gardening on the edge newsletter, spring 2009 ~ monterey bay master gardeners

8/9/2019 Gardening on the Edge Newsletter, Spring 2009 ~ Monterey Bay Master Gardeners

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MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS spring 2009

Seed Banks1 IPM: Living with Ants3 The Pruning Corner6

Three Book Reviews6 Confessions of a Reluctant Gardener8 How Master Gardeners Do It1

Gardening by Native Plant Communities of the Monterey Bay Region12

Benefits of GardeningUniversal Effect17 Salvia Summit at Cabrillo College19

Significant Seed Banks Around the World21

On the Future of Food, Part 123 Composting Pet Waste24

Relevant Internet Miscellany25

Cultivate knowledge

Spring 200

GardeningontheedgeJournal of the Monterey bay master gardener

Natures Refrigerator PreservesGlobal Seed Collection

Remote and icy Svalbard Archipelago, above the ArcticCircle about 300 miles north of mainland Norway, has be-come kind of a Frozen Food Section for the world. The isola-tion, cold climate, and permafrost make this an ideal locationfor long-term seed storage.

Drilled 500 feet under the permafrost into a frigid moun-

tain, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault has the capacity to con-serve 4.5 million distinct seed samples--some 2 billion seeds.Seeds stored in the Global Vault are duplicates of thosestored in other contributor seed banks. The vaults purposeis analogous to a hard-drive backupto maintain copies ofexisting data (seeds) in case samples are destroyed or dam-aged. Similar to a safety deposit box, the bank (Norway)owns the building and the depositors (other seed banks)own the contents of their boxes. Researchers, plant breedersand other groups wishing to access seed samples must re-quest samples from the depositing seed banks, not from theVault directly.

The location also takes into account known scenarios forglobal warming, including ocean rise and temperaturechange.

Cary Fowler is executive director of the Global Crop Di-versity Trust, a project partner. He said in an interview withMSNBC last year, "The seed vault is the perfect place forkeeping seeds safe for centuries. At these temperatures, seedsfor important crops like wheat, barley and peas can last forup to 1,000 years."

Its futuristic entrance is designed to withstand nuclearbomb blasts and earthquakes. For this reason, its sometimesalso referred to as the Doomsday Seed Bank or theResurrection Seed Bank. Like Fort Knox, no one person has

all the entrance codes. The facility also has state-of-the aautomatic monitoring and temperature control, enablingto operate essentially unattended.

Construction of the Global Seed Vault in Norway begin 2005; it opened in February, 2008. Construction cos(approximately $9 million) were funded by the governmeof Norway, which will continue to provide funding for mai

tenance. Storage of seed samples is free, but depositors ptransportation costs. The Global Crop Diversity Trust funthe operation and management of the Seed Vault, as well the transport of the seeds from developing countries to tArctic. The Trust is backed by large charitable foundatioincluding those funded by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundtion and the Rockefeller family; three big corporations, icluding DuPont; global research organizations; and 16 paticipating nations, including the U.S.

What Is a Seed Bank?Although the technology employed in the Global Vault

state of the art, seed banks are nothing new. The U

Seed BankDenise Weatherwax, MG0

Millennium Seed Bank scientist in the MSB storage vPhoto courtesy Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, United King


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2 spring 2009 MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENE

Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been collectingand preserving seeds since the late 1800s. According to theAmerican Botanical Council, because farmers and plantbreeders have always selected plants for desirable traits,domestication itself can lead to loss of genetic diversity.For example, of the more than 7,100 named apple varietiesgrown in the U.S. since the 1800s, more than 6,800 no

longer exist. Reduction of genetic diversity makes plantsmore vulnerable to pests, diseases, and environmentalchange.

A seed bank, also called a germplasm bank, conserves andstores specimen seeds in a controlled environment, awayfrom their original habitat. This is referred to as ex situ(off-site) conservation. Seeds may be collected and storedeither as a way to protect food crops, or to ensure biodiver-sity of rare or native plants against elimination due to apossible future natural or man-made catastrophe. Disease,climate change, the Iraq War, Hurricane Katrina, wide-spread droughts in Africa and other countries have all re-cently caused destruction of crops and potential speciesloss.

For preservation in a modern bank such as the GlobalVault, collected seeds are dried to a moisture content ofless than 6%. The seeds are then stored in freezers at -18C

(0F) or below. Seeds that can survive drying and freezingare called orthodox seeds. These seeds can remain dormantfor decades in a cool and dry environment, with little dam-age to their DNA.

Because seed DNA degrades with time, seeds need tobe periodically replanted and fresh seeds collected for an-other round of long-term storage. Those seeds that can bestored but are more sensitive to the drying and freezingprocess have an intermediate capacity for storage.

Seeds that cannot resist drying and freezing tempera-tures necessary for storage in seed banks are known asrecalcitrant(obstinately disobedient) seeds. Some recalci-

trant non-tropical hardwood seeds, including those of oakand chestnut, can be stored in a nonfrozen state for up totwo years, but must be protected from drying. Otherplants that produce recalcitrant seeds include avocadomango, and lychee, plus many plants used in traditionalmedicines. Medicinal plants with unorthodox seeds facedouble jeopardy, as many of these are also over-harvested

in the wild.One extreme example of a particularly long-livedseed is the 2,000-year-old Judean Date palm seed (Phoenixdactylifera) found in the ruins of Masada. Carbon datinghad placed this hardy date pit back to the time of the siegeat the Hebrew fortress in 73 AD. Planted in 2005, the seedgerminated and is now a four-foot-tall seedling known asMethuselah. The dry desert climate is believed to havebeen a factor in the viability of the ancient seed.

As an alternative to off-site seed banks, another type ofconservation effort is in situ(on-site). This method is theprotection of habitats in the wild by creation of nationalparks, national forests, and wildlife refuges, which allowsplants to continue to evolve in their natural setting. Arbo-retums also contribute to on-site conservation by preserv-ing living trees and plants in a protected space.

Challenges to Seed BankingAs worthy an enterprise as saving seeds may seem, aproject such as the Global Vault and other seed banks arenot entirely free from controversy.

Financial and other pressures result in seeds for cropsgetting by far the highest priority. Worldwide, only 15 per-cent of banked seeds are wild species.

Seed banks also may provide a false sense of confidencethat safe storage alone can sustain agricultural diversity.

Seeds must be monitored carefully and continually bereplaced to ensure viability. Seeds in smaller seed bankscan be lost as a direct consequence of natural disaster, civil

conflict, or human error.

Left: CIMMYTs vast collections of maize and wheat genetic resourcesare stored under controlled conditions to ensure longevity

Photo courtesty of International Maize and

Wheat Improvement Center [CIMMYT])http://www.cimmyt.org/english/wps/obtain_seed/ipPolicy.htm

Right:Phoenix dactyliferia,

Photo by Erg Chebbi, Merzouga, Morocco; April 2006. Wikipedia

One of the settlements on the remote Svalbard Islands,location of the so-called Doomsday Seed Bank.

Photo courtesy NOAA.


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Faulty or ineffective cataloging and data managementcan also render seeds virtually useless due to lack of infor-mation. Documentation must include identity of the plantstored, location of the sampling, number of seeds storedand viability state. Other information, such as how thecrops were grown, or crop rotations, should also be re-corded. The Svalbard Global Vaults strict data submissionrequirements account for these considerations.

Third-world countries probably have the greatest bio-diversity, but seed banks require technology and money,which may not exist or be hard to obtain. This is at leastpartially solved by partnerships with global seed banksthat are well-funded and have a stated mission to reach outto other countries, MSBP for example. But local smallfarmers in poor countries do not have the same access tothe seed banks as scientists and researchers.

Although the Global Vault provides that the originaldonor seed banks maintain ownership of the seeds in itscare, Grain.org has expressed worries about use of off-sitestorage facilities being fundamentally unjust in that theytake away intellectual property rights to crop varietiesfrom the farming communities that developed them.

Other concerns that trouble critics of the Global Vault

and similar facilities are the hidden motives of large corpo-rations such as Monsanto and Dow, and distribution ofgenetically modified organisms (GMOs) into the environ-ment by seed banks. Support and funding by the Rockefel-ler Foundation and other wealthy trusts, big corporations,and global organizations such as CGIAR have led to allega-tions that seed banks promote modern agribusiness at theexpense of local farmers.

(List of several other significant seed banks around theworld, page 17.)

IntegratedPestManagement:

Living with AntsPatricia Nicely, MG03

A series on safer pest control in the home and garden

Ants are truly amazing insects, known for their Hercu-lean strength, highly organized colonies, and unusualniches and behaviors. On a more practical level, ants pro-vide important environmental functions such as feeding onpests, dead insects, and decomposing tissue; working thesoil; and providing food for other wildlife. In our area, cer-tain hummingbirds use ants as a winter food source.

Of the more than 12,000 known species of ants in theworld, about 200 different species live in California, andonly a handful of these are considered pests. Pest behaviorincludes invading homes and other inhabited buildingsdamaging wooden structures, and biting or stinging. Also

because ants often seek sweet foods, they can be seenfarming honeydew-producing insects such as aphidsscales, whiteflies, and mealybugs, which can increasethe populations of these pests in our gardens. In orderto safely and effectively manage ants, implement anIntegrated Pest Management (IPM) approach that in-cludes understanding your pest, modifying conditions todiscourage the pest, and using pesticides only as a lastresort. A reasonable goal for ant control is to keep themfrom being a nuisance, not to completely eliminate themfrom your property.

The most common ant in California homes and gar-

dens is the Argentine ant, a dull-brown ant about 1/8 inchlong. The similar but darker odorous house ant and thetiny pharaoh and thief ants are also common. The velvetytree ant, which nests in dead wood, is an aggressive biterStinging ants include harvester ants, native fire ants (suchas the Southern fire ant), and the red imported fire ant (arecent and unwelcome inhabitant of Southern California)Carpenter ants burrow into wood, and can cause struc-tural damage in buildings.

Ants live in large colonies, typically in the ground, andcertain members of the colony are assigned the task ofsearching for resources. So, when we encounter ants, it isusually only a small fraction of the colony that we are see-ing, in their search for food, water, or shelter. Limiting theavailability of these resources, through maintaining cleanli-ness and denying access, is the IPM approach to livingwith ants.

Depending on the species and time of year, ants can beattracted to sweets, fats, or proteins. Cleaning up spilledfood and dirty dishes, and storing attractive foods in air-tight containers, will cause ants to leave empty-handedand look elsewhere. Take kitchen trash out daily, or ex-clude ants from the trash can by using an airtight containeror a sticky barrier (such as petroleum jelly) around the rimof the can. Pet food is a common attractant for ants (as

Earthquake-proof, bomb-proof entrance to theGlobal Seed Vault.

Photo Copyright F. William Engdahl, Global Research, 2007http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=7529


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well as raccoons), so dont leave food out, keep food bowlsclean, and store food in a sealed container. If you mustleave food out for your pet, try placing the bowl in anothershallow bowl of water. Fixing leaky pipes, in addition tosaving precious water and reducing water-related damage

to your home, can eliminate desirable water sources forants. Good hygiene outside the home is also important;discard fallen or decaying fruits, keep trash bins clean andcovered, and locate trash and composters away from thehouse. Also, any plants frequented by ants should be keptpruned away (or moved away) from buildings. If you canidentify where ants are entering your home, caulk the entrypoint to prevent future incursions. Caulking all cracks andcrevices in your home, and weather-stripping your doorsand windows, can prevent ants from finding new entrypoints.

If ants do invade your home, clean up the area with

soapy water or another non-toxic cleaning product, andclean up any attractive food sources. Never use ant spray,because its toxic chemicals can be inhaled and, if used out-side, can enter waterways via runoff from your yard. Ifants invade an indoor potted plant, you can immerse thepot in a bucket of water with some insecticidal soap (1tbsp per quart). Immerse the pot to just above the soil sur-face, for about 20 minutes.

If good hygiene and exclusion practices are not keep-ing ants out of your home, ant baits can provide good con-trol if used properly. Ant baits consist of an attractant(usually sweet or protein-based) and an insecticide. When

ants encounter the bait, they treat it as a food source andcarry it back to the colony, where it will eventually poisonthe colony. Before selecting a bait product, identify the antspecies you are targeting so that you can buy a bait withthe appropriate attractant. Pre-packaged baits are readilyavailable and easy to use, but bulk baits and reusable baitstations are also available.

Using the bait properly is important. Always followproduct directions, and wear gloves when handling baitsIf possible, place the bait along the ant trail, so that theants can readily locate it. Once you have placed the baitdont disturb the ant trail or otherwise interfere with thebaiting process, and be patient, as it can take over a weekfor the bait to take effect. Replace pre-packaged baits fre-quently, as they lose their efficacy over time. Remove baitsonce the ants stop visiting them, otherwise you might at-tract more ants. If you do resort to baiting, remember thatbaits are pesticides, and always consider the safety of peo-ple, pets and wildlife in selecting, placing, and discardingbaits. If I were to use ant bait at my home, I would select aborate-based bait, and I would take great pains to hide itfrom children and animals. When discarding old or un-used bait (or any other pesticide), always take it to yourlocal household hazardous waste facility for proper dis-posal.

The same basic approach for ant control in the homecan be used in the garden, but your goal will likely be toexclude ants from particular plants in order to reduce thepopulation of honeydew-producing insects on theseplants. This can be done with Tanglefoot or other stickyproducts designed to trap crawling insects. Keep in mindthat some plants can be damaged by direct contact with

these products. More robust approaches to controllinghoneydew producers will be covered in a future article.

Another word about ant sprays. When you use ansprays, you are only killing the ants you see, not the entirecolony. Ant sprays are expensive, toxic, and ineffectiveand can interfere with your IPM approach. Dont buy antspray, and beware of perimeter treatments that promise tocontrol ants.

IPMis an ecologically-based approach to managing pests thattries to prevent problems through a combination ofmethods and uses pesticides only as a last resort.IPM programs can be applied against insects, weeds,

plant diseases, rodents, or other pests. With IPM, youllhave a safer home and environment and youll have fewerpest problems.

Remember these IPM steps as you try to solve your pestproblems:

Correctly identify the pest

Determine if it is a problem you cant tolerate.

Identify the conditions in your home or garden thatare causing the pest to thrive or invade and changethem to the extent possible.

If this isnt enough, consider other methods such ascultural, mechanical, physical or biological controls,

or use least-toxic pesticides as a last resort.For more information on identifying and managing antsin California, consult the Ant Pest Note or Ant QuickTip, both of which can be found on the UC IPM websitewww.ipm.ucdavis.eduor call the Master Gardener Hotlineat 763-8007.

Above: The ultimate in ant and termite control.A fullgrown giant anteater can eat 30,000 ants and

termites a day . Dont rush out and buy onethey can grow to 8 feet long and 140 pounds.

Right: For the non-squeamish, gastronomic antmanagement. Ant larvae are food for humans in

Thailand. Photos from Wikipedia.

anteaters http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anteate

ants http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/


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Click on common name to read more details on the UC IPM site

Argentine ant(Linepithema humile)

Food: sweets, sometimes proteins.Nest: outdoors in shallow mounds.

Large, 1/4 to 1/2 inch, black or bicolored red or blackCarpenter ant

(Camponotus spp.)Food: sweets.

Nest: in tree stumps, firewood, fence posts, hollow doors or window

frames; deposit sawdustlike frass outside of nests.Large, 1/4 to 1/2 inch, black or bicolored red or black

Odorous house ant(Tapinoma sessile)

Food: sweets, sometimes proteins.Nest: in shallow mounds in soil or debris, or indoors in wall voids,

around water pipes or heaters.1/8 inch, dark brown to shiny black; very strong odor when crushed

Velvety tree ant ( no pest note available)(Liometopum occidentale)Food: sweets and insects.

Nest: in dead wood such as old tree limbs, stumps, and logs.1/8 to 1/4 inch, brownish-black head, red thorax,

and velvety black abdomen; very distinct odor when crushed

Pavement ant(Tetramorium caespitum)

Food: sweets, proteins, grease.

Nest: in lawns or under stones, boards; build mounds along sidewalks,foundations, and near water.

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Pharaoh ant(Monomorium pharaonis)

Food: fats, proteins, sweets.Nest: in wall or cabinet voids, behind baseboards,

or insulation or outdoors in debris.

Red imported fire ant(Solenopsis invicta)

Food: sweets, proteins.Nest: in mounds with multiple openings in soil or lawns and

sometimes in buildings behind wall voids.

1/16 to 1/5 inch, reddish with dark brown abdomen

Southern fire ant(Solenopsis xyloni)

Food: proteins and sweets.Nest: in small mounds with flattened irregular craters in wood,

under rocks. 1/8 to 1/4 inch, amber head and thorax with black abdomen,body covered with golden hairs

Thief ant(Solenopsis molesta)

Food: greasy and fatty foods, sometimes sweets.Steal food and ant larvae from other ant nests.

Nest: outdoors in soil, under rocks or decaying wood or

indoors behind wallboards or baseboards. 1/32 inch, yellow to light brown

3/16 inch, dark brown to black

1/16 inch, yellow or honey-colored to orange
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/TOOLS/ANTKEY/argentine.htmlhttp://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/TOOLS/ANTKEY/argentine.htmlhttp://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/TOOLS/ANTKEY/carpenter.htmlhttp://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/TOOLS/ANTKEY/carpenter.htmlhttp://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/TOOLS/ANTKEY/odorous.htmlhttp://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/TOOLS/ANTKEY/odorous.htmlhttp://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/TOOLS/ANTKEY/pavement.htmlhttp://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/TOOLS/ANTKEY/pavement.htmlhttp://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/TOOLS/ANTKEY/pharaoh.htmlhttp://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/TOOLS/ANTKEY/pharaoh.htmlhttp://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/TOOLS/ANTKEY/redimport.htmlhttp://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/TOOLS/ANTKEY/redimport.htmlhttp://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/TOOLS/ANTKEY/southernfire.htmlhttp://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/TOOLS/ANTKEY/southernfire.htmlhttp://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/TOOLS/ANTKEY/thief.htmlhttp://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/TOOLS/ANTKEY/thief.htmlhttp://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/menu.homegarden.htmlhttp://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/TOOLS/ANTKEY/thief.htmlhttp://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/TOOLS/ANTKEY/southernfire.htmlhttp://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/TOOLS/ANTKEY/redimport.htmlhttp://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/TOOLS/ANTKEY/pharaoh.htmlhttp://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/TOOLS/ANTKEY/pavement.htmlhttp://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/TOOLS/ANTKEY/odorous.htmlhttp://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/TOOLS/ANTKEY/carpenter.htmlhttp://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/TOOLS/ANTKEY/argentine.html


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The Pruning CornerPaul McCollum, MG04

I hope that all of you have just about finished yourpruning for the time being. One thing I have learned is thatafter I have finished the cutting and (and this is important)

clean-up of all the refuse it is a good idea to wait a few daysand go back and walk through the garden just to make surenothing was missed. If you havent been out looking latelythere could be some left over winter or early spring damagefrom the wind or other surprises from animals or even peo-ple. If you see a dead or broken branch cut it off. If youmissed a stem here or there trim it out before it has achance to put on spring growth. Keep in mind the pruningis generally a growth retarding process (the more youprune something the less it will grow) and also abud in-vigorating process (bud invigoration leads to larger leaves,flowers and fruit).

Pruning here on the central coast can be a year roundprocess because of our great climate. That being said mostof my time during the months of April, May, and June isspent planting my yearly vegetable garden and just enjoyingthe flowers and spring growth. For me pruning takes aback seat at this time of year except for deadheading theroses that have more than one bloom cycle such as flori-bunda and hybrid tea roses. I cut off spent flowers to a leafwith at least five leaflets and a node facing outward (or thedirection I want it to grow). Old-fashioned roses andclimbers that bloom only once a year should be pruned im-mediately after flowering. Do not prune these types of rosesheavily in the early spring since they bloom on wood fromthe previous year's growth. Immediately remove dead, dis-eased or damaged wood on any rose.

Another thing I look for during this time of year is newgrowth that is heading the wrong way: obstructing walk-ways, crossing and interfering with other branches, orgrowing in the wrong direction. I apply this rule (at least Itry) to my fruit trees, roses, and shrubs. Water sprouts canbe removed as soon as you see them unless one happens tobe in a place where you want to start a new branch. Get ridof any growth that appears below the graft on any of yourroses or fruit trees. On roses its best to dig down to thepoint of origin and break off the growth from the root

stock. Cutting it off at ground level will not get rid of it you have to take it off at the source.

What about bulbs? I dont grow a lot of them but I dohave some freesias and daffodils. I know that some of myneighbors cut them back as soon as they finish floweringbut I deadhead the spent flowers (if I havent taken them asa bouquet) and then wait until the plants die back to re-move the dried up leaves. If your daffodils have stoppedflowering then it is time to dig them up and separate theclump into groups of three bulbs each and replant them atthe proper depth. Freesia bulbs can be dug and spreadaround if they have become too numerous in one area.

Here are a couple of suggestions that may be off-topbut perhaps useful. The first one is about using your prunings for support. I read it on one of my Yahoo groups anthought it was a useful idea. When pruning trees anshrubs in the garden in late winter and early spring, savany straight, sturdy branches about a half inch to an inch idiameter with a y-shape at their ends. These are excellento support floppy annual or perennial flowers and herbover the summer. The branches blend in more with the garden than metal staking or hoops, plus, they are perfect foadding an informal or cottage garden charm to a gardenThis person used them for morning glories and saucer hbiscus, also for the hollyhocks when they would get to bito support themselves.

The second and last suggestion is about using mulch.am sure we all know about the efforts we should be makinto conserve water and still maintain a nice garden. One wawe can do this is to use our own homemade compost fomulch. All your prunings and cuttings can be composte

and put right back into the soil. After the soil has warmeand all that new growth is flourishing you can add a layeof 2 to 4 of compost to your growing beds. If you do thiyou will not need to water nearly as much and you will bfeeding your soil at the same time a win-win situation.

Any questions can be directed to me at [email protected]. See you in July.

Three Book ReviewsSue Tarjan, MG06

These books can be found at the Santa Cruz PublicLibrary. Check them out for a test-read before you buy

CeanothusDavid Fross & Dieter WilkenTimber Press2006

David Fross, founder of NativSons Nursery in ArroyGrande, California, and lecturer at Cal Poly, San LuiObispo, has teamed up wit

Dieter Wilken, botanist at thSanta Barbara Botanic Gardein charge of programs and co

lections and adjunct professor at UC Santa Barbara, to produce a must-have book for all you Ceanothus enthusiasts outhere. Whether you call these attractive and easy-to-grownatives Ceanothus, California lilac, wild lilac, mountain lilablueblossom, or buckbrush, they are undoubtedly amonthe most eye catching plants in the state, featuring a widarray of true blue to violet and purple flowers with a fewwhites and pinks to boot. Some are scented as well and beloved by pollinators of all descriptions.
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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From trees to groundcovers, there is at least oneCeanothus for every gardener. Among other things, thisbook will help you sort out which ones will thrive in yourgarden. The book is divided into two parts. The first partcovers natural distribution, history of cultivation, growingtips, diseases and pests, cultivars, propagation, species andcultivars for the garden and landscape, and a selection

guide. The second part discusses Ceanothus in the wild andexplains how Ceanothus species fit into the natural ecologyof their habitats. The book is amply illustrated (my favoritecaptures a gorgeous specimen climbing up a stone wall inEngland) and provides a very useful glossary, bibliography,and index.

Flower HuntersMary Gribbin & John GribbinOxford University Press2008

If you like history and have everwondered how all the ornamentalspecies you love wound up easilyavailable at your local nursery,this is the book for you. The au-thors have meticulously re-searched the lives of a dozen bo-tanical explorers whose pioneer-ing efforts to find, categorize, andpropagate plants from around theworld created world renownedbotanical collections and helped

to establish the science of botany.Even better, they contextualize their exploits to help usunderstand how botanical collecting, empire building, andrapidly evolving views of the natural world intertwined inone of the first truly global enterprises.

The book is organized chronologically by botanist.Each chapter ends with a short bonus segment, In theGarden, that takes a tidbit mentioned in the chapter andapplies it to the home garden. In the first chapter, for ex-ample, In the Garden describes how to cultivate a flowerclock, popular among gardening enthusiasts of the era,that tells time by the opening and closing of different flow-

ers throughout the day.The book begins in the 16th century with John Ray,who developed the concept of species, and Carl Linnaeus,who organized the system of plant (and later animal) clas-sification according to genus and species. It goes on to re-count the exploits of Joseph Banks, who accompaniedCaptain Cook on his first voyage and brought the firsteucalyptus, acacia, and mimosa back to Europe; RobertFortune, who smuggled tea plants out of China to grow inplantations in Indonesia; Marianne North, an extraordi-nary Victorian woman who traveled the globe paintingexotic plants; Richard Spruce, who explored the Amazon

and successfully cultivated quinine, saving countless peo-ple dying from malaria; Joseph Dalton Hooker, rhododen-dron hunter and friend of Charles Darwin; and other simi-larly intrepid botanical adventurers.

Several pages of illustrations are provided along withnotes, sources for further information, and an index.

American Pests: The Losing War on Insects fromColonial Times to DDTJames E. McWilliamsColumbia University Press2008

Part historical account and partcautionary tale, this fascinatingbook argues that insects are apermanent and necessary part of

the natural environment we mustlearn to live with because wecannot destroy them. IndeedMcWilliams argues that our mis-guided attempts to do so jeop-ardize our own existence as well.His central premise is that thesettlers who fanned out acrossthe continent to tame the wilder-ness and its wildlife attempted to

control the environment but continually undermined thatcontrol by seeking to achieve unrealistic economic goalsthrough agricultural expansion. In other words, greed forcontinually increasing production and profits turned sus-tainable and ecologically diverse family farms into vast andvulnerable monocultures that demanded centralizationand uniform protocols for dealing with pest problems in-stead of localized and individualized solutions to particu-lar infestations, making overkill, ecological devastationand pesticide resistance inevitable.

McWilliams first describes the pest control techniquesdeveloped ad hoc by colonial farmers, including their livelyexchanges in the pages of the Yankee Farmerand other jour-nals of the time. He then details the evolution of the sci-ence of entomology in lock step with the development ofindustries manufacturing chemical pesticides. As he doesso, he introduces us to a cast of colorful characters whohelped to shape the direction pest control would take incommercial agriculture in the U.S.

Hardly a dry or technical tome, this book could serveas a sequel to Rachel Carsons Silent Spring. Itll make youthink; itll make you shake your head; it might even makeyou laugh. Check it outI guarantee youll never look atthose bugs and that can of bug spray the same way again


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Confessions

of a Reluctant GardenerChristina Kriedt, MG06

Weeds. How many hours a year do I spend thinkingabout pulling them out? I believe that a weed is any unde-sirable garden plant and I admit that roses were once on mylist. When I was in my twenties I lived in a house withabout twelve roses in the backyard. I had no love for themand often considered chopping them down. (Strangely, Ihad no gophers to do it for me.) Those were the days whenI gardened in my bare feet. I have since seen the light. Andas an added bonus to suffering no more painful pricklepricks, I have grown to love all roses.

Ive also finally made peace with Bermuda buttercup(Oxalis pes-caprae). Ive decided that having a positive atti-tude is better for my blood pressure, so I now greet it assunny and cheery when it commences its annual domina-

tion of what would be my flower bedsif I had any.You can spend hours pulling, yanking, scraping, curs-

ing, spraying (no, no, no), covering with plastic, you nameit. But there is one completely organic, natural, harmlessand free way to rid your garden of most of your weedseatthem. With a little escargot on the side, if your Agapanthuscan spare them, theres a wild salad bar in your yard!

Maybe you shouldnt put any Oxalis on your saladssince in large amounts it is toxic, interfering with properdigestion and kidney function.1 Thankfully, I seem undam-aged by the bouquets of sour grass I consumed on my wayto and from grade school. But you could certainly toss some

common chickweed (Stellaria media)in with the miners let-tuce (Claytonia perfoliata). Sadly, I dont have miners lettucein my garden, but it did grow along the foundation of ourhouse when I was young and my mother let us pick it forsalads. She also fed us seaweed soup and beef brains scram-bled with eggs even though we didnt live within 50 milesof Santa Cruz.

I do have sticky mouse-eared chickweed in my gardenwhich, as the name suggests, isnt smooth like its cousinThe sticky chickweed tastes salad-y and slightly peppery tme. Apparently either chickweed is just fine raw or cooked

Hate the dandelions in your perennial border? Sautthem. The young leaves of Taraxacum officinale (harvestebefore the plant is mature enough to flower) are very hig

in nutrients. To quote nutritiondata.com dandelions are good source of Folate, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Copper, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin AVitamin C, Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Vitamin KThiamin, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Calcium, Iron, Potassiumand Manganese.2 You could pay $1.99 for a bunch aWhole Foods or pick em for free. Hmm, let me thinabout it.

To me many of the weedy Compositae/Asteraceae genera look confusingly alike and Im too lazy to learn to distinguish them. I am, however, pretty confident about sowthistle (Sonchus oleraceus): aphids congregate on it by th

bazillions. You could view this as a negative because themight migrate to your ornamentals; but conversely yocould tolerate some aphids because beneficial predatormight stumble on the feast (the aphids) and decide to hanaround in your garden. Just like chervil is planted by somgardeners to protect vegetable plants from slugs, you couluse sow thistle to protect your plants from aphids. That if you dont eat all your sow thistle before it matures. Yoprobably dont even have to rinse off all the aphids becausthey are almost certainly nutritious. Actually, I cant finany data on the nutritional value of aphids. My researcdoes indicate, however, that the Maoris of New Zealanuse the milky sap ofSonchus as a chewing gum.3I think Istick to my Trident, thank you.

Filaree (Erodium spp.) seems to grow everywhere tooRedstem, broadleaf and whitestem filarees are all edibland considered quite tasty by some. Their spiny corkscrewseeds get caught in your pets fur so its a good idea to ge

Sow thistle. Photo by Christina KriedtChickweed. Photo from UC Weed ID sitehttp://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/menu.weeds.html


9/26


rid of them when theyre young. Not your pets. Chop themup and fold them into your souffls. Not your pets.

Even yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus, which meansabundant edible sedge4) is said to have a mild, starchy

taste, slightly reminiscent of almonds; and somewhere insouthern Europe the tubers are used to make a nonalco-holic beverage.5 Personally, I prefer a little dandelion winewith my nutsedge scones.

One of my least favorite weeds is bur clover (Medicagopolymorpha, pictured at right, Wikipedia). Thats the onethat produces nasty burs that stick to everything mostlymy poor dog. It too is edible, although I think it would bemore satisfying to torch it than eat it.

There really are some wild plants that can do you harm,although I dont believe any of them are living in your yardor my yard; be on the safe side and positively identify your

leafy greens before you feed all your in-laws magic gardenstew.

1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxalis2 http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/vegetables-and-

vegetable-products/2441/23 http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?

Sonchus+oleraceus)4 http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/WEEDS/filarees.html5 http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/weedguide/

singlerecord.asp?id=150

http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/menu.weeds.html

Mark Your Calendar

4th Annual

Smart Gardening Faire

Focus on Food

June 27, 2009Skypark in Scotts Valley

Monterey Bay Master Gardeners12th Annual Garden Tour

Garden Sanctuaries

of the

Monterey Peninsula

September 12, 2009

keep in touch at

www.montereybaymastergardeners.org

and www.smartgardening.org
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxalishttp://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2441/2http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2441/2http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Sonchus+oleraceushttp://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Sonchus+oleraceushttp://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/WEEDS/filarees.htmlhttp://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/weedguide/singlerecord.asp?id=150http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/weedguide/singlerecord.asp?id=150http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/weedguide/singlerecord.asp?id=150http://www.montereybaymastergardeners.org/http://www.montereybaymastergardeners.org/http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/weedguide/singlerecord.asp?id=150http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/weedguide/singlerecord.asp?id=150http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/WEEDS/filarees.htmlhttp://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Sonchus+oleraceushttp://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Sonchus+oleraceushttp://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2441/2http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2441/2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxalis


10/26


How Master Gardeners Do ItCompiled bySharonEttinger,MG00

How do you prepare your veggie beds for springplanting? Are you growing cover crops? What areyou adding to the soil?

Melita Israel, MG95The fava beans are just beginning to blossom in the

vegetable beds. I have old leaves on top of the soil which Iwill be turning into the ground. I have peas, green onions,kale, chard, beets, carrots and bok choy producing throughthe winter. I was given some commercial strawberries sothat is new. Artichokes are coming along and the aspara-gus harvest will be small. Of the dozen I planted last year,only 3 made it. Even though I planted the asparagus in awire cage, the gophers still got them. I scatter artichokeseeds and use them for an indicator that I have a gopherproblem.

Patty Nicely, MG03I add some compost and bat guano before I plant.

Robin Sanders, MG95I always mix in a bit of compost and bat guano. Also, I

apply some Sluggo (iron phosphate) to the area before Iplant to get ahead of the snails.

Jean Schaaf, MG08We mow and turn the cover crop in. The site is 60 X

20 so we use a small tractor. We wait two weeks then till

again and row up. We lay out all soaker hoses, pin or an-chor. Hoses are pre-cut and used repeatedly. All have quick-connect ends. We set out wire baskets for tomatoes andsuch, stake in, then plant.

What new ornamental or edible plants are yougrowing this year?

Kari Olsen, MG06My newest plant love this year is Ceanothus Diamond

Heights. When it comes to acquiring new plants Ive triedto stick with the more budget-friendly method of propa-gating rather than purchasing so when I saw C. DiamondHeights at the nursery, it was a real struggle. I told myselfI could live without it. I was back at the nursery the nextday because apparently I couldnt live without it.

I have a passion for variegated plants and DH is a stun-ner. Its a low, spreading Ceanothus with deeply veined char-treuse foliage with dark green splashes. It is reported tohave pale blue flowers in spring; mine hasnt bloomed thisyear but who cares? With that striking foliage it can slackoff on the blooms. Like most Ceanothus it likes full sun andvery little water but unlike others Ive tried, DH doesntseem to mind living indefinitely in a container.

This plant seems to partner well with anything: thewhole range of greens, silvery or rusty/copper foliage, andother lemon/lime colored plants. I have yet to come upwith a combo I wouldnt like. Ive seen it scatteredamongst other sun loving perennials and used as a dra-matic accent plant. An A++ purchase in my book.

Tammy Tahara, MG06I'm putting in a succulent garden this year. I started by

dividing a hillside into terraces and constructing little re-taining walls out of ledger stone leftover from a bigger ter-race on the opposite side of the hill. I'm waiting for theweather to warm up and dry out (though I love the rainwe're getting) before I put my plants in. I've been collect-ing them since last fall and my collection keeps growingbecause I'm addicted to succulents! I have collections of

Echeveria, Aeonium, Sedum, Sempervivum, Agave, Aloe, Senecio andone Bulbine. I'm sure I'll be adding more plants as I findthem!

Claudia Boulton, MG99Three new Ribes (flowering currant) - 'Barrie Coate,

'Montara Rose,' and R. speciosum, fuchsia-flowered goose-berry. I was also given an interesting new mallow, Lavateraassurgentiflora, malva rosa, which is reported to have "showyhibiscus-like flowers" in rosy purple. It's too big for mygarden, so I'll install it at a client's garden and watch whatit becomes.

I'm looking for some new Salvias to go with last year'snew one, S. 'Argentina Skies.' S.cacaliifoloa is also blue, andS. greggii 'Cherry Chief' supposedly will thrive in shade andhumidity, perhaps even in a pot. If not before, I'll look atthe Cabrillo sale on Mother's Day weekend.

Darcy Horton, MG06For the first time, I'm growing a winter veggie garden

I took Cynthia Sandburg's class and came home with 24cells packed with broccoli, kale, Swiss chard, leek, peaspinach, and cilantro seeds. I followed her specific instruc-tions and soon had many seedlings peeking out from

Ceanothus Diamond Heights

Photo by Kari Olsen


11/26


beneath the soil. I kept some of each and gave lots away tofriends and neighbors. I'm having great success with thekale, Swiss chard, leeks, peas and cilantro. Sadly, the broc-coli didn't make it and the spinach looks pretty pathetic. Iwill definitely plant again next year.

Al Derrick, MG95

I have just started two varieties of ornamental peppers.I have only seen them in pictures but was intrigued by thebright colors and compact growth. Last year was ornamen-tal millet that punctuated the garden.

Melita Israel, MG95I can't resist planting a few Annie Annuals when

they're yellow tagged. I often find I have to protect themfrom birds that think I bought them salad. The plants don'tlook too good with cages over and under them. Well seewhat makes it.

Joan Halperin, MG04Sharon Tyler, MG04 gave me a chayote. Instead of eat-ing it, I decided to plant it. However that was in Octoberand I was supposed to wait until after the frost to put it ina paper bag in the kitchen cabinet to sprout, then set itoutside. Well, when I finally got around to checking it inearly January the poor pathetic, anemic thing had an 8long, at least 1/4 around stem. Gilroy could have severalmore frosts, so I put it in a gallon pot in the garage windowand it may decide it is going to live. I also planted a tuber ofa Yukon, went the conventional route: into a gallon potoutside, until I put it in the ground.

Kathleen Coss, MG00I picked up a "new to me" plant: Velthelmia bracteata.

Common name: forest lily, Hyacinthaceae family. It hasdusty pink flowers in a red-hot-poker configuration withdark green strappy leaves. Its very clean and good in theshade. The flowers are about 2' tall, rising slightly abovethe foliage. It has been blooming for 2 months now andshows no signs of stopping. While a deciduous bulb, itcould stay evergreen in our climate. I think its great.

Patty Nicely, MG03I've got a cardoon going, after being inspired by the

ones in the Youth Garden. They are really cool looking andthis one seems fairly hardy. I've never eaten cardoon, butwill probably give it a try when it gets larger.

Sharon Ettinger, MG00I planted Italian erbette chard this past fall after seeing

it at the farmers market. It grows much faster than Swisschard and is more versatile. Its very tender and can be usedas a spinach substitute raw in salads or like Swiss chard incooked dishes.

What is your favorite pruning story or advice?

Darcy Horton, MG06I've gone to four fruit tree trimming demonstrations

including two of Peter's, and I still get intimidated by thethought of trimming my own trees. I'd much rather watchPeter as he weaves in and out, dancing through my trees

sitting back and observing, then making some final cutsNot too many, not too few, just right.

Cynthia Jordan, MG94The year was 1996 - the second year of the MG pro-

gram. The place was my home and garden. The event was apruning class in the early spring, open to all MGs. At thattime I had about 200 roses in my garden and they were mypride and joy. Lots of Graham Thomas varieties, severahuge climbers including Lady Banksia and Cecil Bruner.

These were my early gardening days and I did not yetunderstand the importance of a good "pruning back" forroses. It was actually an emotional thing.... I could not

bring myself to cut a cane on a rose unless it was to harvestfor a bouquet. (It was two years later and a rose pruningclass at Filoli before I understood the structuraland horticultural need for pruning roses.)

MGs gathered round the instructor and walked fromplant to plant as he demonstrated cutting techniques ondifferent kinds of plants. The circle of MGs was four or fivepeople deep. I remember this well because later in the daywhen everyone had gone home, I walked thru my garden tosurvey the aftermath. It was then that I surmised that thefolks in the back of the circle were not able to see the demoon rose pruning because of the deep circle of MGs sur-

rounding the instructor.I walked to the front of the house where I kept some ofmy favorite roses so I could see them from the living roomThey stood like sentries in eight large terracotta pots in acolor-coordinated display. Because spring had sprungthe roses had their first blooms and lots of leaves - at leastthey did when the day began.

Coming 'round the corner I had an instant flash ofthinking that someone changed the plants in the terracottapots. Then I realized the plants hadn't been changedthey'd been vandalized by a well-meaning (or two) MGwho didn't see the rose pruning segment. Every leaf on all

eight roses had been painstakingly clipped off. Notplucked off but pruned off. I could see the leave stub stick-ing out off the canes like pins in a pincushion. A nice cutat an angle - the proper method for pruning - had removedevery single leaf of the eight roses.

At the top of each large cane was a bud, left intact bythe pruner. As the wind caught what was left of the rosebushes, it caused the buds to sway in the wind. And I hadthe sense of "cupped hands" waving goodbye to the MGswho had graced my garden that day.

Epilog: those eight rose bushes were the most prolificin my garden that year. A result of the custom pruning orthe compost?? I never knew!


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Melita Israel, MG95I was buying a fig tree and the salesman picked it up

about two feet from its base. The tree broke at that point.So he got another fig tree. When I planted the tree, I cut itoff just about where the other fig tree broke off.

Pruning in summer by pinching the tips of long enoughbranches is so much easier that a big pruning job in winter.

Patty Nicely, MG03No stories, but a few words of advice: Always wear eye

protection--I've nearly lost an eye a few times by runningstraight into small branches while focusing on the bigones. Add to that heavy gloves when pruning anythingthorny. Not just because I don't like blood and pain, but alarge thorn can get in pretty deep and cause problems. Myfavorite self-taught pruning tip? Never stand under thebranch you are cutting.... : )

Jean Schaaf, MG08

Attend a workshop, it helps!

Barbara Gordon, MG98Once when pruning an espaliered apple tree, a limb

bent for training accidentally broke. The decision was tokeep the limb by training it upward (where it wanted to goanyway) with plastic tape (a product used for such pur-poses). Now several years later I have an apple tree grow-ing in a two-dimensional vase shape instead of the usualcenter vertical limb and others growing horizontally. It'sbeautiful and more interesting.

What are you doing differently in your garden thisyear to help conserve water?

Claudia Boulton, MG99I've been investigating rainwater harvesting and we

may install some tanks under our deck that we can fillwith rainwater from the roof.

Joan Halperin, MG04Im not doing anything differently, just adding ever

more mulch.

Barbara Gordon, MG98I've added drip irrigation to many of my garden beds.

I've also been changing to drought tolerant plants in manyplaces in my garden. I have one entire bedof Australian natives and have a hillside planted mostlywith CA natives. I've included many salvias there.

Melita Israel, MG95I put in an artificial lawn. I have to sweep it sometimes

and pine needles are belligerent. I planted lots of geraniumcuttings. Sometimes the gophers eat them, but on thewhole they take care of themselves. Just cut back whenleggy and have more cuttings. I reuse wine bottles on

newly planted stuff. Fill with water and invert near theroots. They help remind you that this is a new plant andyou can see when to refill the bottle. You can add fertilizerto the water if called for. Hope my neighbors don't think Idrank that much! Also added lots of compost.

Kari Olsen, MG06

I collect and store rainwater in three heavy duty 32gallon garbage cans. While this amount of water wouldntgo far watering a yard, it does supply my numerous con-tainer Japanese maples with rainwater nearly year-roundJapanese maples will get a leaf margin burn when irrigatedwith water that has a high mineral content (e.g., hardwater) so collecting rainwater both saves water and pre-vents the leaf tip burn.

I store the trash cans in a heavily shaded area be-hind the house to protect the plastic from the sun. When itrains, I set 5 gallon buckets below the drip line where myhouse does not have gutters. As the buckets fill up I pour

them into the garbage cans. The cans themselves are keptcovered (unless its raining) to prevent mosquitoes fromlaying eggs and I dont allow the water in the collectionbuckets to stand for more than a day for the same reasonTrue, there is some soggy traipsing and toting involvedwith this method but it conserves water and keeps myJapanese Maples happy through most of the summer.

Gardening by Native Plant

Communities of the

Monterey Bay RegionKari Olsen and Sue Tarjan, MGs06

This series of articles will explore gardening with easy

-to-grow, drought-tolerant plant species native to the

Monterey Bay from the coast to the inland valleys and

mountains. We are blessed with a fascinating array of

ecological niches around the Bay. Taking advantage

of the native plants that already thrive in your par-

ticular niche may save you frustration, energy, and

expense AND expand your planting possibilities.

First of the series:

Selecting Plants from the Coastal CommunityThe Monterey Bays coastal area is dominated by theoceans influence. Year-round mild temperatures, sandysoils, winters drenching rain and wind, summers sundrought, and fogseasoned with salty spray closest to theshorehave combined to evolve some pretty hardy plants.Plants adapted to seacoast conditions have developed vari-ous methods to survive life on the edge. Harsh bluff con-ditions select for prostrate plants that can survive shearingwinds and excrete or tolerate excess salt. Further from the

coastal bluffs, conditions ease somewhat, but there is


13/26


always the need to conserve water. Characteristic adapta-tions include small, tough, leathery leaves with waxy orhairy surfaces to protect against wind and prevent mois-ture loss and silver or grey foliage to reflect light and heat.Some plants also employ varying periods of summer dor-mancy to survive until the rains come.

Because summers right along the coast are generallycool with some moisture supplied by fog, plants here faceless extreme drought and heat than other California plantcommunities where soaring summer temperatures are thenorm. This is why many members of the coastal plant com-munity fare poorly in the hotter, drier inland areas.

Featured PlantsAll plants listed below are native to the Santa Cruz/

Monterey area although they may also occur elsewhere. Inmost cases, numerous cultivars of these plants have beendeveloped as well, most often to make them more gardentolerant and to vary flower color and/or plant form. In ad-

dition to belonging to the same plant community, theseselections partner well with each other in garden settings.They offer a seasonal succession of blooming times and avariety of forms, textures, and colors that add interest andcomplement each other. (See bloom chart on pages 15-16.)

The cultural requirements for the plants are similar;specific considerations are noted individually. Coastal soilsare generally sandy/rocky, so these plants grow best withgood to excellent drainage. All plants are drought tolerantbut some will perform or look better with some summerirrigation. Occasional water is defined as needing waterevery three to four weeks during the summer.

Large Shrubs/Small TreesCeanothus thyrsiflorus (blue blossom): upright, largeshrub/tree can grow to 25 feet tall and wide but can bepruned to control size and shape and also can be trainedas a small tree. Some Ceanothus species struggle undergarden conditions; C. thyrsiflorus is garden tolerant.Flowers in mid- to late-spring, with a showy display of13-inch clusters of rich blue. Excellent drainage is amust with little to no summer water once established.Fast growing but notorious deer candy, so protectwhen small. It requires full sun to very light shade.

Garrya elliptica (silk tassel): upright, large shrub/tree cangrow to 25 feet in the wild but generally grows to 812feet in gardens. They can be pruned to control size andshape and makes a striking specimen tree. Male plantsare preferred and are usually whats sold because theyproduce the striking 812-inch tassels theyre namedfor. These long-lived winter blooms look quite festive inthe holiday season but be patientplants need tomature to four years or so before they produce. They arequite drought tolerant but like a little summer waterwhen young. The deer dont like eating them much butdo rub against them to scratch their antlers.

Shrubs

Arctostaphylos hookeri (Monterey manzanita): this en-demic shrub features dark green foliage that forms roun-dish mounds, 14 feet high and 6 feet across, and bloomswinter to early spring. Flower clusters vary from whiteto pale pink. It likes full sun to part shade. Many subspe-

cies and cultivars are available.Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (kinnikinnick or Indian tobacco)dense, low-growing manzanita with spreading habit, 12feet high and 612 feet wide. It blooms winter to earlyspring, with white to bright pink flowers followed byattractive red berries. Its dark green foliage is a nice con-trast to the greyer-green coyote brush. Its well-suitedfor covering slopes or spilling over walls. It tolerates fullsun to light shade with numerous cultivars. Do not waterafter the first summer.Baccharis pilularis (coyote brush): has a variable growthhabit. Exposure to wind will make it more prostrate

otherwise to 8 feet and can be pruned to desired shape. Itis a fast growing shrub preferring full sun and not at allparticular about soil type. Improve appearance with oc-casional summer water but very drought tolerant. Itblooms in fall. Most cultivars are male as female plantsshed flower fluff profusely. Coyote brush is a criticalhabitat plant providing wildlife with both food andcover, and you wont find one more attractive to benefi-cial insects. There are dwarf and low-growing cultivars.

PerennialsArtemisia is a versatile garden addition; its foliage acts asa contrast, background, or accent plant that mixes beau-

tifully in perennial plantings. Artemisia are grown primar-ily for their attractive silvery grey foliage, soft textureand form. It likes full sun and occasional summer waterHere are two beach lovers: A. californica (California sage-brush) is a 3-foot by 3-foot, fine-textured shrub withdistinctive scented grey foliage thats endemic to coastalCalifornia. A. pycnocephala (sandhill sage) is a 2-foot by 3foot mound with silver/white foliage. Pictured below: Acalifornica. (Wikipedia)


14/26


Aster chilensis (coast aster): bears light blue to lavenderdaisy-shaped flowers late summer into fall. Fine texturedfoliage mounds 2 feet by 3 feet spreading via rhizomes.This pretty addition to meadows, naturalistic plantings,or mixed perennial beds prefers full to partial sun andoccasional summer water.

Dudleya caespitosa (bluff lettuce): succulent with clump-ing grey-green rosettes to 12 inches wide and yellow-redflowers in spring through mid-summer. Very pretty inrock crevices along retaining walls or amongst bouldersand an excellent container plant, give it full sun to brightshade with good drainage and no summer water.

Erigeron glaucus (seaside daisy): is an easy-to-grow peren-nial with a spreading/mounding habit that does best infull sun. Blue-green leaves and showy pink/lavenderflowers bloom spring to summer. Clumps 1-foot tallspread outward over time. Dramatic in massed plantingswhen in bloom, it pairs beautifully with Artemisias silver

foliage and fine texture and performs well in mixed per-ennial plantings. Deadheading and moderate summerwater neatens appearance and produces additionalwaves of flowering.

Eriogonum latifolium (coast buckwheat): has soft, grey-green foliage that mounds 12 feet. Creamy to light-pinkpompom flowers held several inches above the foliageappear late spring into summer. Buckwheats are impor-tant wildlife plants attracting beneficial insects, provid-ing pollen for butterflies and bees, and seeds for birdsand small mammals. They prefer sun to partial shade andoccasional summer water.

Lupinus chamissonis (silver dune lupine): native from SanFrancisco to Los Angeles, it grows well in coastal sand.Grows to a 46-foot silver mound with violet-blue flow-ers on 4-inch spike in spring. Tolerates salt spray andlikes a bit of summer water but needs excellent drainage.

Grass

Calamagrostis nutkaensis (Pacific reed grass): clumping,cool-season grass with green foliage to 3 feet high. Purple-tinged flower spikes rise 12 feet above the foliage inspring maturing to a wheat color. This grass is useful forerosion control on steep banks and attractive in mass as

a meadow grass, as an accent plant, or interspersedamong other perennials. It tolerates sun to light shade.Like most cool-season grasses it is naturally summer dor-mant; occasional summer water will reduce the dor-mancy period.

Annuals

Eschscholzia californica (California poppy): finely dividedblue-green foliage produces multitudes of Californiasstate flower. Along with the signature orange, many cul-tivars are available with a wide range of flower colors;these will revert to dominant orange over time. Easy to

grow from seed and will reseed vigorouslydislikes be-ing transplanted and requires full sun. Occasional sum-mer water encourages seedlings and flowering nearlyyear-round.

Lupinus nanus (sky lupine): self-sowing annual wildflowergrows 12 feet tall producing fragrant blue spring flow-ers. It populates a multitude of CA plant communitiesfrom coastal prairie inland to the Sierras and toleratesmost soil types from sandy to clay. Prefers full sun mak-ing it an ideal meadow wildflower and is often inter-mixed with CA poppies. Lupines attract hummingbirdsbees and butterflies and are nitrogen-fixing plants mak-ing them valuable additions to the garden.

Stay tuned for our next article as we move inland fromthe coast!

ResourcesCalifornia Native Plants for the Garden. Carol Bornstein,

David Fross, Bart OBrien. Cachuma Press, 2005.Designing California Native Gardens: The Plant Commu-nity Approach to Artful, Ecological Gardens. Glen Keatorand Alrie Middlebrook. University of California Press,2007.

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

CalFlora website: http://www.calflora.org/

Calamagrostis

nutkaensis

Nootka reed

grass or Pacific

reed grass

Photo by

Eric Wrubel

-Wikipedia
http://www.calflora.org/http://www.calflora.org/http://www.calflora.org/


15/26


Seasonal succession of blooming times

botanical and common name season

Garrya ellipticasilk tassel

Photo: Kari Olsen

winter

Arctostaphylos uva-ursikinnikinnick or Indian tobacco

Photo: Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctostaphylos_uva-ursi

winter to early spring

Arctostaphylos hookeriMonterey manzanita

Photo: Wikipediahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctostaphylos_hookeri

winter to early spring

Lupinus chamissonissilver dune lupine

Photo: Bay Natives Nurseryhttp://www.baynatives.com/plants/Lupinus-chamissonis/

spring

Lupinus nanussky lupine

Photo: Wikipediahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lupinus_nanus

spring

Calamagrostis nutkaensisPacific reed grass

Photo: Wikipediahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calamagrostis_nutkaensis

spring


16/26


Seasonal succession of blooming time

Ceanothus thyrsiflorusblue blossom(white form)

Photo: Christina Kriedt

mid- to late spring

Erigeron glaucusseaside daisy

Photo: Kari Olsen

spring to summer

Dudleya caespitosabluff lettuce

Photo: Kari Olsen

spring to mid-summer

Eriogonum latifoliumcoast buckwheat

Photo: Wikipediahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eriogonum_latifolium

late spring into summer

Aster chilensiscoast aster

Photo: Wikipediahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aster_chilensis

summer to fall

Baccharis pilularis

coyote brush

Photo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coyote_Brush

fall

Eschscholzia californicaCalifornia poppy

Photo: Kari Olsen

practically year round withoccasional summer water


17/26


Benefits of Gardening

Universal EffectKathleen Sonntag, MG06

Horticultural therapy is the practice of engaging peoplein horticultural activities to improve their bodies, minds,and spirits. Therapeutic benefits occur when people areexposed to plants, and when they take part in planning,

planting, growing, and caring for plants. Horticultural ther-apy is an adaptable tool for clients of all ages and abilities.

If there is anything that appears most encouragingabout considering the benefits of gardening, it is that EVE-RYONE seems to be a beneficiary. Horticultural therapyhas proven to be beneficial for people who are physicallydisabled, mentally ill, developmentally disabled, elderly,substance abusers, public offenders and socially disadvan-taged. By caring for plants individuals work with a productfirmly anchored in reality. They get a hands-on connectionwith nature and the cycle of life. The participants realizethey have an effect on something else that is living. They

realize that they are important.History of Horticultural Therapy

For hundreds of years the benefits of working in a gar-den, watching things grow, creating something beautifuland knowing that you made a difference in the way a spacelooks have been recognized. For a hospital patient who haslost some control over his environment or a prison inmatewho is living in close quarters under strict guidelines withfew opportunities to make choices, taking care of a gardenspace can be a way of regaining confidence and self-worth.Here are some highlights from the past:

In the 1600s poor patients worked in hospital gardens to

pay their bills. The doctors noticed that these patientsrecovered faster than the others.The Therapeutic influence of plants dates back to ancientEgypt when physicians prescribed walks in the gardenfor their patients.In 1798, Dr. Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration ofIndependence and professor at the Institute of Medicineand Clinical Practice in Philadelphia, acknowledged thatlaboring in the field helped alleviate madness in one of hispatients. He noted in 1812 that digging in the gardenwas one activity that often led to recovery for patients inmental hospitals.

During the late 1800's, horticulture gained acceptance aa means of easing the stressful lives of low-income innecity residents and of teaching individuals with developmental disabilities.In 1879, Friends Hospital in Philadelphia built what wathought to be the first greenhouse in the United States tbe used exclusively with the mentally ill.

In the early 1900's, the Menninger Foundation in TopekaKansas incorporated plants, gardening and nature studas an integral part of the patient's activities.Following World War II, with the establishment of thveterans hospitals, volunteers and member of the National Council of State Garden Clubs engaged the recovering soldiers in a variety of plant, flower and gardenrelated projects.

A prison gardenThe Insight Garden Program (http://www.insightgar

denprogram.org/overview.html) begun by Beth Waitku

an organizational development specialist from BerkeleyTwenty San Quentin State Prison inmates have helped create a small patch of beauty out of the gray cement angravel of the Unit H prison yard. Beth wondered if prisoinmatesby learning how to nurture flowersmight beter learn to take care of themselves and the world arounthem. She thought it might help teach the men personaresponsibility and the value of working together. Threyears into the project the earthen plot has been transformed with lush greenery, ornamental grasses, and a profusion of colorful flowers: roses, geraniums, calendula, verbena, heliotrope, anemones. "We also planted Echinacea, ana number of other healing plants."

After class, the men show off the garden, pulling a leaof lamb's ear to show its softness, pointing out the contrasts in colors, textures, heights of the plantings. A dirpath meanders among the flowers. Elsewhere in the draand vast prison yard, inmates play soccer, or gather in littlgroups for conversation. Each group is racially segregatedLatinos are in one group, blacks in another, whites bthemselves. "That is one of the great things about this pro

Tending a garden shifts your viewpoint outwardsand puts you in touch with therhythms of the earth.It's a tonic in a worrisome, time-pressured world.

from Gardening, a way of life, by Mary Fran McQuade

Tending the Echinacea


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ject," Waitkus says. "It is the only place in the prison whereall races work together. They have created a mutual re-spect." (Cultivating dreams By Beth Ashley, Marin Inde-pendent Journal, 11/1/2005.)

Gardens for SeniorsSenior centers are developing gardens and educational

programs about gardening for their members. There are somany ways working in a garden can enrich the life of anaging person: physical stimulation and exercise, social con-tact with persons who share your interest, satisfaction ofseeing plants grow, mental stimulation from learningabout plants and gardening techniques, and sensory stimu-lation from touching and smelling the plants.

Known BenefitsWhile simply viewing and growing plants benefits

everyone even if they dont realize it, with guidance from a

horticultural therapist the benefits of people-plant interactions can be focused and enhanced.

Some of the proven benefits of horticultural therapyinclude:

reducing physical painproviding sensory stimulation

improving memory and concentrationeasing emotional pain from bereavement or abusecultivating nurturing feelingsencouraging social interactionteaching responsibilityreducing stress and angerenhancing productivity and problem solving

Arent you glad you are a gardener? We take a lot forgranted as we gravitate toward the land and do whatmakes us feel good. Next time, more about why peopletoday need horticultural therapy: nature deficit.

Try It, Youll Like ItChristina Kriedt, MG06

I am quite fond of Kenilworth ivyCymbalaria muralis.I believe it arrived in my yard as a stowaway; now it is

everywhere, mostly where water is available. I try not tocall it invasive because its so pleasant, but sometimes thetruth hurts. Anywhere a delicate stem touches earth Cym-balaria is apt to settle down permanently. (It also prolifer-ates by seed.) It is an impossibly sweet perennial vine withscalloped leaves and dainty 1/2-inch lavender flowers.Dont be fooled by its demure demeanor, for this plant isquite capable of climbing right up a fence or wall. It wouldbe great in a hanging basket or as filler in a container. Mineblooms from late winter through early fall. Maybe longer.And always delightfully. (Photos by C. Kriedt)

Cymbidium and Cornus in the spring garden


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The Salvia Summit at

Cabrillo CollegeBarbara Gordon, PhD, MG98

Did you know that the genus Salvia has more than 900

species worldwide? Salvias grow mainly in Mediterraneanclimates: geographic regions with cool, wet winters andsunny, dry summers. They grow well in the various soils ofthe Central Coast of California (seventeen native species),Mexico (more than 500), Central and South America (30or more), the Mediterranean Basin countries of Europe(twelve or more), the Middle East (nearly twenty), and theCape of South Africa (approximately eighteen). This genusin the Lamiaceae (mint family) is tremendously diversecomprising annuals and perennials and plants that are na-tive to either warm or temperate climates.

The Salvia SummitOn July 31, 2008 Cabrillo College Horticulture Depart-

ment convened a unique conference. It was organized byErie Wasson and Kathe Navarez from Cabrillo College;Ginny Hunt, owner of Seedhunt and employee of SuncrestNurseries; Jessie Schilling from Woodside; and BetsyClebsch, author and gardener extraordinaire from LaHonda. Fifteen experts gathered, including five from theUS, among them Don Mahoney from the San FranciscoBotanical Garden, Bart OBrien from Rancho Santa Ana

Botanical Garden. The Salvia Summit was an internationalgathering of approximately 72 participants.Bart OBrien (Director of Special Programs at Rancho

Santa Ana Botanic Garden and editor of Fremontia)talked about the herbaceous and woody Salvias of Califor-nia. Many of our native Salvias are honey producing.

He also provided helpful hints about planting Salvias incontainers:

Never use native soil in a pot. In his words, Use Su-persoil mixed with perlite, 25% to 50% by volume.

In very hot areas double the pots by putting one inside

the other with gravel between them.Salvias can outgrow a pot within one year. So re-potcut it back hard and watch it re-grow the next year.Yoji Saitos talk about the Salvias of Japan was a real

treat. There are just a few Salvias that are native to Japanmost have yellow or white flowers.

Summit attendees had the opportunity to hear aboutChristian Froissarts experiences traveling in Mexico tosearch for novel Salvias after he presented extensive infor-mation about their history and classification. These tripswere an opportunity for him to learn about these plants intheir natural habitat. Interestingly, he focused on mockSalvias: plants from other genera that resemble Salvias. Hehas also published a complete, beautiful book on Salvias.

Aaron Jenks reported on many of the medicinal uses ofNew World Salvia subspecies Calosphace by indigenouspeoples throughout history. He discussed three Salvia com-plexes: Chia, Mirto and ucchu. Mirto, Spanish for myrtle

includes Salvia species that were used to treat pain, depres-sion, nervousness, sleep disorders and digestive prob-lems. Also, and perhaps most importantly, Mirto is usedextensively in ritual healing ceremonies in central and east-ern Mexico. The ritual healing ceremony called The Lim-pieza, is thought to cure the folk illnesses Susto, evil eye,Espanto evil air, and Mal deViento. The medicinal andmagical uses of these plants seems to involve touching peo-ple directly with the plants, or using a broom created fromplant material and moving it over a persons supinebody. These actions were thought to provide a purification

process to remove the folk illnesses. Jenks also reportedthat a Brazilian sage, S. guaranitica is used as an aide tomany types of sleep disorders.

His talk ended with a fascinating description of aunique sage: Salvia divinorum that causes a kind of extra-sensory perception believed to allow keys to knowledgeusually unavailable to men. In Mexico, the Aztec believedthat this Salvia allowed them to contact their gods. Its useby shamanic healers has been known since antiquity. It isendemic to the Sierra Mazateca in Oaxaca, Mexico. As ofJanuary 1, 2009, in California it is a misdemeanor for a mi-


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nor to be involved in the sale or use of this unusual Salvia.(Jenks, 2007.)

Other topics included: Special Topics of Study, Eco-tourism to Study Salvias, and New World and Old WorldSalvias. Workshops and Demonstrations included: SeedSaving, Propagation Methods, Identification Methods, andBay Area Salvia Bloom Times (Don Mahoney reminded usthat when the apple trees bloom, its time to prune Salvias).

After the lectures and demonstrations, we enjoyedtours of local gardens including Sandy Martins personalgarden in Watsonville; Suncrest Wholesale Nursery; SierraAzul Nursery and Gardens with their great visual exam-ples of how Salvias can be used in gardens, often compan-ioned with other natives; and Betsy Clebschs garden inLa Honda, an example of a well-established Salvia gardenthat uses little water and attracts hummingbirds andbutterflies.

Classic physical characteristics ofSalvia include square

stems (sometimes rounding with age) and opposite, oftenaromatic leaves. Leaf colors vary from dark to light green togrey-green and textures from smooth to fuzzy; shapes arealso variable. Flower colors include many shades of red,pink, magenta, orange, yellow, blue, purple, lime green,black and white. Flowers sizes range from 1/8 inch to threeinches and stems may range from very short to up totwelve feet. Flower placement also shows variation fromsingle to whorled. The calyx can be pinkish-tan, green,purple or black depending on species, temperature, andlight. Yet, despite all this variation in physical characteris-tics all Salvias have a similar, distinctive flower form: each

flower has an upper lip and a spreading or cup-shapedlower lip with two fertile stamens either protruding or justinside the corolla tube. Pollination has been a subject of

much study that has revealed several intriguing mecha-nisms used by bees, hummingbirds and other avian speciesor insects. Plants commonly produce four seeds.

Salvias can be found growing in almost any situationshallow soils of rock gardens, dry slopes, stream bankssandy limestone hills, clay, or even wet boggy soils. Somewild species will only thrive in the garden if provided con-

ditions that mimic their ecosystems of origin. Most sub-tropical species are from high elevations so they require acool half-shaded spot at our elevation and usually growlarger than in the wild because of longer active vegetationtime. Those from arid areas such as Turkey need very gooddrainage and cannot be grown successfully with anyautumn or winter water. The Salvias from Mexicos cloudforests are adapted to permanent moisture; frost-free cootemperatures and high atmospheric humidity are manda-tory all year round. Our Mediterranean climate is a chal-lenge for Salvias that come from high elevations where theyreceive most of their water during summer and autumn.

All of this is why I was so excited to go to the firstSalvia Summit at Cabrillo College. It ended with an enthu-siastic discussion of how to continue the informative andexciting conversations that had begun there. Ideas thatemerged included: having conferences every two years atvarious places in the world, starting a newsletter, andcontinuing email conversations among participants.

Salvias can be great low-maintenance additions to bor-ders or flowerbeds. They can act as accent shrubs or climb-ers in our Central Coast climate. Carefully chosen plantcombinations will provide year-round color, texture andfoliage or, if deciduous, interesting architectural forms.

If you love Salvias, youll want to be sure to attend thenext Salvia Summit.

All images from the Cabrillo College website: http://www.cabrillo.edu/academics/horticulture/salvias/html/index.html


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Significant Seed Banks

Around the WorldDenise Weatherwax, MG06

There are about 1,400 seed banks worldwide, ofwhich the Global Seed Vault is just the latest, high-

profile example. Here are some other notable examples:The National Center for Genetic Resources Preser-

vation, formerly known as the National Seed Storage Labo-ratory (NSSL), in Fort Collins, CO, is run by the U.S. De-partment of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural ResearchService. Its mission is to document, preserve, and maintainviable seed of diverse plants in long-term storage, and todistribute seed for crop improvement throughout theworld.

The Millennium Seed Bank Project is under the um-brella of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, United Kingdom.Housed inside the Wellcome Trust Millennium Building at

Wakehurst Place in Sussex, MSBP seeks to develop aglobal seed conservation network, capable of safeguardingwild plant species, including all seed-bearing plants nativeto the UK. This program aims to bank 10 percent of theworlds flora by 2010 for long-term storage and conserva-tion, and already has seeds for plants that may be extinct inthe wild. Its mission also includes research on diversity andpublic education. MSBP has forged important partnershipsto collect and conserve seeds in other countries, includingthe U.S., South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Kenya, Mada-gascar, Australia, Chile, and China. Unfortunately, due tothe current global economy, the MSBP now faces a 100

million shortfall that could force it to halt operations after2009.The Consultative Group on International Agricul-

tural Research (CGIAR) is a coalition of 15 internationalresearch centers. CGIARs stated mission is to achieve sus-tainable food security and reduce poverty in developingcountries through scientific research and research-relatedactivities in the fields of agriculture, forestry, fisheries, pol-icy, and environment. CGIAR's research focuses on cropproductivity, forestry and agroforestry, water management,aquaculture, and livestock. As of 2006, the latest year forwhich data was available, CGIAR research centers had 11 ex

situ seed bank collections holding more than 650,000 crop,forage and forestry seeds.The International Maize and Wheat Improvement

Center (in Spanish, Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento deMaz y Trigo, or CIMMYT) is one of the non-profit researchand training institutions affiliated with CGIAR. CIMMYTis a presence in 100 developing countries and promotes sus-tainable agriculture with improved varieties of wheat andmaize. In 1970, one of its researchers, Norman Borlaug, wasawarded the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition for his work.CIMMYTs seed bank and seed distribution facility is theWellhausen-Anderson Plant Genetic Resources Center,

built in 1996.

Established in 1894, the N.I. Vavilov Institute of PlanIndustry in Russia was the world's first seed bank and haone of the world's largest collections of plant genetic material. Vavilov, the Russian botanist for whom the institute inamed, recognized the importance of off-site collections othe wild ancestors and other relatives of crop plants ancreated what was then the worlds largest collection o

plant seeds. Tragically, during the 28-month-long Siege oLeningrad in World War II, dedicated staff members literally starved to death rather than use the seeds saved in thbank. Vavilov himself died in prison during the war, essentially a martyr to Mendelian genetics due to his refusal tgo along with government-mandated, now-discredited Soviet theories of plant genetics.

In Australia, the Threatened Flora Seed Centre workto conserve Western Australia's unique plants. The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) stores seeds of trees and food crops.

In Syria, the International Center for AgriculturaResearch in the Dry Areascontains a black box of morthan 200 seed samples that were removed from Iraq i1996. These seeds could provide needed genetic diversity ithe aftermath of years of war and drought, when or if Iraredevelops a functioning agricultural sector.

The North Central Regional Plant Introduction Station (NCRPIS) in Ames, Iowa is part of a network of morthan 25 active seed conservation sites coordinated by thUS Department of Agriculture (USDA). These repositoriecalled genebanks, are the storehouses for maintaining genetidiversity of crop plants and their native relatives, and a colection of seeds from medicinal plants.

The California Department of Forestry (CDF) see

stores 36,000 pounds of seeds gathered from native treethroughout California and runs a five-acre containerizeseedling nursery. According to retired Davis nursery manager Laurie Lippitt, The seed bank ensures that even if aentire genetic strain of a forest tree species is wiped out ba fire or other disaster, there is seed from that region so thaa forest can be regrown with site-adapted trees. Due tbudget shortfalls, however, the 40-acre Davis facility wamerged with a U.S. Forest Service nursery and seed bank iPlacerville. Both Lippitt and the California Licensed Foresers Association have expressed concerns that quality wisuffer from the merger because of insufficient funding, no

enough personnel, and the inherent risks in storing aavailable seeds and seedling in a single location.

The California Rare Fruit Growers (CFRG) SeeBank collects exotic seeds often supplied by members andistributes them at nominal cost. Currently, orders are limited to CRFG members only.

The National Tallgrass Prairie Seed Bank, an extensive collection of Midwest native prairie species, in conjunction with the MSBP. By 2010, the Chicago Botanic Garden has committed to collect seeds from 1,500 native species. The goal is to conserve prairie plants before they become extinct. The tallgrass prairie was once an endles

ocean of grass, but it has been reduced to less than 0.01 per


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cent of its former rangemaking it one of the world's mostthreatened habitats.

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at theUniversity of Texas in Austin preserves, protects, and dis-plays wildflowers and other plants native to Texas. Sup-ported by private donations, it was the first non-governmental organization to be invited to participate in

the MSBP.The Berry Botanic Garden Seed Bank for Rare and

Endangered Plants of the Pacific Northwest, established in1983, is dedicated exclusively to conserving native plants ofthe Pacific Northwest.

Seed Diversity and History Project from Saving OurSeeds. This organization is searching for primarily heirloomvegetable, herb, and flower varieties not in general circula-tion (non-commercial varieties), and ethnic varieties. Any-one can contact them through their web site(savingourseeds.org) to submit for preservation any rare orheirloom seeds, especially those that have associated stories

or family histories.Native Seeds/SEARCH at the Desert Botanical Gardenin Phoenix, AZ is dedicated to preserving drought-tolerantcrop seeds from the Southwest with the idea that thesecould contribute to alleviating world hunger. For example,the native tepary bean has been shown to thrive in sub-Saharan Africa.

In October, a group of U.S. scientists (including SusanJ. Mazer from UC Santa Barbara) proposed a different kindof seed bank, one dedicated to the gathering of wild speciesat set intervals in hope of capturing evolution in action.This initiative has yet to get off the ground.

Potato tuber germplasm bank, Huancayo, PerPhoto courtesy of Consultative Group o

International Agricultural Research (CGIAR

http://www.cgiar.org/newsroom/photos/genebanks.htm

The Norwegian Island of SpitsbergePhoto courtesy NOA

Will the Millennium Seed Bank be thenext bank to fail?

Paul Smith, director of the Millennium Seed BankProject at Kew Gardens said in January that the globaleconom

gardening on the edge newsletter, spring 2009 ~ monterey bay master gardeners

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