Sensory GardenFriday, May 18, 2018 9:00 am to Noon5353 Sunol Blvd., Pleasanton; Across from Raley's. Adjacent to the Pleasanton Senior Center on Sunol BlvdThe purpose of the work party is to maintain the Sensory Garden in a presentable condition. Our usual monthly chores include weeding, pruning, deadheading, and tidying up the garden. The garden consists of three raised beds and two ground-level beds, so some tasks involve working in a standing position while other involved kneeling or sitting. Restrooms are available in the Senior Center building. We ask that everyone bring his/her own hand tools (trowels, soil knives, pruning shears, etc.), also work gloves and kneeling pads. Larger tools and supplies will be provided. In May, we will be taking cuttings of some of our plants (rosemary, lavender, sage) for propagation, either for ourselves or for the 2019 Plant Sale. These will take the better part of a year to attain a saleable size. After the work party, many of us will adjourn for a pizza and salad lunch at an eatery across the street. Even if you cannot attend the work party, feel free to visit the garden on any day to relax and enjoy yourself. If you come on a calm sunny day, bees, butterflies, humming birds and other pollinators will be actively working their rounds for you added enjoyment. Please signup at the monthly LAVGC meeting or RSVP Daniel McCright. See the LAVGC Yearbook for Dan's contact information. For more information, please contact Daniel McCright. See the LAVGC Yearbook for Dan's contact information. Sensory Garden work parties now display a sign that announces that the Livermore Amador Valley Garden Club is responsible for maintaining the garden. 
FEATURED PLANTS for MAYWe nominate three featured Sensory Garden plants for the month of May. All three produce prolific flowers and are easy to grow. Buddleja davidii (Butterfly Bush))Buddlejas are shrubs that grow well in our climate. This particular variety bears pink flowers, but other varieties are available in white, red, lavender and purple shades. As the common name suggests, these plants attract butterflies by the score. Once established, they are deep rooted and only need occasional watering in the dry months. They should be hard pruned in winter to keep them from getting too tall and leggy. Keeping them to about 5-6 foot tall is ideal. Buddlejas make rapid re-growth after such pruning. Deadheading the old blooms encourages a new succession of flowering.Also note that buddleja plants grown from cuttings are usually available at the LAVGC Plant Sale each April. Seedling plants of centranthus and lychnis are nearly always available at the Plant Sale. Seeds of centranthus and lychnis are often available in the year-round LAVGC Seed Share program. 
Centranthus ruber (Red Valerian or Jupiter's Beard)This well-beloved flowering plant has other common names, as well. They are easily grown perennials that thrive on benign neglect. They cover hillside plantings along the freeways in Oakland and elsewhere. They are native to the Mediterranean region and therefore love our wet winters and dry summer. Their bloom period is enhanced by cutting off the old blooms. They reseed abundantly; their seeds are attached to parachute-like appendages that assure wide-spread distribution. They come in white and shades of pink and red. They grow about 2 feet in height.
Lychnis coronaria (Rose Campion)Another common name is Dusty Miller, a name it shares with many other plants. Rose Campion is a short-lived perennial that renews itself by prolific re-seeding. It bears bright crimson red flowers (occasionally pink or white) over a long period with complementary light-gray foliage. Flowering is extended if the old spent blooms are removed. It requires very little extra care and survives with little irrigation in the dry season. Seedling plants are readily transplanted to other graden areas where needed. Rose Campion grows about 2 feet in height.
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Camp ArroyoFriday, May 25, 2018 9:00 am to Noon5535 Arroyo Road, Livermore, CA 94550Camp Arroyo is a 138-acre park owned and maintained by the East Bay Regional Park District since 1995. It is used by the YMCA for outdoor education during the school year and by the Taylor Family Foundation during the summer for children with serious illnesses. Camp Arroyo is a pesticide free garden with an emphasis on vegetables. Please sign up at the monthly LAVGC meeting or RSVP to Kim Billingsley. For more information, contact Kim Billingsley. See the LAVGC Yearbook for Kim's contact information. DirectionsThe address is 5535 Arroyo Road in Livermore. Once you are on Arroyo Road, continue past Wente Winery on the left. Camp Arroyo is a short distance from Wente and is located on the right hand side. The first gate is for the Taylor Family Foundation, you want the second gate and you will recognize it by the stone walls either side of the gate and of course, the sign! Once inside Camp, you can park in the lot on the left and the garden will be across the road on the right. If you're not sure where it is, ask to ride with someone. 
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Eden Garden - an organic projectSpring - Summer, 2018: 2nd Fridays, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm. Next: Friday, May 11, 2018Spring - Summer, 2018: 3rd Saturdays, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm. Next: Saturday, May 19, 20181660 Freisman Road, Livermore. Pleasanton if you are using GPS! Although it is actually in Livermore!'Eden Garden - an organic project', located on the grounds of Crosswinds Church, has 2 simple goals: to provide fresh, organic food for those in need and to give people a hands on opportunity to learn about growing their own food. Our usual two work parties this month will be on the second Friday and third Saturday of the month. We will hopefully be planting out our summer crops and working on our new garden area. Come check out what varieties we will be planting this year - some old favorites and some brand new. So, come for an hour or three, no experience required, just a willingness to help out. We will break for a snack and our learning topic will be on growing squash. We are also willing to answer any garden questions that we can and of course, there will be opportunity for discussion. Eden Garden is located near the barn on the Crosswinds Church property in Livermore, on the frontage road just beyond the Outlet Mall. Volunteers come from the garden club, Crosswinds Church, and the community. For planning purposes, it is really helpful to know if you will be joining us but please feel free to just show up. If you would like more information or want to join us, please signup at the monthly club meeting or contact Barbara Stott, Karen Abbuscato or Beth Clark. Conversely if you wish to no longer receive emails, please let Barbara know and we will remove you from the list. Thank you for your support of the Eden Garden - an organic project and helping us meet our goal of getting fresh, clean produce to those in need. Happy Gardening! We are famous! A video has been made about the Eden Garden - an organic project. Here is a link to the video which not only features the Garden but an insight into the South Hayward Outreach Center where much of produce is delivered.
DirectionsFrom Dublin, take 580 east towards Livermore. Get off at El Charro/Fallon Road and turn right on to El Charro. Turn left at the Outlet Mall and then left again at the end of the Outlet Mall block. Keep to the right and turn right at the end of the road (onto the frontage road). Drive past the golf driving range to the end of Freisman Road. Freisman dead ends at the property. Turn right on to the property. Once on the property take the first left. Follow the road around, across the bridge and you will see a large metal barn. The garden is behind the barn. From Livermore, you can take 580 west and exit at El Charro/Fallon Road or you can access the property from Jack London Blvd (via Isabel/84). Turn right at the outlet mall. Keep to the right and turn right at the end of the road (onto the frontage road). Drive past the golf driving range to the end of Freisman Road. Freisman dead ends at the property. Turn right on to the property. Once on the property take the first left. Follow the road around, across the bridge and you will see a large metal barn. The garden is behind the barn.
Livermore 1st Street PotsNo workparties are currently scheduledPlease contact Mary Davis for more information.See the LAVGC Yearbook for additional contact information.
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Pleasanton Gardens251 Kottinger Drive, PleasantonThe Pleasanton Gardens project, which the LAVGC initiated in 1987, closed in 2016 due to construction of the new housing for seniors called Kottinger Gardens. The role of the garden club with the new residential development is in discussion.
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Garden AngelsWe have a group of members willing and eager to go out and help any garden club member that is not able to keep up their garden temporarily possibly because of illness, chemo, etc. We can deadhead, sweep, plant annuals, and generally tidy up the garden. Do you need this kind of help or know someone who does? If so, please use the signup sheet at the monthly club meeting or contact Peggy Despotakis. Looking for Garden Angels. Periodically club members need some help in their gardens due to illness. If you would like to be on the Angel call list for a workparty, contact Peggy Despotakis.
Penny PinesThe Penny Pines program, which is a joint partnership of the National Garden Club (NGC) and the USDA Forest Service sustaining our national and urban forests through this reforestation/forest education program. Have you wondered what that cute green box that is passed around at the meeting and people are putting money inside is for? Each $68 that we collect is used to plant an acre of burned out national forest land. Since 1999, our club has donated money to help plant 109 acres of trees for a total donation of over $8,000. In addition to donations made by the club, you can make private donations as Jeri Stark did this Christmas. She felt her children have everything they need and so she gave them each a certificate honoring them in the forests near Yosemite where they have spent many years at their grandparent's home. Giving back a bit for all the years of enjoyment for the many happy and fun filled days spent in the area. How it works:
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