SILVER STATE GARDENER

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1 SILVER STATE GARDENER Volume XXV, Issue 4 Summer CALENDAR Oct. 6: Fall Conference Oct : Fall Show FROM THE EDITOR As many (but not all!) of our clubs go dark for the summer, I find that fewer of you send me articles for our Silver State Gardener. So this is a shorter-than usual issue. Apr. 13: Sunset Flower Show Apr. 13: Rose Society Show Apr : Iris Society Show Gardening is akin to writing stories. No experience could have taught me more about grief or flowers, about achieving survival by going, your fingers in the ground, the limit of physical exhaustion. Eudora Welty Still, there are some articles I hope you will find interesting. As you ll see, I am still working on getting the photos properly spaced. This issue is dedicated to the memory of our first State President, Linnea Domz.

2 LAS VEGAS VALLEY ROSE SOCIETY Like their human counterparts, roses don t especially like the heat. The blooms, if they don t fry in the summer sun, will be smaller than spring or fall blooms. Even though we don t want to encourage growth during the summer we don t want to deny them some nourishment. Because of the heavy watering, any food you have given them will have leached out-even if it is a time release. We need to keep watering but if you choose to feed give them about ½ of the recommended dosage shown on the package. That should get them through the summer. Remember, water, water and more water. I am happy to announce our officers for the year. First of all a big thanks to Vicki Yuen for acting as our installing officer at our end of the year party. President Steve Schneider, 1 st VP Joann Richard, 2 nd VP L.J. Mauceri, Recording Secretary Bernie Adkins, Corresponding Secretary Merle Aufill, Treasurer Ada Pulin and last but not least Director Jackie Jackson. Have a great summer Steve Schneider President, Las Vegas Valley Rose Society

3 ROSE GARDEN CLUB Rose Garden is proud to have had a part in the re-dedication of the Touch and Smell Garden for the Blind located within the Garden of the Pioneer Woman at Lorenzi Park. Las Vegas City Councilman Cedric Creer was on hand to help Linnea Miller Domz cut the ribbon at the short but meaningful ceremony held on June 2, Linnea is now 105 years old, and the Touch and Smell Garden was her idea brought to fruition in the Spring of 1977, when Oran Gragson was the Mayor of Las Vegas. At that time, Councilman Ron Lurie cut the ribbon with Linnea. Steven Glimp, the City of Las Vegas Urban Forester was also present at the most recent ceremony. The Rose Garden Club is actively engaged in promoting tours of patrons of the Nevada Blind Center. We wish to thank the Nevada Garden Clubs, Inc. for the generous donation given to help with the project. $ was won by the State of Nevada at the 2016 Pacific Region Convention in Seattle, Washington. The Award was given to the State which had the most new Pacific Region Life Members. The Rose Garden had the most new members within the state. The award was presented to State President Nancy Lee Loesch to be used toward a President s project. We have placed two new trees within the garden and are working on getting braille signs in place with the common name of the plants in the garden. This award has helped to cover the expense. In the Fall of this year, the Rose Garden Club will be placing a bench near the Nevada Garden Club Center in honor of those who have served so faithfully in our club: Earline Smith, Imagene Lindo, Thelma Henson, Lee Pearns and Linnea Miller Domz. Linnea, a lifetime member of the Rose Garden Club, was also presented with a commemorative plaque for Rose Garden Club s contribution to Penny Pines at the Spring Annual Meeting on June 2, A plantation of trees was planted on Mt. Charleston in the Toiyabe National Forest to replace those burned in the Carpenter fire. We look forward to a rest this summer, with great plans for the next term. We continue to meet on the third Thursday at the Nevada Garden Club Center at 11:00 a.m. We would love to have you join us.

4 SEEDLINGS After a fast and furious start the Seedlings are ready for a break. We are looking forward to the fall and new president Bonnie Graney has some terrific ideas. We will be studying the Las Vegas Valley Gardening Book by Hobby St. Denis, and following the theme of Sowing Seeds; we have a variety of great programs for the new term, including a trip to Pioche in May for installation of officers and a planting at the Blue Star Memorial at the Pioche Park. We look forward to two new members who have joined us already because of our Facebook post of Fairy Gardens, and another new member will be joining us in September. We are now fifteen strong. Seedlings are planning on sowing seeds in the community by working with a local memory care facility on a continuing gardening project. We will be sponsoring a Smokey Bear - Woodsy Owl poster contest and have a Penny Pines chairman in place to support the National Programs. This year we have programs planned on Winter Vegetable Gardening, Everything you wanted to know about Pumpkins; and Pine Cone Wreaths. A program on irrigation will be very interesting in January. In March we hope to learn a basic artistic design to enter the Spring Flower Show for the first time. We will be supporting the Pruning in the Park in February of next year. A Monarch Butterfly program will be given in the early spring of next year to support the Pacific Region theme of Spreading Your Butterfly Wings. Please join us and share your knowledge with our Seedlings group. We meet on the fourth Tuesday at the Nevada Garden Club Center at 6:30 p.m. Come grow with us. SPRING FLOWER SHOW The Las Vegas Flower Arrangers Guild Flower Show in April was a very successful event. We were delighted to have entries from both the Las Vegas Valley Rose Society and the Glitter Gulch African Violet Society. These two clubs made up a good portion of the horticulture entries for our show. Please enjoy the photos from the show. And maybe next year, you will enter something as well!

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7 Silver Dollar Jade Succulent Bob Middag, Las Vegas, NV The Silver Dollar Jade is the common name for Crassula Arborescens, part of the large succulent category. This specific jade is closely related to the more common green jade, Crassula Ovata succulent. The Silver Dollar Jade is native to the coastal areas of South Africa, which has a Mediterranean-like climate, similar to coastal southern California. This jade is a colorful addition to any collection or garden, with leaves of silver/blue/gray color tone with reddish edges. In the spring the Silver Dollar Jade produces small star-like flowers in shades of white to deep pink. The plant s trunk and branches are thick, as are the leaves. Therefore, the branches can bend/break with this weight or in windy conditions. Thus preventive pruning is recommended when necessary to keep plant structure or shape. The plant can grow up to 3 feet or more tall in ideal climates. The branches and individual leaves are easily adapted to propagation. You ll be amazed at what a fast grower this succulent is. As such, you will always have plenty of Silver Dollar Jades in your garden to enjoy or to share with fellow gardeners. As with all succulents, the Silver Dollar Jade grown in the desert does best in shady conditions, from filtered shade to bright shade in a clay pot. Away from bright light, it will become more leggy and its branches weaker. It is very drought tolerant, although does best with regular watering. Overwatering will result in rotting at the base of the trunk. Unlike the green jade, the Silver Dollar is cold hardy 25 deg F and much more heat tolerant. However, extended periods of extreme heat could be fatal. It is recommended to keep a close watch on your plant during summer heat waves and move indoors for a time. No gardener with an eye for succulents should be without at least one awesome Silver Dollar Jade to enjoy and show others. You ll be glad you did.

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