Banner May 2011

UC Garden Clippings

University of California Botanical Garden

May  2011 - Vol 3, Issue 11
In This Issue
May in the Garden
Visiting Author: Linda Chalker-Scott
The Garden Shop
Green Gala
May Programs

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May in the Garden: Faunal Guide 

A Guide to the Garden's Rich Animal Life


by Paul Licht, Director

As trained zoologists, Chris Carmichael, Associate Director of Collections & Horticulture, and I were immediately captivated by an idea brought to us last year by docent Michael Chinn to create a guide to the animals of the Garden. Our rich fauna has always been a source of interest for visitors (besides the ever popular birds and bees, few children can resist the abundance of newts in winter and lizards in summer); but the only resources were the commercial guides, typically focused on a single group of animals, like bird, reptiles or butterflies.

As the project evolved, our goal was to providfaunal guidee a single general reference to all the common animals of the Garden, which basically encompass the fauna of the surrounding East Bay Hills. The result was a laminated field guide with beautiful original illustrations of 10 reptiles, 5 amphibians, 18 mammals, 61 birds and 21 insects plus the banana slug. Illustrations were provided by local artist Dana Gardner, already widely experienced in producing such field guides. This is a first of its kind for us and we hope will further heighten the appreciation for all that is wonderful about our environment. These efforts were supported by gifts from the Leo O. Dorji fund and Tom and Karen Mulvaney.


Identify the birds at your backyard feeder, the bees and butterflies in your garden and that snake crawling across the driveway with this all-purpose guide just published by the Garden and available in The Garden Shop for only $8.95.

Animals of the Garden Children's Walk

Sunday, May 15, 1 - 2:30 pm
$10 per adult & child. Registration required.

Faunal Guide Launch Celebration

Friday, May 20, 10 am - 3 pm
2 pm: Remarks by Columnist Gary Bogue & Garden Director Paul Licht
10 am - 3 pm: View the original art created for the guide. Visit with experts from the Lindsay Wildlife Museum and see their wild specimens (including some living creatures!).
Free with Garden Admission. No registration.
Use your Garden membership to visit the Lindsay Wildlife Museum in Walnut Creek for free during the month of May. 

Banner photo: butterflies as pictured in our faunal guideIllustrated Guide to Common Animals of the East Bay Hills

Visiting Author: Linda Chalker-Scott
Linda Chalker Scott

The Informed Gardener

 

The Informed Gardener Blooms Again


Linda Chalker-Scott is a landscape-oriented urban horticulturist, author and associate professor at Puyallup Research and Extension Center at Washington State University who has made a career of mythbusting. She expertly explores the science behind popular gardening myths, reminding readers that urban and suburban landscapes require unique management techniques and creative approaches to thrive. In The Informed Gardener & The Informed Gardener Blooms Again she takes up the challenge of debunking common gardening myths and confronting popular wisdom and misconceptions that plague home gardeners and horticultural professionals. She begins each chapter with the phrase "The Myth of..." followed by the scientific information to challenge that myth and the practical and economical solutions to solve the matter at hand. She makes expertise accessible!

Chalker-Scott is the editor and co-author of Sustainable Landscapes and Gardens, the Washington State editor of MasterGardener Magazine, and the author of the online column Horticultural Myths.

Come hear Linda expose Garden Myths and discuss current, clever and relevant plant science on Saturday, May 14th from 1-3pm at the Garden. Tickets $25/$20 members; registration required; register by calling 510-643-2755 or by emailing [email protected].

 

The Garden Shop and Plant Deck

dish garden

Mother's Day Gifts!


We have a variety of gifts for the moms in your life including books, succulent-shaped candles, cards, hand-crafted John Doyen bowls and more. What mom wouldn't love one of our made-with-love succulent dish gardens? Our Plant Deck is well-stocked with a choice selection of plants for her garden too.  

 

Offer mom a gift that gives all year with a Garden membership. Buy online or email [email protected]

 

Proceeds from Garden Shop sales benefit the Garden.

 

Green Gala

green gala logo 2green gala trees 

Green Gala Tickets Now Available!


Summer Benefit - 

June 18, 2011


Please join us for our spectacular Green Gala summer benefit on Saturday, June 18, 2pm - 5pm. Come experience in our redwood grove amphitheater the beautiful results of 10 sustainable-fashion designers each challenged to create two original runway pieces directly inspired by Garden's unique plant collection. This very special botanically-inspired eco-fashion show is a collaboration with Permacouture Institute and may be the first of it's kind! Enjoy champagne, delicious organic hors d'œuvres by Aimee Alan catering, fabulous Mendocino wine (including the first "carbon-neutral" wine in the US), and live music. Bid on items in the live and silent auction, including green items for the home, outdoor adventures, gourmet experiences, and more. Celebrate with us this summer and support the Garden. Tickets are only $125 and limited. Visit our Green Gala website to see designers, wineries and details.

Tickets to this "Flora Meets Fashion Show" are a perfect Mother's Day gift idea!
May Programs

Sick Plant Clinic

Saturday | May 7 | 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 too! Please bring plants and disease samples in containers or bags before entering the Garden.
Free.

Botanical Illustration: The Rose

Monday & Tuesday | May 9 - 10 | 10 am - 4 pm
The joy of roses!! Take that joy home with you as you paint a rose from the Garden. This botanical illustration class will instruct students on the process of understanding the structure of a rose before drawing them. Students may use colored pencil or watercolor paint to bring more even more life to their drawing infusing it with highlights and shadows. Taught by Lee McCaffree using roses from the Garden collection. All levels are welcome.
$160, $150 members; registration required

Garden Strollers

Wednesday | May 11 | 1 am
Join Botanical Garden docents and their little ones on this special tour of the Garden for parents with their children under 3 years old. This 45 minute tour will guide you around the Garden and end on the lawn for gentle play and snacks (bring your own). While geared towards the adults, understanding accommodations are made for diaper changes and enthusiastic kids. Children must be in a stroller or carrier for the tour portion.
Free with Garden Admission

A Walk through the Garden of Old Roses

Saturday | May 14 | 10 am -noon
Join horticulturist Peter Klement for a lovely morning stroll through the Garden of Old Roses at the peak of its bloom. Discover the rose's rich historical background and listen to amazing ethnobotanical tales. Light refreshments follow tour!
$15, $10 members; registration required

informed GardenerGarden Myths

Saturday | May 14 | 1 -3pm
Professor. Author. Horticultural myth-buster. Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott is all this and more! Join Dr. Chalker-Scott and the Garden as we shed light on the familiar garden rituals and beliefs many of us have thought to be true for decades. Is using fresh mulch really detrimental around plants due to nitrogen depletion? Is compost tea really effective? Answers to these question and more await you in this enlightening workshop designed to bust common horticultural myths.
$25, $20 members; registration required

Animals of the Garden Children's Walk

Sunday | May 15 | 1 -2:30 pm
Children with their parent or chaperones are invited on this journey to discover the many wonderful creatures living in the Garden. On our animal hunt we will learn about newts, birds, butterflies, frogs, lizards, snakes and more! Hone your skills of observation and learn how plants and animals live together.
$10 for each adult and child; registration required

Faunal Guide Launch Celebration

Friday | May 20 | 10 am - 3:00 pm
2 pm: Remarks by Columnist Gary Bogue & Garden Director Paul Licht
10 am - 3 pm: View the original art created for the guide. Visit with experts from the Lindsay Wildlife Museum and see their live animals, mounts and specimens on display at the Garden.
Come celebrate the arrival of this highly anticipated field guide!
Free with Garden admission

Butterfly Walk

Tuesday | May 24 | 3 - 4 pm
Join Sally Levinson, Garden volunteer propagator, docent and caterpillar lady as she guides you through the collection in search of butterflies. Children welcome!
Free with Garden admission; registration required


lavender 

The Mediterranean Collection: FREE for Members 

Thursday | May 26 | 1 -2:30 pm
Colin Baxter, Horticulturist for the Mediterranean Collections, will take you on a delightful tour of this diverse collection. Come explore the diverse flora from regions around the Mediterranean Sea!
Free; members only; registration required



Always check the Garden Calendar for event details and updates.
Reservations are accepted daily, including weekends, 9 am - 4:30 pm.
Call 510-643-2755 x03 for event registration or to purchase/renew a membership.

 

Garden Members
owl

 

Garden members Enjoy Free Admission to  

Lindsay Wildlife Museum in May  

 

Discover Lindsay Wildlife Museum, where live, wild animals are just inches away. Members of UC Botanical Garden receive free admission to Lindsay Wildlife Museum in Walnut Creek for the entire month of May. More than 50 species of live non-releasable native California animals are on exhibit -- go eye-to-eye with a gray fox, listen to the cry of a red-tailed hawk, watch a bald eagle eat lunch and have fun exploring. For directions, open hours and more information go to www.wildlife-museum.org. Be sure to bring your Garden membership card. 

 

Join the Garden online or email [email protected]

Manage Your Subscription
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. The Update Profile/Email Address feature provides subscription options, allowing you to select those garden publications you wish to receive. Select Safe Unsubscribe to remove your email address from all UCBG electronic publications. The Garden offers five email publications:
  • UC Garden Clippings: This is a monthly newsletter featuring garden events and stories.
  • Updates: Occasional brief emails are sent to highlight special garden events.
  • Plant Deck: This is a monthly email describing plants available for purchase in the Garden.
  • Garden Clubs: This is an occasional publication describing special events and opportunities for garden clubs and plant societies.
  • Tours: Be the first to know when the Garden has a new tour available for schools and other groups. Get details on arranging tours for your group.
  • Botanical Art: You''ll receive exclusive information about classes and exhibitions.
     
Editor: Vanessa Crews, [email protected], 510-643-2937