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.

November 2008 Growing Pains Newsletter - Click here

Plant of the Month - Geranium maderense - Click here

President’s Notes November

Already it is November, I’m sure all of us are glad that the election season is behind us.  I should now have more time to devote to propagation.  We really need to get motivated if we are to have a good April plant sale.  As I thought about the coming plant sale, it occurred to me that we might find a good market for veggie and fruit plants.  Perhaps gardeners will want to make practical use of their yards and grow edible crops.  We also need to propagate the bird and butterfly drought tolerant crops that we did last year.  Some of the greenhouse plants need to be placed out in the outdoor growing area.  We need to make room for this year’s tender plants in the greenhouse.  Anyone willing to work on this project should contact me and we will set a mutually acceptable date to complete the task.  We still need a chair for the greenhouse committee. 

            Bring containers to the November meeting; Rusty Sathrum is bringing his truckload of excellent mulch to share with members!  The composted mulch is great in garden soils.  Our speaker on November 15th is Shelley Grossman who will tell us how to "RECYCLE WITH EARTHWORMS".  Shelley is one of San Diego County's leading volunteer educator's in teaching the public the "How TO" of composting and vermicomposting. Shelley is a certified Master Composter and Vermiculturalist residing in Carlsbad.

Shelley was field trained by the San Diego Solid Waste Management Department, at Quail Gardens, Encinitas. She has devoted volunteer hours to curricula development, teaching composting and vermiculture, at Quail Gardens and the Parks and Recreation Department of Carlsbad. Shelley developed and implemented a 2 year grant to worm bin all the organic wastes for 3 schools in Carlsbad, with a student body of 1,355.

Her latest adventure in vermicomposting was through a contract with a newly built private school in San Diego, grades K through 12. The challenge was to make this facility a zero waste school. By teaching and training the students, faculty, and parents, this facility has become the first zero waste facility in the United States and created a profitable business for the student body. This school does not need a trash hauler. A real triumph!

Shelly is a contributing writer/editor for Worm Digest, an international quarterly publication. She has co-authored a popular book: "RECYCLE WITH EARTHWORMS" and co-produced the video: "THE RED WIGGLER CONNECTION"

Shelley is the sole owner of Vermicoast, providing her book, video, worms and consultation time to the public. You can visit her web site at Vermicoast.com. Shelley has been in Carlsbad with Vermicoast"s business license from the city since 1989.

Shelley will bring copies of her book, video and worm castings for sale.

It should be an excellent program!

            We have two tours coming up, the first to Daylilly Hill on Nov 13th and the second to Weidner’s for a Poinsettia tour on November 22nd.  If you are interested in either of these, be sure to get in touch with Louise Ortega, our tour maven.  Weidner’s Poinsettia tour is really fun and we learned a lot about them on our tour last year.  Now that Paul Ecke isn’t growing for retail sale any more, Weidner’s is the place to go for new and interesting plants!

            The North County Petals For Patriots program is finally getting under way.  Ellen McGrath-Thorpe of the Carlsbad Garden Club is heading up our group of clubs.  We are invited to sit in on the Mission Hills Garden Club’s preparation of flowers on 11/13.  If you are interested, get in touch with me and I will get you the details.  Carlsbad has offered to be the first club in N County doing the flower distribution.  Please let Bunny Moore know if you want to help with this effort.  It will require getting 15 vases of flowers filled and distributing them to the injured service members at Camp Pendleton two times in a year.  Many hands make light work!

            At the Palomar District meeting there were some news items.  The district dues will be increasing by $1 per member effective May 31, 2009.  The district dues are used for required travel by officers, communications with clubs and production of a yearbook annually.  The budget has been hacked and hacked but simply needed to be increased to cover current costs.  Various fundraising schemes were discussed, but there was no getting around a deficit in this year’s budget.  The district has been using its’ reserves to cover the deficits, but action was needed.  We owe thanks to Adrienne Clark for doing the flower arrangements for the club at the recent District meeting.  They were lovely little Halloween- themed arrangements!

            We will be having another Flower Show Judge training at Quail Gardens 2/26 to 28/2009.  Help is needed to prepare and serve lunches to the group of students.  If you offer to help, your attendance is free.  Let me know if you are interested in this outstanding offer!

            The 2010 California Garden club convention will be held at the Dana Inn on Mission Bay.  This event will require a lot of participation by all clubs in the District.  We will be hearing more about this in the coming year.

            For those of you who submitted forms to work in the greenhouse this year, the college has changed forms (and told the Hort School after the fact).  I have the new revised forms.  Those who used the old forms will need to resubmit the new ones.  I will bring some to the meeting.  For those getting this electronically, this is the link to the new forms: http://www.miracosta.edu/Administrative/RiskManagement/Forms.htm  Late update on this issue, we no longer need to do the forms for the college!  To get a parking pass that allows you to park in staff areas around the greenhouse, please let me know and I will ask Jason Kubrock to send your names over to the campus police so permits can be issued.

            In December we will be having our Poinsettia Orgy, Holiday Potluck and Gift Exchange.  There will be more on this event in the December newsletter but here’s a heads up - Gifts exchanged should be between $12 and $15 in value.  Be prepared to loose or steal at least twice before the gifts finally settle in their permanent home.  This is always a fun day.  Don Nelson does a great job shopping for the latest and greatest of Poinsettias and most of us go home with one to decorate our homes for the season.

            We look forward to seeing you November 15th at 12:45 in room 7001 of the Hort Building at MiraCosta College!