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“Life begins the day you start your garden” - Club Motto
GARDEN CLUB OFFICERS 2020
President - Gloria Utley and Linda
Cruz
Vice President - Diane Selmer
Secretary - Judy Disbrow
Treasurer - Paul Jordan
Membership - Stacey DeGuzman
Programs - Ruby Wagstaff
Parliamentarian - Gloria Utley
Club meetings are on the 2nd
Wednesday of the month at Diamond
Terrace Retirement Living
Community, 6401 Center Street,
Clayton, CA
www.claytonvalleygardenclub.org/
(925) 276-2299
CVGC JULY 8, 2020 MEETING
Our July meeting will be at 6:30 p.m.
in Ted Meriam's backyard at 990 Oak
Street near Clayton’s Endeavor Hall.
Our speaker will be Jan Pinkerton
Spieth who will talk about honey
bees, beekeeping, and how important
bees are for
agriculture.
Jan will also
tell us how
we can help
bees in our
own gardens.
VOLUME 23 ISSUE 6
IN THIS ISSUE PAGE
Presidents’ Message 2
About This Month’s Speaker 3
Museum Garden Work Party 3
Clayton Gardens Tour 4
Library Beds Work Party 5
Carin To The Rescue 5
AAUW Garden Walk 5
Online Weather Information 6
Calendar of Events July/August 7
A 17th Century French Gardener 8
CVGC Officer & Chair Contact Info. 8
Nancy Niemeyer, Editor
CVGC Newsletter July 2020 1
MEETING SPEAKERS & TREATS
July 8: Jan Pinkerton Spieth will talk about
beekeeping. Treats: Diane Selmer.
Drinks: the Thompsons.
August 12: TBA. Treats: TBA. Drinks: TBA.
CVGC will be holding monthly meetings in
various member’s backyards. Although we do
have 22 chairs, please bring your own if you can.
Make sure to wear masks and keep a six foot
social distance at all times. There will be hand
sanitizer available at the meetings.
CVGC Newsletter July 2020 2
CVCG co-Presidents’ Message July 2020
CVGC hasn’t been able to hold membership meetings
since the coronavirus shelter in place requirements went
into effect. After a lot of thinking and planning, we have
decided to hold our summer meetings outdoors at
members’ gardens. That way we can keep six feet apart
but still get together. Ted Meriam and Elizabeth Fischer will be the first to welcome us for the
July 8th meeting. We will begin at 6:30 p.m. so that we can finish before dark. We have an
excellent speaker who will not only talk about honey bees and
beekeeping, she will also bring various honeys for us to taste.
The hot summer is here! Two of the biggest summer garden jobs
are to deadhead old flowers to promote more blooms and to
fertilize our plants. It’s best to fertilize during the cool times of the
day and when the soil is moist. If the soil is too dry and/or hot, the
fertilizer may damage the plant. Other hot weather tasks include
adding mulch where needed to conserve soil moisture and shade
plant roots, protecting your succulents from direct sunlight, and
replacing the lures in your yellowjacket wasp traps. Help birds by
putting in a bird bath for them to drink from and splash around in.
Thirsty bees and butterflies appreciate having a shallow container
of water with a few rocks in it so they can drink without drowning.
Just remember that hot weather and high winds can dry up the
water quickly so check and refill them often.
If you want to add summer color to your garden, blue flowers are a
good choice. One new annual is Salvia ‘Rockin’ Blue Suede
Shoes’ that grows 40 inches high and 30 inches wide. A good
drought tolerant perennial is Russian Sage (Perovskia) ‘Denim ’n
Lace’. Both are deer resistant, long blooming, and popular with
hummingbirds and other pollinators.
The gardenia Linda propagated using a cutting from the Walnut
Creek Elks Club garden bloomed for the first time in June. She put
it by her kitchen door and the smell has been heavenly every time
she opened the door. If you are interested in learning how to
propagate plants, join us at the Hoop House. We sold out of many
plants at the CVGC virtual sale so we need to stock up again. We
will be working at the Hoop House on Tuesdays and Saturdays
from 10 a.m. to noon at Gloria Utley’s property.
With all the event cancellations due to coronavirus, this has turned
out to be a very strange year. However, both Concord and Danville are planning to have
virtual 4th of July parades. For more information, go to: www.concordjuly4th.com/ (Concord)
and www.srvkiwanis.org/parade (Danville). The Clayton Business & Community Association
is also trying to set up something. We wish you an enjoyable July 4th and hope to see you on
July 8th for the CVGC meeting in Ted and Elizabeth’s garden.
CVGC Newsletter July 2020 3
MUSEUM GARDEN WORK PARTY - submitted by Chair Steve Lane
On Sunday, June 14th, four CVGC volunteers helped beautify the Clayton Museum
Educational Garden in preparation for the Clayton Historical Society’s 28th Annual Clayton
Gardens Tour. Given the COVID-19 social distancing requirements in effect, I was thankful
that Carin Kaplan, Ingela Nielsen, and Will Jordan volunteered to come deadhead and weed
the garden. We also planted some perennials and summer annuals in the Cottage Garden
section along Main Street: Columbine, Coreopsis
‘Jethro Tull’, Delphinium ‘Blue Lace’, Marigolds,
Nemesia ‘Sunsatia Lemon’, and Bidens ‘Fire Burst’.
Most of the plants and potting soil we used were
purchased
from R&M
Pool, Patio,
& Gardens in
Clayton with
CVGC’s 10%
discount.
ABOUT THIS MONTH’S SPEAKER
Jan Pinkerton Spieth is a member of the Mt Diablo Beekeepers Association (MDBA), one of
the largest hobbyist beekeeping associations in California. Jan was hooked on honeybees
starting in 2005, when a swarm of bees flew into a wine barrel in her backyard. She served
for eight years on the MDBA Board of Directors as Vice President of Community Education.
In that capacity she was responsible for planning and implementing honeybee education
programs and community outreach as well as recruiting and training
MDBA beekeeper volunteers to staff the many events throughout
Contra Costa, Alameda and Solano county. Jan continues her work
as a beekeeper educator, teaching honeybee life cycle classes to
students in public and private schools, boy scouts and girl scouts,
and presenting educational programs to garden clubs, community
service groups and philanthropic associations. Jan grew up in
Berkeley, received her degrees (AB, MPH) from UC Berkeley, and
has been a Lafayette resident since 1990.
CVGC Newsletter July 2020 4
CLAYTON GARDENS TOUR - submitted by Linda Cruz
Although the Clayton Historical Society’s
Gardens Tour had to be delayed due to the
coronavirus restrictions, the five gardens on the
tour were just as beautiful in June. Dan
Richardson's backyard has a large shady BBQ
area with grapes trained over it. His property is
close to the historic center of Clayton. The area
near his garden has one of the first homes in
Clayton (built in the 1860s) as well as what
might have been the old stage coach relay
station where they changed horses on their way
to Martinez, Stockton, and beyond.
Lynette Keihl, a former CVGC member, has a
beautiful garden with fantastic views over the Carquinez Strait. Across the street from her is
Kim Wurtz’ amazing garden. Kim and Lynette are gardening buddies and have so much fun
working together. Their gardens are completely different but both are very artistic.
Karen Moore's garden
is fantastic. When I
took a photo of her
antique swing I didn’t
even notice that there
was a deer behind it
looking back at me.
Karen also has an
enclosed flower and
vegetable garden. I’m
sure the fences help
keep that deer and his
relatives from eating all
of Karen’s plants.
The Gardens Tour also had a silent auction to raise money for the Clayton Historical Society.
Our creative CVGC member Lynda Smith made a beautiful container garden that CVGC
donated for the auction and it went for $65 more than the suggested
value. The container had Lemon scented Plectranthus, two kinds of
Wandering Jew (Tradescantia sillamontana and T. purpurea),
Brazilian Sky Flower (Duranta), Spider plant (Chlorophytum),
Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia), and Sedum makinoi ‘Ogon’.
Thank you to all the CVGC members who helped with the tour: Linda
Cruz, Paul Jordan, Will Jordan, Carolyn Whitmore, Lynda Smith,
Diane Selmer, Ruby Wagstaff, Rory Richmond, Stacey DeGuzman,
Dennis Kaump, Maryalice Kirk, Dorothy Bradt, JoAnn Caspar, Jan
Rubiales, and Patty Remoy.
CVGC Newsletter July 2020 5
LIBRARY BEDS WORK PARTY - submitted by co-Chair Debra Carvalho
Thanks to all who were able to join in on the fun
during our spring library beds
work party. The day was
perfect and we were
delighted to have the bees
happily buzzing about in
appreciation of our hard work.
Until next time, Happy
gardening, blessings, and joy!
AAUW GARDEN WALK
The Danville Alamo Walnut Creek (DAW) Branch of the American Association of University
Women (AAUW) will have a tour of five gardens in Danville and Alamo to raise money to
support women’s education. The self-guided tour will be
on Friday and Saturday July 17-18 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
with a suggested donation of $35. The 2020 walk marks
the twenty-year anniversary of the DAW annual garden
event. All visitors and docents will be required to wear
masks and observe social distancing. No pets or children
under 12. The admission fee includes an online link of
the garden walk highlights for participants who wish to
stay at home. For more information and to register, go to
daw-ca.aauw.net/garden/
CARIN TO THE RESCUE - submitted by Linda Cruz
Since the City of Clayton Maintenance Department is so far behind in maintaining its
landscaping due to the coronavirus pandemic,
Carin Kaplan decided to help them out. She single
handedly weeded, pruned, and cleaned up the
downtown planter boxes and the medians leading
to Easley Estates and on Center Street. CVGC
used to take care of the planters on Main Street
until their irrigation pipes broke and the planters
cracked. Since we couldn’t keep the plants alive
anymore, CVGC stopped taking care of them. Now
that the City has repaired the water system and the
planters, Carin has agreed to be CVGC’s Liaison to
the City of Clayton. What a special gal! Thank you
Carin for sprucing up our beautiful town of Clayton.
CVGC Newsletter July 2020 6
ONLINE WEATHER INFORMATION
Weather conditions such as extreme temperatures, rain, and wind can have a big impact on
our gardens. Knowing about them ahead of time can help us protect our plants and figure out
the best time to fertilize, irrigate, and spray our gardens. A good source of local weather
forecasts is the National Weather Service (NWS). Detailed Clayton weather forecasts can be
found on their website at: www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/wxtables/index.php?
lat=37.941760730553966&lon=-121.9259262084961&table=custom&duration=7&interval=6
This link will take you to a table (example right) showing the local forecast in six hour time
blocks over the next seven days. (Remember that tomorrow’s weather forecast will tend to be
more accurate than one for several days in the future.)
Sometimes information
about past weather such
as rainfall and
temperature can be
useful too. If you don’t
have your own weather
station, NWS and other
organizations have
automated stations with
information that is
accessible online. We
even have one right here
in Clayton on Easley
Drive near Clayton Road.
This station, identified as
CWOP (Citizen Weather
Observation Program)
FW3932 can be found at:
www.wrh.noaa.gov/mesowest/timeseries.php?sid=F3932&num=72 It provides information on
rain, wind speed, and temperature for up to the past seven days (example below).
CALENDAR OF EVENTS - JULY/AUGUST
Note: Before planning to go to any event, please check with the sponsoring organization to
make sure that the event will still take place.
*** 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
July 8 from 11 to 11:30 a.m., Saturday: Walker Young from Ruth Bancroft Garden will offer
a live webinar workshop via Zoom and a prerecorded lecture about soil basics. The
workshop will cost $20 for members and $25 for non-members. For more information
and to register, go to: www.ruthbancroftgarden.org/event/video-webinar-soil-basics/
***July 8 from 7 to 9 p.m., Wednesday, in Clayton: CVGC meeting. See page 1.
July 11 at 11 a.m., Saturday, at Annie’s Annuals in Richmond: Ellyn Shea will give a free
talk on gardening on slopes. For more information, go to:
blog.anniesannuals.com/2020-talks/
July 17 and 18 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday and Saturday, in Danville and Alamo:
AAUW Garden Walk. See page 5.
July 18 from 10 to 11 a.m., Saturday: Brian Kemble from Ruth Bancroft Garden will offer a
live webinar workshop via Zoom about Agave. The workshop will cost $10 for
members and $15 for non-members. For more information and to register, go to:
www.ruthbancroftgarden.org/event/webinar-curators-highlight-agave-subenus-agave/
July 25 at 11 a.m., Saturday, at Annie’s Annuals in Richmond: A panel of experts will
give a free talk on how to garden for bees and butterflies. For more information, go to:
blog.anniesannuals.com/2020-talks/
***August 12 from 7 to 9 p.m., Wednesday, in Clayton: CVGC meeting. See page 1.
August 22 at 11 a.m., Saturday, at Annie’s Annuals in Richmond: Ellyn Shea will give a
free talk on gardening in containers. For more information, go to:
blog.anniesannuals.com/2020-talks/
CVGC Newsletter July 2020 7
CVGC Newsletter July 2020 8
CVGC OFFICER AND CHAIR CONTACT INFORMATION
Callaghan, Chris (Mt. Diablo Elementary School co-Chair): [email protected]
Carvalho, Debra (Clayton Community Library co-Chair): [email protected]
Cline King, Laney (Mt. Diablo Elementary School co-Chair): [email protected]
Cruz, Linda (co-President, Hoop House co-Chair, Plant Sale co-Chair):
[email protected]), (925) 672-0503
DeGuzman, Stacey (Membership): [email protected]
Disbrow, Judy (Secretary): [email protected]
Hackett, Nicole (Fourth of July Parade Chair): [email protected]
Hart, Barry (Photographer): [email protected]
Hart, Marcia (Clayton Charter High School co-chair): [email protected]
Hegemier, Toni (Plant Sale co-Chair, Hoop House co-Chair, Olympic High School co-Chair):
Jordan, Paul (Treasurer, Diablo Middle School): [email protected]
Jordan, Will (Publicity): [email protected]
Kaplan, Carin (City of Clayton Liaison): [email protected]
Karp, Linda (Blossoms for Barbara Chair): [email protected]
Lane, Steve (Clayton Historical Society Museum Educational Garden Chair):
Meriam, Ted (Clayton Valley Charter High School Chair): [email protected]
Niemeyer, Nancy (Newsletter Editor): [email protected]
Remoy, Patty (Penny Pines co-Chair, Sunshine Liaison): [email protected]
Richmond, Rory (CBCA Liaison, Plant Sale co-Chair): [email protected]
Selmer, Diane (Vice President, Clayton Community Library co-Chair, Advertising, Blue Star
and Veterans Memorial): [email protected]
Thompson, Carla (Hospitality, Scholarship Chair): [email protected]
Utley, Gloria (co-President, Parliamentarian): [email protected]
Veal, Fran (Webmaster): [email protected]
Wagstaff, Ruby (Programs, Diablo Foothills District Rep., Olympic High School co-Chair):
Whitmore, Carolyn (Penny Pines co-Chair): [email protected]
Historian: Open
A 17TH CENTURY FRENCH GARDENER
Andre Le Notre was the principal gardener to the Sun King Louis XIV and
was the genius who created the gardens at Versailles. Although Andre
was born a commoner, he became friends with the king due to their shared
love of gardens. When the king made him a nobleman in 1675, Andre was
asked what he wanted on his coat of arms. He laughingly replied that three
snails and a head of cabbage would be good enough for him.
So what would you put on your own gardener’s coat of arms?
