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Elk Grove Garden Club

Through The Garden Gate

March 2018, Vol. 9, Issue 17

Linda Rivera & Susan Maggy Editors

“Nature is not a place to visit. It is

home.” Gary Snyder

Next Mtg.: 2nd Thurs., 3/8/18

10:00 Mixer & 10:30 Meeting

Elk Grove Congregational

Church, 9624 Melrose Ave.,

Elk Grove, California

Inside This Issue

Minutes, Garden Checklist,

March Program, Member’s

Birthdays, Garden Clubs, Art

Group Update, Recipe, NASA’s

List of Air Filtering House-

plants, Member Updates, Gary

Snyder, New Plants, Farmer’s

Guide, Members & Treasurer’s

Report, & Out & About In March

President’s Message by Nancy Baldwin

I’m enjoying the spring weather, both warm and cold. The daffodils are still going strong, cheery flowers that they are. I’m starting to plan my summer vegetable garden. The soil is way too cold to plant now, but I might dig out my mini-hoop tunnel and see if I can warm up part of the garden enough to get an early start for a few things. We are also in the midst of pruning our grapes. I was listening to a country station while pruning and heard a lyric that has been stuck in my head for a week now – but not quite in the way that you might imag-ine. Instead of being annoyingly repetitive, the way most stuck lyrics are, it is impressively thought-provoking. So I will share it with you. What is the last thing you have done for the first time? See? It’s deep! It applies in many parts of life, including our gardens, of course. Are there any good cultivation practices you haven’t tried yet? Any new plants you want to experiment with? If you haven’t done anything new for a while, see what you can come up with. Be adventurous!

Happy gardening! Nancy

Tutto E Possible

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FEBRUARY MINUTES

Elk Grove Garden Club, 2/8/2018

Pres. Nancy Baldwin called the meeting to order at 10:32.

Our guests introduced themselves.

The program for the day was Wildflowers

of Sacramento County. Chris Wassermann

& Jan Fetler presented a beautiful slide

show.

The members were asked to introduce

themselves & name one flower that makes

them think of spring.

The minutes & treasurer’s reports were

approved as printed.

Correspondence: A letter was received from Consumnes

College regarding our participation in their scholarships

program.

Sunshine: We recently lost one of our life members,

Gladys Howard.

Great Gardens: None

Tips & Techniques: Susan Maggy told about hanging

basket liners & beneficial insects.

Vivian Sellers told about a yellow growth, dog vomit fun-

gus, on sidewalks & how to get rid of it.

Old Business:

Committee reports: The Anniversary Committee told of

some of the exciting plans for the celebration.

Remember we will be doing the May SRVD Plant Sale,

so start your divisions now. Vivian needs 4” pots.

A follow-up of the budget expenditure was discussed.

We have decided not to contribute to Chicks in

Crisis at this time.

Announcements: Everyone was advised to read

the newsletter for upcoming events.

Our annual bus trip will be May 2nd,

Tickets are

open to the public March 1st. Signup sheets are

available on our website.

A signup sheet for the February 20th SRVD Meeting was

passed around.

Additional photos for the yearbook are available. See

Nancy if you didn’t receive the sheet of photos.

There is a possibility of a partnership with CSD.

Respectfully Submitted Punky Dias, Secretary

MARCH GARDEN CHECKLIST

By Jan Fetler

Test the watering system for leaks & plugged

or broken parts. Test monthly.

Consider investing in a smart controller that adjusts wa-

tering based on the weather.

Water ornamental trees & shrubs if rainfall is be-

low normal.

Start leek seeds indoors & potatoes outdoors.

Plant vegetable seeds outdoors: beets, mustard,

lettuce, carrots, chard, radish, turnips & cilantro.

Wait to plant tomato & eggplant seedlings until

late April.

Fertilize blueberries, young fruit trees & green-in-

winter lawns. Use a slow-release fertilizer.

Test soil acidity (pH) for blueberries, add sulfur if needed.

Consider testing vegetable garden soil once every 3 to 5

years for pH & nutrients.

Divide and/or transplant summer or fall blooming perenni-

als such as daylilies & asters.

Spray grapes for powdery mildew as shoots begin to

grow & daytime high temperatures are 73°F or over. Con-

tinue weekly until daytime temperatures are over 95 F.

Look for aphids, slugs & snails.

Happy Birthday Members!

Cathy Jow, March 8

Susan Muckey, March 8

Donna Williams, March 13

Kris Schoeller, March 14

Jamie Ryan, March 20

&

Kathy Olson, March 28

March Program

Roll Call Question: What is your favorite Easter candy?

Program: Project Mission Blue Butterflies

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If You Didn’t Try Diane McPher-

son’s Sumptuous Poblano Corn

Chowder With Shrimp At Febru-

ary’s Mtg., Now’s Your Chance

4 tbsp. butter, room temperature, divided

2 tbsp. flour

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

3 stalks celery, coarsely chopped

1 or 2 large poblano or pasilla chiles,

seeded & chopped

2 (14.75 oz.) cans cream-style corn

1 (16 oz.) pkg. frozen corn kernels, thawed

4 cups ( 32 oz.) chicken broth

1 cup whipping cream

2 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper, optional

1 lb. uncooked shrimp, peeled, deveined, coarsely

chopped

6 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro, divided

salt & pepper to taste

Mix together 2 tbsp. butter & flour in a small bowl

& set aside. Melt remaining 2 tbsp. butter in a

large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, cel-

ery & chiles; saute until soft, about 6 minutes. Add

cream-style corn, corn kernels, broth, cream, sugar

& cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce

heat. Whisk in butter-flour mixture & simmer for

15 minutes to blend flavors. Add shrimp & 4 tbsp.

cilantro & cook for about 5 minutes longer. Season

with salt & pepper.

Ladle chowder into warm bowls. Options: sprinkle

with remaining 2 tbsp. cilant-

ro, crumbled bacon & a wedge

of lemon. Thank you Diane.

From the Sacramento Bee

Did You Know? There Are All

Kinds of Garden Clubs.

R ylstone is tiny town in North York-

shire, England whose population

was 160 in the 2011 census. The

Rylstone Women’s Institute, akin to a garden

club, is based in Skipton, North Yorkshire,

where a handful of mature women (some in

their 60s) decided in 1999 to do a fundraiser.

And a fundraiser they did. Posing discreetly in

the nude they made a calendar & became the

“calendar girls”. It was an unexpected smash.

They raised over $2 million pounds for leuke-

mia research & inspired a hit movie. Little did

they realize that apparently they would also

inspire men’s garden clubs in the U.S. There

are maybe 36 men’s garden clubs across the

U.S. I can’t say if the men in the Dallas Club

are doing a fundraiser or just being part of

nature, but they look happy.

“I want to do with you what

spring does with the cherry

trees.” Pablo Neruda

Art Group Update by Pat Schreiber

F our members of the Art Group met in February.

Barbara Gumbs brought her jewelry. Jaimie Ryan

had her creative work with dried flowers & Chris

Duane had photos of her latest litter of poodle puppies for a

shared discussion. This was followed by a productive dis-

cussion of our goal to find & sustain inspiration for our indi-

vidual artistic talents. We want to continue our plein air ex-

cursions to the Elk Grove Rain Garden each spring & fall.

Jamie Ryan is putting together a list of sites such as the Elk

Grove Fine Arts Center & the Crocker Art Museum for out-

ings to keep us inspired & provide opportunities to have

lunch & nurture our social relationships. The feeling was

that we should expand our interests to include music & all

of the fine arts. Do any of you have any more ideas about

our expansion? Pat

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Ah , A Breath of Fresh Air

NASA’S Top Air Filtering Houseplants

N ASA researchers set out to find the best

ways to clean the air in space stations

conducted The Clean Air Study. Plants

were the solution for cleaner air. They identified 18 house-

plants as the best natural filters. People spend the bulk of

their time indoors, even gardeners who love being outside.

Our indoor plants generate peace & calm & they can also be

good for our health acting as awesome indoor air cleaners

filtering out harmful common chemicals in our home.

Benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene, & ammo-

nia are chemicals that have been linked to headaches &

eye irritation & are fairly common in homes. Volatile organ-

ic compounds (VOCs) are emitted as gases from certain

solids or liquids. Concentrations are higher indoors than

outdoors. VOCS are emitted in a wide array of products

including paints, solvents, aerosol sprays, air fresheners,

moth repellents & dry-cleaned clothing.

The NASA research suggests having at least one plant every

100 sq. feet of home or office

space.

Toxic for dogs & cats.

From March 2018, Better Homes

& Gardens, submitted by Mary

Tolan-Davi.

Boston Fern Kimberley Queen

Fern

Spider Plant

Anthuriums Lilyturf Barberton Daisy/Gerbera

Jamesonii

Dwarf Date Palm Bamboo Palm Broadleaf Lady

Palm

Cornstalk Dracaena Red Edged Dracaena

“stay together

learn the flowers

go light.” Gary Snyder

Chinese Evergreen Ficus Golden Pothos

English Ivy Snake Plant Peace Lily

Potted Mum

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G ary Snyder is a poet, environmentalist, Zen

Buddhist, & educator. In 1975 he received

the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. He was born in

San Francisco & taught creative writing at the Universi-

ty of California at Davis. He was inducted into the Cali-

fornia Hall of Fame last year. He lives near Nevada City

in a home he built with friends over 45 years ago. He

has a lifelong love for the natural world & has written

over 20 books of poetry and prose.

When The Morning Hours Begin With Birdsong -

Finally Spring

Farmer’s Guide

March is a special month hosting two full moons,

daylight saving time, & the first day of spring

Daylight Saving Time Begins, Sunday, 3/11.

Spring forward at 2:00 am.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, Saturday, 3/17

Vernal or Spring Equinox, Tuesday, 3/20. Both

day & night are approximately 12 hrs. long.

Full Moon/Full Worm Moon, Thursday, 3/1. The ground softens

enough for earthworm casts to appear inviting the return of

robins & migrating birds.

Second Full Moon of March/a Blue Moon, Saturday, 3/31.

Heirloom Cutting Zinnias, Happy Birthday

Mix. Bold & beautiful 3 - 3 1/2’ tall, red &

white cutting zinnias. Butterflies & hum-

mingbirds flock to them. $2.54 packet,

Renee’s Garden, reneesgarden.com

Tomato, Atlas Hybrid. First ever big,

beefsteak tomato for porches, decks, &

containers. Compact, bushy plants shoul-

der 1 lb. tomatoes. Plants or seeds,

Burpee Seeds, burpee.com

Snapdragon, Madame Butterfly

Bronze. New, unique, double petal type

snapdragon. Full, fluffy blooms create a

Victorian look. Excellent cut flower.

$4.25 seed packet, Johnny’s Selected

Seeds, johnnyseeds.com

Did You Know?

U .C. Berkeley has an Urban Bee Lab that

documents bee diversity & bee frequencies

on wild Calif. plants. The Lab found that

bees have definite preferences for certain plants at

certain frequencies regardless of whether the plants

are native or exotic to California. The Urban Bee Lab

is a fabulous resource for gardeners. Their website,

helpabee.org includes information on the Lab’s ex-

perimental bee garden, a free bimonthly newsletter,

publications, gardening insights, lists of best bee

plants for California, bee condos (see below) & more.

Bring In The New, Plants 2018

For All by Gary Snyder

Ah to be alive

on a mid-September morn

fording a stream

barefoot, pants rolled up,

holding boots, pack on,

sunshine, ice in the shallows,

northern rockies.

Rustle and shimmer of ice creek waters

stones turn underfoot, small and hard as toes

cold nose dripping

singing inside

creek music, heart music,

smell of sun on gravel.

I pledge allegiance

I pledge allegiance to the soil

of Turtle Island,

and to the beings who thereon dwell

one ecosystem

in diversity

under the sun

With joyful interpenetration for all.

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Our February 2018 Meeting

Garden Club Members

You Are The Best!

Absolutely fabulous, new

member Toni Rango with

friend Karen Shelby.

Her smile is conta-

gious, VP Rhinda

Furtado is radiant.

Two joyful friends, Linda Di

Marco & Mary Hill. They

make you feel good.

What a great group!

Gorgeous smiles all

around: Kay Scott,

Cathy Jow, Rosemary

Fowler & Judy Bukowski

Mary Gress you are too

cute! She’s a little valen-

tine even down to her

socks.

Benevolent Susan Mag-

gy explaining how to

make a hanging basket

for Tips & Techniques.

Expert Vivian Sellers

explaining what dog

vomit fungus is. Looks

horrible.

Kind & thoughtful, Kris

Schoeller listening &

enjoying the moment.

Our Feb. speak-

er’s well-done

book.

Standing/Chris Wasser-

mann & seated/Jan Fet-

ler presenting in Feb.

March’s luncheon host-

ess & volunteers work-

ing on details.

Million dollar smile Kay Scott

with catching & snappy Valen-

tine centerpiece.

What is a shamrock?

Most botanists agree it’s

Trifolium repens (white

clover).

Happy St. Patrick’s Day

Take Care Of The Birds In Winter

Attracting birds in winter is easier than you

might think. The most straightforward way

to attract winter birds is to provide the

foods they love & offer them safe places

to take shelter. Try these:

1. Find the right feeder spot. To get the

most winter bird traffic, place feeders

at varying heights & locations.

2. Get crafty. Make a wreath or small

container garden & decorate it with

bird’s favorite foods.

3. Record it. Keep a bird journal. Jot

down important details when you spot

a new species.

4. Be messy. Birds appreciate a little

garden debris, like seedpods, leaf

piles & fruit that fell from trees.

5. More seed. An extra large tray or hop-

per feeder holds more seed, which

means you’ll fill it less often. It’s a win/

win.

6. Think shelter. Place feeders near

trees and shrubs so birds can take

shelter from predators.

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Out & About In March 2018

3/2 to 3/4, Fri. noon to 6 pm; Sat., 10 am to 6 pm; & Sun.

10 am to 5 pm. $7 admission & $10 parking., Sac. Home &

Garden Spring Show, Cal Expo,1600 Exposition Blvd., Sac.

(916) 965-9653, sachomeandgardenshow.com

Sat., 3/3, 3 pm to 6 pm; & Sun., 3/4, 10 am to 5 pm. Annual

Camellia Show, free, Sac. Memorial Aud., 1515 J St., (916)

264-5291, camelliasocietyofsacramento.org

Sat., 3/3, 10 am to 5 pm, Northern Calif. Eggstravaganza

Egg Show & Sale, free, featuring egg artists exhibiting, sell-

ing & teaching, Crowne Plaza Northeast Hotel, 5321 Date

Ave., Sac.., (916) 687-8721, norcaleggshow.com

Sat., 3/3, 10 am to noon, Worm Composting, $25, UCCE

Master Gardeners of Sacramento

County, UC Cooperative Ext. Office,

4145 Branch Center Rd., Sac.., Pre-

registration required.

sacmg.ucanr.edu (916) 875-6913

Sat., 3/3, 11 am, Dr. Gordon Frankie &

researchers at U.C. Berkeley’s Urban

Bee Lab lectures on Bee Diversity &

Calif. Native Plants. His book, Calif. Bees & Blooms will be

available for signing. Annie’s Annuals & Perennials, 740

Market Ave., Richmond 94801 (888)-266-4370 anniesan-

nuals.com

Sun., 3/4, 1 pm to 3:30 pm, Turnip Your Backyard With

Chanowk Yisrael. An edible gardening series designed to

empower community gardeners & city residents to grow &

eat more fruits & vegetables. The course includes class-

room instruction with hands-on gardening projects in the

field. Pre-registration is required. Individual classes/$25, all

four classes/$85. Here’s the schedule: 3/4, Seed Saving;

3/11, Soils & Compost; 3/18, Organic Gardening Tech-

niques; & 3/25, Integrated Pest Management. The Yisrael

Family Urban Farm, 4505 Roosevelt Ave., Sac. 95820

Eventbrite.com

Mon., 3/5, 6:30 pm, Gardeners of the Grove Mtg., A Day In

The Life Of Commercial Growing, Big Oak Nursery, 9250

Laguna Springs Dr., #100, Elk Grove 95758 (916) 479-0323

gardenersofthegrove.org

Tues., 3/6, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm, Felled, a documentary film

about one tree & inspiring others to giving new life to fall-

en urban trees. Donation $1 to $25, Tower Theatre, 2508

Land Park Dr., Sac.., (530) 682-6548, in-

fo@urbansalvagedwoods.com

Sat., 3/10, 9 am - 1 pm, Members Only Appreciation Sale

& Pollinator Paradise. 10% off purchases, refreshments &

$10 member gift, UC Davis Arboretum Teaching Nursery,

Garrod Dr., across from Vet School. Join online or at the

door, (530) 752-4880 arboretum.ucdavis.edu

Sports Leisure Vacations has three, exciting flower-

themed trips on the horizon. Travel is by motorcoach with-

out the worry of tolls, traffic, & parking, (916) 361-2051,

sportsleisure.com The three SF trips are as follows:

1.) Tues., 3/15, Casanova & Bouquets to Art . In the morn-

ing a tour of the exhibit Casanova: The Seduction of Europe

at the SF Legion of Honor. The afternoon travel is to the de

Young Museum in Golden Gate Park for Bouquets to Art

2018. This popular, annual event features galleries of fresh

floral arrangements inspired by paintings & works of art in

the permanent collection. See intricate & inspiring floral

arrangements by floral artists. Lunch on your own in the

museum cafes. $116

2.) Thurs., 4/5, San Francisco Flower & Gar-

den Show, Cow Palace. “Return To Paradise”,

after 10 yrs. elsewhere the Flower & Garden

Show is back at the Cow Palace. Enjoy the day strolling

through garden landscapes, sitting in on seminars &

demonstrations & visiting the vast marketplace of garden-

ing pleasures. On your own lunch. $101

3.) Sun., 4/15, San Francisco Cherry Blossom Festival, cele-

brating it’s 51st year is one of California’s most prominent

celebrations of Asian traditions & the biggest on the West

Coast. The festival is held in Japantown on Post St., live

bands, food, & performances. $85

Ongoing ticket sales for EGGC

Tour of Lake Merritt Gardens

In Oakland, Wed., May 2,

2018. Public tickets go on sale

Thurs., March 1. Cost is $55 &

includes motorcoach travel,

morning coffee & doughnut &

garden tour with experts. Lake Merritt has over 7 acres of

exciting gardens. Includes a stop at Jack London Square for

on your own lunch. Get the tour application on our web-

site: elkgrovegardenclub.org & mail with payment to

EGGC, PO Box 385, Elk Grove, CA 95759:

In March & April, free public tours of vernal pools at

Mather, sacsplash.org. Wait list only.