BAY NEWS

Newsletter of the American Gesneriad Society of San Francisco

Volume 27, No. 5, May 2005

 

 
Next Meeting: Sunday, May 15, 2005

Program: Field Trip to UC Botanic Garden

Reminder: Display and Sale on

Saturday, June 4 from 10:00am to 3:30pm

 

 

 

The Prez Sez...

by Katherine Henwood

 

Here we are in the Merry month of May already!  I have seedlings coming up (too late for June sale, but possibly for the August sale).  How about you? Got cuttings going?  Plants groomed?

 

The May meeting will be a field trip to the Berkeley Botanical Garden. Please call me if you want to co-ordinate BART arrivals so we can either be collected by Terri, or share a taxi.  Taxi fare to the gardens is about $9-10 by the time you add a tip. Of course, you can drive..if you want to do that, let me know and I'll try to arrange riders....

 

Remember that we need to be at the SF County Fair Bldg. about 8:00 am to set up the sale and exhibit.  Bring plants (in bloom if possible) to show as examples of what the smaller plants will look like.

 

Hope to see you on our Field Trip, that's May15, as well as on June 4!

 

 

University of California Botanical Garden Field Trip

by Terri Campbell

 

We will have a field trip to the University of California Botanical Garden on Sunday, May 15th.  We will plan to meet at the main entrance to the Botanical Garden at 1:00 p.m.  If you would like to have a ride up the hill from downtown Berkeley BART, please call Terri at (510) 234-9764.

 

For others who would like to drive, the directions are attached. Inexpensive parking is available across the street from the Botanical Garden.

 

At 1:30 p.m., we will join a docent tour of the Botanical Garden. After the tour, we can look around the various sections of the Garden as the group wishes.  The Botanical Garden has extensive collections of exotic and local plants -- everyone should find something of interest.  Plants, books and other items will be for sale in the gift shop.

 

I hope that many of us will be able to attend our first 2005 field trip at the University of California Botanical Garden.

 

Here is the link for collections at the Botanical Garden:

http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu/collections.shtml

 

Directions to the Botanical Garden:

http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu/visitorinformation.shtml

 

 

Show and Tell and Raffle Table

by David Waugh

 

In place of the ‘Dog’ show program scheduled for this date we did ‘show and tell’ along with suggested  remedies to improve the plants brought in by  members.

 

Gene Sussli brought:  Sarmentia Rapiens, in bloom with 3 plants in the pot.  It was lopsided in growth.   This plant blooms in the Spring and early Summer and is a scrambler, hanging down or will climb if supported.  To keep it balanced it needs to be turned.   Also cuttings with two nodes buried (remove any buds), can help fill the pot and make it more balanced.  Streptocarpus, unnamed, fuschia color.   This plant was in a larger pot with many flowers and also many seed pods.   The question was if the seed pods should be removed or left on for a show.   The answer was to leave seed pods, but look at the symmetry of the plant and remove seed pods as necessary to give the plant symmetry.  Kohleria with droopy  blooming stems.   Remove the droopy stems at dirt level and then remove from the cut stem the bent part.  Stick the straight part in the pot, removing leaves from the buried part, and it will probably root.   If the cut stem is old or too woody it may not root.  Streptocarpella leaves planted did not produce plants.  Stems are required to propagate this plant.  

 

Katherine Henwood brought:  No plants for ‘show and tell’  but brought for raffle Streptocarpus ‘cyanandrus’, Petrocosmea ‘foresteii’, Maiden Hair fern.

 

Irene Fey brought:  Kohleria growing poorly.   Perhaps the stem was old or woody and therefore did not root properly.

 

David Waugh brought:  Columnea ‘Dragonfire’.  This plant, brought to a previous meeting, has one long stem, about 2 1/2 feet long with flowers on the end.  The stem should have been cut short some time ago.   All the new shoots (8 of them) along the stem should be removed with part of the main stem attached, and then potted for rerooting.

 

Larry Williams brought:  Sinningia Cardinalis with 8 stems leaning one way .   The pot was not turned regularly so that the light, on the side, made the stems lean.  Nematanthus ‘Tropicana’ is very rangy with long stems.   Each stem needs to be trimmed back to 2 leaf nodes to make the plant more bushy.  Disbud any blooms until the plant is the correct shape.  Then, let it bloom.

 

 

Minutes of The American Gesneriad Society of San Francisco

April 17, 2005 Meeting

by David Waugh, Secretary

 

The meeting was called to order at 1:21pm by President Katherine Henwood.   The following were also present:  David Waugh, David and Irene Fey, Gene Sussli, Larry Williams, Anna Chou.

 

The minutes of the March meeting, in the April newsletter, were approved.

 

The Treasurer again reported we are in good condition.  The slide projector has been paid for, and rent for our meeting place is up to date.  Long time member Don Mahoney has rejoined again.  

 

A draft of the flyer prepared by David Waugh for the June 4 Display and Sale was passed around for any corrections.  The spelling of episcia (not episia!) was corrected and ‘Saturday’ was added to the date.  The hours of the sale will be 10am- 3-30pm.  The flyer will be sent to all members as well as to those on our mailing list on or about May 18.    

 

Members were reminded of the date of the 2005 Convention in Portland, Oregon, July 5- 12.   Those planning to attend should make their reservations now.   If you are taking plants for the sale or to show keep a good eye on them.

 

The San Mateo Fair is August 12-21 and members should try to have entries for this show.   The entry applications will be available at our June meeting.

 

We will be having our own Show and Sale August 27-28.   The show chairman is Terri Campbell.   We will be setting up on Friday afternoon-evening August 26, the judging will take place Saturday morning August 27, and open to the public for viewing in the afternoon and on Sunday.   The Sale will be 10-3:30 Saturday and Sunday.

 

The program , a ‘Dog Show,’ was cancelled since the President did not get her newsletter and did not bring a ‘Dog,’ and the Program Chairman was unable to attend.  Instead we had a ‘Show and Tell’, details of which are in the newsletter.

 

We then did the raffle.

 

The meeting was adjourned at 3:16 pm.

 

2005 Officers

President:  Katherine Henwood

Vice President:  Terri Lynn Campbell

Secretary:  David Waugh

Treasurer:  Irene Fey (please request Irene’s address from Lorah Gross)

Newsletter Editor: Lorah Gross lorah@lorah.net

 

Meetings: Usually third Sunday of each month, 1-4 p.m. at Library of County Fair Bldg., Golden Gate Park, San Francisco.  (Enter from parking lot North side of 10th Avenue and Lincoln Blvd., turn right through gate next to building, go to third door) 

 

2005 meetings: April 17, June 19, July 17 (Board meeting before regular meeting), August 21, September 18, November 20, December 18 Holiday Luncheon.

 

Shows, Sales, and Field Trips:

May TBA Field Trip, Saturday June 4 Exhibit and Plant Sale (10:00am – 3:30pm), July 5-10 AGGS Convention (Portland, OR), October TBA Field Trip

 

Dues: $10 single, $11 family. Make checks payable to AGS SF, mail to Treasurer.

 

Website: http://www.agssf.org