All LAVGC meetings, events and activities except allowed activities shown in the Calendar Events section to the left are CANCELLED until further notice following Alameda County Health Care Services guidance on Mar 12, 2020.

Allowed Calendar Events will follow ACHCS and CDC Guidance. Click to see ACHCS Guidance. Check with Activity Contacts for the status of other scheduled activities shown in the Calendar Events to the left.

Regular Monthly Meeting on Zoom
Thursday, September 9, 2021 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm on Zoom

Speaker: Suzanne Bontempo, owner of Plant Harmony and program manager of Our Water Our World.- "Protecting Gardens During Drought".

September’s speaker will be Suzanne Bontempo owner of Plant Harmony and program manager of Our Water Our World. Her presentation will be “Protecting Gardens During Drought” and will cover ways to manage our gardens during drought, watering efficiently and effectively, improving our soils to hold more water, alternative water resources, and reducing summer pests.

Suzanne Bontempo works as an environmental educator, teaching the principles of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for sustainable, eco-friendly pest management around the home and garden. Suzanne, owner of Plant Harmony and program manager for Our Water Our World was recognized for excellence in her field winning with the 2013 IPM Innovators Award. Suzanne has worked as a professional gardener for over 25 years. She is an IPM Advocate, a ReScape California Qualified Landscaper, QWEL certified, a Master Composter, and loves teaching folks how to grow bountiful gardens that are also safe and healthy for you, your family, and the environment. To learn more about Suzanne, visit plantharmony.org

A club member gave us the idea to hold a short question and answer session during our business meeting by giving members a chance to ask questions of other members on how they handled a gardening challenge or success. We’ll try this at our September meetin

Any questions about the meeting, please contact Barbara Stott.

We look forward to you joining us for our next Zoom meeting. We will be sending a notice prior to the meeting, but you also have the information in our recent newsletter.

If you cannot join the Zoom meeting, recordings of the monthly programs, speaker permitting, are available on this site thanks to the efforts of our Zoommasters: Grahamn Stott and Nile Runge and Web Master Len Smith.

LAVGC is inviting Members to our Monthly Meeting on Zoom

Topic: LAVGC Monthly Meeting
Time: Thursday, September 9, 2021, 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Members only will receive an email close to the meeting with meeting join details.

Members can join the meeting starting at 6:45. When you join the meeting, you will be in the "waiting room" until the host lets you into the meeting. When you are let into the meeting, your microphone will be muted. Please use the "chat" feature if you want to ask a question.

See LAVGC Zoom Instructions for tips for those new to Zoom. See LAVGC Zoom Participation Tips for tips for participating in Zoom meetings.

Members having difficulty connecting to the meeting or have technical questions, please contact Zoommasters Nile Runge or Graham Stott. See the LAVGC Yearbook for their individual contact information.

If you have any trouble getting on the meeting as it starts, call Nile Runge, 925-443-2237 for help.

If you are not a member and would like to join Zoom meetings, please complete the New Member Application Form. Members receive the monthly newsletter, annual Yearbook, access to the Members Only section of this site and Zoom meeting details each month. If you are not a member and would like to attend a specific Zoom meeting, please contact Jeri Stark, President to request Zoom meeting details.

Visitors Are Welcome!

Please join us at the monthly meeting or contact us at the Membership link below. Please take a moment to fill out the Membership Application Form for Membership Year July, 2021 through June, 2022. New members joining after Jan. 31 of the Membership Year will owe one-half of the regular dues. New members joining at or after the April Spring Plant Sale will pay dues for the following Membership Year and be complimented for the remainder of the existing Membership Year (May/June).

For more information about membership or dues, please email Wanda Finn.

PDF requires the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.

LAVGC Yearbook

Good news! We will publish a 2021-2022 Yearbook in September with all new and renewed members. Until then continue to use the LAVGC 2019-2020 Yearbook and the LAVGC Roster. A PDF of the LAVGC 2019-2020 Yearbook and a PDF of the LAVGC Roster are available to view and print in the Members Only section.

LAVGC Roster

Beginning October, 2020, we are providing a complete list of all current LAVGC members and their contact information. The Roster includes information for all members and includes membership changes, such as, addition of new members and changes to current member contact information, since the Yearbook was published. The Roster is in Yearbook format so it can be printed and inserted in your physical Yearbook. The Yearbook Addendum has been replaced by the LAVGC Roster.

Member Alert: if you have changes to your contact information, please email Molly Fisher. See the LAVGC Yearbook for Molly's additional contact information.

Members Only section

Check out the Members Only section. Click on the 'Members Only' menu selection on any page, enter the Id and password. The Members Only section contains the club Yearbook, speaker video links, club forms, newsletter archives, meeting minutes and more. Members may email Jeri Stark, President to obtain the Id and password.

Thanks, thanks and more thanks

Thanks to all who participate in the club workshops, work parties and providing meeting refreshments. > > More

Garden Club Want Ads **** Updated May, 2021 ****

...garden related wants, needs, offers, for sale

This column is for any garden related items that you have that you want to get rid of - either selling or giving away, just to get them out of your place and it's too long to wait for the Plant Sale. You can also list needs or even if you need help in the garden and wish to hire someone for a few hours a week. Or if you'd like to hire out to help someone in their garden a few hours a week. Let's share with other gardeners in the club!! Click to see Garden Club Want Ads.

Talks on Video

If you missed our meeting speakers' informative talk, you can see the video of the talk on the club website Members Only section. Most of our recent club meeting talks are on view there. Select videos are also available to the public. See LAVGC Speakers: past and future.

**See the new EGG Recipe book.**

Click Edible Gardening Group then look for the yellow Recipes section on the right. Thanks to Beth Clark for creating the recipe book and to many members for their contributions.

Help Wanted

We are looking for people to join the Program team and work with co-chairs Lori Martin and Lydia Roberts. We also need a Plant Sale Chair - if no one steps up then we will continue to do yard sales.

If you are able to help with any of these positions, please contact Karen Abbruscato.

Tomato Tasting 2021

The Annual Tomato Tasting, unfortunately was a "Covid Cancel" for the second year. We had hoped to be able to hold this popular event, but with the alarming rise in new Covid cases, including in those who have been vaccinated, we felt cancelling was the most prudent course of action.

I know that many of you look forward to this annual, end-of-summer, show-off-my-produce, start the new Garden Club year, social event.....but we are now planning for next year! Pencil in your calendar now for August 2022...we'll plan a "Return of the Tomato" gala extravaganza. And perhaps even a reprise appearance of "The Great Tomato". .

For more information, please contact Michelle Tallon, Tomato Tasting chair 2021. See the LAVGC Roster for additional contact information.

California Native Plant Society - Santa Clara Valley Chapter presentations

LAVGC member Bill McCormack writes: I am sharing California Native Plant Society - Santa Clara Valley (CNPS-SCV) presentations on topics that have been popular in past LAVGC meetings (pollinators, native bees).

CNPS-SCV is a chapter of the California Native Plant Society. The CNPS-SCV meets Wednesdays at 7:30 pm. The meetings and the chapter Youtube channel are open to anyone (not just native plant society members). Past meetings have had attendees from all over the state and the Western US. .

Penny Pines for Gift Giving

With the National Forest offices closed, we are not able to get certificates for plantations quickly. However, if you wish to give a gift of a Penny Pines plantation to a loved one, you can complete the form found here Penny Pines form.

Mail the form to Jeri Stark with a check for $68, made out to LAVGC. Jeri will prepare a certificate for you to give to your recipient. Our forests need our help more than ever and this is a wonderful gift.

Please contact Jeri Stark, Penny Pines for her address or see the LAVGC Yearbook for Jeri's contact information.

Click Penny Pines to learn more about the activity.