gardening on the edge newsletter, december 2007-january 2008 ~ monterey bay master gardeners

8/9/2019 Gardening on the Edge Newsletter, December 2007-January 2008 ~ Monterey Bay Master Gardeners

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MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS December 2007 - January 2008

GARDENING O N T H E E D G EN 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 127 December 2007/ January 2008

Making Connections...Keeping ConnectionsEpoll: What Do You Like Most About Being a

Master Gardener?Book Review: Omnivores Dilemma

Eating Food in Season and Other Thoughts

Confessions: Excuses and Resolutions

MBMGs to Host 2008 Statewide ConferenceIts That Time AgainAlmost, At Least!

Whats Blooming in Your GardenAls Corner: Successful Grafts Require Live ScioEtcetera: Relevant Internet Miscellany

Making Connect ions. . .S tay ing ConnectedCynthia Jordan, MG9Heres a story about a tea party that took place at my houselast Sunday as a result of Anne Hayden, MG95, collecting

raffle items for this years Masters Garden Tour. The title ofthis tidbit will make sense to you after reading this.

Every year Anne calls me and asks for raffle items for the tour.Shes volunteered for this task for as long as I can remember.This year I talked some friends into being a wife/husbandraffle item. The item was a tea party, complete with lectureand finger sandwiches, for the winner and five friends.Annaliese and Mike Keller are well-known to Santa CruzCounty shoppers as the tea and chai people at the CabrilloFarmers Market. They own Malabar Trading Company andthey are experts on the subject of tea, its history, harvest,preparation, and marketing elements.

On the day of the Masters Tour, Anne set-up her raffle displayat the Homeless Garden Project site in Santa Cruz. Alongcomes 85-year-old Muriel Salmansohn, who buys a raffleticket for the tea party. She wins. She calls me. We schedulethe date/time. On Sunday Muriel and her friends show up atmy house for tea. Mike and Annaliese are ready with theirlecture. Teapots filled with exotic teas from around the world

are brewing in the kitchen. Anne made dozens of incredfinger sandwiches. Add some scones, fruit and brownies

e had ourselves a tea party. As Muriel put it, This is the party Ive had since I was 11 years old. By the way Muriblind and has been a volunteer at the Homeless Garden Profor over 10 years.

Anne and Annaliese had never met each other before. Nonus had met Muriel or her friends. Or so we thought. Thhours later, we learn that Anne and Annaliese have mmutual close friends as a result of their culinary backgrounTwo of the guests are librarians and weve all probably talto them at one time or another. Another guest is the literassistant to a dear friend of mine who has amassed one oflargest private diary-libraries in the country. His wife, al

friend, is a world-class ceramist. Her work was selected byClinton White House to be presented to visiting headstate. Others at the table knew of her and had purchasedwork.

Most fascinating was Muriels story of her father escapinganti-Semitism of Russia in the early 1900s; his trip ofreighter to NY and the journey through Ellis Island; his


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December 2007 - January 2008 MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDEN2

night in America, sleeping in a doorway in Brooklyn. We werenthralled with recollections of her childhood. And now we

were all connected to her and her father and Mother Russia asresult of hearing her story that day.

What were the chances that ten people would find themselveso entwined and connected by a dollar raffle ticket?? We

discovered that the six degrees of separation were now

educed to two.

o what does this tea party have to do with the MG News-etter Staffs request that I write an article about being electedhe new President of the MBMG Board of Directors? I haveeen a Master Gardener since 1994. I did my training andraduated from the Santa Clara County MG Program. I was

part of the founding team that planned and implemented theMG program for Monterey Bay. I served as president, co-president, VP and general-purpose Board member for the firstight years of the program.

Throughout these last 13 years, I have remained connected to

he MG program and the scores of master gardener friends Ihave made along the way. This connection has had a profoundmpact on my entire life not just my gardening life.

For those of you enrolling in the 2008 class, your life willhange forever with the connections you are about to make. Asardeners, we dont have to be told that gardening is heaven onarth and gardeners are special. By virtue of planting and

harvesting and watering and weeding, we are somehowonnected to the cycles of life much more deeply than people

who dont garden. But the MG program will extend andxpand that connection to human beings, to like spirits whore connected to Mother Earth the way you are.

Beyond the connection to other gardeners, the MG program isnique in that it connects you to a larger entity calledcommunity. This is not your grandmas garden club. The MG

program insists that your mind, body and spirit connect, onewith the other, and with the community around you. And that

ommunity is no longer defined by your zip code.Globalization and global warming have connected you to thentire planet. You become a better gardener not because youearn to garden better but because you are now connected on a

deeper level to the people in your ever-expanding community.

The MG certification process requires that you remain

onnected to the program by completing community serviceprojects and continuing your education year after year. Youwill not find this to be a hardship. You are going to makeriends that you will have the rest of your life. You will want to

hang out with these newfound friends. Whether you stayonnected to them via community projects or the quarterly

meetings, they spill over into other parts of your life. Theonnections you are about to make are ones that you will wanto keep, even when your gardening days are spent!

n my real life, I work in the computer industry. For the lasten years, my companies have developed software productshat network people and data. Network is another term for

connect. Data is another word for knowledge. I absoluenjoy watching people get connected with other people acquiring new knowledge along the way. That itself is anodescription of the MG program: people and knowleconnecting for a better world.

2008 brings a new class of recruits to the MG program. W just seated a new Board of Directors. Lots of new wi

happening in the coming year. To ensure that the legacy ofMG program is sustained, we need the tribal knowledge othe MGs who have come before this new class. If yodisconnected from the MG program over the years, plconsider reconnecting. Show up at an advanced training cand surprise us. Sit in on a quarterly meeting and catch upthings. Write an article about your favorite gardeexperience for the newsletter. You dont have to get wrapup in the red tape of certification if you dont want to. Wtake whatever time you can give.

To the Master Gardener Program and to Master Gardepast, present, and to comestay connected!

Cynthia Jordan, President, Board of Directors

Postscript: Muriel leaves for Florida in two weeks. She canlonger live by herself so shes going to live near her childBut I know that the tea-party-goers will all stay spirituconnected all because Anne Hayden, MG95, collected ritems for an MG event.

Helleborus


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complied by Sharon Ettinger, MG00

Dee Dee Hanania, MG99 The amazing people you meet,he plants you are introduced to and the projects that are

helpful to others and that are fun to get involved with.

Kat DeDontney, MG04 Most people make deep, lifelongriendships in college. To get the opportunity to do that againt this point in my life is a gift. I have met the most amazing

people who share the same commitments and interests as mend I cherish the friendships I have made with them. On the

other hand, the 10% discount I get at nurseries and gardenenters is a nice little perk...kidding!!

Dianne Yost, MG04 I really enjoy working on the hotlinebecause I love to learn. As an ornamental gardener (by natures well as my profession), the questions about vegetable

gardening are the most challenging to me because it is what Iknow the least about! It's satisfying to be able to help someonewith a garden issue. Above and beyond that is the fact that Ihave made 2 of the best friends that I could ever hope to have!

Chris Carrier, MG06 I like learning in almost anyorm. Gardening is a particular comfort for me. I benefit from aemi-structured approach to learning. I believe I end up with

more if I'm part of a learning community and havehe responsibilities of a class.

Volunteer work in my community is critical to myhappiness. MG has opened up many wonderful volunteeropportunities and new friendships.

Everyone is there to learn. It happens automatically in ouronversations: "Hi, how are you doing? You know, that gophertuff from class isn't working for me. Have you found anythinglse?"

have spent much of my life gardening between times I takeeriously. I realize now I had it backwards.

have never met a MG who considered himself/herself anxpert gardener. If you can reflect on your own practices,reate questions and adapt, you will find the MG

program fulfilling.

Existing friendships can be enriched. When you make yourselfnto a more interesting person, it opens up new dimensions inriendships you've maintained at a simpler level for years.

The credential has wowed my employer, and she is letting memake all kinds of landscaping improvements. The credentialays, "I'm trying to be disciplined, serious, knowledgeablebout this gardening project," even though half the time I'must having fun.

Stuart Walzer, MG96 I like being part of a communitplant fanatics. Gardeners are warm and sharing folk. I love taking people around my garden and giving away plaEvery three years I've been lucky enough to be able to do by having my garden on the tour. I also enjoy reaGardening on the Edge. I find articles that teach me new thor better still, confirm what I already know. Altogether, I

being a Master Gardener.Melita Israel, MG95 New to me gardening knowlegardening friends and sharing knowledge with ot

Darcy Horton, MG06 Working side-by-side with oMaster Gardeners on various projects and learning fromamazing wealth of information we have at our fingerincluding access to our farm advisors, books and websites.

The opportunity to give back to my community imeaningful way while getting my gardening fix! Working wCandice in the Youth Garden never ceases to amaze me. Ialways touched by my interactions with the kids and

opportunity to bring them some of the joys of working wthe earth, growing your own food, preparing it and then eait together.

Diane Huang, MG04 Being a Master Gardener provideeasy access to the tremendous gardening knowledge shared by all other MGs.

Sue Forson, MG04 Although I am a relatively inaMaster Gardener, the camaraderie, opportunities knowledge I gained during my training continue to nourishquality of my life in the here and now.

Bonnie Pond, MG00 I became a Master Gardene2000 and it was one of the best things I have ever done. It's

just the people who share your love of gardening, or the feeof belonging, or the wealth of new information abgardening; its all of the above and much more. We all likget our hands dirty and share plants.

Tom Davis, MG01 I really enjoy working the hotline. is where you are on the frontline of gardeninganswequestions about topics I have not even thought abouconsidered. Then you have the opportunity to research theanswer there is for the question. Most callers are appreciative of your response and answer. It is also rewar

to review all the previous questions in the completed binHappy Gardening in 2008!

Leora Worthington, MG03 Besides meeting the wondpeople who are Master Gardeners and getting the beneftheir connections, the Master Gardener Program icontinuation of my intentions in life. I was in the medical ffor 32 years and came to appreciate the value of preventameasures. The hotline is a major defense post regarIntegrated Pest Management. The program has extendedknowledge of organic and natural gardening so that I apply it and pass the information along. All of this tatogether improves the state of health for people and the cri

Epoll What Do You

Like Most About Being

a Master Gardener?


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who enjoy the beneficial gardens that we promote. Keepingcertified each year opens my eyes to further information andviewpoints. It is about life, which is the best thing about it.

Nancy Martella, MG06 I enjoy learning and sharing withother Master Gardeners in their gardens or while working onvolunteer projects. Theyre the nicest people!

Tom Karwin, MG99 I like being part of the group becauseit has an educational purpose and a broad perspective ongardening. Most garden groups focus on one genus, but theMaster Gardeners are concerned with the full spectrum ofgardening activities, and the relationship of gardening toenvironmental protection, water conservation and otheraspects of sustainability. There's room under that big tent fora wide range of interests and talents, and the MGs bring lotsof both to the organization.

Candice McLaren, MG01 In the almost 7 years since Iwent through the MG class and year in and year out, its thepeople involved in the program that I like the best. Startingwith the enthusiasm that the interviewers show for theprogram, the knowledge that the professors and instructorsimpart on each class, and the curiosity that all MasterGardeners have to ask questions and continually learn. It's lifelong learning at it's best!

Joan Halperin, MG04 The education, stretching the mindinto unknown territory is wonderful of course, and as LindaCaruthers told the last three classes: where else would youmeet all of these like minded people and make such goodfriends?

PUMPKINS!!!

The first Master Gardener Program was initiated in the State of Washington in 1973 by Extension agents in response toburgeoning interest in horticulture from citizens in the urban areas. The Program's objective was to train volunteers to heExtension meet the overwhelming demand for information on horticulture, gardening and plant problems. Volunteeparticipated in a series of science-based educational sessions that included many aspects of horticulture and related topicThen, in return for this training, they assisted local Extension personnel in providing information and education. Todthere are Master Gardener Programs affiliated with most land-grant universities in thirty-three states. (httpmastergardener.wsu.edu/mgvp/mgvp.html) The first class of Monterey Bay Master Gardeners met in January 1995.


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Michael Pollan, whose earlier book, Botany

of Desire, examines how plants and people

re mutually dependent, now takes on the

question, What should we have for

dinner? To answer that ques-tion, hexamines three major ways people choose to

cquire food: the Industrial model, the

Pastoral pattern, and the Personal or

hunter-gatherer method. Any gardener who

grows some portion of his or her own food,

whether through vegetable gardening,

ultivating fruit trees or caring for a modest

herb collection, will be interested to learn

urprising facts about each of the models

xamined.

n the Industrial model, an amazing

dependence on huge corn crops is revealed.

Corn is used to feed cattle, poultry, pigs, sheep, and even

armed fish. In this way, corn fed animals end up feeding

humans. In addition, people eat corn not just as a vegetable but

lso as a major ingredient in prepared foods such as cornstarch,

orn oil, and corn syrup. High fructose corn syrup (HFCS)

hows up in soft drinks, snack food, ketchup, mustard, cereals,

tc. just read the labels! Lastly, corn can be used to make

thanol. Agribusiness-grown corn is tied to Americaspetroleum consumption, via pesticides and fertilizers. One

ifth of Americas petroleum consumption goes to producing

nd transporting our food. One impact of using corn in beef

production is crowded feedlots used to fatten beef cattle before

laughter. Inhumane treatment of cattle in the slaughter

process can be a side effect and the process of turning the

attle into hamburger can result in dangers such as E.coli.

Pollan wraps up this segment with the first of his Four Meals

t McDonalds. He choses a cheeseburger, fries, and a coke. His

on choses chicken McNuggets, and Pollan ponders, What is

chicken nugget? Fast food is fast and cheap, but much of the

ost is hidden in subsidized farming.Next, in the Pastoral

model, grass is the main crop. In this section, Pollan makes a

working visit to a small farm, whose agricultural practice is

cologically sound and seemingly sustainable. At the farm,

ows are fed grass a slower path to the slaughterhouse and

hence more expensive. The so-called grass farmer also raises

hickens (and eggs), turkeys, and rabbits. In the meal that he

prepared following his participation in the farm chores, Pollan

ollected the ingredients for the meal from local sources only.

Sharon Tyler, MG

The ingredients included chicken from

farm where he worked (which inclu

slaughtering chickens), corn, rocket s

(an annual herb), chocolate souffl,

Virginian Viognier wine.

Another aspect to the Pastoral model is w

Pollan calls Big Organic, i.e. Whole F

Market, where it is easy to acquire orga

or humanely raised or free range produ

It is clear that this is a more expensive

to shop. Pollan examines what ex

organic means, and some of the danger

this label. For the third dinner meal in

series, he shops strictly at Whole Foods,prepares a meal of roasted chicken, roa

eggies (yellow potatoes, purple kale,

inter squash), steamed asparagus, spring mix salad, wi

dessert of organic ice cream topped with organic blackber

This meal was definitely not local, since the foods are impo

from far corners of the earth.

In the last model, the Personal or Hunter-Gatherer, Pollan

to extreme measures to hunt and otherwise gather food fo

meal he planned to prepare. Though he had never b

hunted, he learned to shoot. Though he had never gathild mushrooms, with the help of a local expert, he lear

about varieties of mushrooms and their habitats. With a

exceptions, he managed to gather (beg and borrow) mo

hat he needed for a meal. The menu consisted of: Fava B

and Sonoma Boar Pt, Egg Fettuccine and Power Fire Mo

Braised Leg and Grilled Loin of Wild Sonoma Pig, Wild

Bay Yeast Levain (bread), very local garden salad, Fulton St

Bing Cherry Galotte, Claremont Canyon Chamomile Ti

(herbal tea), 2003 Angelo Garro Petite Syrah. His efforts

ith varying degrees of success. How this meals ingrediwere acquired and prepared is the funniest part of the book

When you read this revealing documentary, be shocked at

extent of our dependence on agribusiness, be dismayed at

arieties of organic available, and be surprised to see

hard it is to be local in food acquisition. Above all, ima

yourself as a guest at Pollans Four Meals. This extraordi

journey, taken and reported by Pollan, provokes each of u

reflect on how our choices in acquiring food affect our lives

perhaps the world.

Book ReviewOmnivores Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Mea


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Eating Food in Season and Other Thoughts Kathleen Sonntag, MG0

want to tell you about four books I read. As MasterGardeners we are passionate about how plants are grownwhether they are ornamental or food or both. The things Iearned about growing food and raising animals for our tablerom these four books changed my view of the food I see in

upermarkets and validated my decision to eat no red meat.However, my purpose here is not to convince you to take theame path.

Michael Pollans book, Omnivores Dilemma recounts hisxperiences as he decided to visit meat and poultry producerso see how the animals are raised for slaughter. His premise

was that if he is going to eat meat, he should be able to dealwith how it gets to his table. He followed a cow, pig and

hicken from the farm to slaughter. What he explained abouthe influence of corn on agriculture and the food that we eat

was a revelation to me. In his view, its all about corn. (Then Iead some very similar thoughts in Kingsolvers books and

lsewhere.) Once corn became the crop of choice, beefproducers decided to feed corn to cattle, whose intestines weredesigned by Mother Nature to digest grasses, to fatten them upaster and get them to market faster. So there was more

demand for corn and scientists started experimenting with theenetic structure so the corn yield per acre would be higher.

Pesticides were needed, some even included in the geneticallymodified seed. The cattle, forced to eat food they could notdigest properly in tightly packed feed lots are fed antibiotics.The meat is fatter than that of grass fed beef the American

onsumer has come to enjoy the marbled fat found in corn-fedeef that is not the same in grass-fed beef. And the byproducts

f corn are found in almost everything on the grocers shelves.n addition, there is way too much single-crop farming that isharmful to the land.

n Animal, Vegetable, Mineral, Barbara Kingsolver, best known forher novels, shared her experiences living off the land for a year

n family property in Appalachia. She moved with her husbandnd two daughters from Tucson, Arizona to the farm. I

particularly enjoyed her descriptions of her nine-year-olddaughters chicken and egg business. The Kingsolvers raise andat heritage turkeyswonderful description of these. In herook she discusses genetically modified seeds. I learned thathe modifications started when transportation of perishable

produce like tomatoes, fruits and other vegetables was madepossible by invention of refrigerated trucks. The problem washow to get the produce across the country and still have it look

ood to consumers. The genetic modifications were made forppearance and resistance to damage during travel, not taste.

Taste? Who cares? So Americans got used to eating theasteless produce from their local supermarket. This book is

written in Kingsolvers wonderful prose. And there is a bonus:website www.animalvegetablemiracle.com has the recipes

long with photos of the farm and links to relevant websitesbout heritage seeds and animals, sustainable farming, etc.

The other two books are novels by Ruth Ozeki: y YeMeats and All Over Creation. They both tell a story centaround a young Japanese-American woman and experiences. First she is a reporter capturing the storAmerican meat production for a television company that w

to sell American beef to Japan via a cooking show. Then iOver Creation, the central character reluctantly returns homhelp her aging parents on the family farm in Idaho. Tbooks contain descriptions of meat production and farmers dilemma over genetically modified seeds, uspesticides and heritage seed collection. I recommend themthe story and the insight they provide.

Thats itfour books about how our food is grown and h

agribusiness has changed the American diet. I hope, like

you will commit more of your food dollars to produce and mand fish that is available at your local farmers markets or s

stores that sell locally-grown foods. Why? I think taste toward the top of the list. You can follow that with g

health, supporting local organic farmers who grow

sustainably, and then we can go off on another related topithe greenhouse gases that are emitted when food is mo

around the world. Not today.

On the MBMG group site we asked an Epoll question: Buand eating sustainable local food during the winter is a little difficulton the central coast. Tomatoes and asparagus are certainly not in sebut they are in the stores. Where do you find local fresh foods durinwinter?

Here are some of the responses from MGs.

Barbara Gordon I have made my own oven-dried tomaout of Molino Creek's dry-farmed tomatoes. Slice tomatoe1/4 to 1/2 inch thick slices, put them on a cookie sheet and polive oil, salt and basil over them. Turn oven to 250 degreesput tomatoes in for about 10 hours. Then scrape them off store them in the refrigerator in olive oil. I have the mdelicious tomatoes to cook with all winter!

I've also parboiled, skinned and frozen some tomatoes, bdon't like them as well as the oven-dried ones.


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Al Derrick Asparagus is a winter crop mostly from Victoriasland in the California Delta. There are some small greenhouseomato growers that provide a source for winter tomatoes. Thenergy cost to heat a greenhouse has or is driving them out of

business. I really don't know what is meant by the termsustainable" when applied to vegetable growing. The

Watsonville area has a large industry devoted to growing and

hipping winter vegetables all over the world. If you want thatkind of information, a call to Valley Packing in Watsonville orFrank Capurro and Sons in Moss Landing would give you andea of the scope and variety of vegetable shipping.

Melita Israel Im not sure where you live but if Salinas isonvenient for you, Star Market on south Main at the corner of

Blanco carries some local produce. You may have to ask themwhat is local and what is not.

Nancy Martella Tomatoes are now being dried for winteroups and sauces. Cut the tomatoes in half and squeeze

out most of the juice and seeds. This is done using a bowl

overed by a strainer. This gives me fresh tomato juice. Placeliced tomatoes on a teflon screen and dry. Store in tight jars.

also dry onions that can't be stored. These are combined withdried summer squash and carrots that have slightly passedmaturity for soups and casseroles.

To chop onions I light a candle to burn off the gas that make usry. I've heard that putting onions in the freezer for 10

minutes helps stop tears.

I've grown my own asparagus for over 30 years and summer was the first time a gopher ate a lot of them. Ill

hat comes up next spring. I have both male and female plso I guess the seeds replaced older plants. Asparagus is sailast about 15 years.

Spinach grows wild in my garden. The seed came with shay I used for mulch over 10 years ago.

Beets, peas, lettuce, carrots, onions, garlic and vegetables fthe cabbage family do well during winter. I don't have to wmuch and there are fewer insects. Slugs and snails can problem.

I understand you can uproot a tomato plant and growindoors but I have never tried. There are Russian tomatoesgrow in the LA area during the winter outdoors.

Drying food tastes fresher that most preserving methods.

Tom Karwin I hope all the MGs know about the farmmarkets in the Monterey Bay area. They're the best for

fresh foods. http://www.montereybayfarmers.org/markets.html

Carol Kaplan The Produce Market on Fremont StreeMonterey has fresh produce all year round. Also, thereFarmer's Market at MPC.

Darcy Horton suggests visiting New Leaf Community Main Capitola and the Farmers Market at Cabrillo CollegSaturday mornings.

Diana Huang goes to the Marina Farmers Market on Sund

don't want to go outside when its cold. Being two decades

older than forty might have something to do with it. Arthritichands. Tired back. So I mostly stay inside during the late fall

and winter and, through my windows, watch my garden

hunker down.

Observing the slow transformation of the northern part of my

yard over the top of my computer monitor, I am aware hourlyof the deepening dryness of the soil and the plants reactions to

t. They are tenacious and wise and do everything in their

power to stay alive. Drop a few leaves. Maybe a couple ofwigs. Wait. Wait for rain. Wait for spring. I wait with them.

The two young lilacs (theyve been in the ground for a yearnow) are looking sad; one has already abandoned nearly all its

eaves. The lawn (I know I dont own the property) ishinning and browning in patches. Everything looks crispy.

Hydrangeas in pots are hanging on, as are other confined

plants, because just as they are about to expire, I save mywork, then pull on my gloves and hat and jacket and scarf and

boots and run out to offer early-morning deliverance in theorm of water. I dont extend my aid to the plants in the

ground, however, as Im sure it will begin to rain soon

until then I want to conserve.

I never feel too sad about a plant dying unless it happens

direct result of my neglect. Then I really do feel a little twi

of guilt. So I think that this year I will proclaim a New YeResolution, something I havent done since I was in

twenties: I will, beginning in the late winter of 2008, trytake better care of my garden, spend more time out there in

soil which I think I recall finding enjoyable at one tim

ill make a real effort, applying the Four Agreements to living things that rely on me (okay, the climate and a few o

ariables too) for their very existence: I will always do my bnever assume anything, be impeccable with my word

never take anything personally. I have my own Fifth Agment: dont be attached to the outcome.

There, I feel better already. Maybe tomorrow Ill run sprinkler for a little while, since theres no rain in the fore

for at least five more days.

I will be patient with the weather, the garden and myself.

Confessions of a Reluctant Gardener: Excuses and ResolutionsChristina Kriedt, MG


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Monterey Bay Master Gardeners To Host

2008 Statewide Conference Simon Stapleton, MG06

Master Gardeners! Mark your calendars! The MG StatewideConference will be held at the Asilomar Conference Groundsn Pacific Grove September 24 26, 2008. And Monterey

Bay Master Gardeners is the host organization.

The theme for the 2008 conference is Digging Deeper,

Sustainability for the Master Gardener. Thefocus will be on fourmain tracks. Some sample ideas being considered as breakoutsessions are:

Track 1 Sustaining Yourself: Sessions designed for thendividual. These include workshops on special gardening

topics such as good body mechanics for gardening, science-based horticulture (e.g. Latin for gardeners and plantpropagation, and sustainable landscape practices.

Track 2 Sustaining Your Sanity in a Leadership Role:Sessions designed for coordinators, board members, andprogram chairs. These include workshops that will help youearn how to motivate teams, mentor for retention, andmprove group dynamics for program success.

Track 3 Sustaining Your Community: Sessions de-signedto help MGs participate in their community projects such ascommunity gardens, and current information about newvegetables and their cultural requirements.

Track 4 Sustaining Your Group: Sessions designed forMGs in leadership roles to help you better contribute to yourgroup. These include workshops on how to give a dynamicpresentation and leadership training.

n addition, three pre -conference tours are being developed:

a Garden-to-Grapes Tour, an all day hands-on retdesigning gardens, and a guided tour of Asilomars DHabitat.

More events and tours are being discussed and researchedwill be announced when details are available.

The conference is shaping up to be an exciting & rewardevent and you can be involved. We are looking for 2-3 KeySpeakers and 30-40 Breakout Session Speakers. If you wlike to be considered as a speaker or know of someone w

ould be willing to be a speaker, please submit the naprior to January 31, 2008.

The conference receives no funding from UCCE or any otpublic source. Therefore, we are actively seeking sponsor

the conference and for our breakout sessions. Sponsorsare the only way we can keep registration fees at a minimCurrently, registration fees for the conference are projectebe $300. If you know of any organization or company

ould be interested in sponsoring an event, please subtheir name by March 31, 2008. All sponsors will be recognwith signage at the conference.

We are also investigating alternative housing for confereguests. If you live in the Pacific Grove/Monterey/Carmel and would be willing to host an out-of-town guest pleasus know. Tell us how many people you can accommodat

you prefer male or female or either and if you are ablprovide transportation to and from the conference.

In addition, we need volunteers to serve as hosts concierges to provide visitors with information aboutarea. Other volunteer opportunities will be announced wthey are identified.

We want to hear from you. Please send us your idcomments, and questions. To volunteer or to submit namefor any other information, you may contact Alicia Molinaemail at [email protected] or Simon Stapleton

[email protected]. The conference website should bby January 2008.

Our organization is excited to be hosting this event, andhope many of you will be able to get involved in some capaGOTE will provide more information as it becomes availaWatch for announcements to the MBMG yahoo group.

Statewide MG Program site:http://camastergardeners.ucdavis.edu/

Visit the native dune grasses at Asilomar State Beach:http://www.cnga.org/action/visiting.php?place=11_asilomarCalifornia Native Grasslands Association

Asilomar State Beach


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ts mid November and I am already beginning to think about

he pruning of the roses. Pruning season for roses will start,ccording to the Monterey Bay Rose Society, on December 7

thats right, Pearl Harbor Day) and extend through January orarly February of 2008. Many of us have been regularly dead-

heading our roses since this years flowering season began utting back spent blooms, cutting out unwanted stemsnd/or new growth in other words, pruning as needed in

order to keep our roses looking good and producing flowers atheir best. This kind of consistent and conscientious effort

makes the upcoming pruning season and activity much, much

asier and faster.... However, some of us, including yours truly,have been rather negligent in our duties in this area and so a

ittle work now while the days are generally warm andpleasant will save us time during this busy time of year when

o many happy family gatherings take place. So, what can we

do now?

Even if you have just a few roses, a little time spent now inpreparation will make things easier for the bulk of your

pruning efforts that will take place in the next 8 to 10 weeks.First, make sure you have your Tetanus shot up to date (every

0 years is the recommendation). Next, make sure your tools

re in good condition. Sharpen and oil your favorite handpruning shears, loppers, and a small hand saw for those really

arge ramblers you may have. Also, have a good pair of gloves ome that are soft and supple enough to still feel the tool and

yet protective enough to not let the prickles go through andnjure you. Goatskin gloves are a good choice because the

prickles will generally not stick to them. Now you are ready to

start by wal

around and looat your rose pl

and visualizhat you w

that rose to be n e x t s e a sAnother good t

to do is cleanaround each r

removing all re

and weeds, making it easie

see whats going

When you do start pruning your roses, you are basically g

to cut out all dead canes or branches, eliminat-ing allcrossed ones that are rubbing on each other; and, with HyTeas, cut the remaining 3 to 5 canes (less canes bigger flow

to an outward facing node at approximately the same heighyou want a short plant, cut the canes at 12 to 15 and if a t

plant is desired, cut at 20 to 24. Prune so that air can ge

the center of the plant but use good judgment so that theresult is not a plant that is just a large bowl with nothing in

middle. Keep in mind that different classes of roses reqdifferent kinds of pruning. One-time bloomers, like many o

Moss roses, are pruned after they bloom (spring and e

summer) because flowers will be produced on the new grothe following season. Ramblers mostly just need to be hea

back so as not to completely take ovearea. Where practical, strip off all the

leaves and again remove any refuse. Twith a dormant spray and you are good t

If anyone would like to see a pracdemonstration and also earn some advan

training hours, you might consider cominthe January 25 meeting of the Monterey

Rose Society. Joe Ghio, an expert growerConsulting Rosarian, will be giving

famous and entertaining Rose Pru

Demonstration. This will be a great chto learn from an expert and ask your pru

questions. Check out http://www.montbayrosesociety.org/ for details about

demonstration.

ts That Time Again Almost, At Least! Paul McCollum, MG0

Left: The roses that grace the entrance to the YouthGarden grew back with a fury after the hard pruningthey received at the hands of MBMGs in 2006. The papink rose is Sally Holmes, a hybrid musk.

Sheilas Perfume., fragrant, disease resistant floribunda


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Abelia grandifloraAbutilon spp.Acer japonicaAchillea spp.Agapanthus hybrids

llium fistulosumllium sativum

AlstroemeriahybridsAmaranthus cruentusAnagallis spp.

Anethum graveolensAnigozanthos spp.

ntirrhinum majusArctostaphylos spp.Arctotis spp.Armeria maritima

accharis pilularisanksia spp.ergenia sp. and hybridsidens spp.illbergia nutansougainvillea hybridsrassica oleracearugmansia spp.uddleia spp.

Camelia spp. and hybridsChaenomeles japonicaChoisya ternataChorizema spp.Chrysanthemum spp.Cistus spp.Citrus hybridsCitrus sinensis

Citrus spp.Citrus X limonCorrea spp.Crassula argentea or ovataCuphea hyssopifoliaCyclamen spp.Cymbidium hybridsCytisus scopariusDahlia imperialisDianthus barbatus

Dietes iridioides (D. vegeta)Echium fastuosum (E. candicans)Epiphyllum hybridsErica spp. and hybridsEscallonia spp. and hybridsEuryops spp.Fragaria chiloensisFuchsia hybridaGaura lindheimeriGeranium spp.Grevillea rosmarinifoliaGrewia occidentalisHakea spp.Hardenbergia spp.Hatiora gaertneriHebe spp. and hybridsHemerocallis spp.Heuchera spp. and hybridsHibiscus spp. and hybridsHydrangea spp.Iberis sempervirensImpatiens spp. and hybridsIris - bearded hybrids

Jasminum polyanthumKniphofia uvariaLavatera assurgentifloraLavendula spp.Leptospermum scopariumLeucodendron 'Safari Sunrise'Leucojum aestivumLilium hybridsLinaria purpureaLobularia maritima

Lonicera spp.Lorapetalum chinenseMagnolia spp.Matthiola spp.Melaleuca alternifoliaMichelia spp.Mimulus spp.Nandina domesticaNarcissus spp. and hybridsOcimum hybridOxalis spp. Papaver nudicaulePassiflora spp.Pelargonium spp.Pennisetum setaceumPenstemon spp.Persea americana Phacelia campanulariaPhilotheca myoporoides (Eriostemonmyoporoides)Phlomis fruticosaPittosporum tobiraPrimula spp.

Protea sspPrunus domesticaPrunus dulcisPsoralea pinnataRanunculus asiaticusReseda odorataRhaphiolepis indica hybriRhododendron spp. & hybRibes spp.Rosa spp. and hybrids

Rosemarinus officinalisSalvia leucanthaSchizostylis coccineaSenecio cinerariaSolanum lycopersicumSpiraea prunifoliaStrelitzia reginaeSutera cordataSyringa spp.Tagetes spp.Teucrium fruticansThunbergia alataTibouchina urvilleanaTrachelospermum jasminoTropaeolum majusTulbaghia violaceaVerbascum spp.Veronica spp. and hybriViburnum spp. and hybrVicia fabaVinca majorViola spp. Zantedeschia aethiopica

Whats Blooming in Your Garden in December and January?The following is exerpted from the Whats Bloomin database which is based on observations made by Monterey Bay MaGardeners in Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties. The entire database is online at http://www.montereybaymaster

ardeners.org. Please send your data to Annette Longuevan at [email protected].

PersimmonDiospyros kakiCommercially, there are two generaltypes of persimmon fruit: heart-shaped

Hachiya is eaten soft; and squat Fuyucan be eaten firm. There is a third type,

ess commonly available, known as

Goma in Japan; the flesh is brown andthe fruit can be eaten firm.

The entire fruit is edible except for the

seed and calyx. Freezing the fruit

overnight and then thawing softens itand also removes the astringency.

Persimmons can be pruned heavily hedge, a screen, an espalier or to consize. Cut young trees back to about 3at the time of planting. Alternate beais common. This can be partially ocome by thinning the fruit or moderapruning after a light-crop year.

The persimmons tree is a large membthe ebony family and produces one ofhardest woods known.

http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/persimmon.html


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cion wood is normally collected as dormant fruit tree prunings being done, in January for most of us. Too often the scion

wood is treated in a haphazard manner with no respect for theact that it is living and the energy contained in the wood will

be needed if the completed graft is to grow.

Usually you know which trees you will want to save scionsrom. When collecting the tools you will need as you prepareo prune, it is a simple matter to also prepare the one gallonize zip-lock baggies to collect the scions. Label each baggie

with the name and date, such as Bartlett Pear, Jan 15, 08.nside each baggie I place a wet paper towel, with the waterqueezed out. Normally I just stuff them in my jacket pocket ashead for my orchard. Usually I will save between 10 and 20

cions in each bag and will need a container to keep them in asgo from tree to tree. I have found a small picnic-size ice chest

handy.

electing scions from the pruned wood (usually you will have

plenty to chose from!), vegetative growth buds will be a betterhoice than flower buds. If you cant tell the difference,emember that the more vertical growth will seldom contain

many flower buds. You will only need two or three buds onach. It should be easy to tell last years growth, which is

preferred for scions.

f you prune the tree and then go around and pick up thepruned material to cut into proper length scions to fit insidehe one gallon baggies, you have probably already stepped on

most of them. It is better as you prune to prepare that portionof the branch into scions, putting them right into the baggie.No matter how it is done it will take the same time and effort.

Doing it this way will result in the best possible scion. Wits time for lunch, take your sealed baggies to the refrigeraOrdinary refrigerator temperatures, 35 to 40 degrees, will kyour scions dormant, alive and ready to use when the treebe grafted have begun their spring growth.

When it is time to graft, it is better to be a little late than ttoo early. When your graft is complete, the scion, expose

armer air temperatures, will come out of dormancy and need to have the moist nutrient flow from the tree to feedemerging buds. If this does not happen soon, the scion expend its stored energy and die before the tree comes oudormancy.

Als Corner: Successful Grafts Require Live ScionsAl Derrick, MG95

Warm sunny flowers; photographers --left, Christina Kriedt; right, Kalia Ostrander, Christinas granddaughter, age 14

Linnaeus was born in Smland, in southern Sweden. He received most of his higher education at Uppsala University and begiving lectures of botany there in 1730. He lived abroad from 1735 to 1738 where he studied and also published a first editiohis Systema Naturae in the Netherlands. He then returned to Sweden where he became professor of botany at Uppsala. In 1740s he was sent on several journeys through Sweden to find and classify plants and animals. In the 1750s and 60s he continto collect and classify animals, plants and mineralia; publishing several volumes. At the time of his death, he was widrenowned throughout Europe as one of the most acclaimed scientists of the time. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolus_Linnaeus


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Etcetera:RelevantInternet Miscellany Christina Kriedt, MG06Unripened persimmons contain the soluble tannin shibuol, which, uponontact with a weak acid, polymerizes in the stomach and forms a glueyoagulum that can affix with other stomach matter.The Merck Manual ofiagnosis and Therapy notes that consumption of persimmons has been known

o cause bezoars that require surgery in over 90% of cases. Persimmon

ezoars often occur in epidemics in regions where the fruit is grown. Horsesay develop a taste for the fruit growing on a tree in their pasture andverindulge also, making them quite ill. My goodness!ttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persimmon

he pumpkin pie has its origins in a dish enjoyed by the colonists, who slicedff the top of the pumpkin, removed the seeds, and filled the inside with milk,pices, and honey, then baked the pumpkin in hot ashes.ttp://www.illinoistimes.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A4809

he ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) or maidenhair tree, is the only living member of theinkgophyta, which dates back some 286 million years. There are both male

nd female plants and the female fruits have a very disagreeable odor, so male

rees are preferred. Ginkgo nuts are the seeds of this tree, and roasted ginkgouts are a delicacy in China and Japan. They are available fresh or cannedshelled, skinned and parboiled) and are used in stir fries, soups and stews.he largest Ginkgo farm in the world is in Sumter, South Carolina.

ttp://www.foodreference.com/html/fginkgo.html

o help stop tears, chill an onion 30 minutes before peeling. Start cutting thenion from the neck first and use a stainless steel knife (not iron). The onionill be stronger flavored at the root end.

http://www.fortboise.com/OnionFacts&Trivia.htm

t takes more than a calorie of fossil fuel energy to produce a calorie of food;efore the advent of chemical fertilizer the Naylor farm produced more than

wo calories of food energy for every calorie of energy invested.-Michaelollan, Omnivores Dilemma

ou can store your metal shovels and trowels in a bucket filled with sand intohich youve poured motor or vegetable oil. Each time you return the tool to

he storage bucket, work it in and out of the sand a few times. The oil keepshe tool from rusting and the sand sharpens the edge and cleans soil from thelade.

onations NeededIn the early morning of November 16th an arsonist setre to one of the storage sheds at the Homeless Garden Project on Shafferoad. This shed was primarily used to store food supplies and cookingtensils used to prepare lunch for training program participants and

olunteers. The destroyed shed also housed harvest supplies such as produceoxes, small garden tools and clippers. The community area for classes andhe dining area with its arbor were also destroyed. It is a calamity. If youould like to donate supplies, tools or cash to the rebuilding effort please

end your donation to: Homeless Garden Project, PO Box 617, Santa Cruz,A, 95061; or call 831-426-3609. http://www.homelessgardenproject.org/

Last night, there came a frost, which has done great damage to my garden....It is sad that Nature will play such tricks on us poor mortals,

inviting us with sunny smiles to confide in her, and then, when we are entirely within her power,striking us to the heart. ~Nathaniel Hawthorne, The American Notebooks

top: Persimmon leavescenter: Onions!

bottom: Fall color in Gilroy


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Sponsors, Sources, Links and CreditsChristina Kriedt, MG06

Photo Creditspage 1: montage, Leora Worthington and Christina Kriedtpage 2: Helleborus, Wikipediapage 4: pumpins, Leora Worthingtonpage 8: Asilomar, Wikipediapage 9: rose, Paul McCollum; roses on arbor, Christina Kriedtpage 10: persimmons, Christina Kriedtpage 11: scions, Al Derrick; flowers, Christina Kriedt and Kalia Ostrander

page 12: persommon leaves, Christina Kriedt; onions, Leora Worthington;tree, Christina Kriedt

page 13: gingko and squirrel, Christina Kriedt

Linkspage 4: Washington State University, MG site, http://mastergardener.wsu.edu/mgvp/mgvp.htmlpage 7: Monterey Bay Farmers Markets, http://www.montereybayfarmers.org/markets.htmlpage 8: Statewide MG Program site, http://camastergardeners.ucdavis.edu/

California Native Grasslands Association, http://www.cnga.org/action/visiting.php?place=11_asilomar

page 9: Monterey Bay Rose Society, http://www.montereybayrosesociety.org/

Gingko biloba, female in fruit.at Gilroy Gardens

SponsorsSierra Azul Nursery, http://www.sierraazul.com, 763-0939San Lorenzo Lumber Company,

http://www.sanlorenzolumber.com/santacruz.html, 423-0223The Garden Company, http://www.thegardenco.com/, 429-8424

FezQ, Carmel Valley, 659-1268Bokay, Salinas, 659-1268Hidden Gardens, Aptos, 688-7011The Potting Shed, Aptos, 685-1626Wild Rose Landscape Design, Aptos, 539-5841

Neighborhood squirrel relaxing on a sunny fence top.

Editor Christina Kriedt

Assistant Editors Sharon Ettinger & Kathleen SonntagDesign/Layout Christina Kriedt

Circulation Jan Olafsson

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

Al DerrickChristina Kriedt

Cynthia JordanKathleen SonntagLeora Worthington

Paul McCollumSharon EttingerSharon Tyler

Simon Stapleton

Copyright 2007 MBMG. All rights reserved

Happy Holidaysfrom

Gardening on the Edge


14/14


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gardening on the edge newsletter, december 2007-january 2008 ~ monterey bay master gardeners

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