Download April 2014

Beyond the Garden Gate
Volume 5 Issue 8—April 2014
Editor: Carol Wheeler
Message from the President
Loved, loved, loved Annie’s!! There were hundreds
of annuals and perennials all perfectly labeled and
easy to find with the binders placed throughout the
nursery. It was reassuring visiting a nursery that
grows all its own plants, many from seeds. As you
might expect, I brought home succulents for my
collection and a lovely shrubby plant called Red
Birds in a Tree (isn’t that the sweetest name?) from
Morningsun Herb Farm. My thanks go to Vivian
Sellers and Punky Dias for driving us.
Spring is here. Yea! The warm sun is welcome
even when you are putting together a patio set at
noon on a Sunday, with directions written in five
different languages and drawings that require you
to stand on your head to figure them out. But now
we have a place to dine outside! Next an awning is
in the plans for our back garden.
Annie’s Annuals Field Trip
Pixie, our guide
Many of us bought this plant!
Delphinium display
Rooftop Garden
Lunch alfresco
Annual display
This month the nominating committee will be
chosen to gather names for our officers of EGGC
for 1014-2015. Next year will be grand with Vivian
Sellers serving as our president. I look forward to
her Master Gardener expertise and programs. Be
sure to give her suggestions for things you would
like to do during her tenure.
See you soon,
Carol
Morningsun Herb Farm
Tree of the Month – Arbutus unedo
“Strawberry Tree”
E.G.G.C. Meeting
April 10, 2014
Program:
“Bees”
Brian Fishback
BD Ranch and Apiary
11 am – Carlton Center
Brian will have yummy honey
for sale!
Want a slow-growing tree for your backyard that
does well under your neighbor’s larger trees? How
about trying the strawberry tree?
Arbutuses have ornamental bark, clusters of white
or greenish-white urn-shaped flowers and edible
red fruit, like strawberries in texture.
Native to southern Europe and Ireland, it will grow
in a range of soils, but provide good drainage if the
tree receives regular water. Arbutus also tolerates
wind. It makes a good raised bed or lawn tree.
Thin branches to make an open-crowned tree or
plant several and leave unpruned to make a screen.
Arbutus grows well in sun or part shade. Trunk and
branches have a red-brown shedding bark. Leaves
are dark green with red stems about 2-3 inches
long.
The variety ‘Elfin King’ is a dwarf form – not over 5
feet at 10 years old. ‘Compacta’ seldom exceeds
10 feet. And ‘Octoberfest’ is a 6-8 foot tall plant
with deep pink flowers.
April 10, 2014
Roll Call Question
Have you ever been stung by a bee?
Lunch
Please bring a sandwich to share.
Lunch committee will provide extras
and dessert.
Bee Informed
Flowering plants rely on bees, wasps, flies,
butterflies, moths and beetles for pollination in
order to set seeds or fruits. This fourth in a series
on pollinators, informs us about butterflies and
moths.
Though not the most important or efficient
pollinators, butterflies are among the most
beautiful. They do not feed on or actively collect
pollen nor provision nests for their young. They
consume nectar only as adults to fuel flights to find
mates and lay eggs.
With long, thin legs they perch on the side of
flowers to probe for nectar with their long
proboscis. They favor flat, clustered flowers that
provide landing pads and abundant nectar.
Taste sensors are located in their feet. By standing
on their food they can taste it to “see” if their
caterpillars are able to eat it. Most butterfly
caterpillars, as well as moth caterpillars, have
specific food needs. Adults lay their eggs only on
specific host plants. After hatching, caterpillars eat
only the leaves and flowers of those plants.
Lacking the pollen-trapping hairs found on bees,
enough pollen is “accidentally’ carried by adult
butterflies to contribute to pollination.
With over 10,000 species in North America
(compared to 800 species of butterflies) most
moths are specialist pollinators, a single species of
moth visits and pollinates only a single species of
flower.
Crepuscular moths (dawn and dusk fliers) and
nocturnal fliers are the sole pollinators of night
blooming plants, such as yucca and evening
primrose. Most bees, wasps, flies and butterflies
are inactive at night.
Diurnal moths (daytime fliers) are attracted to, and
feed at, the same flowers as butterflies and other
daytime pollinators. Like butterflies, moths do not
gather pollen but, while foraging for nectar,
enough “sticks” to them to contribute to
pollination.
With a similar life cycle to butterflies, egg,
caterpillar (larvae), pupa (cocoon), adult moth
caterpillars all require specific host plants.
Source: Sacramento County Master Gardeners
Next month – beetles, birds, and bats
Horton Iris Farm
Field Trip
On Thursday, April 17, 2014, Elk Grove
Garden Club will venture out to the Horton
Iris Farm in Loomis. Mary Ann Horton will
greet us, on a day when she is not open to
the public, to guide us through her acres of
iris. This is the best time to see her many
varieties. If you like to purchase some, your
order will be taken and come August, when
the rhizomes are dug, you will receive the
beauties at your home at the best time for
replanting. We can plan a stop for lunch at
the conservatory at High Hand Nursery, if we
make reservations in advance. Sign-ups will
be taken at the meeting on April 10, 2014.