NEWS OF THE CHINLE CACTUS & SUCCULENT SOCIETY APRIL 2017 VOL. 9 NO. 4

To promote knowledge, enjoyment, cultivation, and conservation of cacti and other succulent plants among its members, other individuals and organizations throughout West-Central Colorado

April Program:

At last—many new members might be saying— we are having a “How To” program on outdoor cacti and succulents at our April meeting. Don Campbell and Lois Davidson, our Garden Coordinator, will lead the program. They will cover several topics including propagation of plants from cuttings, proper depth and direction to plant cuttings,

Succulent Morsels

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products to reduce possibility of root rot, where to plant your outdoor cacti & succulents, avoiding sun scalding, tools, and many other topics of interest to the cacti & succulent gardener.

OUR NEXT ADVENTURE: MAY FIELD TRIP TO VERNAL and FANTASY CANYON (Information contributed by Don Campbell, Kate & Ken Weissenburger and Lois Davidson)

An overnight field trip to Vernal, UT, is scheduled for the weekend of May 20-21, 2017. Sights on the itinerary include:

• Rare and wonderful cacti • Fremont Culture and Ute rock art • Unique erosional forms of Fantasy Canyon • Oil and gas resources, including oil shale and tar

sands, and • Gilsonite mining and the story of this unusual “solid”

oil

Saturday travel from Grand Junction to Vernal includes stops for rock art at Canyon Pintado, a “Lunch and Learn” at the Rangely Outdoor Museum, and a Pediocactus hunt on gravel terraces above the Green River. Sunday includes stops at Fantasy Canyon, a search for Sclerocactus wetlandicus, and an exploration of gilsonite veins and mining near Bonanza, UT.

An optional third day on Friday May 19 may be available for interested participants during which we will visit sites southwest of Vernal to see Sclerocactus brevispinus (the “Pariette” cactus).

The field trip area has a rich and colorful history including connections to the Grand Valley. For example, from 1904 to 1939 gilsonite was hauled by the narrow gauge Uintah Railway to Mack, CO, for further shipping to end users. From 1957 to 1973 gilsonite was transported as a slurry in water via pipeline over the old railway route to a Chevron refinery at Gilsonite (Loma), CO.

ACCOMMODATIONS For overnight accommodations, some rooms in Vernal have been blocked for “Chinle Cactus” at the (formerly Best Western) Antlers Inn, 2 queen beds including. breakfast, $85.50 + $10.09 tax. Phone 435-789-1202 to reserve a room. You are encouraged to make plans and book early; unreserved rooms will be released April 20. Options for trailers/camping include:

Steinaker State Park: 4335 US191, Electric, water & sewer; electric & water; or tent sites, Use Reserve America to make reservations online, 7 miles N of Vernal

Red Fleet State Park: 8700 N US 191; facilities same as Steinaker State Park, Use Reserve America to make reservations online, 13 miles N of Vernal Dinosaurland (Dino) KOA: 930 N Vernal Ave, Electric, water and sewer hookups and WiFi, 435-789-2148 Fossil Valley RV Park: 999 US 40, Electric, water and sewer hookups and WiFi,435-789-6450 Western Heritage RV: 271 S 500 E, Electric, water and sewer hookups and WiFi,435-789-3324 We will have a sign-up sheet for the trip available at the April meeting as well as other last minute details about the trip.

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PETROGLYPHS IN DRY FORK CANYON, UT

VIEW OF FANTASY CANYON

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“SCENE” AT PLANT SHOW WEST

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The main display table at the show.

Lynn Dunham peeks through the top of a Euphorbia. Lisa Hamilton (L) and Kate Weissenburger (R) discuss where to place “Fred”.

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Members of the Chinle C&SS gathered at Bookcliff Gardens on Friday, March 3, to set up their plants for showing on Saturday and Sunday, March 4th and 5th. Fortunately many hands made (fairly) light work, and we were ready for visitors around 3;30 pm.

This year the public traffic was a bit off, which is always disappointing since we didn’t have many visitors to “show off” our plants to. However, we had several good discussions with visitors about care and cultivation of cacti & succulents

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Loren and Maryann Benoit by the Mammalaria plumosa Tom Burrows shows his grown-from-seed plants.

Maryann Benoit & Susan Fuller

Glenn Mallory, Lynn Dunham, Deb Mallory & Don Campbell

Joy Bush, Don Campbell & visitor

Many thanks to the persons who brought plants to show & cover the display during the show: Maryann & Loren Benoit, Tom Burrows, Joy Bush, Don Campbell, Lynn Dunham, Susan Fuller, Lisa Hamilton, Janet & Bill Hassell, Pam Johnson, Rachel Lloyd, Deb & Glenn Mallory, Walt Scheer, Kenton Seth and Kate & Ken Weissenburger.

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Thanks to Kate Weissenburger for this informational poster!

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OUR PHOTO CONTEST IS BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND:

CC&SS PHOTO SCAVENGER HUNT

The “Hunt”, began January 1st 2017 and will run until October 31st, meaning that you can submit only photos taken during this time. Submit one photograph in as many categories as you like, those being:

o Animal(s)o Peopleo Indoor Plant(s)o Plant(s) in a Natural Habitato Plant(s) in Developed Landscapeo Evento Humoro Sceneryo Close-Up Detailo Open

Be creative & use your imagination !

Previous wining

photos have run the

gamut from the sublime

..

…To the faintly ridiculous

RULES

• Photos taken between Jan. 1 and Oct. 31, 2017

• One entry per category per member• Submit unframed prints, 5” x 7” or smaller• Include member’s Name and the Category

on back of each photo• Have a Title for your photo on the front ….

Have fun with these!• Submit prints to Don Campbell by Oct. 31st. • Judging, adhering to the highest possible

standards of anonymity and fairness , will be done by Club members at the November meeting

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PLANT OF THE MONTH: “FRED” aka Mammillaria bocasana

One of the oddities at the 2017 Plant Show West was the three versions of “Fred’”, (aka Mammalaria bocasana v.Fred), that showed the variety of forms this mercurial plant can take. The middle plant is owned by Lisa Hamilton; the other two are owned by Lynn Dunham.

Description: Fred is one of the most famous and strange monstrous cactus cultivar that forms very rubbery and squishy green and pink glob. It is a mutation that formed on a normal M. bocasana...it was cut off and started on it's own. This cultivar shows many growing variations, with different crested and monstrous shapes. The plant looks more like some non-cactus succulent than a cactus. Rarely a spine or a hair, monstrous or crested flowers. It may enlarge to form low, massive clusters. Stem: Soft, smooth, lumpy, rubbery-textured (much like a tumor) green and pink, some only a few centimeters across. Sometimes it will grow a branch that reverts back to a normal looking cactus, complete with spines and flowers (sort of a reverse of how a Fred began), while the rest of the plant remain mostly monstrous.

Cultivation: Mammillaria bocasana "Fred" grows well on its own roots. Keep well ventilated, as it is prone to root rot. Protect from frosts and freezes. Hates the full sun in summer. It can thrive for years, but tend to self destruct, especially when it really becomes odd looking. As with most Freds, it can begin to die at the base (root rot is common); instead of giving up on it, you can cut it apart, let it heal and start many plants from that one.

Propagation: It is easy to take a Fred and separate the "blob" into many new pieces. Each piece can be started on its own, with a bit of care, patience and maybe a little luck. As with most cactus, you can cut a piece, let it dry for a week or so, and put it into the soil and it will grow new roots, if the conditions are just right. The best luck is with cuttings that are 3 cm or larger; smaller ones will root, but it takes much more effort to keep them alive.

Don Campbell first introduced the Society to “Fred” many years ago. The original plant suffered the fate of many similar plants, i.e., root rot, but he has managed to propagate plants from “Father Fred”and preserved the healthy lineage.

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Mammalaria bocasana in it original form.

On the left, Lisa Hamilton brings her “Fred” to join the other two brought in by Lynn Dunham. All three have very distinctive growth patterns.

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DR. CURT SWIFT OFFERED MANY “PEARLS” ON SOILS & WATER A nice turnout of Chinle members at the March 9th Regular Meeting were treated to many tips on growing cacti and succulents. Some of them are recalled here: General:

Keep your plants in a pot for as long as possible to reduce trauma to roots and exposure to infected soil.

The sand you use to amend your soils should be silica sand, 2mm or larger, with the fines washed out. This sand will be round in shape as opposed to sandstone and other types of sand, which are irregular in shape, with points which tend to break down to cause compaction.

Planting in a well-drained soil and not over watering is the key to success!

The Art of Watering:

Leave 1/2” or so space at the top of the pot to allow water to soak in and not run down the

seam between the pot and soil.

Thoroughly water—which means soaking the pot from top to bottom, then setting aside for the pot to drain out, and ultimately the soil to dry out before the next watering.

How often to water depends on the type of plant, the soil it is in, and the season of the year. During the months of dormancy in the fall and winter, most cacti will not require any watering (unless they begin to droop). When spring comes, and the plant comes out of dormancy, then more frequent, thorough watering is needed.

Test the drainage of your pots and outdoor planting sites: Outdoors, dig a hole 12-18 inches deep, and fill with water. It should drain in 10 minutes or less. If not, the soil needs amendment to improve drainage.

When transplanting, note that often the soil in the center of the root ball is compacted. It should be broken up to improve drainage, and may even require rinsing off the root ball.

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Dr. Curtis Swift, presenter

Dr. Swift shares tips with two cactophiles!.

Members socialize during break.

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Don’t reuse potted soil unless you pasteurize it. This means moistening the soil and heating it in an oven at 180 degrees for 30 minutes.

As the hours of sunlight increase, increase your watering schedule and fertilizer. Cacti do best using a 1-7-6 fertilizer, applied every 2 wks. Avoid too much phosphorous on your cacti.

Fungus gnats grow in soil that has not been drained. They spread disease and can infect your other plants. Don’t leave water standing in plant trays after watering.

Curtis stayed with us for the evening and was able to answer questions from members during the break and after the meeting. We look forward to another prevention from him in the future!

GARDEN PARTIES BEGAN MARCH 11TH

Our first GardenParty of the 2017 season was Saturday, March 11th at the Western Colorado Botanical Garden. We had lots of weeds to pull and clean up from winter. Many hands made light work on a beautiful, sunny morning at the Botanical Garden. Our gardeners were (from L to R) Shari Skeie, Ken Weissenburger, Walt Scheer, Mark Mauceri, Rachel Lloyd, Lisa Hamilton, Deb Mallory, Lois Davison, Kate Weissenburger, Loren Benoit, Maryann Benoit, John Hall and Don Campbell (not shown, taking the photo!). If you don’t have a current gardening schedule, you can find it on our website, www.chinlecactusclub.org. Our next Garden Party is March 29th at the CSU Extension Garden.

JUST AS A REMINDER: All Garden Parties start at 9:00 am and will usually end at 11:00 am. Please mark your calendars with these dates so you don’t forget to come out and share in this important work at our two beautiful gardens. Gardening is great for your health, fun, and an easy way to give back to our community.

When the weather is too hot or cold, feel free to come earlier or later than the scheduled times. Please let Lois Davidson (ldavidso@coloradomesa.edu) know how long you gardened at each session for accurate records of volunteer hours. We are looking forward to seeing you at the gardens. We need and appreciate your help. CCSS has a set of gardening tools, but we encourage you to bring your own. Please mark your tools so you can identify those that belong to you.

If any of the above dates or times need to be changed, members will be notified by email or check the website.

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CHINLE GARDENERS AT WORK MARCH 11!

FROM (L) TO (R): RACHEL LLOYD, LISA HAMILTON & SHARI SKEIE

Chinle gardeners tackle css weeds 3/29/17

As you can see by the photos below, we had another great turn-out for gardening day at the CSU Extension Garden. , which always helps a lot. Participating were Tom Burrows, Don Campbell, Lois Davidson, John Hall, Janet & Bill Hassell, Marge McKenna, Walt Scheer, Bret Seligman, and Kate Weissenburger.

Members were aided by 2 Master Gardeners,Janie Johlman & Leslie Joanis and MG apprentices, Elora Lucero and Faye Gabert. Thanks, Master Gardeners!

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MARYANN BENOIT, LOREN BENOIT, & WALT SCHEER

DEB MALLORY, MARK MAUCERI, LOIS DAVIDSON, LOREN BENOIT

Lois Davison & Kate Weissenburger point out key ideas to Elora Lucero

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The following photos were taken by Kate Weissenburger, who rescued Janet when her phone memory was full and couldn’t take any more photos! Thanks, Kate!

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Above, (L) Bret Seligman and (R) Margie McKenna, are new members eager to help and learn about cactus & succulents.

Faithful gardeners, Tom Burrows (L) and Don Campbell (R) can always be counted on to roll up their sleeves and garden!

Break time! From L to R: Lois Davidson, Faye Gabert, Bill Hassell, Don Campbell, Bret Seligman, Walt Shearer, Leslie Joanis, John Hall, Tom Burrows,Janet Hassell & Janie Johlman

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It’s OK to Kill Plants By Kenton Seth, Paintbrush Gardens,

LLC www.paintbushgardens.com

The best growers of cacti and succulents have killed the most numbers of plants. So if you want to be an amazingly successful plant grower, get to work killing some. In the grand scheme of things, there is no other way to know the absolute limits of what a plant can handle until you've crossed that line and find yourself with a deflated spiny balloon instead of a plant in your flowerpot.

Why do plants die?

Know that Momma nature kills most of her plants before they reach maturity. "Survival of the fittest" means "Death to everyone else." Plants less suited to their natural setting get killed off, and those more suited live on. And to keep that balance, generally, in nature the majority are killed and the blooming beautiful plants we see hiking are the minority which have survived up to that point. The factors which can kill a plant are many: water, temperature, soil, light, air movement, attackers from bacteria to deer, and others.

Think of it this way: a plant has a certain amount of stress it can, in fact, handle and be just fine. On the invisible gauge of plant health, between that thin green wedge of "Thriving!" and that red zone labeled: "Death!" there is a very wide wedge of "stressed but fine." Plants in nature spend most of their time here. And among the different stresses a plant can have, it's often not one, but a combination which stress a plant. Sometimes it is just one stress – death by salt poisoning because the dog peed on it. Sometimes it's a combination death—the plant was weakened, say, by drought stress for too long when it suddenly received no light: case in which two things killed the plant.

Knowledge from friends or a good book can provide the specific ways that plants "communicate" exactly which stress is nagging them to death. A little bit of learning empowers a grower of plants at home to a fast-track of improvement. Perhaps one of the most common stresses among cacti is etiolation – a fancy word for the plant stretching for light because there is not enough. This is what turns formerly cute little balls of cacti into awkward footballs and Hershey's Kiss-shaped things.

As the home care givers, we are the architects of the plant’s environment. If they die, we have the choice to see it two (and a half) ways: (A) We don't understand the plant's needs and didn't give it those, or, (get ready for a paradigm shift here) (B) That plant was not suited to how we tend to provide for our plants, and for fun, (B.2) (which is more common among expert or long-time growers of plants) We knew the plant's needs but did not provide them. As in "Oops, I left that tropical cactus outside in October

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On the (L), cookie munchers! On the right, Lois talks with Janie Johlman

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when the first frost happened," or, my favorite "Aw dang, I went on holiday and forgot to tell my roommate not to water the cactus when he waters the rest of the houseplants."

One giant trick to growing new plants, and especially cacti, is to understand where they come from. They are equipped for that place but we can fool them into being happy in our homes. For instance, the famous living stone cacti, from Africa, like to be cool and extremely sunny and lightly watered in winter, but almost no water in summer. Because that's what it's like in their corner of Africa. Water in summer tends to be their death in most of our hands: they essentially drown while asleep.

Autopsy for Education

Look at those dead plants and see what they can say from the grave. This is where "reading" your plant’s stresses gets extreme. A rotten base, turning brown, or smelly? Plant fell over? Or, lots of yellowing lower leaves of succulents? Probably overwatering. White change of color, especially facing the sun? Sunburn – probably moved into strong sunlight too fast to adapt. It's ironic how plants from the hottest, sunniest places on earth are still capable of sunburn if they've been in the dark for long and then moved quickly to the sun. Shriveling up/shrinking, or a hard skin surface forming? Probably under watering. Cacti still like water, just much less. The top of a barrel/ball cacti turning into a point and getting tall? Or, new growth is thin and pale? Etiolation: too little light. White fuzzy cotton in the nooks and cracks of the plant? Mealybug attack. Suddenly turned into a heap of dark green jelly when the nights were cold? Perhaps a tender plant has literally frozen. Bright yellow tips of leaves which quickly die off. Perhaps over fertilizing, in essence salt poisoning. Different varieties are prone to different problems, and can exhibit them a bit differently. Some more uncommon and subtle stresses, like water pH issues or soil nutrient deficiencies may be harder to identify.

This is where using the brain-borne mega-library of expertise from members of cacti clubs in person or online is an unmatchable resource for help.

What do you do with what you learn?

Dead plants may tell you what was missing or excessive, so now you have choices of action.

Change your habits

Getting into a habit of, say, watering your potted cactus outdoors every Sunday, or watering your in-ground cactus garden once a month – maybe, every time the utility bill comes. This might be the breakthrough to sudden success with your plants.

Change the place

Maybe that cactus is stretching in the north window. Time to move it to the south window. Maybe the cactus is getting a little too wet when you water everything else, so you can change the potting mix to drain better with more lava-rock or perlite. Perhaps it’s time to

Give up

This is legitimate. Sometimes no matter how hard you try, your lifestyle or home is not good for that plant. Or, the hassle to get it done is not worth the return. Living stones, African violets and ferns are not meant for me, for instance, because of poor winter light, traveling in summer, and being gone for more than 3 days, respectively. So I've quit the suffering and quit trying plants which barely survive (which often means barely die) in my care. I'm not giving up summer vacations for ferns, as much as they call me like dancing sirens. In fact, travel led me to embrace cacti. [Not literally, of course.] Along these same lines, I've finally given up on growing most plants that are adapted to acid soils, the wet Himalayas, and the cool-loving coastal succulents. And I'm not sad about it – I've embraced South American cacti and agaves because of their ease and the amazing variety they provide.

Concluding the death talk

It is for their known ease of care that cacti and succulents become a hobby for many folks, especially those who hate fickle, picky, prissy plants that want constant coddling. Cacti and succulents might need less, but they still need. And their needs are different. And any plant is easy in the right place, and any place is easy to grow a plant in if the right one is picked. So go out today, buy a plant and be okay with killing it. Then enjoy it when it surprises you and lives.

Note: We’re proud to claim Kenton as “one of our own” members of the Chinle Cactis & Succulent Society. Thanks for this helpful and humorous article.

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FROM DON’S GARDEN….Blooming "concrete-leaf" succulent & sprouting "weed"

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(Bret Seligman shares this information re a volunteer opportunity with the Colorado Archeological Society in which Chinle members might be interested. “This is an e-mail from Colorado Archeological Society. The BLM is looking for site stewards for the BLM GJ Field Office. Five spaces are open for application”

From: Alissa Leavitt-Reynolds BLM Grand Junction Archaeologist 2815 H Road Grand Junction CO 81506

“I wanted to let you know about a great opportunity to volunteer as a site steward in western Colorado. The BLM Grand Junction Field Office has announced that they will be accepting applicants for the Grand Valley Site Steward Program.

“Due to a large workload at the BLM they will only be taking on about 5 site stewards for their class of 2017. There will be 2 all day trainings on Friday, May 12th and Saturday May, 13th. Applicants will need to be available for the training on both days. The application form is attached.

“Please note that the BLM is still working on the Grand Valley Site Steward Code of Conduct and Confidentiality Statement document referenced in the application, but it will be similar to other site steward confidentiality agreements etc. The due date for the applications is April 14th. Applicants can send their questions, or completed application and resume to Alissa Leavitt-Reynolds at aleavitt@blm.gov.”

Contact Alissa for an application if you are interested. April 2017 Vol 9 No 4

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS: April 2017 to Dec 2017

April 3 Chinle Board Meeting - 6:30 pm at the Hassell’s home

April 8 Garden Party Saturday, 9 am, at the WC Botanical Gardens

April 13 Regular Meeting of the Chinle Cactus & Succulent Society 6:30 pm 536 Ouray Ave., Grand Junction, CO Program: “How To’s for Outdoor Cacti & Succulents” Presenters: Don Campbell & Lois Davidson

April 22 Garden Party Saturday, 9 am, at the CSU Extension Garden

May 1 Chinle Board Meeting - 6:30 pm at the Hassell’s home

May 8 Garden Party Saturday, 9 am, at the WC Botanical Gardens

May 11 NO REGULAR MEETING - IS REPLACED BY MAY FIELD TRIP

May 17 Garden Party Wednesday, 9 am, at the CSU Extension Garden

May 20-22 Field Trip to Vernal, Fantasy Canyon, Bonanza, & Gilsonite areas. Extra tour day on Friday, May 19, for those who wish to come a day early, for rare plants in the Parietti Wetlands.

June 3 Garden Party Saturday, 9 am at the WC Botanical Gardens

June 5 Chinle Board Meeting - 6:30 pm at the Hassell’s home

June 8 Regular Meeting of the Chinle Cactus & Succulent Society 6:30 pm 536 Ouray Ave., Grand Junction, CO Program: “How To’s for Indoor plants” Presenter: Don Campbell June 17 Garden Party Saturday, 9 am, at the CSU Extension Garden

July 3 Chinle Board Meeting - 6:30 pm at the Hassell’s Home

July 8 Garden Party Wednesday, 9 am, at the CSU Extension Garden

July 13 Regular Meeting of the Chinle Cactus & Succulent Society 6:30 pm 536 Ouray Ave., Grand Junction, CO Program: Making Hypertufa Pots - Susan Honae, instructor

July 19 Garden Party Wednesday, 9 am, at the CSU Extension Garden

August 5 Garden Party Saturday, WCBG, 9 am

August 7 Chinle Board Meeting - 6:30 pm at the Hassell’s Home August 19 Garden Party

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Saturday, CSU Extension Gardens, 9 am

August 26 Field Trip to Crumps Greenhouse, Buena Vista (Replaces regular meeting of the Chinle C&SS)

September 5 Chinle Board Meeting - 6:30 pm at the Hassell’s Home

September 9 Garden Party Saturday, WCBG, 9 am

September 14 Regular Meeting of the Chinle Cactus & Succulent Society 6:30 pm 536 Ouray Ave., Grand Junction, CO Program: Grafting techniques

September 20 Garden Party Saturday, CSU Extension Gardens, 9 am

October 2 Chinle Board Meeting - 6:30 pm at the Hassell’s Home

October 7 Garden Party Saturday, WCBG, 9 am - ‘LAST OF THE SEASON AT WCBG

October 12 Regular Meeting of the Chinle Cactus & Succulent Society 6:30 pm - Program: TBA

October 21 Garden Party Saturday, CSU, 9 am - LAST OF THE SEASON AT CSU

November 6 Chinle Board Meeting - 6:30 pm at the Hassell’s Home

November 9 Regular Meeting of the Chinle Cactus & Succulent Society 6:30 pm 536 Ouray Ave., Grand Junction, CO Program: PHOTO CONTEST PROGRAM 536 Ouray Ave., Grand Junction, CO Program: TBA DECEMBER 14 ANNUAL DINNER MEETING Bookcliff Country Club

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2017 Chinle Cactus and Succulent Society Board

President: Janet Hassell Vice President: Kate Weissenburger Secretary: Deb Mallory Treasurer: Lisa Hamilton Garden Activities Coordinator: Lois Davidson Member at Large: Walt Scheer Newsletter Editor: Janet Hassell

Program Committee: Shari Skeie MeetUp: Lisa Hamilton Web Site: Kate Weissenburger

Chinle Cactus and Succulent Society usually meets the 2nd Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm. Meetings are held in the Unitarian Universalist Church

536 Ouray Ave., Grand Junction, CO. Guests are always welcome. Chinle Mailing Address: Chinle Cactus & Succulent Society, PO Box 233, Grand Junction, CO 81502

CHINLE C&SS WEBSITE: www.chinlecactusclub.org

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Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the Chinle Cactus & Succulent Society – March 9, 2017

The meeting was called to order by President Janet Hassell at 6:30PM. New members and guests were welcomed and invited to introduce themselves.

The program for this evening was presented by Curtis Swift, who gave an informative talk on soil and water requirements for both indoor and outdoor cacti. There were several questions during the talk, and lively discussion continued from there.

Before the refreshment break, Janet Hassell, showed the raffle drawing plants with some input from Tom Burrows. Tom also had some show-and-tell plants which he had brought, and he described the care and feeding of these.

After the refreshment break, the meeting resumed with the evening’s business, including: 1) Lisa Hamilton gave the monthly financial report and pointed out some of the expenses and income for the month of February. End of the month total was $7699.29, for the money market, checking, and cash accounts together. 2) Shari Skeie gave an overview of upcoming programs. In April, Don Campbell and Lois Davidson will give a program on outdoor plant growing and use of tools. May will be the out-of-town field trip to Vernal, UT. June will bring us Don Campbell, talking on indoor plant cultivation. In July, Susan Honea will lead us in a hands-on activity of making hypertufa pots. In advance of this, we will need to know how many people will plan to attend that meeting, so that we have enough materials. For August, a trip to Crump Greenhouse in Buena Vista is planned. We will have a photo contest again, in November. Kate Weissenburger gave a quick overview of the rules for the contest, and described the categories. December will again be the Annual Dinner meeting.

3) Janet Hassell offered a big thank you to all members who helped with the Plants Show West at Bookcliff Gardens. This had been the prior weekend, March 4 and March 5. Many members of the Club helped with the setup and we had a large offering of display plants this year. Whether the group will participate again next year, is currently up for discussion. There weren’t many attendees and it is questionable how much benefit our Club gets from the show.

4) Lois Davidson gave a quick overview of the upcoming gardening calendar. Our first garden party is Saturday, March 11, at Western Colorado Botanical Gardens. The March 29 day is at the CSU Extension garden. April gardening dates are April 8 at WCBG, and April 22, at CSU. Lois pointed out to new members and guests that all those who help with the gardening are welcome to take home plants that are thinned out or removed completely from the gardens. It is a good opportunity to obtain cold-hardy specimens for our own home gardens.

5) Curtis Swift mentioned a class that he is teaching through Western Colorado Community College and stated that they will likely need more volunteers when the weather warms up. The class will be planting a vegetable and herb garden, and it is planned to donate extra produce to our community food bank(s). Volunteers will be needed and welcome. Janet and Kate suggested that Curtis’ contact information be published in the newsletter, so that members can contact Curtis if they have a desire to help with this project.

6) More details were offered for the May field trip. We will have two groups going – one leaving on Friday moring and the second group leaving on Saturday morning. All those who are planning on going were asked to sign up on the appropriate sheet (either Friday departure or Saturday departure) in order to coordinate the groups.

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at approximately 8:30 PM. Respectfully Deb Mallory

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