JUNE 2016 STOCKTON CACTUS & SUCCULENT SOCIETY NEWSLETTER

Transcription

1 STOCKTON CACTUS & SUCCULENT SOCIETY NEWSLETTER JUNE 2016 MEETINGS: Fourth Thursday each month, 7:00 p.m. * Unless otherwise noted WHERE: San Joaquin County Building 2707 Transworld Drive Stockton, California *NEXT MEETING: Thursday, June 23 rd, 2016 PRE MEETING DINNER: Denny s Restaurant Arch Road location 5:30 p.m. STOCKTON CACTUS & SUCCULENT SOCIETY C/O BRIAN POOT 5617 ANADA COURT SALIDA, CA CAUDICIFORMS (FAT PLANTS)

2 2016 BOARD: President: Lesley Slayter (209) Vice President: Mary Bertken (209) Treasurer: Roelyn Poot (209) Secretary: OPEN Board Members: Jerry Slayter, Dawn Dalyce & Kathy Ackerman Newsletter: Brian Poot (209) BOARD MEETINGS: Please note, board meetings will now be held the second Wednesday 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 $20/yr Family $25/yr Contributing $35/yr Patron $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: June 8 th - Board Meeting at the Poot s 7:00 p.m. 23 rd - General Meeting 7:00pm: Barbara Coelho - "Caudiciforms and Pachycauls: Saving Water for a Rainless Day. July 13 th - Board Meeting at the Poot s 7:00 p.m. 26 th - General Meeting 7:00pm: Woody Minnich - "Namaqualand, The Land of the Halfmens" (Note: This meeting will be on Tuesday) August 13 th - Board Meeting at the Poot s 7:00 p.m. 26 th - General Meeting 7:00pm: To Be Determined OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS: (not club related) SUNSHINE REPORT: HAPPY BIRTHDAY to: Perry Herrgesell, Richard Arp, Sherry Cosgrove, Nellie Prather, Susan Chandler & Faye Sutton.

3 THIS MONTHS PROGRAM: Barbara Coelho The June program will be presented by our very own Barbara Coelho who will give a presentation on "Fat Plants", Caudiciforms and Pachycauls; Saving Up for a Rainless Day. The beautiful slides are from Lila Lillie's slide library. For those of you who are too young to remember Lila, the first issue of the Euphorbia Journal was dedicated to her. Caudiciforms and Pachycauls are the true conservationists of the succulent world. They are masters at collecting miniscule amounts of water available in the environment and storing and using it during times of severe drought. Both weird and beautiful, but not the easiest of plants to grow in cultivation, they are the favorites of many succulent plant collectors. Come to this meeting, and get acquainted with this fascinating group of succulent plants. * The Poot's & the Bradshaw's will provide the raffle table this month. *Reminder to Faye Sutton & Mary Bertken, this is your month to bring refreshments. *Reminder that we need someone to volunteer to be the greeter this month. RETURNING & NEW MEMBERS: PLEASE ADD TO YOUR WHO S WHO Patricia Gleason & Troy McQueen Grogan Tiumalu Autumn Rowe 1615 Reisling Drive 1611 West Tokay Street 8956 Eureka Drive Lodi, CA Tracy, CA Stockton, CA Ph. (209) Ph. (510) Ph. (209) kgleasont77@gmail.com grogstuff@comcast.net autumnsrowe@gmail.com Suzanne Breshears Susan Chandler Joanna Cuerpo 5831 Claribel Road 430 Ponderosa Court 1151 West Willow Street Oakdale, CA Lafayette, CA Stockton, CA Ph. (209) Ph. (925) Ph. (209) chandlersbasset@aol.com No jcuerpo@yahoo.com 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; whoever 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: The mini show categories are 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. Also you must own the plant for at least 6 months before you can show the plant in the mini show. Brian Poot, Mini show coordinator

4 HOOKED ON CACTUSES, SUCCULENTS AS DROUGHT BUSTERS: by Debbie Arrington 06/06/16 SUN CITY ROSEVILLE, Calif. For two decades, a small strip of property sat vacant between two homes in Sun City Roseville. Weedy and needy, the parcel had been dubbed green space with a patch of unused turf and lanky shrubs. But during the prolonged drought, it turned into an unloved water-hogging eyesore. It was awful! said Sandie Garcia, who has lived next to the plot for 15 years. It was very high maintenance and used a lot of water. It had lost its beauty. Then, a group of gardeners got an idea. Wouldn t this be a perfect spot for a cactus and succulent garden? Almost overnight, a no man s land turned into a desert-themed oasis. And Sun City Roseville got its newest demonstration garden. I love it, Garcia said. We get to look at it every day. This desert garden also serves as a showcase for how the naturally drought-tolerant plants can create an interesting low-water landscape for residents own homes, noted succulents expert Pat Allen, who joined local garden club members in donating plants From left to right, Norm Klein, Jim Ferrin, Pat Allen and David Breninger are a group of succulent and cactus lovers who turned a no man s land between two homes into a low-water community garden located in the Del Webb community of Sun City Roseville. (Lezlie Sterling/Sacramento Bee/TNS) for the project. We were thrilled to death to help, said Allen, a longtime member of the Carmichael Cactus and Succulent Society. We love it when people want to grow our favorites. After four years of drought, such water-wise makeovers have become increasingly popular. Sun City s landscape staff wholeheartedly endorsed the idea. We ve been transitioning these little spaces into themed gardens, said Jim Ferrin, Sun City Roseville s director of landscapes. We ve been pretty successful trying to block out a variety of garden types such as a Mediterranean garden or butterfly garden. After Ferrin saw a new cactus garden in a Sun City frontyard, he was hooked. I thought, that looks really, really cool, he said. And I had this particular area in mind. Ferrin got together with Dave Breninger and the members of the Sun City Roseville Garden Club. They were game, but had little experience with desert plants. Then, we found these wonderful cactus experts, the best working in Sacramento, Ferrin said. This was a case of two garden clubs coming together and helping each other, said Breninger, president of the Sun City Roseville garden club. For the demonstration garden, Norm Klein of the Carmichael cactus club donated several large specimens from his own collection. Klein, who grows thousands of these plants at his home in Rancho Cordova, also drew up the garden design. They let me play in their ballpark, he said. It was a lot of fun. Obviously, Norm did an incredible job, Ferrin added. Members of the two garden clubs took care of transplanting. Cactus club members such as Klein and Allen donated most of the plants. Sun City s landscape crew took care of the heaviest lifting. Large boulders were relocated from Sun City s golf course. The biggest expense (and chore) was spreading tons of decorative rock as mulch and ground cover. The 1,200- square-foot garden needed 10 cubic yards of Sonoma Gold rock. Our original budget was about $10,000, Klein said, but we came in way, way under; about $3,500. Just six weeks after transplanting, these yucca, agave, golden barrel, prickly pear, echeveria, cereus and many more specimens have become established in their new home. Just look at all those flower buds, said Klein, who coordinated the planting. They re already blooming, they re so happy. Klein prefers to transplant cactuses and succulents in early spring after the threat of winter storms usually has passed. Too much water can rot these desert natives. Two days after we planted, we got six inches of rain, Klein said. I was so worried; I thought they were goners. But they really surprised me; they look great. Cacti and succulents aren t too picky about soil, he noted. We didn t have to do anything special; they re just planted in plain dirt. I ve got hardpan at my home and my plants do fine. This 3,100-home retirement community uses reclaimed water for almost all of its outdoor irrigation, Ferrin said. But for this new garden, there s no drip system; the cacti don t need it. Irrigation by hand every other week is plenty. I water by hand like it s raining on them, Klein said. Not too much; just enough to get the dirt off them. Once people become familiar with these plants, they re hard to resist, noted Allen, who grows hundreds of succulents at her home. We re very excited about the reaction to this garden, she said. A lot of people are going, Wow! That includes Richard Lindsay, one of the garden volunteers. A member of Sun City s garden club, Lindsay helped plant the new demonstration garden. Then, he asked the cactus and succulent experts if they could come over to his own house and transform his front yard, too. That s exactly what they did. It took us five hours, Klein said with a smile. Lindsay already had pots of succulents to accent his home s entryway. After catching the cactus bug, he joined the Carmichael club, too. We expect about a 15 percent total water reduction from the new cactus garden, more after the plants are established, Lindsay said. My yard has already had blooms. With the popularity of the new Clearview garden, Ferrin invited the club members to tackle other spots at Sun City Roseville. They just planted a swath of succulents in what had been turf in the community s contemplation garden. Next winter and spring, they plan to tackle more makeovers. Said Ferrin, I expect to see more gardens like this in Sun City. People really like them.

5 FINDING DESERT FLORA ON ROCKY CLIFFS: by Maureen Gilmer I have discovered some of the most amazing plants high on sheer rocky cliffs. These elevated locations are often overlooked by hikers studying the ground for cactus and wildflowers. Yet I've found amazing plants in these inaccessible places from the Indian Canyons to my former northern Sierra Nevada home. My favorite, the little Dudleyas, are true succulents, some endemic to California, which means they are found nowhere else but here. My first experience was while at Santa Rosa Jr. College when I discovered Dudleyas growing amidst the iceplants on the cliffs above surf of Mendocino County. Later I discovered another species on the Yuba River canyon walls at about 3000 feet in the northern Sierra Nevada foothills. I believe both are Dudleya cymosa, a tiny endemic that can be found in rocky steep ground all over the north state. This small blue-gray rosette produces a single red flower stalk six inches tall. Inland they were hard to spot among the wildflowers such as monkey flowers and penstemon that love these high rocky spots too. Not long ago I came to know our desert species called "rock live-forever" in the wild after discovering those I inherited in this garden. Local Dudleya saxosa were transplanted from the wild long ago by the former owners who no doubt loved its super showy flower spires similar to those of Echeveria. Finding such exotic blooms in spots too rugged for most other plants was an epiphany. You won't see them in the wild unless you look up and study the rocky desert cliffs closely. However, what I know is Dudleyas only live on north faces where they appear glued to solid rock. They are actually anchored deeply into rock fissures with thick roots to thrive high and safe from browsers. They begin to grow with the first winter rains that bring dead looking, dry clumps back to life with all new leaves. Their season extends into early summer, then dies back for the long drought. The nurse plant for my Dudleys transplanted by former owners died out, which is not good for a plant that wants a northern exposure. IN the sun the three clumps were suffering so I transplanted some into deep pots to accommodate their deep rooting characteristics. Thinking they were as sensitive as most other cliff loving natives, I didn't anticipate how quickly they come to life with a little water. Then I read something interesting in an old succulent book published in 1939 Pasadena. "Dudleyas seem to thrive better in most cases, as pot plants under cultivation than when planted in the ground, and many of them when thus grown make fine decorative plants and endure for a great many years." The text goes on to stress the importance of porosity in their potting soil and a growing location partial shade, which is ideal for beneath our patio ramadas and arbors. For years I rode my horses in the shadow of a monster canyon wall north of Morongo Valley. It was after I began working with those in my garden that I began searching for them locally. First I studied the orientation of the cliff faces to see which parts are northerly. Then I begin studying the steepest parts since these are the only ones left not consumed by drought stricken wildlife. During summer and fall they are nothing but a dense ball of dried plant material. Hunt for them now with a pair of binoculars and you may find them higher up still in bloom when they will be visible. Native plant lovers and hikers would do well to look up onto these steep rocky surfaces to find cactus, rock live-forever and many other incredible desert species there too. All are thriving on moisture that's held in the rock during the dry season. It's these discoveries that keep me coming back to the wild every time when seeking to understand a native plant and to learn exactly what she prefers.

6 SUCCULENT LANDSCAPING IDEAS: by Maureen Gilmer Ten ways to incorporate succulents into your front or backyard Success with succulents demands well drained soil, and in the desert foothills this site sits close to bedrock. Here is a problem solving mound that functions both as a background for the spa and a high, dry place for growing moisture sensitive native succulent desert plants. Integration of boulders helps to maintain the shape of the mound and reduce the amount of space needed to achieve such a high elevation. The application of gravel and other stones keeps the overly steep walls from eroding onto the paving. This bungalow in an old neighborhood shows how succulent plants love elevation above the surrounding ground plain. The euphorbias, aloes and firesticks provide screening from the street and traveling sedums cascade down the wall face. This is an example of a collector-style landscape where the diversity of species is more important than the whole panorama. This is popular style in coastal California where owners strive to create unique contrasts in color and form all year around. The entry to this estate features a sea of golden barrel cactus laid out in a natural drift against dark colored red-brown cinders. This is a manageable application that allows sick or dead cactus to be removed and replaced with other golden barrels of any size without any visual interruption. Contrasting with the gold coloring is blue-green Draco dracaena, the dragon tree of the Canary Islands. These rounded canopies provide striking forms for grouping with tall, gangly cacti that lack mass. Succulent plants become far more dramatic whenever they are grown against a high contrast background. The pink coloring of this Mediterranean style home makes each cactus and euphorbia appear more like sculpture than living plants. This is key to design for large homes that require monumental specimens for instant drama. Integrating barrel cactus in the ground plane without compromising root zones of the larger plants ensures that every species in this entire composition receives the perfect amount of water without risk of rot at the soil line caused by overly wet conditions. Succulent gardens are the perfect adjunct to Mediterranean style plantings. This four square garden with its brick pathways integrates citrus and Spanish lavender into the landscape of succulents with similar water demands. The square on the right side has less evaporation due to shade and the proximity of a masonry wall, so here broadleaf plants are grouped with a few succulents. Opposite, the full sun square is exclusively succulents featuring Agave attenuata, desert spoon and a tall variegated Euphorbia ingens. Continued on next page...

7 SUCCULENT LANDSCAPING IDEAS: by Maureen Gilmer Because succulents grow to a limited size, they've become highly popular for spatially challenged urban homes. This narrow sideyard provided the perfect opportunity for a garden seen as visitors pass into the home at the side door just beyond the wrought iron railing. The design offers an excellent range of color from sapphire blue Agave americana to lavender Echeveria hybrids and the red highlights of flapjacks, Kalanchoe thyrsifolia. Integration of carved stone spheres provides a more solid mass for the focal point of the planting. Succulent gardens are difficult to integrate into the rest of a landscape. This beautiful home features a traditional arbor covered in wisteria, which shades the outdoor living space beneath. From this sheltered location the sun drenched succulent collection may be enjoyed comfortably, with each plant appreciated for its unique color and form. A young thick stem dragon tree, rods of ocotillo, native Agave parryi plus assorted succulent seedlings in the foreground provides a feast for forms and surfaces every day of the year. Mounded for drainage, this sloping location is perfectly tailored for cacti and succulents. The bright red aloes are colored by the winter sun and minimal water supply. Mossy looking patches of variegated Portulacaria afra spill down the sides of the drainage way that splits the space, flowing beneath this arching bit of driftwood. This is an ideal model for succulent gardens where control of water and drainage are difficult due to summer rainfall. Sufficiently porous well drained earth elevated above grade is key. JULY CLUB MEETING: The July Club Meeting will not be on our regular night, it will be held on Tuesday July 26th so that we will be able to have Woody Minnich do a program for us. Woody comes all the way from New Mexico & is doing a program for the Sacramento club on that Monday & has agreed to stay an extra day to do a program for us as well. The program will be "Namaqualand, The Land of the Halfmens". He will also be bringing plants to sell & he usually brings several hard to find or rare plants. Continued

8 MAY MEETING PHOTO'S BY BRIAN POOT