Welcome to the MiraCosta Horticulture Club. What began in 1989 as a small group of garden lovers has grown to 60 plus members, from passionate beginners to advanced gardeners.
Our activities range from workshops, programs, plant sales at our friendly monthly meetings. We share knowledge on gardening and learn from guest speakers.
May 2008 Growing Pains Newsletter - Click here
Plant of the Month - Geranium maderense - Click here
President’s Notes May 2008
We should be proud of our efforts during the plant sale. Everyone pitched in and did their share to make it a successful event. Kathy did a specially great job of coordinating volunteers for the various tasks. The Fitzgerald Family did a great job assisting getting the awnings and tables up and down. Linda Herrill came through with the truck we needed and several car loads of bright beautiful flowers to light up the sale. Our membership table bore the fruit of 8 new members with many folks thinking about joining. The plants were set out in record time and the sale taken down in record time as well. The plants we propagated this year filled a gap in donations from retail nurseries. Many former donors have gone out of business or are really struggling this year. Steve and Donna Brigham of Buena Creek Gardens came through with cuttings which enabled our propagation efforts. Minna and Michael Riber added to our propagation stock with cuttings and plants from their yard as well. We had a record stock of bird and butterfly plants that are drought tolerant. Thanks again for all the hard work and donations.
I was unable to check on the greenhouse last week and found that all of our leftover stock was literally cooked in the greenhouse! I was able to rescue four trays of plants to try to revive but we may need to start from the beginning again. Those of you that bought plants we propagated will be asked to help with cuttings to begin the propagation effort again in September. This time we will get the mother plants repotted and outside in a sunny watered area outside before any hot weather hits! We continue to learn about this propagation process, don’t we?
Our May speaker is Teruko Hansen who will share with us the Ikebana method of flower arranging. We need to bring in fresh branches and flowers from our yards for Teruko to arrange. She will show us the theory and practice of Ikebana arranging. I took a class years ago in Washington State and found arrangements with wildflowers and apple tree trimmings were wonderful. Ikebana focuses on line and balance. Less is more. I think you will all enjoy Teruko’s expertise.
The meeting will be at 12:45 in room 7001 of the Horticulture Building at MiraCosta College.
Be ready for next month’s final meeting of the year. We have our June luncheon and award ceremony. We hope to have some of our scholarship winners at the June meeting. It is always uplifting to see how the scholarships encourage young people in achieving their goals. That final meeting will be at the Alta Vista Garden House.
We’re looking for two good members to attend as our delegates to the Palomar District meetings. There are four such meetings during the year with luncheon and a speaker. Information is passed through the district to member clubs at these meetings. At the recent meeting, for example, there was a presentation on the “Petals for Patriots” program. Clubs volunteer to provide flower arrangements in vases that are recycled monthly to injured service members in our military hospitals. Presently there is a program servicing the Balboa Navy Hospital but none here in the Camp Pendleton hospital. All north county clubs are consulting with our members to see if we want to do such a project here for the Camp Pendleton service members. Basically .99 vases are purchased – filled with flowers on a monthly basis and given to injured service members who say they might enjoy them. The vases are collected when the flowers are deceased and re-filled. With the number of north county garden clubs each club would pick two months to fill the vases. Think about this project and be ready to vote on it at the meeting in May.
We are also looking for a new corresponding secretary. Our present corresponding secretary is up to her ears in house remodeling and needs to be replaced. The job involves sending thank you letters to donors, speakers, and other club correspondence. If you can help, please volunteer.
Last, it is time to pay your dues for the next year. If you pay before our summer break your name and information will be in the yearbook. If not, it will not. Please have your checks ready at the May and June meetings. It is $20 for an individual and $36 for two people at the same address. Those who joined at the plant sale are covered for the next year ( another benefit of joining at that time!).
