index.php

�Some junipers are susceptible to Gymnosporangium rust disease, and can be a serious problem for those people growing apple trees, the alternate host of the disease. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juniper.

�Calandrinia grandiflora, a Chilean native, is also know as rock purslane and is sometimes available at Annie’s Annuals and Perennials. http://www.anniesannuals.com/plants/plant_display.asp?prodid=166

�English ivy is reported to be invasive in natural areas of 18 states and the District of Columbia. http://www.nps.gov/plants/ALIEN/fact/hehe1.htm “English ivy blankets large portions of Portland's 5,000-acre Forest Park, the largest urban park in the country. In 1992 the city began the Ivy Removal Project to restore the native habitat of Forest Park by removing invasive plants, especially English ivy. In a similar project for Stanley Park in Vancouver, B.C., the Ivy Busters estimate that in their first 39 ‘Ivy Pulls’ more than 700 volunteers removed more than 20,000 square meters of ivy. They say it will take 50 years to r id Stanley Park of this invasive pest .” h t t p : / / e x t e n s i o n . o r e g o n s t a t e . e d u / n e w s / s t o r y . p h p ?S_No=969&storyType=garde �Melianthus minor: “Similar to Melianthus major but grows only half the size to 4 feet. Leaves are greener with dull red flowers held within the plant. Tropical looking foliage for effect in containers or in the ground. Best in a sheltered location with rich soil and moisture, sun or light shade. Can withstand short period of light frost. South Africa.” http://www.kartuz.com/p/80078/Melianthus+minor.html �“The cauliflower originally came from Cyprus. It is thought to have been used since the 6th century B.C. and grown in Turkey and Egypt since 400 B.C.” http://www.bit ten-u -designs.com/JoesFruit/fruit_veg/cauliflower.htm Ï

I love this plant! I grew it from a cutting given to me by Alicia Molina and it just took off! Alicia called it Calandrinia spectabilis but Dave's Garden names it Calandrinia grandiflora. It's a member of the family Portulacacea. Whatever it's name, it has amazingly fragrant flowers that bloom on and on all spring and into the fall. I understand that it grows just as well in the ground as in a pot. (Photos by Tammy Tahara) Ï


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Websites: Native Revival Nursery http://www.nativerevival.com/about_us.html UC Davis http://ucce.ucdavis.edu/calendar/eventdisplay.cfm?caleventnum=28913 Southern Nevada MGs http://www.extension.iastate.edu/story/news/ 09mgconf.htm Love Apple Farm http://loveapplefarm.typepad.com/growbetter veggies/upcoming-eventsclasses.html CNPS http://www.cruzcnps.org/events2.html Common Ground http://www.commongroundinpaloalto.org/upcomingclasses.htm Western Horticultural Society http://www.westernhort.org/ UCSC Arboretum http://www2.ucsc.edu/arboretum/calendar.html UC Farm and Garden http://casfs.ucsc.edu/community/calendar.html

Volunteer Opportunities

Quail Hollow Ranch: Felton, Wednesdays 9:30-11:30, or as arranged. Contact Simon @ [email protected]

Homeless Garden Project: Natural Bridges Farm; 10-2 Thursday and Fridays at Natural Bridges Farm. Saturdays are available upon request by contacting Paul 423-1020 or e-mail at [email protected]

Cooper Adobe Garden: workdays 10:00-noon on 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of month. Contact Marcia Smullen, 626-3519. Other workdays can be arranged. Seaside Green Team Project: workdays every 3rd Saturday 1:00 - 3:00 PM. Contact Mary Wilson, 393-0193 [email protected], and ask to be placed on email reminder list. Carmel Orchid Society: meets at 8:00 PM on the first Monday of each month, except May, September and December at: First Presbyterian Church of Monterey, 501 El Dorado Street, Monterey. Santa Cruz Orchid Society: monthly meeting at Live Oak Grange, 1900 17th Avenue, Santa Cruz at 8:00 PM on the first Friday of each month. Orchid show and sale is in early February each year. Monterey Bay Dahlia Society : meets second Friday of every month; 7:00 PM potluck dinner, 7:30 PM meeting. Simpkins Swim Center, Community Room 979 - 17th Avenue, Santa Cruz Monterey Bay Rose Society : meets the last Friday of the month at the Grange Hall, 2555 Mar Vista Drive, Aptos. Check the web site (http://www.montereybayrosesociety.org/) for guest speaker information. Ï

date day time class organization/ website

Aug 2 Sat 11:00am First Saturday Tour of the Arboretum UCSC Arboretum

2 Sat 5:30—9:30 Eating California Native Revival Nursery

9 Sat 10:00 - 2:00 Tending A Winter Vegetable Garden Love Apple Farm

23 Sat 10:00 - 12:00 Tomato Masters Class Love Apple Farm

23 Sat 10:30 - 12:30 Starting Your Fall Garden Common Ground

24 Sat 10:00 - 1:00 Planting the Thanksgiving Feast UCSC Farm & Garden

27 Sat 10:00 - 2:00 Tending A Winter Vegetable Garden Love Apple Farm

Sept 6 Sat 11:00am First Saturday Tour of the Arboretum UCSC Arboretum

6 Sat 10:30 - 12:30 Growing Cut Flowers Common Ground

10 Wed 7:00 pm The Landscaping Ideas of Jays: The interface between ecology and art in the restoration garden

Western Hort Society

13 Sat 10:30 - 12:00 Introduction to Grow Biointensive Common Ground

13 Sat 10:00 - 2:00 Tending a Winter Vegetable Garden Love Apple Farm

13 Sat 2:00 - 4:00 Double-Digging and Bed Preparation Common Ground

20 Sat 10:30 - 12:30 Plant a Fall Herb Garden Common Ground

24-26 Wed-Fri Statewide MG Conference Monterey Bay MGs

27 Sat 10:30 - 12:30 Winter Compost Crops and Diet Common Ground

27 Sat 2:00 - 4:00 Economic Mini-Farming Common Ground

Mar 2009

22-26 Sun-Thurs

International MG Conference, Las Vegas Nevada MGs of Southern Nevada

Advanced Training Opportunities


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Copyright © 2008 MBMG. All rights reserved

EDITOR Christina Kriedt ASSISTANT EDITORS Sharon Ettinger & Kathleen Sonntag DESIGN/LAYOUT Christina Kriedt

G A R D E N I N G O N T H E E D G E Newsletter of the Monterey Bay Master Gardeners

Hotline: 831-763-8007

CONTRIBUTORS Bonnie Pond Christina Kriedt Cindy Lloyd Claudia Boulton

Denise Weatherwax Kari Olsen Sharon Ettinger Steve Tjosvold

Sue Tarjan Tammy Tahara Tom Karwin

STAFF Bonnie Pond Cynthia Jordan Denise Weatherwax Kari Olsen Paul McCollum Simon Stapleton Tom Karwin

Many thanks to all the dedicated Monterey Bay Master Gardeners who share their knowledge and advice in

our epolls and articles

Don’t miss the

Water-Smart Masters Garden Tour

August 9 - 10

www.montereybaymastergardeners.org

See these gardens and

many more on the

Water-Smart Garden Tour!

Photos submitted by Tour garden-owners or professional landscapers.


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Visit Our Super Sponsors !

Sierra Azul Nursery, Watsonville, http://www.sierraazul.com, 763-0939, email: [email protected]

Lumbermens, Santa Cruz, http://www.lumbermens.net/store_locator/zSearch.asp?ZipSearchSubmit=1&State=CA, 423-0223, email: [email protected]

The Garden Company, Santa Cruz, http://www.thegardenco.com/, 429-8424 FezQ, Carmel Valley, 659-1268

Bokay, Salinas, http://www.bokaynursery.com/, 659-1268, email: [email protected] Hidden Gardens, Aptos, 688-7011

Wild Rose Landscape Design, Aptos, 539-5841, [email protected]

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