July 2009 banner Sarracenia
UC Garden Clippings
University of California Botanical Garden
July 2009 - Vol 2, Issue 1
In This Issue
Propagator's Choice
Thursday Propagator Sales
July: Seductive Sarracenia
Meet Artist Gary Bukovnik
Trudy on YouTube
Garden Conservation
Natural Shade
Children's Programs
July Programs
Green Gala Gratitude
Garden Shop Specials

The UC Botanical Garden's Redwood Grove
will be closed this summer due to restoration work on Winter Creek.


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Propagator's Choice
brunsvigia

Looking for a spectacular, showy, and unusual centerpiece for your garden? Try Brunsvigia josephinae, the candelabra or Josephine lily, the largest bulb from South Africa. The stunning inflorescence of this plant emerges in late summer to fall displaying lovely coral-red flowers on extended pedicels.

In addition to its exquisite beauty, the Josephine lily is drought resistant, requiring winter water and dry summers; it's perfect for our Bay Area climate. We have a nice selection of four to five year old Brunsvigia josephinae which are currently dormant, perfect for planting now. These bulbs will take a few more years to mature and flower.

This rare species starts at $15.00 for a nice size bulb.

Thursday
Propagator Sales
Propagation Areas
Open for Sales


California Natives
Cactus and Succulents
Trees and Shrubs

Thursdays
10:30 am to 1:30 pm

Succulent gardens in ceramic pots are now available year round on the plant deck.

Becoming a member of the UC Botanical Garden entitles you to 10% off most plant purchases.
Quick Links
July in the Garden: Seductive Sarracenia
pitcher plants with antIts victims included ants, a rather large earwig, and a gnat. The hapless insects weren't consumed by a lizard or a passing bird. They were deceived and seduced by a Sarracenia, a carnivorous pitcher plant that relies on insects for nutrition and reproduction.

Horticulturist Christy Matasick cares for the Garden's collection of carnivorous plants, including Sarracenia. "Everyone asks if I have to catch the insects and feed the plants, and no, the plants trap their own dinner," laughed Matasick as she sliced opened the Sarracenia pitcher and revealed the insects trapped deep in the plant's hollow tube where the digestive enzymes were slowly turning the insects into nourishment for the Sarracenia. "The native habitat for Sarracenia are bogs and wetlands where the soils are poor and the plants are nourished by trapping and consuming insects."

Insects are lured to the Sarracenia tube by the plant's color, scent and nectar. The hood over the tube serves as a convenient insect perch and protective cover, keeping excess rain water from diluting the digestive enzymes in the tube.  The plant also forms conventional alluring flowers and relies on insects for pollination.

Native populations of Sarracenia are at risk as wetlands are drained and their habitat is destroyed. Our Garden has several varieties of Sarracenia, including flowering examples, on display in the Orchid, Fern and Carnivorous Plant House. Come see these beguiling examples of adaptive evolution!

Meet Renowned Artist Gary Bukovnik
Take Home a Signed Print
sarracenia
Bay Area watercolorist, Gary Bukovnik, has brought the artist's eye to interpreting flowers for more than 30 years. At a time when modern American artists seem to have abandoned floral works, Bukovnik has made an illustrious career painting vibrant compositions of flowers Most recently, he has turned his attention to carnivorous plants and chose the UC Botanical Garden as the source for his first paintings of these remarkable plants.

Bukovnik has donated to our Garden all rights to his painting, "Sarracenia": a watercolor (pictured above) featuring the flowers of this carnivorous plant. This is an exciting partnership for us not only because of his generous gift of the rights to this art, but also because Bukovnik's notoriety in the art world brings added recognition to the UC Botanical Garden.

Bukovnik's work has appeared in many major art museums including the de Young, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Smithsonian, and others. Bay Area residents also may recognize Bukovnik's work from the San Francisco Symphony's annual poster, which he has contributed to for the past 29 years.

You are warmly invited to attend a Garden twilight wine and dessert reception with the artist to enjoy a selected showing of his work and hear how he approaches his work. Those attending this special event will receive a personally signed print of this new work exclusive to the UC Botanical Garden.

Tuesday, July 21, 6:30 - 8:30 pm
$40 non-members, $35 members; includes a signed and personalized print   

Reservations required.
Attendance is limited.
Call 510-643-2755 x03 for event registration.
Deepa Natarajan, [email protected].

 
Trudy on YouTube
titan arumThe Garden's titan arum, Trudy, rocks in a YouTube video. Tune in and watch Trudy bloom in a video created using time-lapse photography. Thank you to Sue Rhee, Nick Kaplinsky and Peggy Lemaux for this amazing film.
Garden Conservation

by Holly Forbes, Curator

As summer is upon us, so is seed cleaning of many species from the Garden and from the wild. Volunteers are currently making headway in separating the chaff from the seeds of plants grown in our nursery for seed increase. Some are easy (Baker's larkspur, Delphinium bakeri) and others offer more challenges (large flowered-fiddleneck, Amsinckia grandiflora) with sharp hairs like fiberglass or seeds the same weight or shape as their coverings. The "Seed Room" is the place to be for this activity, with a complement of sieves, spatulas, gloves, eye protection, and, most fun of all, a "blower." The technique used to clean each species is a process of discovery, some times aided by past experience or through the experience of others. It can be challenging to find the most efficient way to separate seeds from their chaff or even soil, and is a critical need for purposes of counting seeds by weight as well as to send seeds internationally. The Garden exchanges with institutions all over the world. We must send only seed material so that inspections can be made quickly.

Support the Garden's conservation efforts by becoming a UC Botanical Garden member.

Natural Shade in the Entrance Plaza
woven structure
Curious Garden visitors recently delighted in watching Marisha Farnsworth of The Natural Builders create a beautiful new piece of art for the Garden entrance as part of the Green Gala festivities. Using natural materials and practicing ancient building techniques, artist Farnsworth erected an elegant shade structure that is a visual feast, both intricate and engaging.

The piece will be on view in the Garden throughout July.

 
Children's Programs at the Garden

In addition to summer camp, Green Stuff, which runs mid-June to mid-August, the Garden has ever-changing seasonal offerings of children's workshops.  This summer features Shadow Puppet workshops in July and August, where children get to interpret the wonder of garden plants and creatures through puppet making and theater.  On August 13th, it's the return of Carnivorous Plants for Little Green Thumbs.  See the program guide below for more information.
 
July Programs and Events

Sick Plant Clinic: Saturday, July 4,  9 am - noon
Join Dr. Raabe for his monthly Sick Plant Clinic and find out which diseases ail your plants. Entomologists are also available to identify the pests that are living in your plants. Please bring plants and disease samples in closed containers or bags.

Twilight Tour: Tuesday, July 14, 6:30 - 8:00 pm
Explore the Garden's collection in the special evening hours. With the entire Garden to yourselves, don't miss this opportunity to see amazing plants with Associate Director of Collections and Horticulture Chris Carmichael.
$17, $14 members    Reservations required.

NEW! Using Earth and Plant Pigments as an Artist's Medium:

Wednesdays, July 15, 22, 29, 6 - 9 pm
Spend three lovely evenings at the Garden with artist Judi Pettite, who will show you how to mix and apply these pigments using a variety of natural binders and painting supports. Discussion of pigment choice, purchasing and/or growing your pigments, tools, history and contemporary applications will be woven through each meeting. A few of the many pigments we sample are: madder, goldenrod, cosmos, indigo, and ochre.

Pigments and tools are supplied; please bring a sketchbook and pencil, and additionally you may want to bring a favorite brush or paper sample. Anyone with an interest in exploring an ancient medium in a contemporary context is welcome to attend.
$200, $180 members    Reservations required. class limited to 12 participants

Summer Bird Walk: Saturday, July 18, 9 - 10:30 am
Listen to the sounds of summer! Join Phila Rogers, expert birder, and Chris Carmichael, Associate Director of Collections and Horticulture, on a morning walk to discover the Garden's bird life.
$15, $12 members    Reservations required.

NEW! Shadow Puppet Making (Plants and Animals) for Kids: Saturday, July 18, 10 - 11:30 am
Learn how to make dynamic plant and animal shadow puppets inspired by the wonders of the UC Botanical Garden such as cacti, butterflies, bees, frogs, and lizards. Then practice creative movements with your puppets like the Jungle Boogie or the Bite of the Venus Fly Trap! Take your puppets home or put them to work in the Shadow Puppet Theater workshop (August 9).
$18, $15 members    Reservations required.

Gary Bukovnik- Book Signing, Reception & Art Talk: Tuesday, July 21, 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Celebrate Sarracenia: a new watercolor of carnivorous plant blooms by renowned botanical watercolorist Gary Bukovnik. Meet the artist and enjoy a talk, an exhibition, book signing, and twilight reception with wine and dessert, all amidst a display of spectacular carnivorous plants, and then be the first to take home a personally signed print of this Garden exclusive.
$40, $35 members; includes a signed and personalized print    Reservations required.

Redwood Grove Concert - Gojogo: Thursday, July 23, 5:30  - 7 pm
Gojogo is an unusual quartet that combines the Western sounds of classical and jazz with the rhythmic traditions of India. The acoustic instrumentation includes violin, upright bass, tabla, and dholki, a double-headed drum from Northern India.
$15 non-members, $12 members   Reservations required.

NEW! Papermaking with Papyrus: Saturday, July 25, 12:30 - 2 pm
Join us to experiment with making the oldest paper medium in the world. Learn about history, materials and techniques used to produce ancient papyrus. Then work first hand with papyrus plants from the Garden to produce your own paper!
$10, $8 members    Reservations required.

NEW! Spider Hunt in the Garden: Tuesday, July 28, 8 - 9:30 pm
Join spider expert and director of the Essig Museum of Entomology Dr. Rosie Gillespie for a spider hunt through the Garden. Observe wolf spiders, crab spiders, jumping spiders, sheet web and funnel weavers, long jawed spiders and more.
$15, $12 members; all ages welcome    Reservations required.

Always check the Garden Calendar for event details and updates.
Call 510-643-2755 x03 for event registration.

Green Gala Gratitude
flowersGreen Gala was a tremendous success, raising precious dollars for Garden support and community awareness of our beautiful Garden. The fashion show was exciting, and the live auction was a rousing success thanks to many generous bidders.

We extend heartfelt appreciation to our guests, donors, models, designers, stylists, photographer and especially our caterer, Devoted Catering by Amiee Alan and wine donor Quivira Vineyards. Floral arrangements for Green Gala were provided by the talented and creative Pilar Zuniga of Gorgeous and Green Events.

Thank you to all!
Garden Shop Specials
Savage Garden
Sale price: $17.95
"The Savage Garden"  by  Peter D'Amato
The carnivorous plant collection at UC Botanical Garden has long attracted gardeners of all ages (10+ years!) who wish to grow these fantastic plants at home. The author, Peter D'Amato, needs no introduction to many of these Bay Area gardeners, being active in  the Bay Area Carnivorous Plant Society while raising and selling a multitude of carnivorous plants at his nursery, California Carnivores. Mr. D'Amato's book is a comprehensive guide for beginning and experienced growers, of all ages, of all kinds of carnivorous plants from around the world.




t-shirt
Sale price: $12.95
Carnivorous Plants T-shirts
100% Cotton
100% water-based ink for your comfort and our environment.
Available in S, M, L, XL



Sale pricing is available only for July 2009 & while supplies last.
Sorry, member discounts are not available on sale merchandise.
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The UC Garden Clippings is a publication of the University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley. You can manage your subscriptions to Garden electronic publications by choosing Update Profile/Email Address at the bottom of the newsletter. Choose Safe Unsubscribe to remove your email address from all UCBG electronic publications. The Garden offers three email publications:
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Editor: Vanessa Crews, [email protected], 510-643-2937