April 2015
/THE GARDEN CLUB OF LOS ALTOS
PRESIDENT: BETTY WARD
VICE PRESIDENT & PROGRAMS: JOANNE CONNELLY
NEWSLETTER EDITOR: JUDY HOGAN
WEB SITE: www.gardencluboflosaltos.org
MEETING PLACE: Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Los Altos Lutheran Church
460 S. El Monte Avenue, Los Altos
PLEASE BRING PLANTS AND BAKED GOODS: 9:30 – 10:00
PLANT & BAKE SALE: 11:00 – 12:45
GENERAL MEETING: 12:45
PROGRAM: 1:30
PLANT EXCHANGE: 10 – noon on Saturday, May 2
MEMBERS GARDEN TOUR: 10 -- 3 on Thursday, May 7
AND PAY YOUR DUES BEFORE OR AT THE APRIL MEETING!
PROGRAM: We are thrilled to welcome Rosalind Creasy to discuss EDIBLE LANDSCAPING at our April meeting. Since the 1970’s, Ros has been a pioneer in the field of Edible Landscaping. She has promoted cooking from the garden, eating fresh organic food that is healthy and inexpensive. Long an advocate of recycling water and using drip systems in the garden, she will explain how composting can save water in the soil. Ros will bring her latest book for sale and also some pamphlets on Sustainability. Ros was “blue potatoes” before blue potatoes were cool! This month’s program was developed by Nancy Shardell. Guests are welcome to attend for a $10 fee.
HOSPITALITY: April birthdays – it is your turn to bring cookies/fruit plate/veggie plate (by 12:15) to our April meeting. Everyone remember your coffee mug – we are trying to “think green.”
FLOWER ARRANGEMENTS: For the April meeting, let’s try an asymmetrical bouquet. Let some stems fly high and others trail low. Show off any of the beautiful spring flowers in your garden. Newcomers are welcome to bring on their talents. We love to see what is growing in all the various gardens. Carol Press
MEMBERSHIP DUES: Dues were due by April 1. Starting now, please send your $25 check ($30 for a family membership), payable to Garden Club of Los Altos, to Membership Chairman Nancy Shardell, at her new address to renew your membership for 2015-2016. Nancy can also be reached only on her cell phone. Nancy will also collect dues at the April meeting.
ANYONE WHO HASN’T PAID THEIR DUES BY THE END OF THE APRIL GENERAL MEETING WILL NOT BE IN THE DIRECTORY.
GARDEN CLUB WEB SITE: Our web site www.gardencluboflosaltos.org is easy to use. Just go to “home page” and then click on links to recent events. Pat Knight
IN BLOOM NOW: Our display board for “In Bloom Now” is craving pictures of your garden in bloom now. Or bring along actual flowers in vases for display also (these aren’t flower arrangements, just the flowers). It will be fun to see what everyone is growing.
SPRING PLANT & BAKE SALE: Bring plants at 9:30. Sale starts at 11. This is our twiceyearly fund raiser and will be held before our Tuesday April 28 meeting. We ask everyone to participate, if you can bring plants or baked goods, and of course tell your friends to come and see our bargain prices.
PLANT SALE: Please bring plants at 9:30 a.m. so that we have time to price and organize our tables. Please label with plant names and color, or best yet a photo, size pots 4” or larger in nice condition you would be proud to take home. We would like water-wise plants, perennials, annuals, succulents, houseplants, bulbs or garden related items such as plant stands, decorative pots, etc. No heavy pots or plants, save those for the exchange.
BAKE SALE: Please bring items early (before 11 a.m. so they can be priced). Joyce Baron suggests baked goods, small breads, cookies 12 to a plate, small cakes or cupcakes, pies, jams jellies, candies, fresh herbs, etc. Wrap nicely for transport and label foods, especially if they contain nuts. Bring a bag to carry your purchases. This is one way everyone can contribute, so please be generous and come and support our club, and tell a friend. Thanks to all of you who signed up to help, you are so special! Any questions call Susan Moss.
SPRING PLANT EXCHANGE: The Spring Plant Exchange is almost here!!! It’s a great way to get involved, go home with new plants and learn about what grows well in local gardens!!! Plant IDing is a plus but not a necessity. Enthusiasm is all that’s required and you’ll learn something along the way! I also do!! If you are available May 2 for an hour from 9 AM to Noon, email me or call me or sign up at the April general meeting for a shift to help set up or organize or move tables, etc. It takes place next to the Los Altos Theater box office, next to the soccer field at 97 Hillview Avenue, Los Altos. . . Please contact me, Liz Calhoon. An informative email about the Plant Exchange is sent to whomever would like to be notified, giving all the details of what to bring – cuttings, plants, seeds, bulbs – how to label, when and where it takes place. If you would like to receive it, let me know!
HISTORY MUSEUM GARDEN HELPERS: We are still working on Thursdays, from 9-11. You, too, can join our regular Thursday crew. The daily walkers enjoy these gardens regularly and often stop to praise our efforts. If you would like to join us, please call Ellie Moll and I will add you to my email list to be notified of our work plans. We chat as we work and quite often we learn something new from one another. Thank You!!!
GARDEN CLUB BULLETIN BOARD: Here is a some information on our bulletin board: gcbulletinboard@yahoogroups.com Be sure to use the same email address that you get GCBB messages on! (The BulletinBoard will not recognize any other email address, and think you aren't a member) When you send pictures, please use “small file” so everyone can open the file. If you aren't a GCBB member but wish to be, send an email to Nancy Brubaker and I'll send you the Invitation. Alternately you can search for Yahoo Groups, find the GC BulletinBoard home page, and click on Join This Group. That will send a request to me to let you join. Nancy Brubaker, Moderator for the BulletinBoard
MEMBERS GARDEN TOUR: The Spring Members Garden Tour is scheduled for Thursday, May 7th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets are $15 each and will be available at the April meeting. You may also buy tickets at any of the gardens – hopefully you will have the exact amount. We still need some volunteers at the gardens to work 2 ½ hour sessions on the day of the tour. Please call Sue Becker or Kris Gulesserian if you can help. Every member should buy a ticket and go on the tour! We don’t publicize this tour but you may bring your friends and neighbors.
MEMBERSHIP: Welcome to our new members: Jeanie Ford, Pat Johnson, JoAnne Holland, and returning members: Nancy Liu, Shirley Tognoli.
SEMPERVIRENS FUND: Thanks to your generosity at the March Salad Luncheon, we were able to fund three “trees” (actually representative of buying land between us and the Santa Cruz Mountains). Linda Caprini
ALONG THE GARDEN PATH: Didn’t we all enjoy our delicious salad luncheon last month and delight in Kren Rasmussen’s enchanting flower arrangements?! Thank you for bringing your favorite scrumptious salads and desserts! Also at the March meeting, the elected officers for the 2015-2016 year were installed: Betty Ward, President, Pat Hirschbek, Recording Secretary, JoAnne Connelly, Vice President & Programs, Barbara Capron, Treasurer, and Susan Trost, Corresponding Secretary. We look forward to continuing to dedicate ourselves to serving the Club. There are many up-coming opportunities to volunteer: Plant Sale, Bake Sale, Plant Exchange, Member Garden Tour, Los Altos History Museum Garden, Plant Give-Away, etc. Please contact Officers and Committee Chairs from the list on the inside cover of your member directory. Thank you! Betty Ward
MAY BOARD MEETING: The May Board Meeting on Monday, May 4, 2014, at 2 p.m. will be hosted by Ellie Moll, Chris Gilbrech and Betty Ward at Ellie’s home. Please call Ellie at Chris or Betty if you will not be able to attend.
BUDGET FOR 2014-2015: We will be voting on the proposed budget at the April meeting. Treasurer Barbara Capron will answer any questions before we vote.
This dessert was a BIG hit at our Salad Luncheon
Pineapple Cheesecake Squares
Marguerite Appling
Pat-in-the-Pan Crust
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup margarine or butter, softened
½ cup almonds, finely chopped and toasted
½ cup powdered sugar
Heat oven to 350 º. Mix all ingredients in medium bowl with fork until crumbly. Press firmly and evenly in bottom of ungreased rectangular pan, 13x9x2 inches. Bake until set, 15 to 20 minutes
Filling: 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
½ cup sugar
2 eggs
2/3 cup unsweetened pineapple juice (the recipe says “Dole”)
Beat cream cheese in medium bowl until smooth and fluffy; beat in ½ cup sugar and the eggs. Stir in 2/3 cup pineapple juice. Pour cream cheese mixture over hot crust. Bake just until center is set, about 20 minutes. Cool completely
Topping:
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple, well drained (reserve 1 cup juice)
½ cup whipping cream
Mix flour and ¼ cup sugar in 2-quart saucepan. Stir in 1 cup reserved pineapple juice. Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat; fold in pineapple. Cool completely. Beat whipping cream in chilled bowl until stiff. Fold into pineapple mixture. Spread carefully over dessert. Cover loosely and refrigerate until firm, about 4 hours. Cut into 3-inch squares.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
April 11, 9AM-2PM, Spring Garden Market presented by Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County, History San Jose, 1650 Senter Rd, offering tomatoes, peppers, ornamentals, herbs, garden talks, other vendors, food trucks. Parking is $6, Cash or check for Master Gardener plant sales. For complete information, go to http://www.mastergardeners.org/spring-garden-market
Tues. April 14 - Sun. April 19, 9:30 a.m. - 5:15 p.m. (Fri. April 17, 9:30 a.m. - 8:45 p.m. BOUQUETS TO ART at the deYoung Museum, Golden Gate Park, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, San Francisco. For more information and to purchase tickets: deyoungmuseum.org/bouquets or (1-415) 750-3504.
April 16, 7-8:30PM Winning the War on Weeds at Cupertino Community Center, 10350 Torre Ave, Cupertino, by CNPS and MG. Useful information on sheet mulching and other ideas. Bring a weed or more to ID.
April 18-19, 10AM-4PM, Going Native Garden Tour 2015 presented by CNPS, The tour is free but you must register by 4/19 @ 3PM by going to this website: http://www.goingnativegardentour.org/ GNGT/HomeRO.php There are 50+ gardens split into South Santa Clara County on Sat. and North Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties on Sun. Maps and garden descriptions are on the website. Great way to see a variety of gardens with native and Mediterranean plants. A few gardens have plants for sale.
April 22, 7-8:30PM, Biodiversity and the Native Plant Gardener at Los Altos Library, 13 S. San Antonio Rd, Los Altos by CNPS, Speaker Arvind Kumar
Friday, April 24 and Saturday, April 25, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. .GAMBLE GARDEN SPRING TOUR - "There is no place like home" Tour 5 private Palo Alto gardens; marketplace and plant sale. Tickets and information: (650) 329-1356 or www.gamblegarden.org.
April 25, 10AM-3PM, Native Plant Sale and Wildflower Show by CNPS at Hidden Villa, 26870 Moody Rd, Los Altos Hills. Bring a box to put plants in. Books and cards also for sale.
May 2, 10-Noon, Plant Exchange, Los Altos Theater/Soccer Field, 97 Hillview Ave, Los Altos by GCLA
May 9 and 10, from 11 – 5. Silicon Valley Open Studios – Los Altos Area. This is a yearly event when local artists open their studios for visitors to see - and hopefully buy - the pictures, pottery, jewelry, etc., being exhibited. Our Pat Ley, her daughter and some friends will be showing two types of photography, acrylic and oil painting and pottery at Pat’s home 26850 Ortega Drive, Los Altos Hills.