March 5, 2015 16633 Magnolia Blvd
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Volume 81 Issue 3 Holiday CACTUS CHRONICLE Party Mission Statement: CSSA Affiliate The Los Angeles Cactus and Succulent Society (LACSS) cultivates the study and enjoy- ment of cacti and succulent plants through educational programs and activities that promote Next Meeting the hobby within a community of fellow enthusiasts and among the greater public. PROGRAM: South Africa-Land of the Half-Man March 5, 2015 16633 Magnolia Blvd. presented by Woody Minnich Encino, CA 91356 No where in the world is there a more floristic region than Doors Open at that of South Africa. South Africa is a magnificent place of 6:15 pm color, form and texture. Life is everywhere and there is nev- er a dull moment. No matter how many trips one makes to Meeting begins at these areas, finding something intriguing and beautiful is 7:00pm always easy! As is often the case, the time of the year can make an incredible difference in the way plants appear, thus modifying their color, size and shape. We made this trip in Refreshments South Africa’s winter – spring, August 2008. The colors cre- ated by the stress of winter were often spectacular, and it’s amazing the number of plants that choose to produce their beautiful flowers dur- A-D ing this season. Visiting this kind of succulent rich expanse truly opens one’s eyes to the diversity February New of the plants we love so much. Seeing them in habitat also helps to give us the knowledge needed to better cultivate them successfully in the greenhouse and Members garden. Hopefully, for those of you unable to travel to these special places where Scott Gustafson so many succulents grow, this presentation will help you gain insight into some of Roger La Chapelle the secrets found, while being in South Africa’s wild places. Ralph Massey June Wong Woody has been involved with the cactus and succulent world as a grower, field explorer, club and organization leader, writer, photographer, lecturer and pre- senter. Editor He is also recognized for having operated the nursery Cactus Data Plants since Phyllis Frieze 1975. His show quality plants are often considered one of the standards for stag- frieze.phyllis@ ing and horticultural achievement. yahoo.com He is a retired secondary school teacher of 32 years where he taught Graphics, Art and Architecture. In the cactus and succulent hobby, Woody is recognized Visit Us on the web for his high energy and creative spirit. As an educator, he has become an im- www.LAcactus.com. portant part of our hobby and thus is an honorary life member of nine C&S socie- OR contact us at ties. With 42 years in the hobby and 44 years in the field, he has many experi- [email protected] ences to share and numerous photos to show. (Continued on Page 3) 2015 Officers President’s Message March, 2015 President Joyce Schumann The good news is that our membership renewals for 2015 are at an all-time 1st VP, Programs Marquita Elias high. In addition to the record renewals, we have at least six new members al- 2nd VP, Plant of the Month ready! There is no bad news. Manny Rivera rd 3 VP, Special Events March will be another busy month for everyone. Not only do we need to be on John Martinez Secretary weather watch for late frost and/ or sunburn on our plants but now must prepare Cheryl White for plants coming out of winter dormancy. Time to feed lightly with a dilute solu- [email protected] tion of fertilizer. Better too little than too much. If you were fortunate to collect Treasurer some rain water, you can flush your potted plants with rain water prior to fertiliz- Kathryn Boorer ing. This will help remove any excess leftover mineral accumulation from last Director 1 Odd Years Membership year. This topic is covered in many of our library books and on several Danielle Duboff handouts located next to the FREEBIE table. Director 2, Even Years David Le Congratulations to the Plant of the Month participants. There were at least 35 Past President Roxie Esterle entries. Quite a nice turn out! Vice President –POM, Manny Rivera, has written LACSS Show Chair several informative articles encouraging your participation and we are pleased Artie Chavez with the response. Show Committee Joyce Schumann Some people look at our beloved succulent plants and say “What is it good Kim Thorpe Rosemary Polito for?” One answer is in the first article of the Jan.-Feb., 2015 issue of the CSSA Webmaster Journal. “Production of artisanal mescal, tequila’s sassy little sister” by Dan Kim Thorpe Mahr gives a detailed description of the process of producing Mescal. Fascinat- Librarian ing!! You must read this article so you will have a snappy comeback! This is not Susan Phillips Historian your standard plant identification article! Nils Schirrmacher Cactus Chronicle Editor In February, we presented a first time ever Bonus Program on Saturday, the Phyllis Frieze 21st. There is always a concern about “what- happens- if- you- throw-a- party- Inter-City Show Liaison and- no one- comes!” Our fears were quickly put to rest by the fantastic turnout CSSA Representative John Matthews for a very unusual program. There will be a more comprehensive report on this Education Chair program in the April Chronicle. Kyle Williams Drawing & Plant Procurement John Suciu scheduled another great Mentoring session scheduled for the same Richard Roosman Mentor Program Chair day as the bonus program. A trip to Bryan and Mary Chan’s home provided a John Suciu fresh look at hardscape gardening. Bryan used his own collection of Bromeli- Member at Large ads, dyckias, cacti and other succulents to design a drought tolerant front yard. Kathleen Misko Rather than just sticking plants in the ground, he gave considerable thought to CGCI Liasion the plants’ needs and visual effects. His collection of rocks is also very impres- Natalie Welsh Cactus Garden Chair sive. Chris Rogers Cactus Chronicle Distribution On Monday, February 23, 2015 the LACSS representatives attended the CGCI Richard Roosman San Fernando Valley District quarterly meeting and luncheon. After the busi- John Matthews Holiday Party Chairperson ness meeting we were treated to a program on California Native Plants by Su- Barbara Hall san Krzywicki. The CNPS is conducting an intensive search and identification Holiday Party Awards of the remaining populations of native plants. Quite an undertaking!!! Procurement Gerald Reichert So, until we meet again at the March meeting, I wish all of you good growing Cactus Garden Chris Rogers and good health. Meeting Refreshments Lisa Gailey See ya soon… Linda Holub Best, Publicity Kim Thorpe Joyce Monthly Drawing Leah Imamura Juana Williams Page 2 Continued from page 1 The region of South Africa, from Uniondale to Oudtshoorn, to Ladismith, to Montagu, is commonly called the Klein Karoo. From this region south and west, one travels through the Little Karoo and the Great Karoo. Heading north you eventually merge into the southern reaches of the wellknown Richtersveld, it is here we will conclude our presentation near the peaceful little town of Springbok. Needless to say, the richness of plants and animals from this area is far greater than one presenta- tion can show. Thus, a second part to this South African adventure (part 2) will cover the Rich- tersveld and north to the Orange River, the famous land of the Nama people.” Namaqualand, Land of the Halfmens”. In South Africa, the sheer number of succulent plants is astounding and the niches they inhabit are most unique and fascinating. Some of the genera we will see from this expedition include: Aloe, Avonia, Anacampseros, Conophytum, Crassula, Cotyledon, Dioscorea, Gibbeaum, Glottiphyllum, Haworthia, Larryleachia, Lithops, Monsonia, Pachypodium, Pelargonium, Quaqua, Senecio, Stape- lia, Tylecodon as well as, many other seldom seen or rare genera. The non succulent plants are also a feature of this area, ranging from the numerous bulbs to the breath taking Proteas. Euphorbia ferox Crassula columnaris Aloe khamienensis Crassula rupestris FOR SALE - Norma Lewis wants to sell her nearly complete set of CSSA journals. Missing a few of the earlier issues. Contact John Matthews at 661-714-1052 if interested. Page 3 PLANT OF THE MONTH POLICIES for 2015 Competition Divisions: Rookie: 0 to 25 combined points from 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place “rookie” awards Novice: 1 to 100 combined points from 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place “novice” award points Advanced: 100 or more combined points from 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place “advanced” award points Master/Open: Any experienced grower may compete in this division, but entry is required for individuals who sell at shows outside of LACSS. Plant Entries Members may enter up to three plants in each designated monthly cactus and succulent category. In the Advanced and Master/Open divisions, members must have cared for their plants for at least 1 year. In the Novice division, the ownership requirement is 6 months. Rookies may show newly purchased plants. Entries should be labeled and placed on the display table by 7:00 pm. Judging Criteria Plants are evaluated according to the following guidelines: Condition (health, form, damage-free) 50% Maturity and size 25% Staging (complementary container, top dressing, composition) 20% Nomenclature (identification and label) 5% Other factors include rarity, growing difficulty, and whether or not the plant is in flower. Awards First place 6 points Second place 3 points Third place 2 points Other entries 1 point per plant to acknowledge entry Entry slips are collected by the 2nd Vice President in charge of Plant of the Month who coordinates tabulation, record keeping, and publication in the Cactus Chronicle. Annual cumulative prizes are awarded at the Holiday Party in December to the top three scorers in each division for cacti and for succulents.