January in the Conejo Valley Botanic Garden

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1 Captain John Smith American Persimmon Fuyu Persimmon ( ) (Diospuros Virginiana) (Diospyros kaki) January in the Conejo Valley Botanic Garden If it be not ripe it will drawe a mans mouth awrie with much torment; but when it is ripe, it is as delicious as an Apricock," wrote Captain John Smith when first tasting Chief Powhatan s prized fruit, which was used as their winter dried fruit. The name persimmon is derived from pasiminan, or pessamin, from Chief Powhatan s Algonquian tribal language. The dried fruits were to save many of the earliest Jamestowne colonists through the bitter cold winters and starvation times. Captain John Smith recorded over 500 words from the tribal language. Persimmons were known to the Ancient Greeks as Diospuros meaning Fruit of the Gods. The trees are in the Ebony family and the fruits are considered a "true berry. Fuyu persimmons, natives to Japan, are the commercial persimmons sold today in California. They were first introduced into the United States from Japan by Admiral Perry who discovered the fruit growing on the coast of Southern Japan in The rare Tsurunoko Chocolate persimmon is also a native to Japan. It is a descendent of the famous 600 year old Saijo (meaning very best) persimmon tree, which has been documented to be a grafted tree, meaning even centuries ago, the practice of grafting was a preferred method of successful propagation. Plan to visit our Rare Fruits Orchard to see the Fuyu persimmon and the Tsurunoko Chocolate persimmon in bloom by late April and during the fall fruiting season. -Sandy Krutilek-

2 What s in a Name? by Diane Conejo A week before the holiday, a friend from school opened the trunk of her car to reveal a huge bag of narcissus bulbs. Everyone in the group took a share of the gardener s booty home, which got me thinking... Why are these cheerful yellow flowers named Narcissus? The first thing that comes to mind is the mythological youth who vainly fell in love with his own reflection. Perhaps if they are planted by the side of a pond, you could catch them bending and reflecting in the water s surface. That s a lovely thought But, no. That is not the reason they were so named. The word Narcissus is taken from a Greek root that means to numb and that same root word helps to form the word narcotic. There is a toxic substance inside a narcissus bulb that has a narcotic affect if it is ingested. This is why most wizened critters will not bother to nibble your daffodils. Many of the bulbs I took away were already showing the green tip of a sprout. So I hurried to get them into the ground. A little late, but high hopes abide in my garden. They should be putting on a show in the late winter to early spring. Time enough. And then there were those corms I received from my customer, Julia... Crocosmia is a native of Southern Africa that grows from corms. It will naturalize well in rich, composted soil. The name is interesting: Krokos- is a Greek word referring to the very expensive spice, saffron; (Which is harvested from the large red stigmas of the saffron crocus.) and -osme means smells like. I have not yet experienced the smell, but they are summer bloomers, attract hummingbirds and are ravishing as they sway in front of a backdrop of golden grasses. Winter is thought of as a time of rest for the gardener, but we know there are still many chores to prepare and tidy the garden for the seasons ahead. These little storehouses under the soil are symbols of good things to come Happy 2014 in the Garden

3 South African Protea" (Protea cynaroides) Photo taken Dec. 8th by JosephSouth Scarpine Located at the 4 corners adjacent to the Rare Fruit Orchard " Plant Sale Specials this Month" Red hot pokers 3 for $12.00 Plant sales are held every Sunday at the CVBG from 10:30-2:30 in the area next to the Kids' Adventure Garden, located at 350 W. Gainsborough Rd. California natives, hardy, water wise perennials, shrubs, trees and succulents, reasonably priced are available. CVBG volunteers will be happy to help you with selections and share their expertise. Irene Benyoung is willing, by special appointment only, to meet customers at the Plant Sale area on Wednesdays. Please contact her by to make an appointment. ibenyoung@yahoo.com BIRTHDAY PARTIES" (March-September)" The birthday parties held at the KAG on Saturdays have become very popular. So popular that Betty needs more volunteers to give her some help. It is fun and not too much work. Sometimes the kids come in costumes, depending on what the 'theme' of

4 the party may be. Adults set up and take down tables and chairs. There is a donation to use the garden. You help by keeping your eyes on the kids as they get excited about having a party at the KAG. Birthday Parties are now available 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on SUNDAYS. Please call Jim Cyr at to volunteer to help him. Volunteer hours are 2:30-5:30 p.m LEARN FLOWER DESIGN" Learn Flower Design in the Sogetsu Style. Develop creative self-expression through flower arrangement and learn the beauty of line and space. Keiko (Camille) Van Ast holds a First Teacher s degree from the Sogetsu School of Ikebana in Tokyo, Japan. She has studied Ikebana for more than 25 years. For Registration call Camille at " Classes will meet the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month 9:00-11:30 a.m. in the Kids Adventure Garden Classes are ongoing A one time fee of $20 for a textbook is required. Class fee of $25 per class includes the flower fee of $10 Want to Help us Grow? Do you love Conejo Valley Botanic Garden and would like to help, but just don't have the time to volunteer? Even though much of the work you see going on in the garden is done by volunteers, we still have expenses for planting, heavy pruning and new improvements. These projects are funded through grants and donations from the community. If you would like to help us grow, tax deductible donations are always welcome and may be made out and sent to Conejo Valley Botanic Garden, PO Box 6614, Thousand Oaks, CA Thanks for all your support Conejo Valley Botanic Garden Needs You " The Garden is managed and maintained by community volunteers. Without your help, the garden cannot thrive. None of the volunteer positions at CVBG has a minimum number of volunteer hours attached. If you can help for a few hours a month, great For more information on any of our volunteer opportunities, please go to our web site at and click Volunteers. WE CURRENTLY NEED VOLUNTEERS FOR THE FOLLOWING PROJECTS:" Adopt A Garden: We have an ongoing need for volunteers to join the teams working in our theme gardens. Days and hours are flexible so give us a call. Garden Nursery: There is no better way to learn about California native and water wise plants than to join the teams working in the propagation and sales nurseries. The Kids Adventure Garden: KAG is open from 11:00 to 3:00 each Sunday. Docents welcome families to the garden, answer questions and ensure everyone is safe and has fun. You will train with an experienced Docent. You can sign up for one shift a month or as many as you want.

5 For information and directions to the garden, visit our web site at Jan. 2014