GARDENING ON THE EDG E
MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS Î December 2007 - January 2008
NEWSLETTER OF THE MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS
Number 127 — December 2007/ January 2008
Making Connections...Staying Connected— Cynthia
Here’s a story about a tea party that took place at my house
last Sunday as a result of Anne Hayden, MG’95, collecting
raffle items for this year’s Masters Garden Tour. The title of
this tidbit will make sense to you after reading this….
Every year Anne calls me and asks for raffle items for the tour.
She’s volunteered for this task for as long as I can remember.
This year I talked some friends into being a “wife/husband
raffle item”. The item was a tea party, complete with lecture
and finger sandwiches, for the winner and five friends.
Annaliese and Mike Keller are well-known to Santa Cruz
County shoppers as the “tea and chai people” at the Cabrillo
Farmers Market. They own Malabar Trading Company and
they are experts on the subject of tea, its history, harvest,
preparation, and marketing elements.
On the day of the Masters Tour, Anne set-up her raffle display
at the Homeless Garden Project site in Santa Cruz. Along
comes 85-year-old Muriel Salmansohn, who buys a raffle
ticket for the tea party. She wins. She calls me. We schedule
the date/time. On Sunday Muriel and her friends show up at
my house for tea. Mike and Annaliese are ready with their
lecture. Teapots filled with exotic teas from around the world
Making Connections...Keeping Connections
Epoll: What Do You Like Most About Being a
Master Gardener?
Book Review: Omnivore’s Dilemma
Eating Food in Season and Other Thoughts
Confessions: Excuses and Resolutions
1
Jordan, MG94
are brewing in the kitchen. Anne made dozens of incredible
finger sandwiches. Add some scones, fruit and brownies and
we had ourselves a tea party. As Muriel put it, “This is the best
party I’ve had since I was 11 years old.” By the way… Muriel is
blind and has been a volunteer at the Homeless Garden Project
for over 10 years.
Anne and Annaliese had never met each other before. None of
us had met Muriel or her friends. Or so we thought. Three
hours later, we learn that Anne and Annaliese have many
mutual close friends as a result of their culinary backgrounds.
Two of the guests are librarians and we’ve all probably talked
to them at one time or another. Another guest is the literary
assistant to a dear friend of mine who has amassed one of the
largest private diary-libraries in the country. His wife, also a
friend, is a world-class ceramist. Her work was selected by the
Clinton White House to be presented to visiting heads of
state. Others at the table knew of her and had purchased her
work.
Most fascinating was Muriel’s story of her father escaping the
anti-Semitism of Russia in the early 1900’s; his trip on a
freighter to NY and the journey through Ellis Island; his first
MBMGs to Host 2008 Statewide Conference
It’s That Time Again—Almost, At Least!
What’s Blooming in Your Garden
Al’s Corner: Successful Grafts Require Live Scions
Etcetera: Relevant Internet Miscellany
2 December 2007 - January 2008 Î MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS

night in America, sleeping in a doorway in Brooklyn. We were connect. Data is another word for knowledge. I absolutely
enthralled with recollections of her childhood. And now we enjoy watching people get connected with other people and
were all connected to her and her father and Mother Russia as acquiring new knowledge along the way. That itself is another
a result of hearing her story that day. description of the MG program: people and knowledge
connecting for a better world.
What were the chances that ten people would find themselves
so entwined and connected by a dollar raffle ticket?? We 2008 brings a new class of recruits to the MG program. We’ve
discovered that the six degrees of separation were now just seated a new Board of Directors. Lots of “new” will be
reduced to two. happening in the coming year. To ensure that the legacy of the
MG program is sustained, we need the tribal knowledge of all
So what does this tea party have to do with the MG News-
the MGs who have come before this new class. If you’ve
letter Staff’s request that I write an article about being elected
disconnected from the MG program over the years, please
the new President of the MBMG Board of Directors? I have
consider reconnecting. Show up at an advanced training class
been a Master Gardener since 1994. I did my training and
and surprise us. Sit in on a quarterly meeting and catch up on
graduated from the Santa Clara County MG Program. I was
things. Write an article about your favorite gardening
part of the founding team that planned and implemented the
experience for the newsletter. You don’t have to get wrapped
MG program for Monterey Bay. I served as president, co-
up in the red tape of certification if you don’t want to. We’ll
president, VP and general-purpose Board member for the first
take whatever time you can give.
eight years of the program.
To the Master Gardener Program and to Master Gardeners
Throughout these last 13 years, I have remained connected to
past, present, and to come…stay connected!
the MG program and the scores of master gardener friends I
have made along the way. This connection has had a profound Cynthia Jordan, President, Board of Directors
impact on my entire life – not just my gardening life.
Postscript: Muriel leaves for Florida in two weeks. She can no
For those of you enrolling in the 2008 class, your life will longer live by herself so she’s going to live near her children.
change forever with the connections you are about to make. As But I know that the tea-party-goers will all stay spiritually
gardeners, we don’t have to be told that gardening is heaven on connected… all because Anne Hayden, MG’95, collected raffle
earth and gardeners are special. By virtue of planting and items for an MG event. Î
harvesting and watering and weeding, we are somehow
connected to the cycles of life much more deeply than people Helleborus
who don’t garden. But the MG program will extend and
expand that connection to human beings, to “like spirits” who
are connected to Mother Earth the way you are.
Beyond the connection to other gardeners, the MG program is
unique in that it connects you to a larger entity called
“community”. This is not your grandma’s garden club. The MG
program insists that your mind, body and spirit connect, one
with the other, and with the community around you. And that
community is no longer defined by your zip code.
Globalization and global warming have connected you to the
entire planet. You become a better gardener not because you
learn to garden better but because you are now connected on a
deeper level to the people in your ever-expanding community.
The MG certification process requires that you remain
connected to the program by completing community service
projects and continuing your education year after year. You
will not find this to be a hardship. You are going to make
friends that you will have the rest of your life. You will want to
hang out with these newfound friends. Whether you stay
connected to them via community projects or the quarterly
meetings, they spill over into other parts of your life. The
connections you are about to make are ones that you will want
to keep, even when your gardening days are spent!
In my “real life”, I work in the computer industry. For the last
ten years, my companies have developed software products
that network people and data. Network is another term for
MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS Î December 2007 - January 2008
Epoll — What Do You
Like Most About Being
a Master Gardener?
— complied by Sharon Ettinger, MG00
Dee Dee Hanania, MG99 — The amazing people you meet,
the plants you are introduced to and the projects that are
helpful to others and that are fun to get involved with.
Kat DeDontney, MG04 — Most people make deep, lifelong
friendships in college. To get the opportunity to do that again
at this point in my life is a gift. I have met the most amazing
people who share the same commitments and interests as me
and I cherish the friendships I have made with them. On the
other hand, the 10% discount I get at nurseries and garden
centers is a nice little perk...kidding!!
Dianne Yost, MG04 — I really enjoy working on the hotline
because I love to learn. As an ornamental gardener (by nature
as well as my profession), the questions about vegetable
gardening are the most challenging to me because it is what I
know the least about! It's satisfying to be able to help someone
with a garden issue. Above and beyond that is the fact that I
have made 2 of the best friends that I could ever hope to have!
Chris Carrier, MG06 — I like learning in almost any
form. Gardening is a particular comfort for me. I benefit from a
semi-structured approach to learning. I believe I end up with
more if I'm part of a learning community and have
the responsibilities of a class.
Volunteer work in my community is critical to my
happiness. MG has opened up many wonderful volunteer
opportunities and new friendships.
Everyone is there to learn. It happens automatically in our
conversations: "Hi, how are you doing? You know, that gopher
stuff from class isn't working for me. Have you found anything
else?"
I have spent much of my life gardening between times I take
seriously. I realize now I had it backwards.
I have never met a MG who considered himself/herself an
expert gardener. If you can reflect on your own practices,
create questions and adapt, you will find the MG
program fulfilling.
Existing friendships can be enriched. When you make yourself
into a more interesting person, it opens up new dimensions in
friendships you've maintained at a simpler level for years.
The credential has wowed my employer, and she is letting me
make all kinds of landscaping improvements. The credential
says, "I'm trying to be disciplined, serious, knowledgeable
about this gardening project," even though half the time I'm
just having fun.
3
Stuart Walzer, MG96 — I like being part of a community of
plant fanatics. Gardeners are warm and sharing folk. I also
love taking people around my garden and giving away plants.
Every three years I've been lucky enough to be able to do this
by having my garden on the tour. I also enjoy reading
Gardening on the Edge. I find articles that teach me new things
or better still, confirm what I already know. Altogether, I love
being a Master Gardener.
Melita Israel, MG95 — New to me gardening knowledge,
gardening friends and sharing knowledge with others.
Darcy Horton, MG06 — Working side-by-side with other
Master Gardeners on various projects and learning from the
amazing wealth of information we have at our fingertips,
including access to our farm advisors, books and websites.
The opportunity to give back to my community in a
meaningful way while getting my gardening fix! Working with
Candice in the Youth Garden never ceases to amaze me. I am
always touched by my interactions with the kids and the
opportunity to bring them some of the joys of working with
the earth, growing your own food, preparing it and then eating
it together.
Diane Huang, MG04 — Being a Master Gardener provides me
easy access to the tremendous gardening knowledge base
shared by all other MGs.
Sue Forson, MG04 — Although I am a relatively inactive
Master Gardener, the camaraderie, opportunities and
knowledge I gained during my training continue to nourish the
quality of my life in the here and now.
Bonnie Pond, MG00 — I became a Master Gardener in
2000 and it was one of the best things I have ever done. It's not
just the people who share your love of gardening, or the feeling
of belonging, or the wealth of new information about
gardening; it’s all of the above and much more. We all like to
get our hands dirty and share plants.
Tom Davis, MG01 — I really enjoy working the hotline. This
is where you are on the frontline of gardening…answering
questions about topics I have not even thought about or
considered. Then you have the opportunity to research the best
answer there is for the question. Most callers are very
appreciative of your response and answer. It is also rewarding
to review all the previous questions in the completed binder.
Happy Gardening in 2008!
Leora Worthington, MG03 — Besides meeting the wonderful
people who are Master Gardeners and getting the benefit of
their connections, the Master Gardener Program is a
continuation of my intentions in life. I was in the medical field
for 32 years and came to appreciate the value of preventative
measures. The hotline is a major defense post regarding
Integrated Pest Management. The program has extended my
knowledge of organic and natural gardening so that I may
apply it and pass the information along. All of this taken
together improves the state of health for people and the critters
4 December 2007 - January 2008 Î MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS

who enjoy the beneficial gardens that we promote. Keeping

certified each year opens my eyes to further information and
viewpoints. It is about life, which is the best thing about it.
Nancy Martella, MG06 — I enjoy learning and sharing with
other Master Gardeners in their gardens or while working on
volunteer projects. They’re the nicest people!
Tom Karwin, MG99 — I like being part of the group because
it has an educational purpose and a broad perspective on
gardening. Most garden groups focus on one genus, but the
Master Gardeners are concerned with the full spectrum of
gardening activities, and the relationship of gardening to
environmental protection, water conservation and other
aspects of sustainability. There's room under that big tent for
a wide range of interests and talents, and the MGs bring lots
of both to the organization.
Candice McLaren, MG01 — In the almost 7 years since I
went through the MG class and year in and year out, it’s the
people involved in the program that I like the best. Starting
with the enthusiasm that the interviewers show for the
program, the knowledge that the professors and instructors
impart on each class, and the curiosity that all Master
Gardeners have to ask questions and continually learn. It's life
long learning at it's best!
Joan Halperin, MG04 — The education, stretching the mind
into unknown territory is wonderful of course, and as Linda
Caruthers told the last three classes: where else would you
meet all of these like minded people and make such good
friends? Î

PUMPKINS!!!

The first Master Gardener Program was initiated in the State of Washington in 1973 by Extension agents in response to a
burgeoning interest in horticulture from citizens in the urban areas. The Program's objective was to train volunteers to help
Extension meet the overwhelming demand for information on horticulture, gardening and plant problems. Volunteers
participated in a series of science-based educational sessions that included many aspects of horticulture and related topics.
Then, in return for this training, they assisted local Extension personnel in providing information and education. Today
there are Master Gardener Programs affiliated with most land-grant universities in thirty-three states. (http://
mastergardener.wsu.edu/mgvp/mgvp.html) The first class of Monterey Bay Master Gardeners met in January 1995.
MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS Î December 2007 - January 2008
Book Review— Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals
Michael Pollan, whose earlier book, Botany
of Desire, examines how plants and people
are mutually dependent, now takes on the
question, “What should we have for
dinner?” To answer that ques-tion, he
examines three major ways people choose to
acquire food: the Industrial model, the
Pastoral pattern, and the Personal or
hunter-gatherer method. Any gardener who
grows some portion of his or her own food,
whether through vegetable gardening,
cultivating fruit trees or caring for a modest
herb collection, will be interested to learn
surprising facts about each of the models
examined.
In the Industrial model, an amazing
dependence on huge corn crops is revealed.
Corn is used to feed cattle, poultry, pigs, sheep, and even
farmed fish. In this way, corn fed animals end up feeding
humans. In addition, people eat corn not just as a vegetable but
also as a major ingredient in prepared foods such as cornstarch,
corn oil, and corn syrup. High fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
shows up in soft drinks, snack food, ketchup, mustard, cereals,
etc. – just read the labels! Lastly, corn can be used to make
ethanol. Agribusiness-grown corn is tied to America’s
petroleum consumption, via pesticides and fertilizers. “One
fifth of America’s petroleum consumption goes to producing
and transporting our food.” One impact of using corn in beef
production is crowded feedlots used to fatten beef cattle before
slaughter. Inhumane treatment of cattle in the slaughter
process can be a side effect and the process of turning the
cattle into hamburger can result in dangers such as E.coli.
Pollan wraps up this segment with the first of his ‘Four Meals’
at McDonald’s. He choses a cheeseburger, fries, and a coke. His
son choses chicken McNuggets, and Pollan ponders, “What is
a chicken nugget?” Fast food is fast and cheap, but much of the
cost is hidden in subsidized farming.Next, in the Pastoral
model, grass is the main crop. In this section, Pollan makes a
working visit to a small farm, whose agricultural practice is
ecologically sound and seemingly sustainable. At the farm,
cows are fed grass – a slower path to the slaughterhouse and
hence more expensive. The so-called grass farmer also raises
chickens (and eggs), turkeys, and rabbits. In the meal that he
prepared following his participation in the farm chores, Pollan
collected the ingredients for the meal from local sources only.
5
— Sharon Tyler, MG04
The ingredients included chicken from the
farm where he worked (which included
slaughtering chickens), corn, rocket salad
(an annual herb), chocolate soufflé, and
Virginian Viognier wine.
Another aspect to the Pastoral model is what
Pollan calls ‘Big Organic’, i.e. Whole Foods
Market, where it is easy to acquire ‘organic’
or ‘humanely raised’ or ‘free range’ products.
It is clear that this is a more expensive way
to shop. Pollan examines what exactly
‘organic’ means, and some of the dangers of
this label. For the third dinner meal in the
series, he shops strictly at Whole Foods, and
prepares a meal of roasted chicken, roasted
veggies (yellow potatoes, purple kale, red
winter squash), steamed asparagus, spring mix salad, with a
dessert of organic ice cream topped with organic blackberries.
This meal was definitely not local, since the foods are imported
from far corners of the earth.
In the last model, the Personal or Hunter-Gatherer, Pollan goes
to extreme measures to hunt and otherwise gather food for the
meal he planned to prepare. Though he had never before
hunted, he learned to shoot. Though he had never gathered
wild mushrooms, with the help of a local expert, he learned
about varieties of mushrooms and their habitats. With a few
exceptions, he managed to gather (beg and borrow) most of
what he needed for a meal. The menu consisted of: Fava Beans
and Sonoma Boar Pâté, Egg Fettuccine and Power Fire Morels,
Braised Leg and Grilled Loin of Wild Sonoma Pig, Wild East
Bay Yeast Levain (bread), very local garden salad, Fulton Street
Bing Cherry Galotte, Claremont Canyon Chamomile Tisane
(herbal tea), 2003 Angelo Garro Petite Syrah. His efforts met
with varying degrees of success. How this meal’s ingredients
were acquired and prepared is the funniest part of the book
When you read this revealing documentary, be shocked at the
extent of our dependence on agribusiness, be dismayed at the
varieties of “organic” available, and be surprised to see how
hard it is to be ”local” in food acquisition. Above all, imagine
yourself as a guest at Pollan’s ‘Four Meals.’ This extraordinary
journey, taken and reported by Pollan, provokes each of us to
reflect on how our choices in acquiring food affect our lives and
perhaps the world. Î
6 December 2007 - January 2008 Î MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS
Eating Food in Season and Other Thoughts
I want to tell you about four books I read. As Master
Gardeners we are passionate about how plants are grown
whether they are ornamental or food or both. The things I
learned about growing food and raising animals for our table
from these four books changed my view of the food I see in
supermarkets and validated my decision to eat no red meat.
However, my purpose here is not to convince you to take the
same path.
Michael Pollan’s book, Omnivore’s Dilemma recounts his
experiences as he decided to visit meat and poultry producers
to see how the animals are raised for slaughter. His premise
was that if he is going to eat meat, he should be able to deal
with how it gets to his table. He followed a cow, pig and
chicken from the farm to slaughter. What he explained about
the influence of corn on agriculture and the food that we eat
was a revelation to me. In his view, it’s all about corn. (Then I
read some very similar thoughts in Kingsolver’s books and
elsewhere.) Once corn became the crop of choice, beef
producers decided to feed corn to cattle, whose intestines were
designed by Mother Nature to digest grasses, to fatten them up
faster and get them to market faster. So there was more
demand for corn and scientists started experimenting with the
genetic structure so the corn yield per acre would be higher.
Pesticides were needed, some even included in the genetically
modified seed. The cattle, forced to eat food they could not
digest properly in tightly packed feed lots are fed antibiotics.
The meat is fatter than that of grass fed beef – the American
consumer has come to enjoy the marbled fat found in corn-fed
beef that is not the same in grass-fed beef. And the byproducts
of corn are found in almost everything on the grocers’ shelves.
In addition, there is way too much single-crop farming that is
harmful to the land.
In Animal, Vegetable, Mineral, Barbara Kingsolver, best known for
her novels, shared her experiences living off the land for a year
on family property in Appalachia. She moved with her husband
and two daughters from Tucson, Arizona to the farm. I
particularly enjoyed her descriptions of her nine-year-old
daughter’s chicken and egg business. The Kingsolvers raise and
eat heritage turkeys—wonderful description of these. In her
book she discusses genetically modified seeds. I learned that
the modifications started when transportation of perishable
produce like tomatoes, fruits and other vegetables was made
possible by invention of refrigerated trucks. The problem was
how to get the produce across the country and still have it look
good to consumers. The genetic modifications were made for
appearance and resistance to damage during travel, not taste.
Taste? Who cares? So Americans got used to eating the
tasteless produce from their local supermarket. This book is
written in Kingsolver’s wonderful prose. And there is a bonus:
a website www.animalvegetablemiracle.com has the recipes
along with photos of the farm and links to relevant websites
about heritage seeds and animals, sustainable farming, etc.
— Kathleen Sonntag, MG06
The other two books are novels by Ruth Ozeki: My Year of
Meats and All Over Creation. They both tell a story centered
around a young Japanese-American woman and her
experiences. First she is a reporter capturing the story of
American meat production for a television company that wants
to sell American beef to Japan via a cooking show. Then in All
Over Creation, the central character reluctantly returns home to
help her aging parents on the family farm in Idaho. These
books contain descriptions of meat production and the
farmers’ dilemma over genetically modified seeds, use of
pesticides and heritage seed collection. I recommend them for
the story and the insight they provide.
That’s it—four books about how our food is grown and how
agribusiness has changed the American diet. I hope, like me,
you will commit more of your food dollars to produce and meat
and fish that is available at your local farmers’ markets or small
stores that sell locally-grown foods. Why? I think taste goes
toward the top of the list. You can follow that with good
health, supporting local organic farmers who grow food
sustainably, and then we can go off on another related topic —
the greenhouse gases that are emitted when food is moved
around the world. Not today.
On the MBMG group site we asked an Epoll question: Buying
and eating sustainable local food during the winter is a little difficult even
on the central coast. Tomatoes and asparagus are certainly not in season,
but they are in the stores. Where do you find local fresh foods during the
winter?
Here are some of the responses from MGs.
Barbara Gordon — I have made my own oven-dried tomatoes
out of Molino Creek's dry-farmed tomatoes. Slice tomatoes to
1/4 to 1/2 inch thick slices, put them on a cookie sheet and pour
olive oil, salt and basil over them. Turn oven to 250 degrees and
put tomatoes in for about 10 hours. Then scrape them off and
store them in the refrigerator in olive oil. I have the most
delicious tomatoes to cook with all winter!
I've also parboiled, skinned and frozen some tomatoes, but I
don't like them as well as the oven-dried ones.
MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS Î December 2007 - January 2008
Al Derrick — Asparagus is a winter crop mostly from Victoria
Island in the California Delta. There are some small greenhouse
tomato growers that provide a source for winter tomatoes. The
energy cost to heat a greenhouse has or is driving them out of
business. I really don't know what is meant by the term
"sustainable" when applied to vegetable growing. The
Watsonville area has a large industry devoted to growing and
shipping winter vegetables all over the world. If you want that
kind of information, a call to Valley Packing in Watsonville or
Frank Capurro and Sons in Moss Landing would give you an
idea of the scope and variety of vegetable shipping.
Melita Israel — I’m not sure where you live but if Salinas is
convenient for you, Star Market on south Main at the corner of
Blanco carries some local produce. You may have to ask them
what is local and what is not.
Nancy Martella — Tomatoes are now being dried for winter
soups and sauces. Cut the tomatoes in half and squeeze
out most of the juice and seeds. This is done using a bowl
covered by a strainer. This gives me fresh tomato juice. Place
sliced tomatoes on a teflon screen and dry. Store in tight jars.
I also dry onions that can't be stored. These are combined with
dried summer squash and carrots that have slightly passed
maturity for soups and casseroles.
To chop onions I light a candle to burn off the gas that make us
cry. I've heard that putting onions in the freezer for 10
minutes helps stop tears.
Confessions of a Reluctant Gardener: Excuses and Resolutions
I don't want to go outside when it’s cold. Being two decades
older than forty might have something to do with it. Arthritic
hands. Tired back. So I mostly stay inside during the late fall
and winter and, through my windows, watch my garden
hunker down.
Observing the slow transformation of the northern part of my
yard over the top of my computer monitor, I am aware hourly
of the deepening dryness of the soil and the plants’ reactions to
it. They are tenacious and wise and do everything in their
power to stay alive. Drop a few leaves. Maybe a couple of
twigs. Wait. Wait for rain. Wait for spring. I wait with them.
The two young lilacs (they’ve been in the ground for a year
now) are looking sad; one has already abandoned nearly all its
leaves. The lawn (I know — I don’t own the property) is
thinning and browning in patches. Everything looks crispy.
Hydrangeas in pots are hanging on, as are other confined
plants, because just as they are about to expire, I ‘save’ my
work, then pull on my gloves and hat and jacket and scarf and
boots and run out to offer early-morning deliverance in the
form of water. I don’t extend my aid to the plants in the
7
I've grown my own asparagus for over 30 years and last
summer was the first time a gopher ate a lot of them. I’ll see
what comes up next spring. I have both male and female plants
so I guess the seeds replaced older plants. Asparagus is said to
last about 15 years.
Spinach grows wild in my garden. The seed came with some
hay I used for mulch over 10 years ago.
Beets, peas, lettuce, carrots, onions, garlic and vegetables from
the cabbage family do well during winter. I don't have to water
much and there are fewer insects. Slugs and snails can be a
problem.
I understand you can uproot a tomato plant and grow it
indoors but I have never tried. There are Russian tomatoes that
grow in the LA area during the winter outdoors.
Drying food tastes fresher that most preserving methods.
Tom Karwin — I hope all the MGs know about the farmers
markets in the Monterey Bay area. They're the best for local
fresh foods. http://www.montereybayfarmers.org/markets.html
Carol Kaplan — The Produce Market on Fremont Street in
Monterey has fresh produce all year round. Also, there is a
Farmer's Market at MPC.
Darcy Horton suggests visiting New Leaf Community Market
in Capitola and the Farmers Market at Cabrillo College on
Saturday mornings.
Diana Huang goes to the Marina Farmers Market on Sundays.
Î
— Christina Kriedt, MG06
ground, however, as I’m sure it will begin to rain soon and
until then I want to conserve.
I never feel too sad about a plant dying unless it happens as a
direct result of my neglect. Then I really do feel a little twinge
of guilt. So I think that this year I will proclaim a New Year’s
Resolution, something I haven’t done since I was in my
twenties: I will, beginning in the late winter of 2008, try to
take better care of my garden, spend more time out there in the
soil — which I think I recall finding enjoyable at one time. I
will make a real effort, applying the Four Agreements to the
living things that rely on me (okay, the climate and a few other
variables too) for their very existence: I will always do my best,
never assume anything, be impeccable with my word and
never take anything personally. I have my own Fifth Agree-
ment: don’t be attached to the outcome.
There, I feel better already. Maybe tomorrow I’ll run the
sprinkler for a little while, since there’s no rain in the forecast
for at least five more days.
I will be patient with the weather, the garden and myself. Î
8 December 2007 - January 2008 Î MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS
Monterey Bay Master Gardeners To Host
2008 Statewide Conference — Simon Stapleton, MG06
Asilomar State Beach
Master Gardeners! Mark your calendars! The MG Statewide
Conference will be held at the Asilomar Conference Grounds
in Pacific Grove September 24 – 26, 2008. And… Monterey
Bay Master Gardeners is the host organization.
The theme for the 2008 conference is “Digging Deeper,
Sustainability for the Master Gardener.” The focus will be on four
main tracks. Some sample ideas being considered as breakout
sessions are:
Track 1 – Sustaining Yourself: Sessions designed for the
individual. These include workshops on special gardening
topics such as good body mechanics for gardening, science-
based horticulture (e.g. Latin for gardeners and plant
propagation, and sustainable landscape practices.
Track 2 – Sustaining Your Sanity in a Leadership Role:
Sessions designed for coordinators, board members, and
program chairs. These include workshops that will help you
learn how to motivate teams, mentor for retention, and
improve group dynamics for program success.
Track 3 – Sustaining Your Community: Sessions de-signed
to help MGs participate in their community projects such as
community gardens, and current information about new
vegetables and their cultural requirements.
Track 4 – Sustaining Your Group: Sessions designed for
MGs in leadership roles to help you better contribute to your
group. These include workshops on how to give a dynamic
presentation and leadership training.
In addition, three pre -conference tours are being developed:
a Garden-to-Grapes Tour, an all day hands-on retreat
designing gardens, and a guided tour of Asilomar’s Dune
Habitat.
More events and tours are being discussed and researched and
will be announced when details are available.
The conference is shaping up to be an exciting & rewarding
event and you can be involved. We are looking for 2-3 Keynote
Speakers and 30-40 Breakout Session Speakers. If you would
like to be considered as a speaker or know of someone who
would be willing to be a speaker, please submit the names
prior to January 31, 2008.
The conference receives no funding from UCCE or any other
public source. Therefore, we are actively seeking sponsors for
the conference and for our breakout sessions. Sponsorships
are the only way we can keep registration fees at a minimum.
Currently, registration fees for the conference are projected to
be $300. If you know of any organization or company that
would be interested in sponsoring an event, please submit
their name by March 31, 2008. All sponsors will be recognized
with signage at the conference.
We are also investigating alternative housing for conference
guests. If you live in the Pacific Grove/Monterey/Carmel area
and would be willing to host an out-of-town guest please let
us know. Tell us how many people you can accommodate, if
you prefer male or female or either and if you are able to
provide transportation to and from the conference.
In addition, we need volunteers to serve as hosts and
“concierges” to provide visitors with information about our
area. Other volunteer opportunities will be announced when
they are identified.
We want to hear from you. Please send us your ideas,
comments, and questions. To volunteer or to submit names or
for any other information, you may contact Alicia Molina via
email at nmnalicia@sbcglobal.net or Simon Stapleton at
sistapleto@comcast.net. The conference website should be up
by January 2008.
Our organization is excited to be hosting this event, and we
hope many of you will be able to get involved in some capacity.
GOTE will provide more information as it becomes available.
Watch for announcements to the MBMG yahoo group. Î
Statewide MG Program site:
http://camastergardeners.ucdavis.edu/
Visit the native dune grasses at Asilomar State Beach:
http://www.cnga.org/action/visiting.php?place=11_asilomar
California Native Grasslands Association
MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS Î December 2007 - January 2008
It’s That Time Again – Almost, At Least! — Paul McCollum, MG04
It’s mid November and I am already beginning to think about
the pruning of the roses. Pruning season for roses will start,
according to the Monterey Bay Rose Society, on December 7
(that’s right, Pearl Harbor Day) and extend through January or
early February of 2008. Many of us have been regularly dead-
heading our roses since this year’s flowering season began –
cutting back spent blooms, cutting out unwanted stems
and/or new growth – in other words, pruning as needed in
order to keep our roses looking good and producing flowers at
their best. This kind of consistent and conscientious effort
makes the upcoming pruning season and activity much, much
easier and faster.... However, some of us, including yours truly,
have been rather negligent in our duties in this area and so a
little work now while the days are generally warm and
pleasant will save us time during this busy time of year when
so many happy family gatherings take place. So, what can we
do now?
Even if you have just a few roses, a little time spent now in
preparation will make things easier for the bulk of your
pruning efforts that will take place in the next 8 to 10 weeks.
First, make sure you have your Tetanus shot up to date (every
10 years is the recommendation). Next, make sure your tools
are in good condition. Sharpen and oil your favorite hand
pruning shears, loppers, and a small hand saw for those really
large ramblers you may have. Also, have a good pair of gloves –
some that are soft and supple enough to still feel the tool and
yet protective enough to not let the prickles go through and
injure you. Goatskin gloves are a good choice because the
prickles will generally not stick to them. Now you are ready to
9
start by walking
around and looking
at your rose plants
and visualizing
what you want
that rose to be like
next season.
Another good thing
to do is clean up
around each rose,
removing all refuse
and weeds, thus
making it easier to
see what’s going on.
Sheila’s Perfume., fragrant, disease resistant floribunda
When you do start pruning your roses, you are basically going
to cut out all dead canes or branches, eliminat-ing all the
crossed ones that are rubbing on each other; and, with Hybrid
Teas, cut the remaining 3 to 5 canes (less canes bigger flowers)
to an outward facing node at approximately the same height. If
you want a short plant, cut the canes at 12” to 15” and if a taller
plant is desired, cut at 20” to 24”. Prune so that air can get to
the center of the plant but use good judgment so that the end
result is not a plant that is just a large bowl with nothing in the
middle. Keep in mind that different classes of roses require
different kinds of pruning. One-time bloomers, like many of the
Moss roses, are pruned after they bloom (spring and early
summer) because flowers will be produced on the new growth
the following season. Ramblers mostly just need to be headed
back so as not to completely take over an
area. Where practical, strip off all the old
leaves and again remove any refuse. Treat
with a dormant spray and you are good to go.
If anyone would like to see a practical
demonstration and also earn some advanced
training hours, you might consider coming to
the January 25 meeting of the Monterey Bay
Rose Society. Joe Ghio, an expert grower and
Consulting Rosarian, will be giving his
famous and entertaining Rose Pruning
Demonstration. This will be a great chance
to learn from an expert and ask your pruning
questions. Check out http://www.monterey
bayrosesociety.org/ for details about the
demonstration. Î
Left: The roses that grace the entrance to the Youth
Garden grew back with a fury after the hard pruning
they received at the hands of MBMGs in 2006. The pale
pink rose is ‘Sally Holmes’, a hybrid musk.
10 December 2007 - January 2008 Î MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS

Persimmon — Diospyros kaki Persimmons can be pruned heavily as a

Commercially, there are two general hedge, a screen, an espalier or to control
types of persimmon fruit: heart-shaped size. Cut young trees back to about 3 feet
Hachiya is eaten soft; and squat Fuyu at the time of planting. Alternate bearing
can be eaten firm. There is a third type, is common. This can be partially over-
come by thinning the fruit or moderately
less commonly available, known as
pruning after a light-crop year.
Goma in Japan; the flesh is brown and
the fruit can be eaten firm. The persimmons tree is a large member of
the ebony family and produces one of the
The entire fruit is edible except for the
hardest woods known.
seed and calyx. Freezing the fruit
overnight and then thawing softens it http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/persimmon.html Î
and also removes the astringency.

What’s Blooming in Your Garden in December and January?

The following is exerpted from the What’s Bloomin’ database which is based on observations made by Monterey Bay Master
Gardeners in Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties. The entire database is online at http://www.montereybaymaster
gardeners.org. Please send your data to Annette Longuevan at bloomingepoll@gmail.com. Î
Abelia grandiflora
Abutilon spp.
Acer japonica
Achillea spp.
Agapanthus hybrids
Allium fistulosum
Allium sativum
Alstroemeria hybrids
Amaranthus cruentus
Anagallis spp.
Anethum graveolens
Anigozanthos spp.
Antirrhinum majus
Arctostaphylos spp.
Arctotis spp.
Armeria maritima
Baccharis pilularis
Banksia spp.
Bergenia sp. and hybrids
Bidens spp.
Billbergia nutans
Bougainvillea hybrids
Brassica oleracea
Brugmansia spp.
Buddleia spp.
Camelia spp. and hybrids
Chaenomeles japonica
Choisya ternata
Chorizema spp.
Chrysanthemum spp.
Cistus spp.
Citrus hybrids
Citrus sinensis
Citrus spp. Jasminum polyanthum Protea ssp
Citrus X limon Kniphofia uvaria Prunus domestica
Correa spp. Lavatera assurgentiflora Prunus dulcis
Crassula argentea or ovata Lavendula spp. Psoralea pinnata
Cuphea hyssopifolia Leptospermum scoparium Ranunculus asiaticus
Cyclamen spp. Leucodendron 'Safari Sunrise' Reseda odorata
Cymbidium hybrids Leucojum aestivum Rhaphiolepis indica hybrids
Cytisus scoparius Lilium hybrids Rhododendron spp. & hybrids
Dahlia imperialis Linaria purpurea Ribes spp.
Dianthus barbatus Lobularia maritima Rosa spp. and hybrids
Dietes iridioides (D. vegeta) Lonicera spp. Rosemarinus officinalis
Echium fastuosum (E. candicans) Lorapetalum chinense Salvia leucantha
Epiphyllum hybrids Magnolia spp. Schizostylis coccinea
Erica spp. and hybrids Matthiola spp. Senecio cineraria
Escallonia spp. and hybrids Melaleuca alternifolia Solanum lycopersicum
Euryops spp. Michelia spp. Spiraea prunifolia
Fragaria chiloensis Mimulus spp. Strelitzia reginae
Fuchsia hybrida Nandina domestica Sutera cordata
Gaura lindheimeri Narcissus spp. and hybrids Syringa spp.
Geranium spp. Ocimum hybrid Tagetes spp.
Grevillea rosmarinifolia Oxalis spp. Teucrium fruticans
Grewia occidentalis Papaver nudicaule Thunbergia alata
Hakea spp. Passiflora spp. Tibouchina urvilleana
Hardenbergia spp. Pelargonium spp. Trachelospermum jasminoides
Hatiora gaertneri Pennisetum setaceum Tropaeolum majus
Hebe spp. and hybrids Penstemon spp. Tulbaghia violacea
Hemerocallis spp. Persea americana Verbascum spp.
Heuchera spp. and hybrids Phacelia campanularia Veronica spp. and hybrids
Hibiscus spp. and hybrids Philotheca myoporoides (Eriostemon Viburnum spp. and hybrids
Hydrangea spp. myoporoides) Vicia faba
Iberis sempervirens Phlomis fruticosa Vinca major
Impatiens spp. and hybrids Pittosporum tobira Viola spp.
Iris - bearded hybrids Primula spp. Zantedeschia aethiopica
MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS Î December 2007 - January 2008 11

Al’s Corner: Successful Grafts Require Live Scions— Al Derrick, MG95

Scion wood is normally collected as dormant fruit tree pruning Doing it this way will result in the best possible scion. When
is being done, in January for most of us. Too often the scion it’s time for lunch, take your sealed baggies to the refrigerator.
wood is treated in a haphazard manner with no respect for the Ordinary refrigerator temperatures, 35 to 40 degrees, will keep
fact that it is living and the energy contained in the wood will your scions dormant, alive and ready to use when the trees to
be needed if the completed graft is to grow. be grafted have begun their spring growth.
Usually you know which trees you will want to save scions
from. When collecting the tools you will need as you prepare
to prune, it is a simple matter to also prepare the one gallon
size zip-lock baggies to collect the scions. Label each baggie
with the name and date, such as “Bartlett Pear, Jan 15, 08”.
Inside each baggie I place a wet paper towel, with the water
squeezed out. Normally I just stuff them in my jacket pocket as
I head for my orchard. Usually I will save between 10 and 20
scions in each bag and will need a container to keep them in as
I go from tree to tree. I have found a small picnic-size ice chest
handy.
Selecting scions from the pruned wood (usually you will have
plenty to chose from!), vegetative growth buds will be a better
choice than flower buds. If you can’t tell the difference,
remember that the more vertical growth will seldom contain
many flower buds. You will only need two or three buds on
each. It should be easy to tell last year’s growth, which is
When it is time to graft, it is better to be a little late than to be
preferred for scions.
too early. When your graft is complete, the scion, exposed to
If you prune the tree and then go around and pick up the warmer air temperatures, will come out of dormancy and will
pruned material to cut into proper length scions to fit inside need to have the moist nutrient flow from the tree to feed the
the one gallon baggies, you have probably already stepped on emerging buds. If this does not happen soon, the scion will
most of them. It is better as you prune to prepare that portion expend its stored energy and die before the tree comes out of
of the branch into scions, putting them right into the baggie. dormancy. Î
No matter how it is done it will take the same time and effort.

Linnaeus was born in Småland, in southern Sweden. He received most of his higher education at Uppsala University and began
giving lectures of botany there in 1730. He lived abroad from 1735 to 1738 where he studied and also published a first edition of
his Systema Naturae in the Netherlands. He then returned to Sweden where he became professor of botany at Uppsala. In the
1740s he was sent on several journeys through Sweden to find and classify plants and animals. In the 1750s and 60s he continued
to collect and classify animals, plants and mineralia; publishing several volumes. At the time of his death, he was widely
renowned throughout Europe as one of the most acclaimed scientists of the time. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolus_Linnaeus

Warm sunny flowers; photographers --left, Christina Kriedt; right, Kalia Ostrander, Christina’s granddaughter, age 14
12 December 2007 - January 2008 Î MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS

Etcetera: Relevant Internet Miscellany —Christina Kriedt, MG06

“Unripened persimmons contain the soluble tannin shibuol, which, upon
contact with a weak acid, polymerizes in the stomach and forms a gluey
coagulum that can affix with other stomach matter. The Merck Manual of
Diagnosis and Therapy notes that consumption of persimmons has been known
to cause bezoars that require surgery in over 90% of cases. Persimmon
bezoars often occur in epidemics in regions where the fruit is grown. Horses
may develop a taste for the fruit growing on a tree in their pasture and
overindulge also, making them quite ill.” My goodness!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persimmon
The pumpkin pie has its origins in a dish enjoyed by the colonists, who sliced
off the top of the pumpkin, removed the seeds, and filled the inside with milk,
spices, and honey, then baked the pumpkin in hot ashes.
http://www.illinoistimes.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A4809
The ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) or maidenhair tree, is the only living member of the
Ginkgophyta, which dates back some 286 million years. There are both male top: Persimmon leaves
and female plants and the female fruits have a very disagreeable odor, so male center: Onions!
trees are preferred. Ginkgo nuts are the seeds of this tree, and roasted ginkgo bottom: Fall color in Gilroy
nuts are a delicacy in China and Japan. They are available fresh or canned
(shelled, skinned and parboiled) and are used in stir fries, soups and stews.
The largest Ginkgo farm in the world is in Sumter, South Carolina.
http://www.foodreference.com/html/fginkgo.html
To help stop tears, chill an onion 30 minutes before peeling. Start cutting the
onion from the neck first and use a stainless steel knife (not iron). The onion
will be stronger flavored at the root end.
http://www.fortboise.com/OnionFacts&Trivia.htm
It takes more than a calorie of fossil fuel energy to produce a calorie of food;
before the advent of chemical fertilizer the Naylor farm produced more than
two calories of food energy for every calorie of energy invested.-Michael
Pollan, Omnivore’s Dilemma
You can store your metal shovels and trowels in a bucket filled with sand into
which you’ve poured motor or vegetable oil. Each time you return the tool to
the storage bucket, work it in and out of the sand a few times. The oil keeps
the tool from rusting and the sand sharpens the edge and cleans soil from the
blade.
Donations Needed—In the early morning of November 16th an arsonist set
fire to one of the storage sheds at the Homeless Garden Project on Shaffer
Road. This shed was primarily used to store food supplies and cooking
utensils used to prepare lunch for training program participants and
volunteers. The destroyed shed also housed harvest supplies such as produce
boxes, small garden tools and clippers. The community area for classes and
the dining area with its arbor were also destroyed. It is a calamity. If you
would like to donate supplies, tools or cash to the rebuilding effort please
send your donation to: Homeless Garden Project, PO Box 617, Santa Cruz,
CA, 95061; or call 831-426-3609. http://www.homelessgardenproject.org/ Î

Last night, there came a frost, which has done great damage to my garden....
It is sad that Nature will play such tricks on us poor mortals,
inviting us with sunny smiles to confide in her, and then, when we are entirely within her power,
striking us to the heart. ~Nathaniel Hawthorne, The American Notebooks
MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS Î December 2007 - January 2008 13

Sponsors, Sources, Links and Credits—Christina Kriedt, MG06

Sponsors
Sierra Azul Nursery, http://www.sierraazul.com, 763-0939
San Lorenzo Lumber Company,
http://www.sanlorenzolumber.com/santacruz.html, 423-0223
The Garden Company, http://www.thegardenco.com/, 429-8424
FezQ, Carmel Valley, 659-1268
Bokay, Salinas, 659-1268
Hidden Gardens, Aptos, 688-7011
The Potting Shed, Aptos, 685-1626
Wild Rose Landscape Design, Aptos, 539-5841

Links
page 4: Washington State University, MG site, http:// Neighborhood squirrel relaxing on a sunny fence top.
mastergardener.wsu.edu/mgvp/mgvp.html
page 7: Monterey Bay Farmers’ Markets, http://www.montereybayfarmers.org/markets.html
page 8: Statewide MG Program site, http://camastergardeners.ucdavis.edu/
California Native Grasslands Association, http://www.cnga.org/action/visiting.php?place=11_asilomar
page 9: Monterey Bay Rose Society, http://www.montereybayrosesociety.org/

Photo Credits
page 1: montage, Leora Worthington and Christina Kriedt
page 2: Helleborus, Wikipedia
page 4: pumpins, Leora Worthington
page 8: Asilomar, Wikipedia
page 9: rose, Paul McCollum; roses on arbor, Christina Kriedt
page 10: persimmons, Christina Kriedt
page 11: scions, Al Derrick; flowers, Christina Kriedt and Kalia Ostrander
page 12: persommon leaves, Christina Kriedt; onions, Leora Worthington;
tree, Christina Kriedt
page 13: gingko and squirrel, Christina Kriedt

Gingko biloba, female in fruit.at Gilroy Gardens

G A R D E N I N G ON T H E ED G E
Newsletter of the Monterey Bay Master Gardeners
Editor Christina Kriedt
Assistant Editors Sharon Ettinger & Kathleen Sonntag

Happy Holidays
Design/Layout Christina Kriedt
Circulation Jan Olafsson

from CONTRIBUTORS
Al Derrick
Gardening on the Edge Christina Kriedt
Cynthia Jordan
Kathleen Sonntag
Leora Worthington
Paul McCollum
Sharon Ettinger
Sharon Tyler
Simon Stapleton Hotline: 831-763-8007

Copyright © 2007 MBMG. All rights reserved

14 December 2007 - January 2008 Î MONTEREY BAY MASTER GARDENERS

Our Wonderful Sponsors !