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www.dagc.us Newsletter of the Danville-Alamo Garden Club November 2014

Programs We have a treat in store for our November 13th meeting! Eunice Venetta, business

owner of Pairs and Pieces, will be demonstrating how to create the perfect arrangement

for the holiday season. Come prepared to buy some opportunity tickets since you're sure to

want to take home one of her beautiful creations.

Eunice had a love of flowers, even as a child. After earning a BA in Business Administration

and working in the corporate tech industry for years, she decided to concentrate on her pas-

sion, floral design.

Eunice began freelancing for local area florists, creating her designs for weddings and special events

before establishing her very own company in 1997. She takes pride in selecting the right flowers and

arrangement style for each occasion and now serves clients across the San Francisco and Northern

California areas.

Nancy Peterson, Program VP

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Volume XLI, Issue 9

President’s Message:

I hope you all enjoyed the newly remodeled

Alamo Women’s Club. We are fortunate to have such a wonderful room in which to con-

duct our meetings. I hope that everyone will do her part in making sure we pick up after ourselves. Be especially careful of the plants

you bring to the plant exchange table, and make sure any dirt is cleaned up before leav-

ing. We all need to pick up after ourselves and keep this newly remodeled room looking as clean and refreshed as we found it. I was

thrilled with the new wireless speaker system. That was a true gift. I didn’t receive any com-

plaints about someone not being able to hear me.

I thoroughly enjoyed James Ryan’s October program on growing grapes. His knowledge of

the history of the California grape industry was very interesting. If you are fortunate enough to

have the property, growing grapes would be very rewarding. I was amazed by how many grapes it takes to produce a bottle of wine and

didn’t realize how small the grapes used in production actually are. He said they are the

size of a blueberry, unlike the large ones we see at the grocery store. We are fortunate to live near the Livermore and Napa wine valleys.

A special thanks to our new Social Committee

for the great job they did in setting up refresh-ments and all the tables. It was quite a chal-

lenge since this was the first time in our new room. We are learning where everything is now stored and how to work the new systems.

Joyce, Ellen, and their committee did a great job. Thanks to all our members who brought

savories and sweets that everyone enjoyed. Please remember to pick up your new 2014-

2015 Membership Directory at our November meeting. We still have many directories that

were not picked up. If you do not plan to at-tend a meeting before the end of the year, ask a friend to pick yours up for you. They will be

available only at our November and December meetings. They will not be mailed out.

Thanks to Lynn Leavitt for preparing the direc-tory.

Our November13th General Meeting promises to get us into the holiday spirit. Eunice Venetta

from Pairs and Pieces will be making holiday floral arrangements. I look forward to seeing

all of you on November 13th with our social time starting at 9:15 AM and the meeting starting at 9:45.

Sharon Williams, President

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Sue Naas, Winter Event Chair

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During our last meeting someone raised the

concern about the new growth on their citrus

trees looking disfigured. I have the same problem, and found out that this is not the

greatly feared Asian citrus psyllid. To clarify, the Asian citrus psyllid carries a disease which

prevents citrus trees from taking up nutrients from the soil. This disease is decimating the

citrus industry worldwide. There may come a time when we will no longer have citrus to

enjoy, or if we do it will be very expensive. So far that disease has reached southern Califor-

nia, but has not come this far north yet.

However we do now have the Asian citrus leaf

miner. Seems Asia has a lot to offer as far as

bugs go. At any rate, this insect is a moth

that lays eggs on new growth of a citrus tree.

The larvae make little trails in those leaves,

thus disfiguring the leaves. In the two studies

I read the best way of curing the disease is to

leave it alone. Eventually our own parasitic

wasps will use the larvae to lay their own

eggs on, and will kill the psyllid larvae. Being

the lazy gardener that I am I like that solu-

tion.

Some key things to note are: don’t cut that

disfigured growth off. The leaves are still producing food for your trees. It is best to

only cut back your trees once per year. I al-ways wait until spring because the old

leaves protect the trees from the cold during our winters. If you cut at other times of the

year you will stimulate new growth which will be very tasty to the psyllid larvae. The

larvae don’t go after mature growth.

The Psyllid is mostly active between the temperatures of 70 and 85F, with humidity

at 60%, so late spring and summer are their prime laying season. So don’t fertilize your

trees during the summer, but fertilize during

the winter, early spring and fall.

Eventually our good bugs will find your trees, and will get them under control. Isn’t

it nice that we don’t have to work so hard? The website with more information is:

http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74137.html

Kristin Yanker-Hansen

Horticulture Chair

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Social Committee

Many thanks to our new Social Committee for our inaugural October meeting. We are calling

it a success! Members arrived early to set up, make coffee and decorate the room. We thank those members who brought goodies to the meeting. The Pumpkin Roll was a seasonal favor-

ite. Let us know if you would like the recipe. We now are comfortable in the newly remodeled Alamo Women’s Club. The new space does meet our needs.

Those who have signed up for the November 13 meeting to bring a Savory are: Linda

Scotting, Irene Moore, Nancy Norland, Judy Lauper, Rhonda Raphel, Page Krause, Sharon Williams and Darcy James.Sweets are: Cynthia Todd, Charlotte Graham , Veronica

Knaack,and Julie Millias Vegetable Platter: Janeen Beach. Please arrive early with

your selection.

We are all looking forward to a most colorful November meeting with the floral creations of Eunice Venetta!

See you then!

Ellen Frost and Joyce Michalczyk Social Vice Presidents

Workshops Our November workshop is creating Pine Cone Topiaries. We will top

flower pots with pine cones of various sizes and decorate them to create topiaries. You’ll be able to add touches of gold and other embellish-

ments to make them holiday ready!

This workshop is on Wednesday, November 19th at 10:00AM at my

house. The cost for this workshop is $5.00 per person. If you have any questions or to put your name on the list, send an email. Please include

“DAGC Workshop” as the subject line. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Kathy Kaminski

Workshop Chair

Community Outreach

Bounty Gardens / Project Produce

Remember to bring your excess "fall harvest" to the November meet-

ing!

Janet Howes and Kayrene Braden,

Community Outreach Co-Chairs

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Louise Wiggins, Calendar

Dates & Times Events Details

Nov 1, Saturday

10 am

Class: Houseplants

Navlet’s Garden Center

Our greenhouse gurus will teach you how to

use containers and houseplants to decorate. You’ll receive tips and tricks to keep them

thriving – and a 20% off coupon.

Nov 6, Thursday

6:30-8 pm

Master Gardener Talk

San Ramon Library

“The Squeeze on Citrus” talk by Molly Wendt

and Sierra Higgins will cover the basics of car-ing for citrus, whether existing trees or new.

Hear about selecting healthy trees and the best methods of care and maintenance, including protection from weather, pests, and disease.

Nov 7 & 8

2 – 5 pm Friday 9 am – 1 pm Sat-

urday

Plant Sale

DVC (In the greenhouse off

Golf Club Road)

Low prices on thousands of interesting plants:

organic fall veggies, native and Bay-friendly ornamental species. Cash and checks ac-

cepted. You can get your gardening questions answered too! Stop by the Ask a Master Gar-dener table for advice.

Nov 8, Saturday

2 pm

Class: Winterizing Your

Garden

Navlet’s Garden Center

Buzz Bertolero will talk about what needs to be

done in your garden after Daylight Savings Time has ended. This class covers ant controls,

saving flower and vegetable seeds, frost pro-tection, dormant spray, fertilizing, controlling next year’s unwanted vegetation now, and

planting seasonal color.

Nov 13, Thursday

9:15 Social

9:45 Meeting

DAGC General Meeting

Alamo Women’s Club

Eunice Venetta, floral designer and owner of

Pairs and Pieces, will demonstrate making holi-day floral arrangements. You will have an op-

portunity to take one of her creations home if you’re a lucky winner.

Nov 14, Friday

Meet 9:15am to

carpool along Stone Valley Way, Alamo

DAGC Tour: East Bay Wilds

Native Nursery

Oakland Contact Vicki Freeberg vfree111@gmail.com

If you recall Pete Vellieux, our speaker last

May, you’ll want to sign up for this tour. We were entertained by his talk and his slides

showing creative ways of combining plants and found objects. Here is your chance to see his nursery in person. Lunch will follow. Contact:

vfree111@gmail.com.

Nov 19, Wednes-

day

10 am

DAGC Workshop: Pine Cone

Topiaries

Home of Kathy Kaminski

We will top flower pots with pine cones of dif-

ferent sizes and decorate them to create topi-aries. Cost: $5.00.

Contact: Kathy at designergirl@prodigy.com.

Nov 19, Wednes-

day

10 am

DAGC Bookworms

Home of Joyce Michalczyk

The group will enjoy brunch and discuss The

Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher. Contact:

Page Krause or Joyce at joymm@comcast.net.

Nov 20, Thursday

9:30 am

DAGC Board Meeting

Home of Lynn Hoaglin

RSVP to Lynn at lynnmhoaglin@hotmail.com.

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November Happy Birthdays:

Bookworms The DAGC Bookworms will read and

discuss a familiar book to some, The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde

Pilcher.

As always we will meet at the home of Joyce

Michalczyk-32 Leeds Court East, Danville. The date is Wednesday, November 19th. The

time is 10:00 a.m. Please arrive promptly as brunch is served. There will be two guest speak-

ers, current member, Rita Gregory and former member Dawn Harding. These wonderful ladies

will share memories of WWII as children. Please RSVP. Sign ups were taken at the September

and October meetings.

The Earth Moved by Amy Stewart is the selected

read for January 21, 2015. Sign up will begin at the November and December meetings.

Any questions or ideas for book selections should

be directed to us.

Page Krause or Joyce Michalczyk

Bookworms

Co-chairs

Linda Adams

Sheila Campbell

Nancy Combs

Dee Dee Cross

Charlene Geiger

Rita Gregory

D' Arcy James

Jo Jamieson

Sharon Mabey

Joanne Nelson

Barbara Norkus

Sandra Olinger

Carol Ann Porter

Holly Sauer

Loraine Ward-Theroux

Corrections for your Directory:

1. Nancy Peterson’s address: 28 La Sonoma Court, Alamo 94507, 925-719-5042

2. Lynn Leavitt’s phone should be 837-5817

3. Diane Scofield’s last name is changed to Partlow.

4. Marcia Davis has a new email address: mdavisapr@gmail.com

5. Donna Hannigan’s address is 2433 Golden Rain Road, #4, Walnut Creek, CA 94596

Susan Polk, Membership VP

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Tours Our November tour is to East Bay Wilds Native Plant Nursery in Oakland. The owner,

Pete Vielleux, spoke to our club last year and was very entertaining and informative. His nursery is loaded with lots of fun things besides native plants. Check out his website in ad-

vance. http://www.eastbaywilds.com.

Pete is glad to help with a specific area you are wanting to plant but he asks that you come

with some basic information. He says,

"I always recommend that people study up on their options for the best plants for their site in advance - if possible. Otherwise, I can help folks, but they'll need to have some info right at

hand: if on a slope, what direction does the slope face? Full sun? partial sun? dappled light? Shade? Deep shade? Shade after a certain time of day? Irrigation? How tall would they like to

see the plants get? Or how short would they like to see them stay? Foliage and/or flowers? Time of year when your garden could really use a boost?”

Good advice. Pete also says November is a perfect time to plant. If you have no plant needs

at this time, come for the other fun stuff. We will either have lunch out afterwards or bring our lunch and eat in the nursery. I will confirm with Pete which would be better.

The tour is November 14, Friday. Meet at 9:15 a.m. our new meeting spot, along Stone Valley

Way in Alamo on the side of the street with no houses (just east of the 680 onramp).

Please RSVP to vfree111@gmail.com or 280-9847.

Vicki Freeberg

Tours

We just returned

from Thailand

which was an in-

credible place.

Flowers grow eve-

rywhere, even in

trees. They were

wherever you

looked.

This photo is show-

ing how they grow

at an orchid farm

and the sign says

you will be fined

2000 bout for pick-

ing flowers. ($68)

An orchid bouquet

at a hotel.

Roseann Krane

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General Garden Care

Prepare for cold weather—drain irrigation lines, prepare frames for cold sensitive

plants, irrigate plants if cold temperatures are anticipated and it has not rained recently. Mow lawns, add a thin layer of compost if needed. Consider replacing lawns with less

resource intensive (and labor intensive) plants. Rake leaves and shed as mulch or compost.

Cover the compost pile(s) to keep them warmer and to minimize leaching.

Remove winter weeds while small.

Trap or bait for snails and slugs.

Check your garden for empty pots, etc., that can

hold water and provide a habitat for mosquitoes.

Fruits & Vegetables

Clean up summer vegetable garden. Remove all

spent plant material and chop into bits for your

compost pile. Plant cover crops (Legumes or Brassicas) to im-

prove the soil for spring crops. Harvest Feijoa sellowiana, persimmons, wal-

nuts. Prune as needed after harvesting.

Spray peaches and nectarines for peach leaf curl at the end of the month.

Flowers & Landscaping

Plant bulbs, trees and shrubs.

Plant regionally appropriate natives.

Divide perennials: Acanthus mollis, Hemerocallis, Kniphofia, Agapanthus.

Prune Buddleia, Hibiscus syriacus, Hydrangea spp.

November in the Contra Costa Garden from CC Master Gardeners

Master Gardener Hot Line If you have gardening questions,

Master Gardeners can help!

9 am - 12 noon M-Th telephone: 925-646-6586

drop in at office (closed state holidays) or.... e-mail: ccmg@ucanr.edu

Website: http://ccmg.ucdavis.edu Facebook: www.facebook.com/

CoCoMasterGardeners *************** Contra Costa Master Gardeners

University of California Cooperative Exten-sion

75 Santa Barbara Rd., Second Floor

Pleasant Hill, CA 94523-4215

Thailand—orchids at the airport and on the freeway, orchids and flowers everywhere you look.

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Newsletter of the Danville-Alamo Garden Club

Roseann Krane ~ Editor

Danville–Alamo Garden Club

P.O. Box 920

Danville, CA 94526

Our Sponsors

Ace Hardware

3211 Danville Blvd. Alamo,CA,94507

(925) 837-2420

Annie’s Annuals

740 Market Ave, Richmond, CA 94801

510-215-3301 or 888-266-4370

Armstrong Garden Centers 7360 San Ramon Road, Dublin

925-551-0231

Diablo Valley College

Horticulture Department Sales: Nov 7th, Friday 2-5pm and

Nov 8th, Saturday 9am-1pm

Lucky Garden Hydroponics

7071 Village Pkwy, Dublin, CA 94568 (925) 828-4769

Markham Arboretum

1202 La Vista Avenue, Concord 925-681-2968

Navlet’s 800 Camino Ramon, Danville

925-837-9144

Orchard

4010 Mt. Diablo Blvd. Lafayette, CA 94549

(925) 284-4474.

Regan Nursery

4268 Decoto Road, Fremont 510-797-3222

Sloat Garden Center

828 Diablo Road, Danville

925-743-0288

www.dagc.us

Please support our sponsors!

Remember, our commercial sponsors donate the door

prizes, and they support us with speakers for our gen-eral meetings. Please support them!

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