Sandy Krutilek, Editor
Mar 2017
Conejo Valley Botanic Garden
March Bulletin
Jack-O-Lantern
Inky Cap
A Hidden Kingdom
By Zoie and Carl Zhu
There is a hidden kingdom in our garden. They are elusive from our eye yet they are as
vibrant as the plants and even outnumber the animals; they grow year round underground,
digesting and consuming thick piles of oak leave and other dead plants. When rain falls each
year, they magically spring forth, giving us a spectacular show of colors, shapes, textures, and
animating motions. Some of them have classy names like “Ivory Cap” to match their snow
white appearance, while some grow nearby oak trees and are bright yellow; some even look
like delicately folded flowers made of finest butter, giving it the name “Witch’s Butter”. In the
cold wet January, tiny bright red umbrellas pop out of the ground, glittering under the sun. In a
few days, they will eat themselves and turn into dripping black ink. They are given a fitting
name as “Inky Cap”. There are more! If you pay attention to muddy areas, you will find white
ping-pong balls sitting on star-shaped plates. Give them a light squeeze, and they will shoot
out a stream of green and white smoke.
I have been dropping hints about what this hidden kingdom is. I am sure you have guessed.
It is Fungi, or mushrooms. Most of us consider mushrooms as plants, since they can't move.
However, mushrooms can’t perform photosynthesis and can’t produce their own food. On the
other hand, if we look into what they eat in order to survive, their “food” consists of dead plants
and animals, which makes them seem like some sort of animal. These strange beings of half
plant and half animal are therefore classified into an entire life form of their own, called Fungi.
1
A Hidden Kingdom
How important are mushrooms? They spring up after the rain, stay alive only for a few days, then
wilt in the sun, rot and die. How significant they can possibly be with such extremely short life
span? The fact is, mushrooms live for a very, very long time, and almost cannot die. Their main
body grows underground spanning acres and acres. In Douglas fir forest, their roots (mycelium)
consist close to 10% of the top soil mass. In our area, this number will be less but still remains
significant. Mushrooms, after all, are the major decomposer in our ecosystem. Enjoying and
appreciating the various mushrooms in our garden is hampered by their short above ground life
span. However, nature provides its own compensation. Unlike trees, which will die if we pick off
enough of their leaves, mushrooms will not be affected by picking. You can’t damage mushrooms
by picking them. To explore the mushrooms in our garden, visit the natural trail two to three days
after the rain, or two to three weeks after consistent rain after a long drought.
Caution - DO NOT ingest them (some of them might be poisonous!).
“Leave the beaten path and dive into the woods,
You are certain to find something interesting.”
— Alexander Graham Bell
The Garden in Winter
Tangerinequat, Rare Fruits Orchard
Photo by Alex Dizon
Hakea laurine, trail to Australian Garden
Photo by Joseph Scarpine
2
The Desert Garden
By
Marshall Monley
With extended drought periods in Southern California, higher water costs and water restrictions, we
gardeners are increasingly looking to drought-tolerant alternatives to the traditional irrigation-intensive
landscaping around our homes and in our gardens. Succulents are one of the alternatives featured in
the Desert Garden.
Succulents by definition have evolved to store water in their leaves and modified stems and are thus
able to survive drought periods typical of desert ecosystems like ours. Because of the lack of water in
deserts, most succulents have also evolved thorns to protect themselves from browsing animals
looking for both food and water. When looking into succulents for the garden, an important
consideration is whether plants with thorns are appropriate for your situation. If not, fortunately there
are many specimens in the Desert Garden that are thornless.
Another key consideration is planning for the eventual size of the succulents. This is where the Desert
Garden can be instructive. In many cases, the plants have been there for many years, and thus
demonstrate how large they can grow. This is critical information in planning a xeric planting because
unlike many “traditional” landscaping plants, many of us may not know what the charming plant in the
small pot at the local garden center will grow into. For example, an innocent-looking agave in a 1gallon pot might grow into a 15-foot-wide (or wider) behemoth with a flower stalk 25 feet tall (or taller)
that requires a tree service to remove once it finishes flowering! Best to know what you’re getting into
in advance!
There are a number of interesting cacti, euphorbias, aloes and other succulents in the Desert Garden.
Some are native to Southern California, and many are native to Mexico, South Africa and other desert
regions of the world. A few of the thornless plants are featured below:
Crassula ovata or Jade Plant: The common
Jade Plant is a familiar sight in many indoor
collections on the east coast and grows well
outdoors on the west coast in areas where there
is little danger of a hard frost. They bloom during
the winter months, and the small pinkish white
star-like flowers can make a nice if brief winter
show. In a favorable situation, Jades can grow
quite large (reportedly 6-8 feet), so it is important
to place them where they have breathing room.
Jades planted in full sun will develop a denser
form with a reddish tinge to the leaves; in part
shade they’ll be sparser and more gangly with
pure green leaves. Most Crassulas including this
one and the one below are native to South Africa.
3
Crassula arborescens or Silver Dollar Plant:
This plant is a relative of the common Jade Plant. It
can reach 2-4’ in height and width; the specimens in the
Desert Garden are either new plants from cuttings or
the parent plant that is about 2-3’ tall. The foliage is an
attractive gray-green with a red border around each
leaf. They’re very drought tolerant once established.
They prefer bright light and at least some direct sun.
They’ll get spindly and weak if grown in too much
shade. Like the Jade Plant, the stems and leaves are
brittle so it is best to plant them in an area where they
won’t be brushed by people or pets.
Agave attenuata or Foxtail (or Swan’s Neck) Agave:
This member of the agave family has pointed tips or its
light-green strap-like leaves, but the leaves and pointed
tips are soft so the plant is included in this group of
thornless specimens. Like most agaves, the Foxtail
Agave is determinate or monocarpic meaning that once
it flowers, the parent plant dies. Like most other
agaves, new young plants or pups appear at the base
of the parent plant and can either be separated and
planted elsewhere or allowed to grow and form a dense
clump. The blossom is distinctive in that it gracefully
curves downward resembling a giant green foxtail or
swan’s neck. This plant is native to Central Mexico.
Opuntia ficus-indica or Barbary Fig: This is a very
large-growing cactus in the prickly pear family. It is said
to be able to reach 16 feet tall. The ones in the Desert
Garden are around 7-8 feet tall. It has the advantage
(to us, if not for its own protection!) of being thornless
and has been used as a food crop for many centuries in
Mexico and other areas where the plant has been
introduced. Commonly the fruits (“tunas”) are used for
jellies and jams or eaten raw, and the young pads are
used for nopales. This plant (and other Opuntias) have
been used historically as hosts for the cochineal insect,
a scale insect, that is used in the production of a natural
red dye.
4
Beaucarnea recurvata or Ponytail Palm:
Despite it’s common name, Beaucarnea isn’t a
palm at all; it’s a relative of agaves and yuccas.
This is a slow-growing specimen plant that
usually has a single narrow trunk arising from a
caudex, an expanded area at the base, which
stores water for use during dry periods. The
trunk is topped with a cluster of narrow strap-like
leaves that cascade gracefully downward. In
older specimens, there can be branching or
additional trunks, and in specimens over 10years of age, there can be bloom production: an
unremarkable panicle of white flowers. Unlike
the agaves in this family, Beaucarnea is not
determinate (so will not die after blooming) and
can be very long-lived. Wikipedia cites literature
documenting 350-year-old specimens in Mexico
where it is native!
Building a Rain Garden
By
Diane Conejo
5
Building a Rain Garden
If you have a low spot in your garden that seems to puddle-up whenever it rains, you have the
perfect spot for a Rain Garden! First make sure that it is at least 10 feet from the foundation of
your house; you don’t want to create problems! If it collects rain because it is in line with a roof
downspout, all the better! Another plus would be that this area would get plenty of sun. The water
needs to drain moderately well and the sun will help.
There are various ways to direct the flow of rainwater as it comes down off a roof. One is to use a
downspout attachment that connects to a rain barrel. This allows you to capture the rainwater for
later watering. Another is to direct it towards a “swale”, which is a channel that is graded to bring
the flow where you want it. The swale can be lined with landscaping fabric and filled with gravel or
larger stones.
The kinds of plants that do well in a Rain Garden are those that survive drought with some
assistance AND enjoy having their feet wet too. They are usually referred to as “Marginal Plants”.
(Think about plants that do well on the edges of a pond, because that’s what your Rain Garden will
look like when the rain gets going). Cannas, Mallows, Irises, Scarlet Monkey flower (mimulus
cardinalis), Yellow-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium californicum), Sedge grasses (Carex spp.), California
Rushes (Juncus spp.) Cleomes, Daylilies, Crocosmia and Bulbine frutescens are several that will
thrive in this environment.
Dig about 4-8” deep. Use the soil you remove to create a berm along the edge and amend your
soil with 2-3” compost. Mix this to incorporate and create porosity in the soil.
Place your plants and broadcast the stone/gravel in the swale/creek bed area. Adjust plants until
the effect is pleasing. Set them close to the edge of the swale so that when the water rushes by,
their roots will benefit. Once you are happy with the arrangement, you can plant with a hand
trowel.
When you are done, apply fibrous, shredded mulch about 2-3” deep. This will help keep the area
moist and somewhat weed-free. Keep the mulch 3-4” away from the base of the plants. Water
every other day for two weeks unless it rains, and then you can let Mother Nature take over your
shift.
Enjoy the rain and your garden from inside with a nice cup of tea!
6
Plant Sales
Plant sales are held every Sunday at the CVBG from 11-2:30 in the area next to the Kids’
Adventure Garden, located at 400 W. Gainsborough Rd. California natives, salvias, water wise
perennials, shrubs, trees and succulents are available. CVBG volunteers will be happy to help
you with selections and share their expertise.
Irene Benyoung is willing, by special appointment only, to meet customers at the Plant Sale area
on Wednesdays. Please contact her by e-mail to make an appointment. [email protected]
Birthday Parties
Birthday Parties are available. Email Jim Cyr at [email protected] Volunteers are needed to
help with the Sunday parties. The volunteer hours are from 2:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Learn Flower Design
Learn Flower Design in the Sogetsu Style. Develop creative self-expression through flower
arrangement and learn the beauty of line and space. Keiko (Camille) Van Ast holds a First
Teacher’s degree from the Sogetsu School of Ikebana in Tokyo, Japan. She has studied Ikebana
for more that 25 years.
For Registration call Camille at 805-498-7421
Classes will meet the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month
9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Kids’ Adventure Garden
Classes are ongoing
A one time fee of $25 for a textbook is required
Class fee of $25 per class includes the flower fee of $10
Want to Help us Grow?
So you love Conejo Valley Botanic Garden and would like to help, but just don’t have the time to
volunteer? Even though much of the work you see going on in the garden is done by volunteers,
we still have expenses for planting, heavy pruning and new improvements. These projects are
funded through grants and donations from the community. If you would like to help us grow, tax
deductible donations are always welcome and may be made out and sent to Conejo Valley
Botanic Garden, 400 W. Gainsborough, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360. Thanks for your support!
Email: [email protected]
For more information and directions to the garden, visit our website at www.conejogarden.org
7