“Life begins the day you start your ” - Club Motto

CVGC MARCH 13, 2019 MEETING VOLUME 22 ISSUE 2

Our speaker will be Jimmie St. Arnold from Mt. Diablo Adult Education. She IN THIS ISSUE PAGE will demonstrate Creative Floral Design and has suggested members President’s Message 2 bring in any flowers from their Penny Pines 2 they'd like to see in an Blossoms For Barbara 4 arrangement. We expect to be able Internet Security 4 to create 2-3 Hoop House Project 5 arrangements Pacific Region Garden Clubs Convention 5 and will raffle CVGC Sale 6 them off at the CVGC Membership Renewal 6 end of the CVGC Apparel 6 demonstration. Calendar of Events March/April 7 CVGC Officer & Chair Contact Info. 11

Nancy Niemeyer, Editor GARDEN CLUB OFFICERS 2019

President - Marlene Kinney Vice President - Elaine Billeter Secretary - Linda Shubin Treasurer - Vicki Sexton Membership - Carolyn Whitmore and Linda Cruz Programs - Robin Willis Parliamentarian - Judy Bates MEETING SPEAKERS & TREATS

Club meetings are on the 2nd March 13: Jimmie St. Arnold will demonstrate Wednesday of the month at Diamond how to arrange flowers. Treats - Fran Terrace Retirement Living, 6401 Veal, Debbie Eistetter. Drinks - TBA. Center Street, Clayton, CA April 10: Patty Liu will talk about how to make californiagardenclubs.com/ skin care using herbs. Treats - TBA. claytonvalleygardenclub Drinks - TBA. (925) 276-2299

CVGC Newsletter March 2019 1 CVCG President’s Message March 2019

Our much needed rain has finally arrived and with it, so have all of the weeds. If given a chance they will take over our gardens. Now is a great time to get rid of all those weeds while they are small and the soil is nice and soft, making them easier to pull out. One of the pluses of the winter rain is that the daffodils are in full bloom. Love their color.

Thank you to all the volunteers who showed up to make Blossoms for Barbara successful once again this year. We are grateful to Linda Karp for organizing this project and letting CVGC help brighten so many lives that otherwise would not be touched by our generosity. Good job Clayton Valley Garden Club members.

Your new Board of Directors is already working hard to prepare for this year’s events. These events can't be successful without volunteers so please do not hesitate to sign up at our general meetings or contact the appropriate committee Chairs/co-Chairs. We also need volunteers to Chair the positions that are still open: Advertising, Clayton Library Beds, Club Representative to Diablo Foothills District, Diablo Valley Middle School, and Publicity. Please let me know if you are interested in one of these open positions.

A friendly reminder. If you have not yet renewed your CVGC membership, please contact one of the Membership co-Chairs, Carolyn Whitmore or Linda Cruz, so you can be included in the 2019 Club Yearbook & Membership Roster.

Please make note of my New Email Address effective immediately: [email protected]

PENNY PINES - submitted by Chair, Patty Remoy

After last year’s wildfires, many areas in California need to be replanted with seedling trees. The Penny Pines program is a great way for us to help.

I would like to encourage feedback from the members of CVGC as to potential recipients of a future Penny Pines certificate. Please share your ideas /suggestions for candidates either directly to me or by way of the suggestion box at club general meetings.

CVGC Newsletter March 2019 2 California Garden Clubs Inc. adopted the Penny Pines Reforestation Program as a state project in 1957. Over the years CGCI and other organizations have contributed more than a million dollars to Penny Pines. Through these donations, more than 27 million seedlings have been planted, renewing 88,000 acres of national forest land in California. Penny Pines remains one of CGCI’s major projects today. Donations from Clayton Valley Garden Club members help support this outstanding program.

4 NATIONAL FORESTS YOU CAN DONATE TO VIA PENNY PINES 12 6 1. Angeles National Forest 8 9 2. Cleveland National Forest 5, 15 3. Eldorado National Forest 3 4. Klamath National Forest 14 5. L. Tahoe Basin Mgt. Unit 6. Lassen National Forest 13 7. Los Padres National Forest 8. Mendocino National Forest 11 9. Plumas National Forest 10. San Bernardino National Forest 11. Sequoia National Forest 7 12. Shasta-Trinity National Forest 1 10 13. Sierra National Forest 14. Stanislaus National Forest 2 15. Tahoe National Forest

A Penny Pines Plantation certificate makes a wonderful gift for birthdays, holidays, special occasions, or as a memorial gift in honor of a loved one.

For $68, you can buy a Penny Pines Plantation certificate recognizing the person to be honored and the donating organization (CVGC). For an additional $14, the certificate can be framed with mat board, border stickers, and a wooden frame.

If you would like a donation form for a Penny Pines Plantation, please contact Chair Patty Remoy. You can give your completed form and check to Patty or a CVGC board member.

CVGC Newsletter March 2019 3 BLOSSOMS FOR BARBARA - submitted by Chair Linda Karp

Blossoms for Barbara is an annual community-wide event put on by the Clayton Valley Garden Club. In observance of Valentine’s Day, volunteers give decoratively wrapped flowering to those in hospice care, patients in assisted living and convalescent locations, battered women's shelters, and recipients of Meals on Wheels. Blossoms for Barbara has grown from 250 recipients in 2012 to over 1,300 this year.

Blossoms for Barbara has touched the hearts of patients, family members, care-givers, nurses, counselors, and volunteers. This event means so much to so many, which is evident from the thank you cards and letters that CVGC receives each year after deliveries are finished. We are grateful to the Clayton Business and Community Association, and many other local business for their continued support.

INTERNET SECURITY

If you use a computer, you risk falling prey to crooks trying to steal your money and personal information. Hackers break into websites, email accounts, and computer systems and take information without the owner realizing it. Spoofers disguise their emails to seem to be from a known, trusted source in order to trick you into responding. Phishing messages ask for personal information, beg for money, or offer deals too good to be true.

Aside from having good security software that you keep up to date, are there other ways to help keep the bad guys from scamming you? Yes but you need to be vigilant and learn to recognize the false and misleading messages that flood our electronic inboxes.

Look carefully at your email messages. Red flags include: asking for personal information via email, using generic greetings such as “Dear Valued Customer” instead of your name, using threatening language such as “your account has been suspended”, and spelling/grammar errors. If the email is suspicious, check the sender’s email address in the header to see if it matches their name. Likewise, check that the company website shown in the email matches the real one. Most importantly, never click on any link or open any attachment in a suspicious email. When in doubt, contact the sender to see if the email is legitimate.

CVGC Newsletter March 2019 4 HOOP HOUSE PROJECT - submitted by co-Chair Linda Cruz

Our CVGC volunteers have been working hard to keep the plants alive over the winter. Although the plants are not beautiful now, they should perk up with more warmth and light this spring. We will wait to remove the protective cloth from the propagation areas until mid-March in case there is a late frost.

There are many jobs to do in preparation for our annual plant sale: repotting, adding soil, fertilizing, deadheading, shaping, and just general housekeeping. Please come join us on Tuesdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to noon, weather permitting. When the rains stop, our watering schedule will start up again. If you would like to help with watering, let Robin Willis know and she will add your name to the watering team list. You can pick the time and date you are available to water plants.

We still have some Lost & Found items at the Hoop House (right). Do any of these items belong to you?

PACIFIC REGION GARDEN CLUBS CONVENTION

This year, California will host the Pacific Region Garden Club’s 76th annual Convention on April 5 - 10 in Van Nuys. For more information about the Convention, go to: pacificregiongardenclubs.org/ Not only is this a great chance to go to a Regional Convention relatively close to home, but it’s also an opportunity to see some lovely Southern California public gardens at the height of their bloom season.

Descanso Gardens, www.descansogardens.org/visit/, (which is on one of the Convention’s tours), is a 160 acre that includes the largest camellia collection in the country, a five acre , an Ancient Forest featuring living fossil plants, and a Lilac Garden. The Botanical Garden, www.huntington.org/gardens, has sixteen themed garden areas over 120 acres. These include a desert garden with one of the oldest and largest collections of succulents and cacti in the world and a century-old . The Los Angeles County and Botanical Garden, www.arboretum.org/explore/garden-landscapes/, is a 111 acre garden that includes a tropical with one of the country’s largest orchid collections, a fruit and vegetable educational garden, and four acres of lily ponds.

CVGC Newsletter March 2019 5 CVGC PLANT SALE - submitted by co-Chair, Linda Cruz

New members Linda Schroers and Kim Brazill joined us for a Propagation Workshop on Saturday February 23. Linda Cruz demonstrated how to root plant cuttings while Toni Hegemier, Robin Willis, Dorothy Bradt, Gloria Utley, Peggy Arundell, and Patty Remoy were busy propagating and potting up new plants. We enjoyed sandwiches, Gloria's chocolate cake, and each other's camaraderie for lunch.

The annual plant sale is only two months away so we need all the help we can get. There are many jobs to do before, during, and after the sale such as: propagating; potting up plants and color bowls; designing and distributing the poster and flyers; putting up the banners; and preparing information signs to label the plants. We also need gently used -related items and decorated rocks to sell. Would anyone be interested in hosting a propagation or rock painting party?

The Plant Sale Committee will be holding a meeting soon. If you wish to be on the Committee and have not signed up yet, please notify one the Plant Sale co-Chairs: Toni Hegemier, Linda Cruz, and Rory Richmond.

CVGC MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL - submitted by co-Officer, Linda Cruz

If you haven’t renewed your membership yet, please fill out the renewal form (which was emailed to all members on February 11) and either bring it to the March meeting or mail it to P.O. Box 633, Clayton, CA 94517. We need your information to prepare the Membership Directory to be distributed at the April meeting. If you are a new member or if you would like a new photo for the Directory, you can have your photo taken at the March meeting.

CVGC APPAREL - submitted by Linda Cruz

We would like to place another CVGC apparel order so that we can get them in time to wear at the plant sale in May. If you purchased aprons, shirts, vests, etc. printed with the CVGC logo in 2018, please wear or bring them to the March 13th meeting so that everyone can see what they look like. If you are interested in ordering something, please contact Brenda Orcutt.

CVGC Newsletter March 2019 6 CALENDAR OF EVENTS - MARCH/APRIL

*** Tuesdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 12 noon CVGC Hoop House Project work parties at Gloria Utley’s property in Clayton.

Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at North Wiget Lane and Mitchell Drive in Walnut Creek: Diablo Valley Farmers’ Market. For more information, go to: www.cafarmersmkts.com/diablo-valley-farmers-market

March 2 at 10 a.m., Saturday, at Sloat Garden Center in Concord: Elizabeth Ruiz will give a workshop on how to prune citrus. The class is free for Sloat Rewards Members (membership is free) and $10 for nonmembers. For more information and to register, go to: www.sloatgardens.com/whats-happening/seminars-events/

March 2 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, in Pittsburg: Greywater Action will give a workshop on how to install a system to use washer water in your landscape. The workshop costs $15. For more information and to register, go to: www.eventbrite.com/e/greywater-installation-workshop-tickets-55431642535

March 2 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Saturday, at Mt. View Sanitary District in Martinez: Kelly Davidson and Lisa Tell will give a free workshop all about hummingbirds. For more information about the workshop and to register, go to: mvsd.org/event/ hummingbird-workshop/?instance_id=84

March 3 at 10 a.m., Sunday, at Sloat Garden Center in Concord: Dustin Strobel will give a workshop on how to prepare a spring vegetable garden. The class is free for Sloat Rewards Members (membership is free) and $10 for nonmembers. For more information and to register, go to: www.sloatgardens.com/whats-happening/seminars- events/

March 8 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Friday, at the Contra Costa Water District office in Concord: The Contra Costa Water District will present a free workshop on how replace your lawn with a water-wise landscape. For more information and to register, go to: www.eventbrite.com/e/lose-the-lawn-get-a-garden-workshop-tickets- 55545143018

March 8 from 11 a.m. to 12 noon, Friday, at the Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek: Walker Young will give a workshop on growing Echeveria succulents. The talk costs $15 for members and $20 for nonmembers. For more information and to register, go to: www.ruthbancroftgarden.org/event/echeveria-101/

March 9 at 11 a.m., Saturday, at Annie’s Annuals in Richmond: John Valenzuela will give a free class on how to prune and graft fruit trees. For more information, go to: blog.anniesannuals.com/2019-talks/

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CVGC Newsletter March 2019 7 CALENDAR OF EVENTS - MARCH/APRIL (continued)

March 9 from 9 to 11 a.m., Saturday, at Heather Farms in Walnut Creek: Lara Hermanson will give a workshop on how to plant a spring vegetable garden. The workshop is $20 for members and $25 for nonmembers. For more information and to register, go to: gardenshf.org/event-calendar/?month=mar&yr=2019

March 9 at 10 a.m., Saturday, at Sloat Garden Center in Concord: The staff will give a seminar on soil and fertilizer. The class is free for Sloat Rewards Members (membership is free) and $10 for nonmembers. For more information and to register, go to: www.sloatgardens.com/whats-happening/seminars-events/

March 9 - 10 from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, and 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sunday at St. Andrews Celebration Center in Pleasant Hill: Northern California Camellia show and sale. For more information, go to: californiagardenclubs.com/calendar

March 12 from 11 a.m. to 12 noon, Tuesday, at Nursery in Lafayette: Free orchid repotting demo. For more information, go to: www.orchardnursery.com/events/

March 12 from 6:30 to 8 p.m., Tuesday, at the Lafayette Library: UC Master Terry Lippert will give a free talk on container gardening and gardening in small spaces. For more information, go to: ccmg.ucanr.edu/?calitem=433996

***March 13 from 7 to 9 p.m., Wednesday, in Clayton: CGVC meeting. Jimmie St. Arnold, an instructor at Mt. Diablo Adult Education, will demonstrate how to make flower arrangements. See page 1.

March 21 - 24 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and Sunday at Cal Expo in Sacramento: The San Francisco Flower and Garden Show. Tickets vary in price. Early bird tickets costing $16 will be available through March 10. For more information, go to: www.sfgardenshow.com/

March 21 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon, Thursday, at the Rodgers Ranch Heritage Center in Pleasant Hill: Anna Marie Beauchemin will give a workshop on growing and using herbs. The workshop costs $25 . For more information and to register, go to: sustainablecoco.ning.com/events/growing-and-using-herbs

March 23 from 10 to 11 a.m., Saturday, at the Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek: Nathan Miller will give a talk on Tillandsia (air plants). The talk costs $20 for members and $25 for nonmembers. For more information and to register, go to: www.ruthbancroftgarden.org/event/all-about-air-plants/

March 23 at 11 a.m., Saturday, at Annie’s Annuals in Richmond: Pete Veilleux of East Bay Wilds will give a free class on California native plants. For more information, go to: blog.anniesannuals.com/2019-talks/

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CVGC Newsletter March 2019 8 CALENDAR OF EVENTS - MARCH/APRIL (continued)

March 24 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon, Sunday, at McDonnell Nursery in Orinda: Lori Caldwell will give a free talk about mulch, , drip irrigation, and native plants. For more information and to register, go to: www.ebmud.com/about-us/events/ sustainable-practices-water-wise-gardening/

March 30 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, at 2405 Shadelands Drive in Walnut Creek: The U.C. Master will hold their Eighth Annual Great Tomato Plant Sale. For more information, go to: ccmg.ucanr.edu/?calitem=441152

April 5 through 10, Friday through Wednesday, in Van Nuys, California: Pacific Region Garden Club annual convention. See page 5.

April 6 - 7 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, at the Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek: Spring plant sale featuring water wise plants. For more information, go to: www.ruthbancroftgarden.org/event/spring-plant-sale/2019-04-06/

April 6 at 10 a.m., Saturday, at Sloat Garden Center in Concord: Dustin Stroebel and Susie Nolta will give a seminar on growing tomatoes. The class is free for Sloat Rewards Members (membership is free) and $10 for nonmembers. For more information and to register, go to: www.sloatgardens.com/whats-happening/seminars- events/

April 6 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, in Walnut Creek: Judy Adler will give a workshop on California native . The workshop costs $35. For more information and to register, go to: www.bringingbackthenatives.net/workshops

April 6 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon, Saturday, at the Pittsburg Library: A workshop on how to teach children about gardening. The workshop costs $10 for one child and $5 for each additional child. For more information and to register, go to: sustainablecoco.ning.com/events/fun-with-kids-in-the-garden

April 6 at 11 a.m., Saturday, at Annie’s Annuals in Richmond: Don Mahoney will give a free class on gardening for birds and butterflies. For more information, go to: blog.anniesannuals.com/2019-talks/

April 7 at 11 a.m., Saturday, at Annie’s Annuals in Richmond: Annie will give a free class on how to start a garden. For more information, go to: blog.anniesannuals.com/2019- talks/

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CVGC Newsletter March 2019 9 CALENDAR OF EVENTS - MARCH/APRIL (continued)

***April 10 from 7 to 9 p.m., Wednesday, in Clayton: CGVC meeting. Patty Liu of Free Flow Botanicals will talk about making herbal skin care products. See page 1.

April 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Friday, at the Antioch City Hall: The Contra Costa Water District will present a free workshop on how replace your lawn with a water-wise landscape. For more information and to register, go to: www.eventbrite.com/e/lose- the-lawn-get-a-garden-workshop-antioch-tickets-55548946394

April 13 at 10 a.m., Saturday, at Sloat Garden Center in Concord: Dustin Stroebel will give a workshop on creating an herb planter. The class is $50 for Sloat Rewards Members (membership is free) and $60 for nonmembers. For more information and to register, go to: www.sloatgardens.com/whats-happening/seminars-events/

April 13 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, in Pittsburg: Greywater Action will give a workshop on how to install a system to collect and use rainwater in your landscape. The workshop costs $15. For more information and to register, go to: www.eventbrite.com/e/free-water-rain-barrel-installation-workshop-tickets- 54781886096

April 16 from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Tuesday at the Crow Canyon Country Club in Danville: Walnut Creek Garden Club fundraiser luncheon featuring a vintage fashion show. Tickets cost $50 and must be purchased by April 5. For more information, email Margaret Stewart at [email protected].

April 17 from 11 a.m. to 12 noon, Wednesday, at Orchard Nursery in Lafayette: Shawna Anderson will give a free spring container garden demonstration. For more information, go to: www.orchardnursery.com/events/

April 20 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (members from 9 a.m.), Saturday, at the Tilden Botanical Garden in Berkeley: The Garden will hold its annual spring plant sale featuring native perennials, shrubs, and trees. For more information, go to: nativeplants.org/ spring-plant-sale-saturday-april-21/

April 26 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Friday, at the Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek: Walker Young will give a talk on propagating succulents. The talk costs $25 for members and $30 for nonmembers. For more information and to register, go to: www.ruthbancroftgarden.org/event/succulent-propagation-for-beginners/

April 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, in Walnut Creek: Judy Adler will give a workshop on California native plant propagation. The workshop costs $35. For more information and to register, go to: www.bringingbackthenatives.net/workshops

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CVGC Newsletter March 2019 10 CALENDAR OF EVENTS - MARCH/APRIL (continued)

April 27 at 11 a.m., Saturday, at Annie’s Annuals in Richmond: A panel of experts will give a free class on gardening for butterflies. For more information, go to: blog.anniesannuals.com/2019-talks/

April 28 at 10 a.m., Sunday, at Sloat Garden Center in Concord: The staff will give a workshop for kids on attracting ladybugs. The class is $10 for Sloat Rewards Members (membership is free) and $20 for nonmembers. For more information and to register, go to: www.sloatgardens.com/whats-happening/seminars-events/

CVGC OFFICER AND CHAIR CONTACT INFORMATION

Bates, Judy (Parliamentarian): [email protected] Billeter, Elaine (Vice President): [email protected] Callaghan, Chris (Mt. Diablo Elementary School co-Chair): [email protected] Cline King, Laney (Mt. Diablo Elementary School co-Chair): [email protected] Cruz, Linda (Membership co-Officer, Hoop House co-Chair, Plant Sale co-Chair): [email protected]), (925) 672-0503 Hackett, Nicole (Fourth of July Parade Chair): [email protected] Hegemier, Toni (Plant Sale co-Chair, Hoop House co-Chair): [email protected] Kaplan, Carin (Hospitality Chair): [email protected] Karp, Linda (Blossoms for Barbara Chair): [email protected] Kinney, Marlene (President): [email protected] Lane, Steve (Clayton Historical Society Museum Educational Garden Chair): [email protected] Meriam, Ted (Clayton Valley Charter High School Chair): [email protected] Niemeyer, Nancy (Newsletter Editor): [email protected] Remoy, Patty (Penny Pines Chair, Olympic High School co-Chair): [email protected] Richmond, Rory (CBCA Liaison, Plant Sale co-Chair): [email protected] Rubiales, Jan (Olympic High School co-Chair): [email protected] Sexton, Vicki (Treasurer): [email protected] Shubin, Linda (Secretary): [email protected] Whitmore, Carolyn (Membership co-Officer): [email protected] Willis, Robin (Programs, Webmaster): [email protected]

Advertising, Clayton Community Library, Club Rep to the Diablo Foothills District, Diablo View Middle School, and Publicity: Open

CVGC Newsletter March 2019 11