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UC Garden Clippings

University of California Botanical Garden

October 2011 - Vol 4, Issue 4
In This Issue
October in the Garden
Propagator's Choice
Foods of the Americas Exhibition
Garden Programs
The Garden Shop
Garden Membership

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Submit your order by October 15 and your brick will be installed by the holidays! 

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The Natives growing area is open to the public most Thursdays, weather permitting, from 10:30 AM until 1:30 PM. Come by and check our plants. There are volunteers who can give you help if you would like, or just stop by and browse.  

 

 

  

 

 

 

October in the Garden  


Bee Inspired  

Celebrate the Garden's bees in October with art, film and science. Discover the favorite flowers of Berkeley's 81 species of native bes at Professor Frankie's talk. Witness the mysterious private life of honey bees at our Observation Hive. Enjoy spectacular Golden Gate views from the seating within Garden of Mouthings. Ponder our fragile ecosystem and the vital role played by bees as explored in the film Queen of the Sun.

 

 

Garden of Mouthings Garden of Mouthings
  Landscape designer and artist Shirley Alexandra Watts and Ross Craig, builder and sound artist bring their acclaimed bee-inspired vignette Garden of Mouthings to the Garden in September. Garden Design magazine explains, "In response to the impending threats to our bee populations, Shirley Watts' A Garden of Mouthings seeks to inform, delight and inspire its viewers by celebrating not only honey bees, but also our often overlooked native bees."

The vignette is perched on a plateau above the Garden of Old Roses. Cast concrete stools dripping with "honey" provide inviting seating under an undulating honeycomb structure.

Free with Garden Admission


Observation Hiveobservation hive
Study the behavior of the honey bees residing in our Observation Hive in the Tropical House. The bees are encased in a glass case, revealing the comb and flurry of bee activity. Stop by on Sunday, October 30, 1 -2:30 PM when a docent will be available to explain the inner workings of the hive.
Free with Garden admission

Native Bees with Professor Gordon Frankie
Sunday, October 2, 11 am - 1 pm
Dr. Frankie is a UC Berkeley professor, research entomologist and a native bee expert. Bees are his unmitigated passion. His specialty is the behavioral ecology of solitary bees in wildlands and urban environments of California and Costa Rica. You're invited to join the Garden as we listen to Dr. Frankie discuss some of the more common species of native bees, as well as, the plants and gardening practices which will encourage them to take up residence in your garden. He will talk about current projects and share stories from the field. Join us as we learn about the often-overlooked stars of a healthy garden - the local pollinators. Read a Bay Nature article about Dr. Frankie and his work with native bees.
Registration required; $25, $20 members

Queen Of The Sun:
What Are The Bees Telling Us?
Wednesday, October 12, 6 - 8 pm
This film is a profound, alternative look at the global bee crisis from Taggart Siegel. Taking us on a journey through the catastrophic disappearance of bees and the mysterious world of the beehive, this engaging and ultimately uplifting film weaves an unusual and dramatic story of the heartfelt struggles of beekeepers, scientists and philosophers from around the world including Michael Pollan, Gunther Hauk and Vandana Shiva. Together they reveal both the problems and the solutions in renewing a culture in balance with nature. Queen of the Sun is the winner of numerous awards including a New York Times Critic's Pick award.
Read Roger Ebert's review of Queen of the Sun.
Registration required; $12, $10 members

 

Visit Bee Inspired for more Bee programs and to view photos of Garden of Mouthings.  

 



Propagator's Choice
ceanothus
Berkeley skies (Ceanothus)
Feed Your Bees
by Bryan Gim, Volunteer Propagation Coordinator & Horticulturist

We have a variety of plants that bees love. These plants look great in the garden, are hardy, and have modest water needs. Try a Ceanothus, a native Californian that works in any garden. We have a good selection of colorful sages (Salvia) and beautiful and easy lavenders (Lavandula). Bees delight in Hebe blooms and will frequent the flower heads of lacy-leaved Achillea. Visit The Plant Deck and look for the bee tags which indicate plants that are especially attractive to our little pollinating friends.

 

Foods of the Americas Exhibition
FOA logo
Foods of the Americas
October 5 - 21


Family Day:
Sunday, October 16, 10 am - 3 pm

On display for two weeks only, visit Foods of the Americas, an educational exhibit 'marketplace' filled with the foods originally domesticated by ancient farmers, including the Incas, Mayas, and Aztecs.  These important crops include chocolate, vanilla, corn, tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, amaranth, quinoa, squash and more.  Explore the exhibit to learn about these plants' origins and wild ancestors, cultivation facts and nutrition values.  Then see the crops growing in our Crops of the World Garden and Tropical House, or take the Plant Treasures of the Americas self-guided walk to learn about more plants native to Mexico, Central and South America.  Enjoy this bountiful fall celebration.

The exhibit is open and free with Garden admission during normal Garden hours.  Family Day is free with Garden admission; see program description for details.
(Class field trips for Foods of the Americas are already full.)

 

Garden Programs

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.

 

Sick Plant Clinic
Saturday | September 3 | 9 am - noon
Bay Area residents have brought their ailing plants to the Sick Plant Clinic on the first Saturday of every month for more than 20 years for diagnosis by a team of volunteer plant pathologists and entomologists from UC Berkeley and regional parks groups as well as private plant consultants. 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 cover plants and disease samples in containers or bags before entering the Garden. Read the 6/29  San Francisco Chronicle article about the Clinic.

Native Bees with Dr. Gordon Frankie
Sunday | October 2 | 11 am - 1 pm
Pre-registration required; $25, $20 members

Foods of the Americas Exhibit
October 6 - 21 | 9 am - 4 pm
Indulge in the harvest of colorful food crops that originated in the Americas.
Free with Garden Admission

stalk bamboo bike
Bamboo Workshop with Stalk Bicycles
Saturday | October 8 | 11 am - 1:30 pm
Stalk Bicycles of Oakland will be on-site to show you how they hand-craft custom bicycle frames from bamboo and other sustainable materials. They will demonstrate how bamboo is a sustainable, versatile and sculptural material - perfect for bike construction and many other design projects.
Pre-registration required; $15, $10 members




Film Screening: Queen of the Sun
Wednesday | October 12 | 6 - 8:00 pm
Pre-registration required; $12, $10 members

Foods of the Americas Family Day
Sunday | October 16
10 am & 1 pm Spanish and English Docent Led Tours of the Exhibit
2 pm Native Food Tastings & Crafts
Free with Garden Admission

can it book cover
Stalk It with Karen Solomon
Sunday | October 16 | 11 am  
Karen Solomon, author of Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It will cover equipment, basic techniques, and recipes for preparing favorite Foods of the Americas at home. She will teach from her new book, Can It, Bottle It, Smoke It, how to make masa, hand-made corn tortillas and more.  You will leave with several recipes in hand, a brain full of new techniques, and at least one yummy edible project to take home. Books will be available for purchase!
Pre-registration required; $25, $20 members



Butterfly Walk - Last one of the season!
Tuesday | October 25 | 3 - 4 pm
Join Sally Levinson, Garden volunteer propagator, docent and caterpillar lady as she guides you through the collection in search of butterflies. Space is limited. Children welcome. Free with Garden admission

red breasted sapsucker 
This Red-breasted Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus ruber) was photographed in the Garden's Mediterranean Area by Melanie Hofmann.
Fall Bird Walk
Saturday | October 29 | 9 - 10:30 am
Observe resident, migrant and vagrant birds in the Garden's many bird friendly micro habitats with birding expert Phila Rogers and Associate Director of Collections & Horticulture Chris Carmichael. Pre-registration required; $20, $17 members

New Member's Welcome Wagon
Saturday | October 29 | 9:30 am - noon
We're rolling out the Welcome Wagon to greet all our newest members and everyone that has joined the Garden over the past year. New members are invited to join us at 9:30 am for a "meet & greet" and morning treats, followed by an introduction from Garden Director, Paul Licht at 10 am. At 11 am we'll take a special docent-led tour of the Garden.
Pre-registration required; free. Click here for easy online registration.

Bees Explained  Sunday | October 30 | 1 - 2:30 pm
Observation Hive at the Tropical House
Free with Garden admission

5th Annual Spooky Tales in the Redwood Grove
Sunday |October 30 | 2 - 3 pm
You're invited to celebrate Halloween with the Garden as Stagebridge storytellers enchant the Redwood Grove with their bewitching and playful scary stories. Join in a costume parade through the redwoods and discover the joy of storytelling - with a chilling twist. $12 for one adult and child, $8 members; $3 add'l person


 

The Garden Shop

Local Honey at The Garden Shop
We humans owe much to bees for the pollination vegetables and fruits and the gift of honey. Evidenced in ancient rock paintings, our affection for honey, "the nectar of the gods", has a long history worldwide. Until the introduction of refined sugar, honey was the natural food sweetener.
 
Steve Gentry, the beekeeper for our Observation Hive in the Tropical House, is a second-generation beekeeper in Orinda, just the other side of the Berkeley Hills from the Garden. It is well within the distance (4 miles) that honeybees fly to forage. Some of his bees might travel to Berkeley to gather nectar and pollen?!?
 
honey products Honey's color and flavor depend on the nectar-producing plants bees visited. In other words, landscape and plant availability directly shapes the taste of honey.
Steve's Local Honey is available in The Garden Shop. Enjoy the taste of our local landscape!
 
Honey Stick: $0.25
Honey Bear 6 oz: $6
Honey  12 oz: $10
Honeycomb: $16
Gardener's Friend Beeswax Hand Salve: $16
 

 

Members Only

 

Garden Membership  

By Suzanne Field, Membership & Program Manager

 

queen of the sun Looking for some inspiration this autumn? The UC Botanical Garden is where you'll find it! This October the Garden is buzzing with excitement!  Shirley Watts' bee-inspired vignette, A Garden of Mouthings, on view through spring 2012, offers a new way to experience the Garden. A rich schedule of Bee Inspired programming will accompany the exhibit - and as member you receive discounts to programs and events all year long!

You're invited to join the Garden as we welcome UC Berkeley professor and research entomologist, Dr. Gordon Frankie on October 2 to discuss his unmitigated passion - native bees.  Join us on October 12 for an exclusive community screening of Queen of the Sun: What Are the Bees Telling Us? Newer members are encouraged to come out and meet Garden staff and take a special docent-led tour of the Garden at our New Members' Welcome Wagon on October 29. October also marks the return of two Garden favorites sure to delight and inspire. You won't want to miss the Foods of the Americas Exhibit, October 6-21 and the 5th Annual Spooky Tales in the Redwood Grove on the 30th.

In addition to discounts on programs members also enjoy unlimited FREE admission all year-round. The Garden unveils a changing look season by season so there is always something new to behold and enjoy. Members also receive 10% off in the Garden Shop, discounts and reciprocal admission at over 200 participating Gardens around the nation, invitations to exclusive members-only events and more! We offer many different levels of membership - there's sure to be one that's just right for you!

 

Click Here to Join Online

On-Site: Stop by the Garden Kiosk

Phone: 510-643-2755 x0

FAX: 510-642-3012

Mail: 200 Centennial Dr � Berkeley � CA 94720-5045

 

 

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