Joan Swenson: Showers bring smiles to flowers
| Friday, Feb 20 2009 03:10 PM
Last Updated Friday, Mar 27 2009 01:23 PM
I was sure that February weather would remain balmy — until true January weather arrived again and it was time for pouring rain on the valley floor and snow in the hills.
No complaints from me, however. I seldom run my sprinklers in the winter and the yard was getting pretty dry. Our back lawn, planted in rye, appreciated the drenching. And so did I, finally taking time to transplant one of my favorite roses that has not been doing well in the increasing shade of my Chinese elm and transplanting a camellia. Thanks to the rain for making the soil so easy to dig.
ROSE SOCIETY PLANT SALE
If you love bargains and meeting some folks who love plants, get to the Kern County Rose Society’s 14th annual Rose and Plant Sale that runs from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 28 in the parking lot of Hall Letter Shop, at the corner of Rosedale Highway and Landco Drive.
Plants for sale will include modern and classic roses, daylilies, perennial flowers and succulents from members’ gardens. I’ve been to this sale a number of times and have always been impressed by the organization and friendliness of the group’s members. Get there early, because the early birds get the best picks.
The sale benefits the Rose Society’s educational projects.
CAMELLIA SOCIETY MEETING
The Camellia Society of Kern County invites the public to bring their cut camellias and/or camellia floral designs to practice entering a camellia show at its meeting Sunday. The group will meet at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, at Church of the Brethren, Palm and A streets.
Potluck lunch will be followed by a mini camellia show. If you have considered entering camellias or camellia arrangements in past shows but weren’t sure how to arrange the flowers, the mini-show will include help from experienced arrangers giving hands-on instructions on how to show off camellias at their best.
The mini-show and instructions are in time to prepare camellia lovers to enter flowers in the Camellia Show on March 7 and 8 at East Hills Mall.
GARDEN TOUR
John Karlik of the University of California Cooperative Extension will take a group on a tour of gardens in England and Scotland in June.
According to Karlik, who serves as the group’s discussion leader, some of the world’s most beautiful gardens and plant collections are found in areas to be toured.
“The overall tour objective is to broaden participants’ knowledge and appreciation for landscape design and plant selection,” Karlik wrote in an e-mail. “A number of gardens and landscapes exquisitely illustrate design principles and have withstood the test of time and, arguably, some of the best are in Britain. These sights are well worth sharing.”
Flying from Los Angeles International Airport, the group will arrive in Edinburgh on June 8 and tour the Royal Botanic Garden, Falkland Palace and Crathes Castle during four days in Scotland before traveling to York, touring two gardens en route before seeing Newby Hall and gardens and Fountains Abbey and Studley Royale in York. Following York, the group will see gardens in London including Wisley Garden, Wakehurst Place Gardens and Borde Hill Garden. The tour will also allow participants time to tour Edinburgh and London on their own. Return date to Los Angeles is June 19.
Travel Gallery of Pasadena is handling the arrangements. For more information, contact Karlik at jfkarlik@ucdavis.edu, or by phone at 661-868-6220.
