JULY 2011 STOCKTON CACTUS & SUCCULENT SOCIETY NEWSLETTER

Transcription

1 STOCKTON CACTUS & SUCCULENT SOCIETY NEWSLETTER JULY 2011 MEETINGS: Fourth Thursday each month, 7:00 p.m. * Unless otherwise noted WHERE: Poot s Cactus Nursery E. HWY 120 Ripon, CA *NEXT MEETING: Thursday, July 28th, 2011 PRE MEETING DINNER: 6:00 p.m. STOCKTON CACTUS & SUCCULENT SOCIETY C/O BRIAN POOT 1180 BOXWOOD WAY TURLOCK, CA JULY AUCTION

2 2011 BOARD: President: Roelyn Poot (209) Vice President: Brian Poot (209) Treasurer: Lori Mace (209) Secretary: Trudy Spahn (209) Newsletter: Brian Poot (209) Board Members: Harvey Parolari, Barbara Parolari, Steve Roberts BOARD MEETINGS: Please note, board meetings will now be held the second Tuesday of each month, at 7:00 p.m., except in December, or if that date conflicts with something else. Anyone is welcome to attend, but please call first to let them know you will be coming to make sure of the date. Thanks! We can always use new ideas & opinions for the club, as well as help with behind the scenes stuff. If you are interested, please come to a board meeting. Thx! MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION: Individual Family Contributing Patron $15/yr $20/yr $35/yr $50/yr All dues should be sent to the treasurer before the February general meeting. Membership runs January-December. Complimentary Jan. & Feb. issue if unpaid. CALENDAR: July 12 th - Board Meeting at the Poot s 7:00 p.m. 28 th - Annual Potluck & Auction at the Poot s Dinner at 6:00pm August 9 th - Board Meeting at the Poot s 7:00 p.m. 25 th - General Meeting 7:00pm: To Be Determined September 13 th - Board Meeting at the Poot s 7:00 p.m. 22 nd - Annual Country Store & 2012 Board Nominations OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS: (not club related) August 27 th - Field Trip to Ruth Bancroft Gardens in Walnut Creek (See article) **We will also be listing other clubs shows, sales, and speakers, as well as cacti related events that may be of interest to our members. If you know of something that should be listed, please let the editor know. Thanks SUNSHINE REPORT: by Mildred Young HAPPY BIRTHDAY to: Spencer Tope, Francia Stanton, Brian Poot & Thomas Durbin. GET WELL WISHES to: Mildred Young & Harvey Parolari

3 THIS MONTHS MEETING: Auction & Potluck This year s annual auction & potluck will again be held at the Poot s on July 28 th at 6:00 p.m. If you wish to come early to tour the greenhouses then you may arrive as early as 5:00 p.m. or if it s too hot we can tour after supper. Please remember to bring a dish to share, and please call Roelyn Poot if you signed up for something different to bring at the last meeting or if you hadn t signed up yet. The club will provide plates, silverware, & drinks. Please remember to bring your lawn chairs as well. This year we are again asking you to donate garden related items for the auction. Please remember that this is not a garage sale & in the interest of time & keeping interest in the auction, we would like to request that all items donated either be edible or of garden relation; like garden books, pots, artwork or pictures, garden gloves or clothing, tongs, birdhouses or feeders, plants, seeds, etc. Also, it would be a good idea to place a reasonable, minimum starting bid on your items if relevant, so our trusty auctioneer Billy Poot will know where to start. Please remember that you are not there to always get a bargain, but to help support the club as well. Thanks & hope to see you there! FIELD TRIP: On Saturday, August 27, Sacramento Cactus and Succulent Society is planning to carpool to the Ruth Bancroft Gardens in Walnut Creek. "Interested participants will meet at the Garden at 10 AM." This is the same garden where Kathy Zumbrunn and Barbara Coelho took the pictures for the DVD we showed the Club a couple months ago. We can carpool to the Garden from here and meet there with the Sacramento Club. Anyone who is interested in participating in this trip should let Barbara Coelho or Sacramento C & S Club know so that the Garden will have enough docents on hand to give us a tour. Sacramento's field trip contact person is Martha Bleshman (916) or her at bleshie2@gmail.com WELCOME NEW MEMBERS: Thomas Durbin 275 E. Minnesota Ave. #151 Turlock, CA (209) tdurbin@csustan.edu BD: Thomas Durbin IT S ONLY FAIR: by Kathy Zumbrunn Does anyone remember Barbara Coelho asking us to exhibit our cactus and succulents in the San Joaquin Fair? It seemed everyone turned a deaf ear, except me! Actually, Barbara twisted my arm and said: Someone has to do this. We need lots of plants to make the fair exciting! Well, I said I would do it if she would come over to my house and help me pick out the plants that were show quality. I don t think she knew what she was getting into! You see, I love my plants, but I don t pamper them. They live out in the dust and elements, on my porches and throughout my garden. Therefore they are full of cobwebs, spiders, dust and, yes, bird poop! We walked around and she said: Take that one, and this one, and that one. Once we had the plants chosen we had to identify them, because I just grow what I like and I always lose the tags. I believe she was at my house for well over 5 hours! Then, as she left, she smiled and said: Now you get to clean them all up! I spent three whole days tweezing, spraying, brushing, trimming, etc! When all was said and done, I had 16 plants ready to go to the fair. All the work and stress was worth the effort. I received 14 ribbons (8 firsts, 3 seconds and 3 thirds) totaling $88.00 in prize money. I also won sweepstakes for the most plants entered, therefore adding another $15.00 to the pot. Not a bad day at the fair! And you know what, it was really fun! So, I d like everyone to start thinking about next year. It isn t really hard, and most of you have cleaner plants than I do! Let s have a bigger and better turnout for the Stockton Cactus and Succulent Society in 2012!

4 JUNE MINI SHOW RESULTS: Novice Division, Cacti: NONE ENTERED Advanced Division, Cacti: 1 st - Kathy Zumbrunn w/ Cereus forbesii Ming Thing 2 nd - Kathy Zumbrunn w/ Notocactus warasii Open Division, Cacti: 1 st - JD Wikert w/ Mammillaria elongate crest 2 nd - Brian Poot w/ Neochilenia nigraspina 3 rd - Bill Poot w/ Gymnocalycium sp. varigated Novice Division, Succulent: NONE ENTERED Advanced Division, Succulent: 1 st - Kathy Zumbrunn w/ Euphorbia trigona 2 nd - Kathy Zumbrunn w/ Euphorbia aeruginosa Open Division, Succulent: 1 st - Bill Poot w/ Sempervivum Cleveland Morgan crest 2 nd - Bill Poot w/ Euphorbia unispina 3 rd - Brian Poot w/ Jov allionii - Roelyn Poot w/ Sempervivum Pacific Plum Crazy - JD Wikert w/ Euphorbia lactea Novice Division, Blooming: NONE ENTERED Advanced Division, Blooming: 1 st - Kathy Zumbrunn w/ Mammillaria prolifera 2 nd - Kathy Zumbrunn w/ Gasteria acinacifolia Open Division, Blooming: 1 st - Bill Poot w/ Sinningea tubiflora - Bill Poot w/ Arrojadoa penicillata 2 nd - JD Wikert w/ Stapelia sp. 3 rd - Brian Poot w/ Gymnocalycium horstii Allied Interest: 1 st - Bill Poot w/ Mammillaria bocasana Fred 2 nd - Kathy Zumbrunn w/ Succulent Planter 3 rd - Kathy Zumbrunn w/ Pachyveria sp. - JD Wikert w/ Dishgarden MONTHLY MINI SHOW: OPEN TO ANY CLUB MEMBERS THAT WANT TO SHOW PLANTS! The mini show, held at the general meetings, is a time when you can bring your plants, to compete against other members plants. There are 10 categories: Cacti & Succulent, (Open, Advanced & Novice Divisions), Bloomers (anything in bloom, also three divisions) & Allied Interest (dish gardens or natural planters). You may bring up to 2 from each category. The forms for judging are available to take home so that you can fill them out prior to the meeting if you wish, or there will be some at the meeting as well. The plants are judged by the members attending that meeting; Who ever receives the most votes wins that months mini show & will get their name in the next newsletter. The person(s) receiving the most votes at the end of the year will receive a gift from the club. WE ENCOURAGE ALL MEMBERS TO BRING PLANTS TO SHOW THROUGHOUT THE YEAR! FYI: We will be changing the mini show categories to now be Novice - those with fewer than 5 years of showing in the mini-show. Advanced those who have shown for more than 5 years in the mini-show & does not sell more than $300 in plants a year. Open those who sell more than $300 in plants a year. Brian Poot, Mini show coordinator

5 HUNTINGTON HIGHLIGHT: by Grace Farag Cactus & Succulent Society of America Show: Cactus and succulent enthusiasts gathered at The Huntington this past weekend for the 46th annual show and sale of the Cactus & Succulent Society of America. I don't think of myself as someone who is particularly good with plants. Once upon a time, in my teens, I managed to accidentally kill a bonsai tree that I'd wheedled my parents into buying for me (yeah, I was a really wild kid). Since then, I've watched various plants that other people have given to me die slow, no doubt agonizing, deaths in my "care", so I've become convinced that I have a black thumb and there's just nothing to do but accept it. But last weekend, I saw a glimmer of hope. I saw succulents. In fact, I saw a ton of them, because on Saturday and Sunday the Cactus & Succulent Society of America (CSSA) had their annual show and sale at The Huntington. Now in its 46th year, this event kicked off on Friday with an early-bird sale and moved into full swing over the next two days with a large exhibit in Friends' Hall, educational displays and plenty of friendly experts on site to share their knowledge about these tough, delightfully strange-looking plants. Buck Hemenway, the show's chairman, has been involved with CSSA for 15 years. He and his wife moved to Southern California from the Pacific Northwest in the 1980s and fell in love with the succulents that thrive in our dry, desert climate. "We were overwhelmed by the individuality of the plants," Hemenway said. Eventually they started their own cactus and succulent nursery, The Prickly Palace, in Jurupa Valley, CA. Around 600 plants including species that grow in areas such as Africa, Chile and the Pyrenees went on view on Saturday in Friends' Hall and its adjoining courtyard after a juried competition with 122 different categories. The competition, though, was not the main point of the event. The goal of the show is really to attract people to our hobby," Hemenway said. And attract people it certainly does. I spoke with several enthusiasts who had braved the heat on Friday to come out for the early-bird sale, which was set up along the walkway to The Huntington's main entrance. I met Laura Hatcher of Pomona when we both paused to admire a group of small, individually potted aloe plants that looked to me like spiny starfish. When I told her I was working on an article about the show, she introduced me to Oscar Flores, a member of the San Gabriel Cactus Society who also started his own club seven months ago in Studio City. His club has 52 members now and meets once a month at his home, where his backyard is given over to his vast collection (another collector estimated it at around 4,000 plants). What draws Flores to events such as the CSSA show is the chance to find an unusual plant, perhaps one made rare by virtue of a mutation or the way it was cared for. Flores said that for him, it's not about just liking succulents: "I'm a collector, that's what I am now. My eye is drawn to recognizing something that's odd." He's not the only one. Lorraine Parvin of Pomona showed me a plant she was going to buy, a member of the Crassulaceae family called aeonium. She said she had picked it precisely for its form, as it displayed a growth mutation called "cresting" that she liked. But collectors' specialized interests aside, everyone I talked to said that what they loved about succulents was the fact that they are wonderfully deathresistant. When I confessed my unfortunate luck with plants in the past to Hemenway, he just smiled. "We have a mantra. It's called 'benign neglect'. It's the best way to raise cactus and succulents." Benign neglect apparently means that all you have to do is water a cactus or succulent plant maybe once a week, and that's about it. Like I said there may be hope for me and my black thumb yet. If you missed the show this weekend, the CSSA will be having another event at the L.A. County Arboretum next month (check out their online calendar for that and other listings). Meanwhile The Huntington, of course, has its own year-round succulent "show" going on in its Desert Garden, which is one of the largest and oldest such collections in the world. More than 5,000 species of succulents and desert plants are on display across 10 acres in the southeast area of the grounds, so you can experience a wide (and fascinating) variety of these hardy survivors.

6 GREEN ROOFS - SPROUT IT FROM THE ROOFTOPS: by Roy Bahls Rooftops are just rooftops, right? Not when they become colorful urban retreats for office personnel, alternative working environments and environmental relief. Rooftop gardens and green roofs are cropping up across the country, including Hampton Roads. Take the 20th floor of the Armada Hoffler Tower in Virginia Beach s Town Center, for example. You can see the container ships in the Chesapeake Bay, said Kimberly Goold, pointing north over office buildings and a patchwork of neighborhoods. R.J. Nutter pointed toward the west at the Norfolk skyline. And beyond that you can just make out the cranes in Newport News. And that s the Cape Henry Lighthouse, Nutter said pointing east to the historic tower. The two were sky high in the catbird seat, so to speak, surrounded by colorful fuchsia petunias, red hibiscus, hollies, red geraniums and Knock Out roses. Goold is the office administrator, and Nutter s the managing partner, at law firm Troutman Sanders, which opened this office in 2003, the same year the rooftop garden was put in. It s always the first place people gravitate to, Nutter said about the office s visitors. The view is so unique. The project was designed by landscape architect Mike Fox and designer Jarrod Katzer of WPL of Virginia Beach. It was installed by Signature Landscapes & Garden of Chesapeake. The project included important weight and drainage decisions. The large planters are made of Dura Art Stone a strong-yet-lightweight material resembling concrete. Styrofoam replaced much of what would normally be dirt between the potted plants. A third consideration was the micro climate as it pertains to the plant material, Katzer said. Your plant selection has to fit the little micro climate because you are way up in the air. It s going to be a windier, colder climate. There was also the aesthetic aspect: choosing vivid plants. We are very happy with the results and glad to hear they get so much use out of it. Katzer said. Did someone say party? We ve had quite a few parties up here, Nutter said. As soon as it gets warm enough the office holds business-development events and throws celebrations for clients and staff. They ve even had a wedding, a King Neptune reception and patriotic holiday get-togethers. Much has been learned since We try and find plants that are indigenous to, or local to, our area, Goold said. If they do well on the Oceanfront, they are going to do well out here, because it is very windy. It s unbelievable to see the big storms roll through. After a recent nor easter some of the potted plants were knocked over, but all was well. However, a few unwanted guests have taken a shine to the garden. Big black turkey buzzards decided that one flower bed looked like a nice place to roost. Goold s research taught her the birds are a protected species, and options were limited. She found the sparkle and movement of spinning pinwheels, along with removing a sprinkler water source, sent them on their way. We think that when they see the sparkle from the silver blowing in the wind, and catching on the sun, that it just spooked them, Goold said. Goold and other staffers take in the pleasant sites including red tail hawks, the changing weather patterns and the wonderful lofty view of several cities while watering, pruning and tending the garden. It certainly brings nature into the offices and brings that softer touch of outside, in, said Goold, who often slips out into the lofty garden to catch up on reading. It s nice, because you can hear all the activity of the city below, but it s so peaceful. When Drew Ungvarsky moved his business last year from Ghent to downtown s Granby Street in Norfolk, he had two concerns: parking for his 17 employees and open space for their dogs. We found a great lot for parking, and I suggested that we create a green roof and kind of hangout area that we could actually let our dogs out and let them sit outside, Ungvarsky said. We now actually have a space that our dogs can sit out there for hours at a time. Ungvarsky s company, Grow Interactive, is a digital advertising and production studio. It works with advertising agencies and clients to create high-end websites and other digital advertising. Most of the company is on laptops, and we encourage everyone to get up from their desks and go work somewhere else, Ungvarsky said. Going to alternative working areas can make someone more comfortable and more productive. Continued on next page

7 GREEN ROOFS CONTINUED: He wanted the energy-saving benefit of the extra insulation it provides as well as functionality. During the building s renovation he made sure that the roof would support the extra load and had other efficiency steps taken to lesson the building s ecological footprint. He plans to green the other half of the roof in the future. His rooftop retreat was designed by architect Robyn Thomas and installed by Spacemakers, both of Norfolk. Brian O Neil sees the green roof atop the Public Programs office at Norfolk Botanical Garden as a teaching tool. We here at the garden have a green initiative, and that s to basically do as much as we can to be conservative with energy and resources, said O Neil, director of horticulture. And we do all that we can to be in tune with the environment and the green roof is part of that. We wanted to show it as an example of what can be done. The roof is covered in succulents, including ice plants, sedum, hen and chicks, and echeveria, all of which require little water. They grow well in full, hot, blazing sun, O Neil said. They don t have a very deep root system so they can live nicely in the shallow root zone that is provided. And they are colorful plants, they do bloom in season and they are evergreen so there is always something to see. By growing horizontally, they create a mat of foliage. The plants were grown in tray; the trays were transferred onto the roof and fit together. Building Logics Inc. of Virginia Beach headed the project. The endeavor s reaped benefits, O Neil said. The plants help keep the building cool in the summer, by evaporating the water they soak up, and warm in the winter. They also provide oxygen by sucking up carbon dioxide, and then there s the aesthetic value. There s hope of creating more green roofs at the Garden. Everybody who sees it loves it, O Neil said. They think it is the neatest thing. But we often have to tell people to look up. NIGHT-BLOOMING CEREUS TO FLOWER AT TOHONO CHUL: by Janet Rose Jackman Public invited to witness mystery of once-a-year event Each summer, Tucsonans wait with growing anticipation for the monsoon season to kick in. Many also look forward to another event that sweeps in with the annual rains: the bloom night of the cereus cactus, or the "Reina de la Noche (Queen of the Night)." Tohono Chul Park has the largest private collection of the nightflowering cactus and the public is invited to experience the beauty and fragrance of the blossoms from 6 p.m. through midnight Wednesday and Thursday. The cactus blooms for only one or two nights each year, usually around the end of May, but this year the Queen is a late-bloomer. As the summer heat begins to build, the buds surface and blossom. To see the cactus, head to Tohono Chul Park, 7399 N. Paseo del Norte. The park recommends visitors bring a flashlight.

8 GOLDEN BARREL ADDS SUNNY HUE TO GARDEN: by Maureen Gilmer Golden barrel cacti speak to me. Sometimes they just whisper things like, I'm frying. Or they get a bit more vocal and swear as I walk past. The hardest part is when I come upon those too weak to communicate any longer, in total and irretrievable meltdown. When Echinocactus grusonii is in perfect health, it is the brightest and most recognizable of all barrel cactus. Here in the intense UV light of the desert, their spines turn a lovely shade of canary yellow. You can tell an imported cactus by its insipidly pale spines, which tell me it was raised in a greenhouse. If thrust out into summer sun, these pale fellows burn like a snowbird after a day without sunscreen. People often assume cacti need little to no water in the garden. The truth is exactly the opposite. In our sandy desert soils, they respond to generous summer water by growing at a startling rate. Their roots spread out over a large but shallow area to catch every drop of water from summer thunderstorms in their homeland, south central Mexico. If you doubt this, take a trip to the Huntington Botanical Gardens in Pasadena to see old specimens the size of garbage cans. In the wild, this cactus has disappeared and is endangered, and until recently almost nonexistent in cultivation. Then the Chinese designated it lucky, and demand skyrocketed. Thanks to cellular cloning of plants, known as tissue culture, the propagation of golden barrels began in earnest, and soon thousands of young plants flooded our nurseries and were shipped overseas. Full sun for this cactus is fine most of the year, and its growing center will often tilt slightly south. But during those furnace months, they are actively growing and can suffer if not protected from direct afternoon sun. To help your young specimens make it through July and August without sun scorch, simply lay a piece of tan-colored shade cloth over the top of each plant. Be sure protection is best on the west side of plants fully exposed. The wickedly sharp spines catch the cloth and hold it against the wind. You can remove the temporary covers for parties or guests, but replace them promptly afterwards. The autumn equinox is a good target date to remove this protection, but if the sun moves enough to shade them naturally, take them off sooner. I believe that rapid growth is due not only to the regular summer water, but also to Osmocote slow-release fertilizer. These small pellets release tiny amounts of nutrients every time water is applied, which prevents any chance of burning or over-fertilization that can lead to cactus meltdown. It's available at all garden centers. Hand-watering of golden barrels is best done early in the morning or very late in the evening after the soil has cooled. If cactus are hand-watered, imagine you are creating a thunderstorm just as it would occur in habitat. There the sudden summer cloudbursts flood the root zone, then quickly disappear into the sandy soil. When you hand-water, flood a collar around each plant to allow all the roots, which radiate out from the center like spokes on a wheel, to receive equal moisture. Occasionally wash down the plant to remove dust and brighten its color. In the garden, golden barrels are chameleons. They adapt to super rigid layouts and containers for modern landscapes. For those who love the desert garden, they look best in flocks planted in naturalistic groupings. Because a large golden barrel cactus is very expensive to buy and even more challenging to plant, consider using what you've learned here to start with smaller plants and bring them up quickly. Don't let your golden barrel become statistics by ignoring them in these blistering hot days. Get up early to nurture them in pinktinged early mornings of the summer, and you'll be amazed at the results. Guaranteed you'll see fast growth soon enough, and your seasonal neighbors will return in the fall to ask why theirs are still the same size. Maureen Gilmer is a horticulturist, landscape designer and columnist for The Desert Sun. Contact her at mogilmer@yahoo.com.