December 2016/January 2017 GROW Tulsa Garden Center News Gingko 2435 S. Peoria Ave Tulsa, OK 74114 918-746-5125 www.tulsagardencenter.com info@tulsagardencenter.com Donations October 8, 2016 November 7, 2016 Tulsa Garden Center Rose Garden Meeting Group Public Service Company of Oklahoma In Memory of Donna Roblyer Chris Heard Karen and Mike Eads In Memory of Betty Bailey Carol and Jenk Jones Linnaeus Teaching Garden Program Laura Chalus Nancy B. Wallace Ray Knapp Deborah McDonald Vicki Hill Margaret Morhart Kay Morrison Like Tulsa Garden Center on Facebook I m blessed, or cursed, with a very sensitive nose. And the nasty smell rising from the ground triggered all my gag reflexes. I was in Los Angeles to start a horticulture internship with a huge wholesale nursery. The nursery manager had made arrangements for me to stay rent free in an old garage apartment owned by an elderly Lebanese lady. The small apartment was bare bones to say the least. It lacked both heating and cooling units and the floor creaked like an old man s bones. But it was rent free and within walking distance of the nursery. My first meeting with the landlady was awkward. She clearly didn t know what to make of the brash, skinny kid from South Louisiana. And I didn t know what to make of the tiny lady with dark piercing eyes and a thick Middle Eastern accent. After shaking hands she stared at me as if I were an alien specimen in a lab petri dish. Very creepy. Within days, however, we were best buddies. We were both avid gardeners and that, as it turned out, was enough to cement a solid relationship that lasted for several years until her passing. My Lebanese landlady introduced me to an interesting tree growing near the back of her property, a huge ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) that was in season. That is to say it was fruiting heavily. The ground beneath its graceful branches was littered with small, yellowish fruit releasing a horrible stench comparable to very funky cheese or rancid butter. The landlady seemed not in the least bothered by the revolting fumes. And, I was shocked when she sweetly asked if I might be willing to harvest a bucket full of the mushy little stink balls and to extract (squeeze out) the pistachio-size seed within each fruit. She wanted to prepare a ginkgo flavored rice dish for our Supper. Overcoming waves of nausea, I managed to comply and left the stinky seeds to dry on a towel near her back door. The ghastly smell lingered on my hands for days. Mercifully, my landlady forgot to make the rice dish. And I wasn t about to remind her. Ginkgo, aka Maidenhair Tree, has been described as a living fossil. It s the sole surviving species of an ancient group of trees that date back to the time of the dinosaurs. Gingko fossils are common in rocks of the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. Native to China, ginkgo is the quintessential survivor. A thousand year life span is not unusual. Interestingly, ginkgo was the first tree in the vicinity of Hiroshima to bud following the atomic blast of 1945. Ginkgo trees are dioecious (separate male and female trees). It s the female ginkgo that produces seeds encased in fleshy, apricotlike coverings that rain down in late fall and stink to high heaven. Wisely, modern nurseries sell only male (fruitless) varieties. Autumn Gold, pictured with this column, is one of the best male ginkgo varieties. Its fall beauty equals or exceeds any maple. Its graceful branch symmetry and ability to thrive in virtually any soil type make ginkgo a great urban shade tree. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Barry Fugatt is Director of Horticulture at the Tulsa Garden Center and Linnaeus Teaching Garden Program. He can be reached at 918-746-5137. E-mail: bfugatt@tulsagardencenter.com
From the Executive Director Don t Blink As any high-functioning non-profit organization knows, a strong volunteer base is one of the key components to overall success. When you can provide a welcoming environment, robust volunteer training, and a process to incorporate volunteer feedback into your programming, not only will you have passionate and engaged volunteers, you will also have created veritable ambassadors who will help propel you towards your vision and mission. To witness this level of excellence at the Tulsa Garden Center (TGC), you need look no further than the Linnaeus Teaching Garden program as evidence that when it comes to volunteers, we are some down-right serious do-gooders! Consisting primarily of retirees with a passion for gardening, the over 350 Linnys, as we proudly call ourselves, are truly the people who keep the Tulsa Garden Center moving forward in excellence. But what about fostering the next generation of volunteers? How do we recruit and retain young people who are just starting to think about community service? One of the many ways we are accomplishing this goal at TGC is by working with young college students from the Tulsa Achieves program. Tulsa Achieves is a funding program that provides up to 100 percent of tuition and fees to Tulsa County high school graduating seniors who enroll at Tulsa Community College. As part of each student s program, they are required to volunteer at least 40 hours a year, and that s where we come in! In the past few months, I have immensely enjoyed working with quite a few Tulsa Achieves students, three in particular have really impressed me. Leah, Alyssa, and Raven are quite remarkable young ladies who have been working on some sorely-needed organizational projects around TGC. Leah is always enthusiastic, always smiling, and brings a sense of humor to her projects which has been quite refreshing. Alyssa is polished and dedicated, completing projects with a level of professionalism lacking in many seasoned employees, and Raven is a delightfully artistic student with a pure servant s heart. I feel blessed to have had an opportunity to impart a lasting, positive impression of the Tulsa Garden Center on such energetic, intelligent, and resourceful young women like Leah, Alyssa, and Raven. These young ladies are the go getters who will be running the world someday soon, so be careful not to overlook or underestimate them or you might just miss seeing the mavens of the future. Be Aware. Don t blink. 2 Tulsa Garden Center News Laura Chalus
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Won t You Help Us Grow? Our pets can have such a profound, calming effect on us that even our worst, most stress-filled days seem to melt away the moment we cross our thresholds and see those furry and feathered faces. Whether your pet is a long-time family member, or simply a caterpillar you re helping on to her next journey, we all have a tendency to adapt our surroundings to fit the needs of our pets. I had an experience recently that really brought this notion full circle in my life. Unfortunately, I had to take a loving pet of 15 years to the vet in order to help her move on to her next journey. When I stepped inside to let the staff know we were there I could barely speak. The young girl at the counter was nothing but professional in getting the paperwork in order, but then something happened that I had not expected. She asked if I would like for the vet to come out to my car instead of bringing Susie inside. The fact that these people, who didn t even know me, were willing to meet me at the place my experience had brought me, instead of where their expectations might think I should be, was extremely profound for me in that moment. This was because this is the exact same mentality I use every day in thinking about the Tulsa Garden Center and how to provide a space and accommodations that fit the needs of our members, affiliate groups, and guests, rather than some pre-prescribed notion of what we think they should need. This spirit of recognizing the benefits of meeting people where they are is now what I hope our supporters will think about when they consider a charitable donation to the Tulsa Garden Center. Won t you consider helping us with a $100 donation designated for the new butterfly garden at Linnaeus? This would certainly go a long way towards our $3,000 goal of helping to Make Tulsa a Monarch City. Or maybe you would prefer a general operating donation which could help us provide updated audio visual equipment for the many groups who include presentations as part of their monthly meetings. The choice is yours. My vision for the Tulsa Garden Center is truly a continuation of our long-standing mission to provide a variety of horticultural and environmental education opportunities for the community and to serve as horticultural headquarters for the Tulsa area. To that end, we continue to design and support amenities that meet our guests where they want to be, not where we think they should be. This is everyone s garden. Won t you help us grow? You can make a charitable donation to the Tulsa Garden Center by visiting our website at http://tulsagardencenter.com/get-involved/donations/, by phoning us at 918-746-5125, or by mailing your donation to Tulsa Garden Center, 2345 S. Peoria Ave, Tulsa, OK 74114. Laura Chalus 4 Tulsa Garden Center News
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Nature never did betray the heart that loved her. William Wordsworth 6 Tulsa Garden Center News
Mark your calendar to help celebrate the 10 th anniversary of the Linnaeus T Gardening by the Book Literary Gardening Writing about gardens has been a passionate preoccupation of men and women since the advent of printing. These books bring insight and reflection on a variety of gardens using the authors perspective. They are written in styles that we can read and reread simply for pleasure. The motives and impulses that influence gardeners are discussed. What unites these books are their clear and obvious passion for a subject which is close to our hearts. The Garden Interior (Morgan James Publishing, 2016) details one family s story and is filled with beautiful observational writing, sly humor, and nostalgia about growing up in the 1960s and 70s. This is a personal account of one man s gardening life. You can experience a garden in each month of the calendar with this being written as a seasonal diary. It has expertise and commentary of gardens past, present, and even imaginary. Garden of Marvels (William Morris, 2014) is a witty and engaging history of botany. It is a memoir which deals with the fascinating science of plants. The quantity of personal anecdotes aids the botanical research, plant physiology, and biological sketches. Horticulture s quirky side shows entertaining and educational aspects of the plant science. Author Ruth Kassinger set out to learn the fundamentals of botany in order to become a better gardener. The Roots of My Obsession: Thirty Great Gardeners Reveal Why They Garden (Timber Press, 2012) has something for every taste and style. The authors reflect how gardens, gardening, and other gardeners have affected their lives. These international writers provide essays as distinct as themselves, being both personal and reflective. The joys, challenges, and rewards of the craft are written by knowledgeable gardeners. Thoughtful Gardening (Basic Books, 2010) reflects author Lane Fox s beliefs of knowing plants origins and growing them in the most suitable places. He gives practical guidance, serious reflection, and humorous anecdotes. The impressions of well-known gardeners are from his travels around the world. He does give critiques of horticultural trends and traditions. This is clever, educational, inspiring and witty with the essays divided by season. Writing the Garden (David R. Godine Inc., 2011) is a collection from 42 eloquent British and American master gardeners past and present. These selections are from more than 200 years of garden writing. An introduction is provided telling the appeal and charm of each writer. This anthology includes photographs and drawings from the original works. The variety of conversationalists, philosophers, and humorists provide assorted topic selections. Citizen Forester Program Interested in trees and want to learn more? Join our Citizen Forester Program to learn about Planning, Planting, Preserving, and Promoting your trees and Tulsa's urban forest. To apply for the Citizen Forester Program www.upwithtrees.org or contact Taylor Melone at (918) 610 8733, taylor@upwithtrees.org to have an application mailed to you. Class size is limited, so be sure and apply today! Tulsa Garden Center News 7
Affiliate News The African Violet Society of Greater Tulsa The Society will NOT meet in December 2016. Guests are invited to attend the January 16, 2017, meeting to learn some of the methods for caring for African Violets so they will look like the lovely show plants that will be seen at the Spring Show in February. Members grow their violets to enjoy their lovely blooms. Learn how to make this experience part of your regular care. Hospitality will begin at 7:00pm and the meeting will start at 7:15pm. Everyone is welcome. Contact: John T. Carter 918-355-8020 johntcarter@valornet.com Green Country Bonsai Society The Green Country Bonsai Society will meet on December 5th at 7:00pm for a Holiday Pot Luck dinner. The meeting will be held in the Tulsa Garden Center auditorium. Attendees are asked to bring a dish to share. Members are asked to decorate a Bonsai as a centerpiece. There will be a door prize drawing and raffles. Contact : Jonathan Lemos at 203-403-8031 lemosbrazil@aol.com The Tulsa Council of Federated Garden Clubs The Tulsa Council of Federated Garden Clubs will NOT meet in the months of December, 2016 or January, 2017. Make plans to attend the Book Review and Style Show on February 17,2017. Contact: Marillyn Lay 918-246-9656 mnhlay@cox.net Tulsa Area Daylily Society The Tulsa Area Daylily Society will join with the Tulsa Area Iris Society on December 8th for a Holiday Party. Dinner will be served at 6:30pm. The Tulsa Daylily Society wishes a joy-filled and peaceful Christmas season to all of our gardening friends. And, may your 2017 be filled with delightful hours in the garden. The Society will not meet in January or February. All are invited to join us on the first Thursday in March as we welcome spring and celebrate another year together. Contact: Regina Jones at 918-260-1855 Regina.jones@ncdcok.org The Tulsa Garden Club The Tulsa Garden Club s December meeting was replaced by the Holiday Tea, held on November 28th. The Club doesn t meet in the month of January. The February meeting will be held on February 6, 2017, at 10:00am. The program will be Growing Vegetables in Traditional Yardscapes presented by Erma Roquemore, a Tulsa County Master Gardener. Contact: Marillyn Lay 918-246-9656 mnhlay@cox.net The Tulsa Herb Society The Tulsa Herb Society will meet on December 13th at 9:00am for a Members Only Christmas luncheon. The January, 2017, meeting will be held on January 10th, at 9:00am for a program by Tracy Evans of Spice Market discussing spices. Contact : Patsy Wynn at 918-496-8019 patsywynn@cox.net Tulsa Area Iris Society The Tulsa Area Iris Society will join with the Tulsa Area Daylily Society on December 8th for a Holiday Party. Dinner will be served at 6:30pm. The Society will not meet in January or February. Contact: Joshua Winzer at 918-863-9399 Jjwinzer@aol.com Oklahoma Native Plant Society The Northeast Chapter of the Oklahoma Native Plant Society will meet on Monday, December 5, in the Ballroom of the Tulsa Garden Center. Snacks and desserts will be available at 6:30 p.m., with the meeting beginning at 7:00. Adam Sarmiento, newly-elected State Vice President of the Society, will present the evening s program, Landscaping with Native Plants. The meeting is open to the public and guests are welcome to hear Adam s presentation. For your calendars: The Northeast Chapter will be hosting the statewide Indoor Outing, an annual event held by ONPS, at the Garden Center on Saturday, February 4. More information about this event will be available at the ONPS website, oknativeplants.org. Contact: Sue Amstutz D-s-amstutz@cox.net The Tulsa Orchid Society The Tulsa Orchid Society meets the second Sunday of each month at 1:30pm, except July when there is no meeting. This December 11th at 1:30pm we will celebrate Christmas with a party and officer elections. We are currently finalizing plans for our January 8th and February 12th speakers. In addition to speakers, we will have refreshments, beautiful blooming orchids on display that are grow by members, and a raffle where you can win an orchid. We also have many experienced growers who can answer questions. Please come and visit one of our meetings. Contact: Soundra Schacher at 918-299-6466 schacher1@cox.net The Tulsa Perennial Club The Tulsa Perennial Club s will not meet in December, 2016, the first meeting of the new year will be held January 19, 2017. We will kick off the year with a talk about Our Favorite Things, given by the owners of The Garden Trug. Food and drinks are served from 6:45pm 7:00pm, with mingling and catching up, then the meeting starts at 7:00pm. Please come! Contact: J. Diane Beckert @ 918-382-6911 Diane.Beckert@jmwsettlements.com 8 Tulsa Garden Center News