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www.dagc.us Newsletter of the Danville-Alamo Garden Club September 2017

The Flower Pot Volume XLIV Issue 1

Inside this Issue:

Page 1 President’s Message, New Members!

Page 2 Welcome Back Lunch, Programs

Page 3 Workshops, Community Outreach,

Friends Helping Friends

Page 4 Tours

Page 5 Bookworms, Message from Rebecca

Page 6 From the Webmaster, Birthdays

Page 7 Horticulture, Master Gardeners

Page 8 Officers for Year 2017-18

Page 9 Calendar

Page 10 Notices, Sponsors

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

I am so looking forward to seeing all of you again at our September 14th General Meeting. I hope you all had a wonderful summer full of travel and gardening enjoyment. My garden was a challenge for me, as I am sure it was for most of you, going from delightful spring weather to summer temperatures in high 100’s. Such are the joys of gardening.

I am also very excited about welcoming 22 New Members to our club. Our Membership Team has come up with a wonderful idea of a buddy system for each of our new members. One buddy will be assigned to each new member for several of our first meetings. They will be introducing them to our existing members and answering any questions they may have. I encourage all of you to make them feel welcomed as I am sure you will. We are very fortunate to have so many ladies wanting to join our club. That says a lot about our club. I think we have a lot to offer them.

Our board has great programs, workshops and tours planned for this year. Community Outreach along with Bookworms also has plans for the coming year. The Chairs of these committees have worked very hard planning events so that everyone will find something to their liking.

Our September General Meeting will be a Pot Luck. Details are in this Newsletter. We will not have a guest speaker in September. However, we will be welcoming our New Members, having a short business meeting, including board chairs presenting upcoming events and our Horticulture Chair giving a talk.

See you on September 14th.

Sharon Williams President

DAGC Welcomes 22 New Members

DAGC is excited to welcome 22 new members at our September general meeting.

Each new member will have a garden club 'buddy' to introduce them around and acquaint them with our various activities.

During the general meeting, new members will be presented with a welcome gift and photos will be taken for our website.

Please look for the badges with a yellow bow and say 'hello' to these enthusiastic, talented ladies.

Janice Fassiotto Lynn Hoaglin Page Krause

Membership Chairs

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The Annual Welcome Back Lunch Thursday September 14 9:30 am

Our September meeting is traditionally a pot luck lunch.

We provide plates, silverware, beverages, etc. and we ask everyone who will be attending to bring a dish that feeds about 6 –8 people. Usually everyone is so generous that there is always more than enough food!

Members whose last names begin with A –H, please bring a dessert. This can be fresh fruit or cheese so don’t think you have to bake any goodies! Members whose last names begin with I –Z, please bring a salad or other cold savory dish.

Bring any necessary serving implements and please mark the underside of your plate with your name, so it can be returned to you if you should forget to collect it at the end of the meeting.

Sign up lists for bringing food to each general meeting will be at the table with all the other club info and sign up sheets. If you know you won’t be at the September meeting and want your name added to this list, please contact me.

Many thanks to the members who have volunteered to help me this year on the social team. There is always room for anyone else who would like to join us!

If you have any questions regarding what to bring to the September meeting, please call or email me.

Linda Scotting Social VP

PROGRAMS

While we will be enjoying our pot luck lunch in September in place of a speaker, I have lined up what I hope will be an eclectic group for the upcoming year.

In October we will hear from local landscape architect, Bill Williams, whose topic will be “Thinking through a Garden for All Seasons”. Can’t we all use that information?!

Bill Welch, the bulb baron, will visit us again in November, bringing with him loads of bulbs he assures me are suitable for planting at that time in our location.

January seems to be floral arranger month at DAGC and this year we hope to continue the tradition.

Our “old” friend, Dustin Stroebel, from Sloat, will visit us again in February. He will speak about rose care and pruning. I’m sure he’ll answer your many questions also.

In March you are in for a treat as Troy McGregor, owner of Gondwana Flora in Martinez, shares his expertise in designing and planting for our dry summer climate. He will bring plants for us to buy. You won’t want to miss this one!

April brings us the long time curator of the Ruth Bancroft Garden, Brian Kemble. Brian will speak to us on the history of the garden and the current goings on there.

Our last speaker for May will be Barbara Norkus who will show us her 40 minute video of her visit to the Chelsea Glower show and answer your questions.

I hope to see lots of you at our meetings.

Vicki Freeberg Program Chair

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September Workshop - Luminous Tabletop Leaf or Flower Jar

Thursday, September 28 10 AM - 12 PM

Home of Julie Grisham

RSVP to Julie by September 21 to Julie by phone or email.

Cost: $20.00

Nature always wears the colors of the spirit. Ralph Waldo Emerson

Celebrate the beginning of Autumn or the close of Summer and our beautiful change of seasons! We will decorate a tabletop sized one gallon jug with real pressed flowers or real pressed leaves - or a combination of both - let your imagination go wild! We’ll fill the jugs with tiny sparkling white lights. The soft luminosity highlighting beautiful nature will keep you smiling all year :-)

All supplies will be provided. Please make your reservation by phone or email and mail your check to Julie or sign up at our general meeting on Sept 14 and include your check or cash with the sign-up. Non-refundable checks must be payable to DAGC. All reservations and payments must be received by the end of the day September 21, 2017 in order to purchase and prepare the supplies.

Space is limited to 12 members.

Please contact Julie with any

questions. Mark your calendars for our future Workshops!

All workshops are from 10AM - 12PM

October 26 Fall/Thanksgiving Wreath

November 30 Indoor Garden Centerpiece

January 25 Succulent Surprise

February 22 Moss Pots with Topiary

March 22 Spring Decorative Eggs

April 26 Teapot or Teacup Bird Feeder and Tea Party

May 24 Bonsai Basics

Holly Sauer, Anne Diggins, Julie Grisham: Workshop Chairs

FRIENDS HELPING FRIENDS

If you or someone you know in

the club is experiencing a

health issue, a family crisis or is

in need of cheering up, please

give that information to Sheila

Truschke, our Corresponding

Secretary.

We will attempt to help in

whatever way we can to ease the

burden. Being a member of

DAGC means you are not alone.

We are here to help.

Sheila can be reached by phone

or email.

Community Outreach We look forward to offering a number of fun and rewarding ways for DAGC members to assist the broader community in the upcoming year. No activity is planned for September, but we kick off the year in October with our volunteers helping out at the Contra Costa Solano Food Bank.

In October, we will offer members an opportunity to benefit Shelter Inc through collection of holiday gifts for distribution to children and adults residing in the shelter over the upcoming holidays.

Stay tuned for more details to come about this and other planned activities with East Bay Hospice, Meals on Wheels, and San Ramon Unified School District. It should be a great year of service!

~Susan Polk and Kathy Gilcrest, Co-Chairs

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NOVEMBER TOUR

Join us in Celebrating the Season

with a Holiday Tea

Wednesday Nov. 29, 2017 1:30 P.M.

This event is held by the Walnut Creek Historical Society

Tickets are $35 Tickets sell out fast.

Dear Ladies,

We are having our December tour early this year, and as the tickets for this event sell

quickly we must ask you to respond by September

26, 2017.

The event will be held at Shadelands Ranch

2660 Ygnacio Valley Road

Walnut Creek, CA 94598

To make a reservation please send checks payable to

DAGC to Darlene Guzman by September 26th.

Any questions, please contact Darlene by phone or

email. Contact details available to members in the

emailed newsletter.

Wente Winery – Restaurant Garden Tour

Thursday September 21, 2017 8:45 A.M.

Depart: Community Presbyterian Church - Danville 222 West El Pintado Road, Danville, California.

(This is near the Danville Oak Tree off Diablo Rd.)

Discover The Garden at Wente Vineyards with Master Gardener, Diane Dovholuk who will guide us through the Catering Garden and conduct a Hands-On Activity in the Vineyard Tasting Garden.

The Garden at Wente Vineyards in Livermore is a ½ acre organic production garden providing fresh produce and herbs for The Restaurant at Wente Vineyards.

The Garden reflects the combined efforts of Executive Chef Mike Ward and Master Gardener Diane Dovholuk. Their efforts represent the unbroken link between planting, gardening, harvesting, cooking, and eating that illus-trates The Restaurant’s ingredient-driven wine country cuisine. Diane is committed to sustainability by growing everything pesticide-free and using an extensive composting program from the property’s 18-hole championship golf course and kitchen.

After our patio lunch at Campo di Bocce, we will journey over to Alden Lane Nursery to view their autumn bulbs and plants.

SIGNUP by Thursday, September 14th. The cost of the tour will be $12.

Sign up at the General Meeting on that date or send your check, payable to DAGC, to Darlene Guzman.

(Tour costs are not refundable after this date.)

Tours depend on our members offering to drive in a car pool, so if you can, please sign-up as a driver.

If you have any questions, contact Darlene

Tour Chairs: Darlene Guzman and Dee Evans

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Greetings from Grandma Bee, aka Rebecca Byrom

Hello DAGC members! Hope you have had a good summer. Mine was quite extraordinary. On July 22, I made my first skydive, a fundraiser for Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation and children’s cancer research.

It was an exhilarating experience, and the Patriot Parachute Team all former Navy Seals were great guys.

It was quite an emotional day, as on July 21 when I drove by Children’s Hospital on my way to the airport, I knew Alex was in surgery, having a small cancerous growth removed from his lung. Knowing his fight continues, made the jump even more meaningful to me.

Thank you to all those who have been so supportive during the last year of my presidency of DAGC and thanks to those that have made contributions to my fundraiser, Jump With Grandma Bee.

The proceeds from my autumn garden craft workshops, (herbal wreaths, pumpkin arrangements, grain centerpieces), will support children’s cancer research and Make A Wish Foundation. For more information, please contact me, and if you would like to view the skydive, google Grandma Bee Skydive.

See you in September…….Rebecca Byrom

BOOKWORMS Bookworms met in the month of July to discuss The Beekeeper's Lament, a dramatic tale of how and why beehives and bees themselves are

threatened by everything from mites to moths to bee thieves.

DAGC member Julie Millias has her own bee hives and talked with us about how she got

started with bees and all the equipment

needed for beekeeping.

We all enjoyed hearing about her amazing

hobby. After sampling 8 different bottles

of raw honey, we were all on a sugar high.

Our book in September will be:

My First Ladies: Twenty-Five Years as the White House Chief Floral Designer by Nancy Clarke

In this memoir by retired White House Chief Floral Designer, Nancy Clarke shares her

memories of working for first ladies from Rosalynn Carter to Michelle Obama.

Bookworms will meet Sept. 20th at 10:00 at Jan Andersen's home.

Darlene Guzman and Jan Anderson

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Summer to Fall Birthdays!

The month we send belated best wishes to our August ladies …….

Carol Ann Bonfiglio, Lesley Caffery, Frances Davis, Ellen Frost, Gurpreet Gill,

Barbara Odell, Barbara Perry, Susan Polk, Rhonda Raphel, Patty Rush,

Judy Scardino, Bette Smith, Cynthia Todd, Diane Ward, Darlene Wiskel

and Kristin Yanker-Hansen.

…… And many Happy Returns to our September Ladies…...

Vicki Freeberg, Pauline Gagnon, Julie Millias, Irene Moore,

Sue Naas, Sheila Truschke, Peggy Watkins and Sharon Wiskocil.

Enjoy those Birthdays Ladies!

The Website Is Waiting For You by Nancy Norland DAGC Webmaster

The DAGC Website has been updated for the new year to show basic details of our meetings and events for the club. Most of these entries will continue to be updated as details come from the various Event Chairs. You can refer to the website anytime to see the latest information on:

• Events

• Newsletters

• Photos

One new feature is the Garden-related Feature Photo in the upper right corner of the website Home page. The screen shot above shows the beautiful Clematis arbor in President Sharon William's yard. If you have a photo of something extra showy in your yard, please send it to me and I'll try to include it in that space.

You can view the website at: http://www.dagc.us

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HORTICULTURE

Recently while walking through my garden I noticed the sweet peas are germinating. After the intense

heat of the summer, now we are in a cooler phase and I guess they are inspired to germinate.

I am in a new phase of my life where I cannot keep up with the deadheading and removal of plants that

have finished their life cycle. I also find that if I leave the seed heads long enough, I don’t have to work so

hard at planting because the plants plant themselves so to speak. Thus, even though the roses were

threaded with dead sweet pea vines in late spring, it allowed for the seeds to drop, and now I have sweet

peas germinating. Think of the advantages. I don’t have to go out to buy sweet pea six packs, because

there are plenty in my garden.

This can be done with other plants as well. Take foxgloves. My neighbor across the street always buys

gallon foxgloves in the spring. They last maybe a month. If you are lucky like my friend Missy who doesn’t

get around to deadheading them early in the season, she now has foxgloves everywhere. It looks quite

magnificent in the spring.

The Cup and Saucer campanula (Campanula medium) does the same. It is spreading around in my garden

nicely now. This is also true of the opium poppy, which hasn’t started germinating yet, but I always leave

the seed head around for a long time. By the way this poppy is called Papavar somniferum, but don’t

worry you won’t be charged with growing drugs. Only uninformed people think that having few poppies

will enable you to make Opium. You need fields and fields of these to make even small doses of opium.

If you haven’t let the plants from last year go to seed, now is the time to go to your nursery and start

asking for 6 packs of Foxglove and Campanula Medium. If you were to plant them now, they will be

magnificent next Spring. You should also be looking for Sweet Peas, and other special plants like

cornflowers and poppies. Alternatively, you could try getting the seeds started, however, you have to be

vigilant and make sure they remain moist. You may have missed my talk about Autumn being the second

spring in California, but go out and observe your garden, and as we get shorter days and cooler nights you

will see many things happening in the garden that you would expect to only happen in the spring if you

lived in areas of the country that experiences winter.

Kristin Yanker-Hansen —Horticultural Chair

Master Gardener Hotline 9 am – 12 noon M-Th

Telephone: 925-646-6586

Email: ccmg@ucanr.edu

Website:http://ccmg.ucanr.edu

Facebook: www.facebook.com/CoCoMasterGardeners

Contra Costa Master Gardeners

University of California Cooperative Extension

75 Santa Barbara Rd., Second Floor

Pleasant Hill, CA 94532-4215

Interesting Article sent in. There’s a lot of gardening newsletters out there, but one of our members thought an article in the EBRPD Botanic Garden June newsletter presenting ‘Five design ideas for a do-it-yourself front garden’ well worth sharing. To see the article click on the following link…… http://mailchi.mp/rusk/june-2017-newsletter-3351001?e=dc1584429c

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MEET YOUR NEW OFFICERS FOR 2017-2018

Executive Board

President Sharon Williams Program Vice President Vicki Freeberg

Membership Vice President Lynn Hoaglin Page Krause, Janice Fassiotto

Social Vice President Linda Scotting Recording Secretary Judy Lauper

Corresponding Secretary Sheila Truschke Treasurer Jenny Offringa

Appointed Positions

Club Advisor Rebecca Byrom Parliamentarian Nancy Norland

Elected Positions

Historian Julie Millias Horticulture Kristin Yanker-Hansen

Newsletter Editor Sharon Townsend Webmaster Nancy Norland

Appointed Club Support Positions

E-Mail coordinator Caroline Bonny Project Produce Co-ordinator Helen Miller

Directory Editor Sharon Townsend Penny Pines Gurprett Gill

Lunch Bunch Joyce Michalczyk

Special Committee Chairs

Audit Committee—Marian Bliss Winter Event—Position Open …..Installation Luncheon—Position Open

Plant Exchange

Penny Adams

Linda Adams

Angle Anastasion

Tours

Darlene Guzman

Dee Evans

Workshops

Holly Sauer

Ann Diggins

Julie Grisham

Sponsor Reps

Joan Hines

Sandi Stamates

Sheila Campbell

Bookworms

Jan Anderson

Darlene Guzman

Artistic Arrangers

Charlene Geiger

Rhonda Raphel

Inspiration

Pamela Colombana Nancy Combs

Rebecca Byrom Julie Grisham

Community Outreach Susan Polk

Kathy Gilcrest

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Dates & Times Events Details

September 2, Saturday 12:00 noon

Sloat Nurseries—Diablo Rd. Hummingbird Hoopla

Make & Take Workshop: Hanging Baskets for

Hummingbirds

Create a hanging basket that’s perfect for attracting beautiful hummingbirds to your garden or patio. Class fee includes a moss hanging basket, plants, soil, and fertilizer. Fee: $69 for Sloat Rewards Members, $79 for Non-Members (Membership is free) Register in advance 925-743-0288 Diablo Rd.

September 7, Thursday 11:00am

Orchard Nursery, Lafayette Class: Houseplant Care 101

Led by Allison, join us and learn our recommended dose of houseplant TLC! We will be covering basic care including watering, fertilizing and pest control. We recommend bringing a picture of your houseplant so we can give you the tools to keep your indoor greenery happy and healthy!

September 8-10, Fri-Sun 10:00am-4:00pm

Ruth Bancroft Garden PLANT SALE Friday 20% off

Saturday 35% off Sunday 50% off

The Ruth Bancroft Garden will be moving their plant selling area on Tuesday 12th Sept. To reduce the number of plants to be moved, they are having a 3 day sale. Enjoy. FYI the Garden will be closed on Monday 11th and Tuesday 12th for the move.

September 9, Saturday 9:00am

Armstrong Nursery Class: Garden Basics

Dig right in and get a jump start on fall planting! We'll show you the tools for success, how to determine your soil type and sunlight, and give information on mulching, planting, watering and more. All skill levels are welcome to attend. Located at 7360 San Ramon Rd, Dublin, CA 94568. Tel. 925-551-0231. No registration needed.

September 14, Thursday 9:30 am

DAGC General Meeting Alamo Women’s Club

Join us for our ‘Welcome Back’ Luncheon to kick off the new season. Come bring a dish and join us for this Members only event. See page 2.

September 20, Wednesday 10:00am

Bookworms

We will discuss our September book: My First Ladies: Twenty-Five Years as the White House Chief Floral Designer by Nancy Clarke at Jan Andersen's home. To sign up email Darlene Guzman See page 5

September 21, Thursday 8:45am

Tour Join us for a tour to the Garden at Wente Vineyards and Alden Lane Nursery in Livermore. RSVP deadline September 14th to Darlene Guzman Cost $12. See page 4

September 23, Saturday 10:00am to 2:00pm

Armstrong Nurseries

Armstrong’s are offering an opportunity to meet with a true garden design expert. Designers will give an overview of available services, show off their portfolios, as well as answer general landscape design questions. Located at 7360 San Ramon Rd, Dublin, CA 94568. Tel. 925-551-0231. No registration needed.

September 28, Thursday 10:00am—12:00pm

Workshop Come make a Luminous Tabletop Leaf or Flower Jar At the home of Julie Grisham. RSVP to Julie by September 21 Cost: $20.00. See page 3

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The Flower Pot

Newsletter Articles Dear Members, All articles for the Newsletter, should be sent via email by the 3rd Thursday of the month, Many thanks, Sharon Townsend, Newsletter Editor.

Ace Hardware

3211 Danville Blvd., Alamo, CA,94507

(925) 837-2420

Annie’s Annuals & Perennials

740 Market Ave., Richmond, CA 94801

510-215-3301 or 888-266-4370

Armstrong Garden Center

7360 San Ramon Road, Dublin, CA 94568

925-551-0231

Lucky Garden Dublin Hydroponics

7071 Village Pkwy, Dublin, CA 94568

(925) 828-4769

Orchard Nursery

4010 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette, CA 94549

925-284-4474.

Regan Nursery

4268 Decoto Road, Fremont, CA 94555

510-797-3222

Ruth Bancroft Garden

1552 Bancroft Road,Walnut Creek, CA 94598

925-944-9352

Sloat Garden Center

828 Diablo Road, Danville, CA 94526

925-743-0288

800 Camino Ramon, Danville CA 94526

925-837-9144

Please support our sponsors! Remember, our commercial sponsors donate the door prizes, and/or offer discounts, and they support us with

speakers for our general meetings. Please support them!

Joan Hines, Sandi Stamates, Sheila Campbell —Sponsor Reps

DAGC NOTICES

PROJECT PRODUCE

Collection of non-perishable foods for the Contra Costa

Food Bank will resume at the September meeting. Goods

such as canned meats, vegetables, fruit, beans, pasta,

instant oatmeal, peanut butter and canned milk are very

much appreciated.

Thank you — Helen Miller— Project Produce Coordinator

PLANT EXCHANGE

The plant exchange will resume in

October. Please remember to label

your plants to your best ability.

Thank you

Directories

The NEW DIRECTORIES will be distributed

at the September meeting. Please be sure

to pick up your personally labelled copy.

If you find any incorrect entries please tell us.

Thank you — Sharon Townsend—Directory Editor

LUNCH BUNCH

Lunch Bunch will resume in October

when we will visit Forbes Mill in

Danville.

Joyce Michalczyk

Lunch Bunch Chair