The Latest Dirt - November 2024
Editor’s Note: A Warm Welcome to Our 2025 UC Master Gardener Trainees!
Dear New Volunteer Trainees,
Welcome to the Contra Costa County UC Master Gardener family! The Latest Dirt Team, including the editors, writers and technical support, is thrilled to have you join us on this rewarding education, outreach, and stewardship journey. This year promises exciting opportunities for learning, hands-on experience, and community impact. As you embark on this path, you will find yourselves in a community of passionate, dedicated volunteers who share a love of gardening and a commitment to sustainable practices.
Before we dive into the year ahead, I also want to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has contributed to The Latest Dirt this year. Your efforts have made it an invaluable resource, helping us stay connected, informed, and inspired. Every article, project update, and bit of shared knowledge has enriched our community, and it has been an absolute joy for me to work with all of you. I am incredibly grateful for your time, creativity, and dedication.
In this issue, our Project Leads share a few words highlighting their team’s accomplishments over the past year and describe ways for you to get involved. They’ve worked tirelessly to bring meaningful projects to life and are excited to welcome fresh perspectives and new energy as they share their plans for the year ahead, but they can't do it alone. We hope you take a moment to read through these amazing articles to see if there might be a job or two that sounds appealing.
We hope you feel inspired by these dedicated individuals and their visions for the coming year. Each Project offers a chance to expand your skills, make new friends, and contribute to impactful gardening initiatives across our community. Let’s continue to grow together, learning from one another and making a difference, one project at a time!
With deep gratitude and warmest regards,
Simone Adair, Editor
The Latest Dirt - November 2024
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2025 New Volunteer Training Welcome
by Dawn Kooyumjian
I want to extend a warm welcome to our new trainees – the soon-to-be Class of 2025! It has been an absolute pleasure getting to know everyone. I see the wide range of experience, excitement and energy -- and, of course, snack talent --that you bring to the program. I can’t wait to see everyone certify! Hopefully, you’ve enjoyed the training so far as much as we’ve enjoyed developing and delivering it. You’ve had just a taste of the wonderful opportunities to come.
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Welcome Class of 2025! A New Journey Begins
by Lisa Bramblet, ELT Member at Large, Rivertown Garden Co-Lead
Greetings and welcome aboard to the UC Master Gardener Class of 2025! You have chosen to embark on a wonderful journey of discovery and as a resource for the community in Contra Costa County. As you do so, I hope you will drink deeply of the streams of knowledge and expertise you have access to through your training. You would use your newfound botanical and horticultural powers to improve our gardening in Contra Costa County, reaching out to the youth and our lesser-served communities. Nothing heals, sustains and brings joy like gardening!
Let me take a moment to introduce you to your Executive Leadership Team.
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Welcome to the Class of 2025 New Volunteer Trainees
by Dorothy Abeyta and John Fike, NVT Project Leads
Leading a project like New Volunteer Training has myriad aspects associated with it, ranging from challenge to fun. This year, we are fortunate to have all in-person sessions at the UC Master Gardener Program offices in Concord at the Bisso location. The interactive sessions with the trainees have been educational for both the trainees and the NVT Team.
The training philosophy focuses on a “So what?” philosophy, which involves distilling science-based information into bite-sized pieces that can help the public address complex garden problems. The expertise and background of this trainee class are well-suited to this approach. Each trainee is highly motivated to become an excellent UC Master Gardener volunteer.
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Join Growing Gardeners and Be an Agent of Change
by Ann Ramirez
Change! It is that time of the year when our spring efforts in the vegetable garden end and a new fall garden emerges. Many trees show beautiful colors before they lose their leaves, and our homes start to have seasonal changes.
Growing Gardeners has had many changes. Historically, we moved from an in-person platform to all Zoom presentations when COVID forced us to change our delivery to keep everyone healthy. As the restrictions were lifted, we changed to add an in-person class that we continue today. The change to Zoom allowed us to reach almost 60 students per course vs. 25 when we met in person. The instructors can present from their homes, Alaska or the Sonoma coast. The students appreciate the time savings of not needing to drive up to 45 minutes to attend the classes.
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Jardineros is Expanding into the Community
by May Coleman
Our newly approved Jardineros project emphasizes the growing importance of community-based connections, particularly between the UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa and the large Spanish-speaking community in the county.
in the last few months we have started three new educational gardens: Pueblos Del Sol, First Five Pittsburg Children’s Garden and First Five Monument. We have also taught several classes, collaborated with many school programs and conducted workshops and webinars in collaboration with the UCCE Expanded Food Nutrition and Education Program.
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Join the CoCoMG Speakers Bureau and Make a Lasting Impact!
by Hedwig Van Den Broeck
In the previous The Latest Dirt, we shared that the Speakers Bureau was in jeopardy of not having 2025 Webinar Programming, and several other critical in-person programming due to a lack of volunteers. We held several information sessions for volunteers to learn how to help out with both types of programming.
It has been wonderful this past month to see the number of UC Master Gardeners who stepped forward to fill these vacant spots.
We want to thank the following Master Gardeners who have stepped up!:
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Join Our Digital Garden: Communicate Create Connect
by Lori Palmquist
The Communications project serves the public AND UC Master Gardeners proudly and directly. Our work is electronically focused. So, if you join us, you can put away those gloves, pruners, and trowels.
Our reach is far, and our message clear. It’s our job to announce the good works of our wonderful UC Master Gardeners of Contra Costa County.
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Help Spread the News!
by Hedwig Van Den Broeck
“News to Grow By” is more than just our seasonal newsletter with nearly 8,500 subscribers—it’s a vibrant, welcoming platform that connects us with our community. With each issue, we aim to inspire, inform, and empower gardeners of all kinds, whether you have a sprawling backyard, a small garden, or simply a cozy patio.
Our dedicated editorial team crafts timely, seasonal articles designed to encourage residents to embark on or continue their gardening journey, all with a sustainable touch.
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Gardening Sustainably: Richmond’s Low Water Demo Garden
by Dan Lent and Brian Kerss
The Richmond Low Water Demonstration Garden showcases water-efficient gardening, featuring six distinct areas with low-water and drought-tolerant plants. Inspired by East Bay Municipal Utility District’s award-winning book, Plants and Landscapes for Summer-Dry Climates of the San Francisco Bay Region, this garden demonstrates the principles of resource-efficient landscaping in the Bay Area’s dry climate.
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Sweet or Astringent? Solving the Puzzle of Your Persimmon Tree
by Sara Hoyer
Client’s question:
I have a persimmon tree, but I’m unsure what type it is, and this has puzzled me for a few years. It turned orange a few weeks ago, while my Fuyu is still turning color. It’s not Fuyu. It’s shaped like Fuyu, perhaps slightly bigger.
I tasted a few last year. One was extremely astringent, and one tasted good like Fuyu. One was half astringent and half good tasting, all around the same time. The ones we tasted this year, despite being deep in orange, are very astringent. Some are brown inside, and some look more orange inside.
I couldn’t get any answers from local gardening groups, so I thought I’d contact you to see if you have thoughts on what I may have.
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Water Conservation Garden News
Matthew Dwinell completed his Eagle Scout Project! Come and check out our new beautiful garden shed. Liv Imset and Vivien Williamson painted it a glowing golden color. Now, we finally have a safe and dry place to store garden tools and equipment. For the past two years, we’ve been like nomads, dragging our tools with us. We now need a team of UC Master Gardeners to equip the shed’s interior with shelves and pegboard.
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December Volunteer Recognition Potluck
by Susan Domanico
Be sure to sign up to attend the December UC Master Gardener Volunteer Recognition Potluck Dinner on Monday, December 9, 2024! The event will be held at the Pleasant Hill Community Center from 6 to 9 pm.
It’s an excellent opportunity to see your favorite UC Master Gardeners, reconnect with classmates you might not have had a chance to work with recently and meet members of the new volunteer training class of 2025.
The Latest Dirt - September 2024
Editor’s Note: Welcome, UC Master Gardeners, to the fall edition of The Latest Dirt. As the evenings in Richmond bring a hint of chill, we’re still holding out for a few more warm days to savor the garden’s final vibrant colors. Autumn is upon us, and with it comes a new set of garden chores: nurturing the soil, preparing for winter, and protecting the pollinators that keep our spaces buzzing. This summer, we were delighted by the many hummingbirds, butterflies, and big, fat bumblebees gracing our gardens, and we’re committed to ensuring they have a home year-round.
One of the key things we focus on during this season is helping our pollinators. While many prepare to hibernate, it’s essential to support their well-being. We do this by leaving parts of the garden undisturbed, providing bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects with safe places to rest and survive through the colder months. These small actions make a big difference, helping local pollinators return strong when spring’s bloom arrives. While autumn offers plenty of tasks for gardeners, prioritizing pollinator support fosters a healthier, more sustainable environment. It’s a simple yet impactful way to ensure nature thrives even as temperatures drop.
Our UC Master Gardener Project Leads are also hard at work this season. As we bid farewell to longtime Leads, we’re excited to welcome a new group of volunteers ready to take the reins. The need for members to step up in our many projects remains strong, and, in some cases critical. As you read through the articles below, we hope you find inspiration for a new way to get involved.
David George, a newly elected member of the Executive Leadership Team, starts us off with an article on the organization of our UC Master Gardener program. Community Gardens Co-Lead Meb Philips updates us on new leadership while celebrating outgoing Lead Karen Maggio’s tenure. Karen supported 16 community gardens, including two new demonstration gardens. Meb also highlights the new sign CoCoMG Fletcher Oakes created for use at Community Gardens events.
Vicki Lee updates us on Growing Gardeners and the program’s growth. Emma Connery remembers the Help Desk’s beginnings before computers or the Internet. Everything was on paper! Janet Miller updates us on what’s new at Our Garden and acknowledges longtime volunteer Steve Danzinger. Liz Rottger writes a heartfelt article about Matthew Dwinell and his Eagle Scout project building a new shed for the Water Conservation Garden in El Cerrito. This month, David George interviews Amanda Merrill, the new School Gardens Co-Lead in East County.
Hedwig Van Den Broeck and Andrea Salzman describe the success of the Speakers Bureau and how there is a great need for new leadership and other volunteers. Dawn Kooyumjian thanks Nanette Hefferman and Molly Wendt for their incredible work on this year’s reappointment process. Lori Palmquist describes the Herculean task of moving our website to a new platform called Drupal. Dorothy Abeyta and John Fike announce the New Volunteer Training class schedule and the process for visiting one of the classes. Finally, Susan Heckly shares her Help Desk reply concerning damage from Elm Leaf Beetles and ways to mitigate the damage through integrated pest management.
Simone Adair, Editor
The Latest Dirt - September 2024
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A Big Thank You from Your Executive Leadership Team
by David George
I was honored in June to be elected to the Contra Costa UC Master Gardener Executive Leadership Team, “ELT” for short. As a Newbie, I was unsure about which roles and responsibilities lie with the ELT and which are the domain of the Executive Committee (EC). The ELT is a relatively new executive group formed in 2021 to replace the singular role of President. Each position is a 2-year commitment. The five, plus the Secretary and sometimes the Treasurer, meet once per month via Zoom, usually the week before the monthly Executive Committee meetings. The five members are each a liaison to 3-4 projects and their leads. Leads and Co-leads can elevate needs, problems, or opportunities concerning their projects by liaising with the ELT for discussion and/or direction. The ELT is also responsible for refreshing and publishing the program’s rolling 5-Year Strategic Plan – our organization’s overall goals and objectives.
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Community Gardens Welcome New Leads
By Meb Phillips
The leaves on my red oak tree are already starting to turn, a sign that Fall will soon be here. It’s Nature’s reminder to let go and welcome change. Some things are also changing within the powerhouse group of CoCoMG Community Gardeners. Let’s celebrate the fantastic job that Karen Maggio has done heading up this project over the last four-plus years! Karen is leaving her leadership position in October. Anna Wendorf and Meb Phillips will Co-Lead the Community Gardens, and in a few more months, we hope to add Anne Sutherland to our three-legged stool. (Note: it takes three of us to do the job that Karen has done!)
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Growing Gardeners See Significant Growth
By Vicki Lee
The CoCoMG Growing Gardeners Program has grown significantly in the last three years, registering 566 participants. This impressive number highlights the increasing interest in vegetable gardening across Contra Costa County. However, not everyone completes the entire four-class series, as some realize that successful gardening requires more effort and dedication than they initially expected. Despite this, many participants gain enough knowledge to become successful gardeners, with some even pursuing UC Master Gardener Training.
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How did the Contra Costa Master Gardener Help Desk get started?
The Help Desk has changed over the years. Emma Connery wasn’t there at the beginning, but almost…
Emma’s recollections:
The UC Master Gardener program in Contra Costa started in 1983. The intent in starting any program was to have volunteers support the county farm advisor by interfacing with the public on home garden issues. The farm advisor who took on this program was Demetrios Kontaxis. He was the only UC interface to the program, so he was the equivalent of our coordinator, but he did that along with his farm advisor duties. Because of the program’s original intent, I assume the Help Desk began at the same time or a year later.
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News From Our Garden
By Janet Miller
As the season turns from summer to fall, the work at Our Garden never ends. While we are still harvesting over 500 pounds of food each week, we are also, one by one, pulling summer crops from beds and replanting them with cool-weather veggies. Many beautiful seedlings are growing happily in the propagation area, ready to go in the ground. By the way, we are making many of those seedlings available for sale to Master Gardeners and our visitors. We also have a nice variety of cover crop seed bagged up and available for sale each Wednesday. We, of course, are still battling rodents, aphids and various mites – all of which seem to thrive in hot weather! Still, we are a happy and industrious group of volunteers, answering questions from our many visitors and demonstrating how to grow food and deal with challenges as they arise.
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A Garden’s Bright Future
Article and Photos By Liz Rottger
Along with nurturing my soul, gardening always helps me straighten out my thoughts. Weeding a particularly bad patch in the garden makes me feel I can restore order in the world. Caring for a small plant struggling to establish itself in a sometimes-harsh environment strengthens my resolve. Summer pruning the water sprouts on my Flavor Queen Pluot, whose phenomenal growth amazes me, not only wears me out but also makes me believe that I still might be in charge of something!
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New Co-Lead Amanda Merrill on School Gardens
by David George
Recent New Volunteer Training graduate Amanda Merrill has been busy in our program. In addition to sampling other projects, she volunteered last month to be our new School Gardens co-lead for East County schools. Why did she choose to help with our county school gardens, teachers, and students so soon? I interviewed her the other day, and here is what I learned.
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Speakers Bureau needs your help!
by Hedwig Van Den Broeck under guidance of Andrea Salzman
It takes many of our talented hands to produce these wonderful programs. Unfortunately, we have no Speakers Bureau leadership, and only one webinar team volunteer (BIG thank you, Marissa Smithwick!!!) joined us this year. Therefore, we do not have the volunteer resources to carry on this project as we have done in the past four years. If we cannot find volunteers, the webinar programs will stop at the end of this year.
THIS IS WHERE WE NEED EVERYONE TO COME TOGETHER --- We have SO many talented Master Gardeners Volunteers in our midst. Speakers Bureau needs you to join this fabulous and important outreach project! Let us make sure we continue providing such valued education to our community.
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Completed: Reappointment 2024!
By Dawn Kooyumjian
We have 236 UC Master Gardener volunteers who have completed reappointment for 2024-25. Thank you for supporting the program as we enter a new and exciting UC Master Gardener year. You are the ones who make all the excellent work happen!
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Our Website in Transition
By Lori Palmquist
Our wonderful website, which has been the hub of extraordinarily useful garden wisdom, will change radically by the end of 2024. UCANR is updating its look and functionality and moving its 521 websites to a more modern, secure, and reliable platform called Drupal.
This move has the Communications project working hard to make the process go as smoothly as possible. On August 14th, I sent an email through VMS to all UC Master Gardeners of Contra Costa County asking for help with the many tasks we’re being asked to perform to prepare our site for the changeover. Close to 20 CoCoMGs responded by clicking some of the links in the email or by responding and offering their assistance. That was really wonderful.
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New Volunteer Training Schedule Unveiled
By Dorothy Abeyta and John Fike
The New Volunteer Training team headed by John Fike and Dorothy Abeyta prepares to launch 17 weekly training sessions for the Class of 2025. The sessions occur Thursday afternoons from 1:00 PM to 7:00 PM at the UCCE Bisso Lane Office in Concord. Thirty trainees selected by Janette Drew and the recruitment team will begin their UC Master Gardener journey starting September 26, 2024.
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Elm Leaf Beetle Causes Considerable Damage
Client’s question
Hello, I was given a business card and told to contact you. I have attached photos of a bug that’s killing the leaves on my tree. What is it?Susan Heckly’s response
Thank you for contacting the UC Master Gardener Program Help Desk. And thank you for sending the photo of the insect on your tree—it makes it easier to make recommendations with a positive identification of the problem.
The Latest Dirt - July 2024
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Dawn Kooyumjian Welcomes Us to Her Garden
by David George
Contra Costa County UC Master Gardener Program Coordinator Dawn Kooyumjian has been responsible for the business side of the program since June 2016. But do you really know Dawn? She and I had a chance to chat last week during a break in her many official duties. Where did she acquire that near-encyclopedic knowledge of plant names? What is her garden like? Did she really build a complete harpsichord all by herself? Read on for answers to these questions and more!
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Welcome to New & Returning ELT Members: Planting the Seeds of Success
Welcome to New & Returning ELT Members: Planting the Seeds of Success
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Living in Wildfire Country: Summer Tasks
Article & Photos by Marilyn Saarni
Our wildfire season is officially here—it’s early this year, with our rainy winter producing plenty of vegetation. The summer heat is drying out many plants, while water consumption is increasing. For those in wildfire country, it’s time to begin the intensive maintenance for the fire season. Here are some of those summer firewise tasks.
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New Our Garden Murals On Display
Becky Griffin, wife of UC Master Gardener Steve Griffin, painted these two whimsical and welcoming murals on the side of the Our Garden shed fence. Photos by Greg Letts.
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News From Our Garden
Article by Janet MillerPhoto by Greg LettsOh, the glory of a beautiful summer garden – and this year, if I dare say it, Our Garden looks better than ever! I always feel that a successful garden comes from a healthy mix of tried-and-true best cultural practices, a science-based approach to fertilizing and treating insects and diseases, weather, weather, weather, and then a little bit of magic. I think we’ve been given a little extra dose of magic this year – the garden is lush, green and thriving even through the brutal 100+ degree days. We are grateful for the magic, but here’s a quick look at the other elements added to this season’s efforts.
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Worms, Bees, Rainwater: An Update from the Water Conservation Garden
Article & photos by Liz Rottger
I want to update you on the progress we’ve been making at the Water Conservation Garden in El Cerrito. We have regularly scheduled work parties on the second Saturday of the month, but I know many of you can’t make our work parties. But I think all of you are interested in the Water Conservation Garden’s progress.
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Gardening for all Ages
By Laura Brainin-Rodriguez
As we age, we may develop injuries due to overuse or mishaps. This can affect our balance, coordination, and/or eyesight, as well as our joints. We will discuss the body mechanics, tools, and equipment we can use to continue making gardening a vital part of our lives.
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Warmup to Prepare for Gardening
By Laura Brainin-Rodriguez
Like any physical activity, preparing our bodies for gardening is a good idea. It is recommended that we do 5 minutes of a warmup, such as walking around the garden, followed by some gentle stretches.
It would help if you did these movements slowly and mindfully, honoring your body and limitations on a given day.
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Black Dot Mystery Perplexes Help Desk Team
By Susan Heckly
Client’s conundrum
In May, a client from Trilogy in Brentwood called and described some sort of pest all over a neighbor’s walls, windows, and plants. She described it as small black dots of stuck-on material. She had been to several nurseries and talked to “master gardeners” at those nurseries who had no idea what it was, even looking at it under magnification. She said it stuck to walls so securely that it damaged the wall underneath when they tried to remove it.
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Richmond Dry Garden Receives Well-Earned Honor
On June 25, the Richmond Dry Garden and UC Master Gardeners received a proclamation from the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) recognizing the successful collaboration between the City of Richmond Parks and Landscaping Division and the UC Master Gardeners of Contra Costa County that restored and maintains the garden at the Richmond Civic Center Plaza.
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The Mysterious Sphinx Moth Caterpillar
This beautiful caterpillar was recently found in the Water Conservation Garden. It is easily recognizable by its robust body, vivid coloration, and distinctive horns at the rear end, which give it the nickname "hornworm." These caterpillars can be found munching on a variety of plants, including tomatoes, peppers, and even ornamental flowers. But don't judge too quickly.
The Latest Dirt
Editor’s Note: I’ve been thinking about why we are UC Master Gardeners. Gardening is such a cherished activity. It serves as a means of connecting with nature and nurturing a sense of community. As CoCoMGs, we assist with school gardens and community gardens. We are always ready to answer the many questions asked at our Ask A Master Gardener booths and Help Desk. Our different demonstration gardens not only produce truckloads of produce for our partner, the Monument Crisis Center, but we also assist with school and community gardens. We are also always ready to answer the many questions at our Ask A Master Gardener booths and our Help Desk. This issue of The Latest Dirt highlights the efforts of so many of our volunteers and staff.
Gardening provides an avenue for relaxation, stress relief, and physical activity and promotes overall well-being. We encourage sustainable living practices, reduce reliance on commercially grown produce, and minimize carbon footprint. Ultimately, despite the adversities posed by the region’s unique environmental factors, we are all driven by a love for nature, community, and the rewards of cultivating a piece of paradise.
This month’s issue highlights ways we nurture a sense of community. Nowhere else is this more evident than at our three Great Tomato Plant Sales. Mary Jo Corby, Janet Miller, Wendy Kraft and Liz Rottger describe the Sales that made over $100,000.
David George interviews Pam Austin, the longtime School Gardens Lead. Ann Ramirez discusses what is appealing about Growing Gardens. Meb Phillips, Community Gardens Co-Lead, describes what’s happening at some of the different gardens, including using the Three Sisters.
The Help Desk’s Susan Heckly, in the spirit of the GTPS, answers a resident’s question about what’s eating their tomatoes. Anne Sutherland then takes on a tour of Peruvian and Andean vegetables. To round this issue out, Liz Rottger describes how three CoCoMGs saved a perch for a little hummingbird who called an elderberry tree at the Richmond Dry Garden home.
Simone Adair, Editor
The Latest Dirt - May 2024
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2024 GTPS Succeeds Across the County
By Janet Miller, Mary Jo Corby and Wendy Kraft
The 2024 Great Tomato Plant Sale was the first year since COVID-19 that we have had a sale in all three county areas! Welcome back to Rivertown Garden, where there was a steady flow of customers all day – and the garden looked fabulous! At the Richmond Public Library, West County folks were lined up around the block for that sale.
What a difference a year makes. While 2023 was the most challenging year ever for GTPS plant propagation, 2024 was a pleasure! We were not without challenges - but freezing temperatures, lack of sunshine, etc., were not among them.
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West County GTPS Serves Nearly 500 Residents
By Liz Rottger
Photos by Jim MarchettiPerhaps the most challenging of all of the Contra Costa UC Master Gardener's Great Tomato Plant Sales is in West County. Growing plants in one place and then selling them in an entirely different place is simply crazy. It takes a lot of work to transport over 6000 plants safely from the Water Conservation Garden in El Cerrito to the Civic Center Library in Richmond, even if it's only 3 miles. Along with these plants, we also transport additional plants (peppers, herbs, and eggplants) from Central County to Richmond and all the equipment (tables, cash registers, popups, etc.) we need for the sale.
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West County GTPS Banner Honors Local Families
UC Master Gardeners Liz Rottger and Fletcher Oakes created this tribute poster for the West County Great Tomato Plant Sale to honor the sizeable flower-growing community of Japanese ancestry that settled in Richmond/El Cerrito and were incarcerated during World War II.
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Pam Austin and the School Gardens
by David George
UC Master Gardener Pam Austin has been working and driving overtime as lead for the School Gardens project since the departure last year of Co-Lead Kate Verhoef from the Contra Costa program. Living in El Cerrito, Pam has held down the fort for all school garden opportunities, from Richmond in the west to San Ramon in the south and Oakley in the far east of the county. I spoke with Pam the other day about the challenges and opportunities in our School Gardens project and its future needs (Hint: Volunteers!)
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Why Do I Like Working on the Growing Gardener Project?
Article By Ann Ramirez
Photos by Hedwig Van Den Broeck-ClaeysSpring is here, and Summer is coming. We had our first group of enthusiastic beginning vegetable gardeners in February and are now beginning our May course.
Growing Gardeners has been called a light version of the New Volunteer Training program and has been a steppingstone to becoming a UC Master Gardener volunteer. The program provides student gardeners with the knowledge to identify their growing conditions to optimize their success.
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Growing Up Together
Article by Meb Phillips
Photos by Mary Beth Phillips
In some indigenous cultures, often in May, the golden triangle of the corn seed, the glossy brown bean, and the hand-pie-shaped squash seed are planted together in a mound. These are called the Three Sisters. The first to grow, the corn, like the firstborn in a family, shoots up straight, alone for a time. The bean takes its time as the second born because it first sends its long root deep into the earth. When the bean’s heart-shaped leaves break through, these heart leaves multiply and then become this flexible vine that searches, in a winding way, for something to hold onto before it catches the cornstalk, starts climbing, and flourishes.
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Can you tell me what's eating my beautiful tomatoes? Squirrels?
By Susan Heckly
Thank you for contacting the UC Master Gardener Program Help Desk and for sending a photo of your poor tomatoes.
If the tomatoes were still on your plants and not moved a distance away when you discovered this, it's rats doing the damage. Squirrels are more likely to remove the tomato and carry it to a nearby location to eat — often, you will find only a small part of a tomato. Rats will cling to the plant or the plant's support and eat the tomato in place, with much of the damage being on the top, like that on the red and green tomatoes in your photo. Rats are one of the most common pests we deal with in urban and suburban gardens. Birds can also do damage, but triangular bite marks would show on the fruit, and there isn't usually this much damage to an individual tomato.
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Growing Vegetables in Peru
Article & Photos By Anne Sutherland
My honey and I recently returned from the trip of a lifetime in Peru and the Galapagos. To our delight, biodiversity specialist Maywa Blanco talked about Peru’s many varieties of potatoes and corn when we were in Cusco. There is a seed library in Lima to ensure that these varieties are maintained. We saw many Peruvians selling beautiful fruits and vegetables on street corners throughout the country.
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A Stubborn Watchman at the Low Water Garden
Article by Liz Rottger
Photos by Brian KerssThis past winter, Brian Kerss and Liv Imset decided to prune a large elderberry tree at the Low Water Garden in Richmond. The tree had struggled through the entire summer with a heavy infestation of aphids and the pursuant black sooty mold. The tree needed to be cut back to promote new growth. Before Brian and Liv even started, they spotted a hummingbird perched on one of its tallest, bare branches. As soon as they began to saw off a few of the limbs from the tree, the hummingbird would fly away, but when they stopped sawing, the hummingbird would immediately fly back to its perch. It was clear to both Liv and Brian that this branch was very important to the little hummer, and even though it looked a bit peculiar, they decided to leave this tall branch on the tree,
The Latest Dirt
Volume 14, Issue 2 - March 2024
Editor’s Note:
Editor’s Note: Time has sprung forward as we transition into early spring with longer days and warmer weather. We welcome the blossoming of colorful flowers and greenery in our gardens and the opportunity to be outside amidst the pleasant temperatures and burgeoning nature. Plants burst into bloom, and there is a sense of excitement and anticipation for the warmer months ahead.
Spring also returns with the 12th anniversary of the Great Tomato Plant Sale. In this issue, Robin Moore describes the “All Hands On Deck” effort volunteers need to make the sale successful. Liz Rottger describes in an article about the GTPS’s early history how “a modest sale of 3,000 plants grew into over 37,000 plants, including 73 varieties of heirloom and hybrid tomatoes.”
Terri Takusagawa describes opportunities to complete your CE requirements, including workshops at Our Garden, two Lunchbox webinars and other events. Laura Brainin-Rodriguez also highlights the return of what is shaping up to be an exciting season of Ask A Master Gardener booths. Consider attending their kick-off event on March 25 at Bisso Lane. Jan Manns reports on the Family Garden Bed at Our Garden, which started six years ago. She describes its early history and the many lessons learned.
The Help Desk returns with new questions from a local gardener about mystery mushrooms in their garden. Identified as cup fungi in the Pezizaceae family, these mystery mushrooms perform an essential ecological role but are also harmful if eaten.
Liz Rottger and I both write about seeds. I discuss seed viability and ways to check for it, while Liz reviews Thor Hanson’s The Triumph of Seeds, which discusses seed vaults and answers “some of those vexing questions gardeners always have.”
Looking back to this past fall, Dawn Kooyumjian and David George summarize the 2023 UC Master Gardener Conference, which featured keynote speakers, panel discussions, and breakout sessions on the latest horticulture research and best practices.
Finally, Paige Shoemaker provides essential information regarding our area’s invasive fruit fly quarantine. She writes, “This invasive pest infests and can ruin over 300 types of crops.”
Simone Adair, Editor
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2024 Great Tomato Plant Sale Needs You
By Robin Moore
If you haven’t heard, the Great Tomato Plant Sale will have sales in all three county areas for the first time since the COVID-19 lockdown! East County is ready to rock and roll in 2024 after a total garden redo!What does this mean to you? It means ALL-HANDS–ON-DECK, please! There are tons of volunteer opportunities, with tasks in Central, East and West Counties. We need volunteers before, during, and after the sale dates. Watering is one of the most critical volunteer opportunities for the GTPS, and we hope you’ll consider joining the team!
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The Tomato Sale That Grew
By Liz Rottger
When did UC Master Gardeners of Contra Costa hold its first tomato sale? That depends on how you define “first.” In 2010, CoCoMGs took over a small, neglected vegetable garden next to the Contra Costa Times building on Shadelands in Walnut Creek. Joan Morris, the Times nature columnist, facilitated this takeover. Janet Miller and Helen Erickson stepped forward to lead this new project, and for the next two years, they held small plant sales at what was now christened by Joan as “Our Garden.” Those sales would be CoCoMGs “first” plant sales.
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Continuing Education: Find Opportunities; Complete Your Hours!
Article & Photos By Terri Takusagawa, Continuing Education Project Lead
Spring is in the air, and it’s a great time to work on Continuing Education requirements for the fiscal year. Remember, active UC Master Gardener volunteers (other than First Year volunteers) are required to complete and log 12 CE hours by June 30. But no need to leave it to the last minute!
The CE team provides plenty of interesting and relevant CE options to help with your requirement. More importantly, the opportunities provide knowledge and skills to extend science-based information to residents of Contra Costa County. We use a three-pronged approach to delivering CE opportunities: internally produced CE events, announcements of approved CE events from other organizations, and dozens of self-paced options.
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The Return of AAMG!
By Laura Brainin-Rodriguez
We have an exciting Ask a Master Gardener season coming up! AAMG is unique in that we reach Contra Costa County residents as they go about their lives at Farmers Markets, Our Garden, and single-day events throughout the county. Our usual season runs from April to October.
Three farmers markets, Concord, Moraga, and Pinole, have decided to start in March instead of April to better promote the Great Tomato Plant Sale. All AAMG events are posted on the Volunteer Management System Calendar on the 10th of the prior month.
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Family Garden Bed…The Story
By Jan Manns
The Family Garden Bed at Our Garden Walnut Creek was initiated six years ago when UC Master Gardeners Monika Witte and Janet Miller proposed dedicating one of the 30 garden plots as a tangible example of what a family can accomplish in their own backyard. The idea mushroomed.
The plan evolved when another UC Master Gardener, Shelley Christianson, poured her efforts into the square-foot gardening concept, resulting in heightened production. Over the past few years, this single 5’x20’ plot has yielded nearly 500 pounds per year. Added to the harvest from Our Garden, these pounds contributed to the 14,000-20,000 pounds donated yearly to the Monument Crisis Center.
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Help Desk Solves Fungi Mystery
By Sara Hoyer
The Help Desk recently received the following questions from a local gardener about mystery mushrooms in their gardens. Are the attached photos depicting mushrooms? Are these growths harmful to my vegetable plants or to me? If so, how do I get rid of them?
Thank you for contacting the UC Master Gardener Program help desk with your questions about the odd-looking growths in your garden. You asked if the growths are mushrooms and whether they may harm you or your plants. Your photos are excellent making it very easy to identify them as fungi in the Pezizaceae family. These are commonly known as cup fungi. This fungi family produces mushrooms that grow in the shape of a cup. There are over 200 species of cup fungus. There are over 200 species of cup fungus.
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Seed Viability for Seed Savers
By Simone Adair
The Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway is “the backup insurance policy for all the seed banks worldwide,” said its founder, Cary Fowler. The Vault, which stores 500 million seeds, is naturally three to four degrees below zero Fahrenheit. “The Seed Vault could preserve most major food crops’ seeds for hundreds of years. Some, including those of important grains, could remain viable for thousands of years,” Fowler wrote in The Global Crop Diversity Trust paper.
National seed banks monitor their supply constantly; Fowler says, “When they see that a seed sample is declining in its viability, they will take some seeds out, grow them in the real world, and multiply them.”
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The Triumph of Seeds: A Book Review
By Liz Rottger
Think of the fierce energy concentrated in an acorn! You bury it in the ground, and it explodes into a giant oak! Bury a sheep, and nothing happens but decay.
--George Bernard Shaw,
The Vegetarian Diet According to Shaw (1918)Several years ago, I joined a group of volunteers called “Seedy Friends” at the East Bay Regional Botanic Garden in Tilden to help collect seeds from some of its native plants—columbine, milkweeds, Clarkias, Phacelias, poppies, etc. I soon had a healthy respect for all the diverse strategies plants have developed to protect their ‘young’ and assure their distribution. Collecting the seeds was only half the job, the easy part. Cleaning them was a whole other sea of hard work—long, tedious hours spent shaking different-sized scalper screens and tiny-holed sieve screens to get even a few clean seeds we could package up and sell for $2/pkg at the Garden. I thought $25/pkg might have been a fairer price for all our work!
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2024 UC Master Gardener Conference Great Success
By Dawn Kooyumjian and David George
UC Master Gardeners from around the state converged on the Lake Tahoe region last October for the triennial 2023 UC Master Gardener Program conference. The conference occurred Oct. 2 – 6 at the Granlibakken Tahoe resort in sparkling Tahoe City, California.
We met to discuss the latest horticultural research, best practices, and new techniques to improve gardening success. The conference featured keynote speakers, panel discussions, and breakout sessions that provided a wealth of information for attendees. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown, this was the first in-person UC Master Gardener conference in six years!
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Invasive Fly Quarantine In Our Area
By Paige Shewmaker
On behalf of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, I am providing you with some informational resources for residents regarding an invasive fruit fly quarantine in your area.
The Oriental fruit fly has been found in parts of Contra Costa County, including the Brentwood area. This invasive pest infests and can ruin over 300 types of crops, ultimately making them unfit for human consumption. A quarantine has been established in the area to help eliminate the pest.
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CoCoMGs Apologize for Gold Badge Ommission
UC Master Gardeners and Gold Badge recipients Titania Buchholdt and Wendy Kraft.
The Latest Dirt
Volume 14, Issue 1 - January 2024
Editor’s Note:
Welcome to the first issue of 2024. I’m looking forward to the new year and all the great projects we’ll cover in The Latest Dirt. It always seems like this time of year is slow, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Garden projects continue. Project Leads are making plans.
And very importantly, we’re in the middle of the New Volunteer Training course. Please join me in welcoming the new trainees. We’ve included their bios and photos below for you to get to know them. I hope you’ll enjoy reading them as much as I did.
Dawn Kooyumjian, the Program Coordinator for the Contra Costa County UC Master Gardeners, welcomes the New Volunteer Trainees and urges them to volunteer for various projects. She noted, "You may be surprised about how much you like a new project or what you'll find."
NVT Coordinator Dorothy Abeyta and John Fike take on the challenge of leading our primary educational program for UC Master Gardeners. As John puts it in his article below, “Our colleagues’ historical precedents and experiences over the past decade or more have provided us with critical insight as we engage the newest UC Master Gardener trainees.”
Many of our 2024 Project Leads have also contributed to an article describing their projects for the NVT class. I remember when I was a trainee, and everyone came in to talk to us about their areas. It was a whirlwind. This article will be a handy reference and include contact information.
We’re also highlighting the fantastic December Recognition Potluck Dinner. Muriel Wilson and Virginia Saifer assembled an excellent team of 30 volunteers to create a seamless event. It was incredible seeing CoCoMGs that I usually only text or email. The potluck was delicious, and here’s a special shout-out to Maiytth Coleman for that fantastic cake of the forest floor.
The recognition ceremony also reflected the hard work and dedication of our UC Master Gardeners. We’ve included an article highlighting those hitting milestones, including Terri Takusagawa reaching over 7,500 hours.
We also learn about the additions at Our Garden by Greg Letts, including new sheds. Thank you to Susan Heckly for providing Sara Hoyer’s reply to a community member’s question concerning the late planting of bulbs, something we have also done occasionally. I’m always astounded at the breadth of questions the Help Desk receives and the comprehensive answers our volunteers give.
At the end of this issue, I've also included a few words about our friend and colleague Kathy Gage, who passed away on January 6. Kathy often wrote and edited articles for both TLD and News to Grow By.
But first, Bill Miller, an Executive Leadership Team member, shares his thoughts on the positive effects and benefits of gardening.
Simone Adair, Editor
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What Good, Gardening?
By Bill Miller
The above title does not ask: “What’s good gardening? We trained UC Master Gardeners, have a pretty good handle on that, and are at the ready to share knowledge and best practices with those in our community. But rather, and as Yoda might put it, “What Good, Gardening?”
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Program Coordinator Dawn Kooyumjian Welcomes Class of 2024
I am delighted to welcome our soon-to-be Class of 2024! This class brings together people with incredible backgrounds and talents to our program. I can’t wait to see you all certified and jump into volunteering!
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NVT Co-Leads Dedicated to Building Confidence
By John Fike
Leading a project like New Volunteer Training has a myriad of aspects associated with it, ranging from challenge to fun. There also is a daunting feature given the complexities of managing both online Zoom and in-person components. However, if we can loosely interpret a famous statement by Isaac Newton, we can see further and, hopefully, succeed because we are standing on the shoulders of giants. That means we have solid templates to help us, developed by former Leads who ironed out wrinkles, found the most expedient ways to develop curricula, and pointed out those pitfalls, black holes, and swamps better left alone. Our colleagues’ historical precedents and experiences over the past decade or more have provided us with critical insight as we engage the newest UC Master Gardener trainees. Because these trainees will hopefully infuse the program with enthusiasm as well as new ideas and perspectives, it is incumbent upon us to make sure that their experience, while rigorous, is engaging, enlightening, and enjoyable. We are committed to providing the appropriate information and preparation so that our new trainees will be outstanding volunteers to the communities within Contra Costa County.
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Project Leads Welcome New Volunteer Trainees
In this month's The Latest Dirt, we present the New Volunteer Trainees bios, photos, and a message from NVT Co-Leads John Fike and Dorothy Abeyta. Here, Executive Committee Project Leads extend a warm welcome and describe the many opportunities available to the UC Master Gardener Trainees.
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Volunteer Recognition Dinner Tops off Amazing Year
Article & photos by Simone Adair
As I looked around the large community room, seeing so many familiar faces was lovely. I hadn’t seen many of the UC Master Gardeners that filled the room since before the Pandemic. I only knew some of them from Zoom calls. It wasn’t long, though, before hugs and handshakes were had by all. Delicious-looking food slowly filled the tables, everything from appetizers to magnificent desserts. There was a warm glow and holiday cheer all around.
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Major Milestones Honored at Recognition Dinner
By Simone Adair
One of the highlights of the recent 2023 Volunteer Recognition Dinner was the honoring of UC Master Gardeners, who have volunteered a significant amount of hours with pins and new badges. Our UC Master Gardeners are awarded based on their inputted hours into VMS, starting at 100 hours and going to 7,500 hours.
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New Additions to Our Garden
By Greg Letts
You will see some new additions to Our Garden on your next visit.
Two large, barn-red sheds have replaced the old sheds at Our Garden, and the fenced area has expanded 10 feet.
For several years, squirrel nests and gopher tunnels have undermined the foundations of the old sheds. The floorboards were rotting beneath the storage racks.
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Help Desk Tackles Forgotten Spring Bulbs
By Sara Hoyer
Client’s question:
I purchased some spring bulbs early last fall and then forgot to plant them! I purchased some daffodils and crocus. Is it too late to plant them - once we dry out a little bit, obviously? I purchased these from High Country Gardens, so they are on the drought-tolerant end of the spectrum. If it’s too late to plant, how should I store them? In the garage, freezer, fridge??
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In Memoriam: Kathy Gage
By Simone Adair
It was with sadness that we learned of our friend and colleague Kathy Gage’s passing on Saturday, January 6, after a long battle with cancer. When I became Editor of The Latest Dirt, Kathy quickly volunteered to help in any capacity needed. She wrote and helped edit many articles for our internal newsletter. Kathy was always available with advice or as a last-minute writer. She always brightened my day with her quick wit and thoughtfulness.
The Latest Dirt
Volume 13, Issue 5 - November 2023
Editor’s Note: Welcome to the November issue of 2023. It is chock full of a wide array of articles and updates. It makes me truly appreciate all I continue learning as a UC Master Gardener. We have so many resources available – attending webinars and garden talks, working in four different CoCoMG gardens, and watching YouTube and Vimeo videos. Thank you to all our contributors and the hard work you put into strengthening our organization.
In this issue, David George returns to interview Bill Miller. Many of you know Bill from Ask A Master Gardener Booths. He’s also a member of the Executive Leadership Team. Bill shares his background, as well as great advice for new members.
It is such a pleasure to introduce our newest member Of the UC Master Gardener Bisso Lane crew. Diana Garcia–Colmenarez is our new Administrative Assistant. Diana is also a San José State University graduate student in the Environmental Studies Department. I had the great privilege of chatting with her, and I write about her below.
In an article by Laura Brainin–Rodriguez, newer UC Master Gardeners who volunteer with Ask A Master Gardener booths share their backgrounds and perspectives. Also, we learn more about the recently held EBMUD Landscape Advisory Committee meeting at the Richmond Library highlighting the Richmond Low Water Demonstration Garden. The interest in the Garden from so many partners is fantastic.
Karen Maggio shares an update on the Family Harvest Demonstration Garden in Pittsburg, CA. The landscape plan, developed by the UC Master Gardener Team, and project priorities recently took shape during several weeks of team meetings. Steve Carter shows his enthusiasm for Growing Gardeners in an article about the four successful beginning gardening courses held this year. And Gail Burt thanks all the CoCoMGs who contributed to the Speakers Bureau’s outstanding year.
Lisa Bramblet writes about all the changes at the Rivertown Demonstration Garden, including a new Bee Hotel. Hospitality Committee Co-Coordinators Muriel Wilson and Virginia Saifer share details on the upcoming 2023 Annual Members Recognition Potluck Dinner. Pam Austin reviews the new Ladibug document camera that you can check out.
First, Laura Brainin-Rodriguez chats with project leads about their contributions, how they sustain their engagement with CoCoMGs, and what is most meaningful for them.
Simone Adair, Editor
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EBMUD Highlights Richmond Low Water Garden
Article and Photos by Simone Adair
East Bay Municipal Utility District recently held a Landscape Advisory Committee meeting at the Richmond Public Library highlighting the Richmond Low Water Demonstration Garden. Kristin Bowman and Jolene Bertetto, Water Conservation Program Managers, brought together members of the public, as well as UC Master Gardeners, staff of The Gardens at Heather Farm, Contra Costa Water employees, City of Richmond parks staff, local landscape architects, and landscape contractors to discuss demonstration gardens and placemaking principles.
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The Ties that Bind!
By Laura Brainin–Rodriguez
I became a member of the Executive Leadership Team in July 2023, after being a Co-Lead for the Ask a Master Gardener Project since 2018. I’m now partly responsible for the whole organization rather than a single project. I get a sense of the breadth and scope of what we do for the residents of Contra Costa County by attending Executive Committee meetings.
For this article, I received input on what makes UC Master Gardeners so unique from leads of 11 of the 18 projects and those CoCoMGs leading incubation/larval projects. I also contacted the Finance Chairs since what they do serves the entire organization in a way that makes the rest of our work possible.
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An Interview with Bill Miller
by David George
Bill Miller has been a leader all his life. He inspires other UC Master Gardener volunteers with his caring attitude and soft-spoken approach to whatever roles he attempts in the program. His thoughtfulness and dedication are visibly demonstrated as an essential contributor to the Executive Leadership Team. I had the pleasure of interviewing Bill the other day to learn more about his background, his current interests, and his advice on how to be an effective volunteer and a happy one.
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New Admin Assistant Joins CoCoMGs
By Simone Adair
Please join me in welcoming our new Contra Costa County UC Master Gardener Administrative Assistant, Diana Garcia–Colmenarez. Diana is also a San José State University graduate student in the Environmental Studies Department, focusing on Fire Ecology and Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
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New CoCoMGs Share Their Love for Gardening
By Laura Brainin-Rodriguez
Ask a Master Gardener wrapped up another stellar season, reaching 8127 people in the 2022–2023 fiscal year. The AAMG season runs from April–October, straddling two fiscal years. While we don’t yet have our numbers for calendar 2023, from April–September 2023, we have already reached 6921 contacts before we add our October numbers.
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The Family Harvest Farm Demonstration Garden Takes Shape
By Karen Maggio
The John Muir Land Trust staff (operators of the Family Harvest Farm) and apprentices got their first look at the draft plans for the UC Master Gardener–operated demonstration garden in Pittsburg, CA, on August 30th. The UC Master Gardener team presented both a professionally done full plan as well as a first–phase plan.
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Cheers to the Growing Gardeners for a Successful 2023!
By Steve Carter
The Growing Gardeners Team has recently concluded a successful 5th season of presenting the popular Vegetable Gardening for Beginners course to a host of budding members of our gardening community. This year, we had four courses and registered 224 students! A testament to the popularity of this course, openings for each were often filed within minutes after registration opened.
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Speakers Bureau Wraps Up Phenomenal 2023
By Gail Burt
A time to reflect and give thanks…
As we wrap up another season, I want to thank all the UC Master Gardener volunteers who generously contributed their time and knowledge to help the Speakers Bureau deliver on our mission to distribute home horticulture and pest management information.
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Living in Wildfire Country: Unexpected Dangers in the Firewise Garden
Article and photos by Marilyn Saarni, Resilient Regenerative Firescaping Certified (Rescape, 2020)
Little lessons learned digging in the dirt. I’ve now converted about 75% of my garden to firewise landscaping. Along the way, I’ve been learning (through painful encounters) about unwise plant choices and maintenance details that require PPE (personal protection equipment—that phrase often characterizes the onset of COVID). I’m passing on some of these lessons here, hoping to save others from stabs, infections and frustration. And it saves you some money, too, as you can avoid adding these plants to your garden but then pay big bucks to remove them.
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Holiday Party
! SAVE THE DATE!
2023 ANNUAL MEMBERS RECOGNITION POTLUCK DINNER
TO ALL MASTER GARDENERS OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
We’re getting ready to honor our efforts and wonderful members
for all of 2023’s efforts, so mark this date on your calendar!DATE: Monday, December 11, 2023
TIME: 6-9:00 PM
PLACE: Pleasant Hill Community Center
320 Civic Drive
Pleasant Hill, CA94523
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Ladibug, Ladibug…
By Pam Austin
You know the song. But in this case the Ladibug can’t fly home. School Gardens Lead Pam Austin has recently acquired the Lumens Ladibug, an extremely versatile document camera. It is also portable and wireless. This document camera can capture real-time 3D objects and display the project onto a screen or monitor. It is available to borrow, and Pam will provide training.
The Latest Dirt
Volume 13, Issue 4 - September 2023
Editor's Note: Welcome to your September edition of The Latest Dirt. While summer may be waning, we are still experiencing beautiful weather. Gardens everywhere in my neighborhood are in full bloom. My fruit trees are providing a bounty of sweetness, and everything is green everywhere. Here in West County, the temperature is moderate. There is still mist in the mornings, and the afternoons are a luxury. With slightly higher temperatures, Central and East Counties have also been enjoying perfect weather.
Soon, Fall and Winter will return, but only after a truckful of weeds will need pulling. I'm being cautious this year to remove any fallen leaves or dead foliage, especially after watching the devastating footage of the fires in Maui. Marilyn Saarni writes an impressive article on the firestorm, tying it back to our California fires and what Firewise practices you can follow around your property.
In this issue, David George delivers another outstanding interview with Terri Takusagawa, the first Triple Platinum volunteer. After reading his interview, you won't be surprised by this, considering the monumental job she's done for the UC Master Gardeners.
Liv Imset describes an inventive pilot program at the Water Conservation Garden in El Cerrito that collects water onsite using a fog collector. Separately, Dawn Kooyumjian, our UC Master Gardener Program Coordinator for Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, will present on the transformation of the Richmond Low Water Demonstration Garden, in partnership with EBMUD, at the Richmond Main Library, Friday, September 29, 1:00 - 2:30 pm (in person) — https://www.ebmud.com/about-us/events/event-details?occurrenceID=4783.
Anne Sutherland recounts this year's Jardineros highlights of the many potting up classes given to Spanish-speaking mothers at various elementary schools and the Monument Crisis Center.
Sheila Weston at the Help Desk shares an interesting query from a client trying to identify a smallish-looking fly with a green cast tormenting his tomato plants. Terri Takusagawa comes through with the identification. And finally, Janet Miller gives us an update on the incredible bounty of Our Garden and shared with our good friends at the Monument Crisis Center.
Simone Adair, Editor
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The Power of Collaboration: Why Every Project Needs Co-Leads
By Kirsten Mollo
As we continue to nurture our programs, fostering growth and beauty in our community, it’s crucial to remember that successful projects often rely on the strength of collaboration. While gardening is often seen as an individual endeavor, there’s immense value in working together towards common goals. One way to harness this potential is through the role of co-leads in our projects.
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Living in Wildfire Country: Reflections on the Maui Fire
By Marilyn Saarni, UC Master Gardener 2018
Vice Chair West Contra Costa Fire Safe CouncilThe August 2023 Maui fire was devastating. As of September 8, 2023, the confirmed death toll is 115, and 66 people are still missing. Among the 55 names released of those who died, 22 were in their 70s, and another 13 were in their 60s, emphasizing the vulnerability of our elders in catastrophic wildfires like Maui’s. Over 2,200 structures were destroyed, 86% identified as homes. While insurers state that insured claims will be ~$3.5 billion, total community losses will likely be $5–6 billion.
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An Interview with Terri Takusagawa
By David George
When it comes to volunteering hours, no one does it more often these days than Terri Takusagawa. Terri has gone ‘Triple Platinum’ in hours volunteered to the program (7,500+), a level that has never been reached. Yes, many of our longer-tenured UC Master Gardeners have volunteered as many or more hours as Terri through their dedication to the program for many years. But Terri incredibly achieved this distinction in just six years! I had the opportunity to interview her recently about her experiences and learn about her goals for the future.
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Water, Water: Everywhere and Nowhere, All At Once
Reporting from Oslo, NorwayBy Liv ImsetLately, it seems like water, in one way or another, makes headlines every day. There are reports of either not enough or too much at once. Some recent examples:October 2019 to 2022 were three of the driest years on record in CA. In the fall of 2022, both California and Nevada were almost 100% in either moderate or exceptional drought conditions.
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¿Qué pasa, Jardineros? (What’s happening, Jardineros?)
By Anne Sutherland
This year’s highlight has been teaching hands-on potting up classes to Spanish-speaking mothers at local elementary schools. We began these classes last year, and the word is spreading.
You may recall from last Winter’s The Latest Dirt [1] that I met Marisa Neelon, the Nutrition, Family & Consumer Sciences Advisor for UCCE in CoCoCo. She put me in touch with Santos Lopez (see photo with baby). Santos is the EFNEP* Community Nutrition Educator for UCCE. [2] He teaches nutrition classes to Spanish-speaking mothers of Contra County County students. With the help of school staff, we have continued a program for these mothers to learn to grow their own food. Container gardening makes the most sense since many of the families have little or no garden space.
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Bug ID: It Takes a Team
By Sheila Weston
In July, a client brought specimens of an insect to the Ask A Master Gardener table at Our Garden that he thought were damaging his tomato plants. They looked like flies but were actively moving around in the container. AAMG team members couldn't examine them at the table.
He said these have been around his plants for the last three years. The plants have grown well and have flowered but failed to set much fruit. He has seen small bugs on the leaves that look like 'fast-moving aphids,' which he thinks are the 'nymphs' of this fly and are causing the lack of fruit.
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News From Our Garden
By Janet Miller
Photos by Greg LettsThe summer season at Our Garden has been one of our busiest and most productive. The year started out with more challenges than we have ever experienced. The heavy rains and cold temperatures lasted longer than ever; windstorms blew apart our hoop houses, and seedlings sat sadly in sodden beds, refusing to budge.
The Latest Dirt
Volume 13, Issue 3 - July 2023
Editor's Note: Welcome to your July edition of The Latest Dirt. Summer has finally arrived. I hope you are all enjoying this beautiful weather and not overheating, especially our Central and East County UC Master Gardeners. I have truly been enjoying our garden. Well, except for the weeding. Our weeds have benefitted from all the rain we had this year.
One thing is for sure. Project Leads have not been resting this summer. They've submitted great articles, which I hope you'll enjoy. Jon Dwyer updates us on the Annual Reappointment Process and the recent Spring Social at Our Garden. Janet Miller also writes about the transitions at Our Garden. She also describes the new Family Bed to demonstrate what is possible in a small family plot!
Laura Brainin-Rodriguez explains what happens at an Ask A Master Gardener table and why our CoCoMGs should consider joining this fantastic volunteer Project. Karen Maggio shares with us what's happening at our various Community Gardens around the county, including the Gehringer Pollinator Garden in Concord. Kate Verhoef, in her last article for The Latest Dirt before her departure, describes how School Gardens impact our communities and the many projects volunteers have completed at schools around our county.
Susan Heckly shares two interesting Help Desk questions posed by local gardeners and expertly answered by Stephanie Hargrave on problems with succulents and unhappy Bee's Bliss. Kathy Gage describes the South County Gatherings at CoCoMGs various gardens. And Liz Rottger and Liv Imset thank the many UC Master Gardeners who've volunteered their time at the Water Conservation Garden.
But first, David George and I present an interview with departing School Gardens Lead Kate Verhoef. Kate shares many of her upcoming plans, including a 200–mile solo walk in Dorset called "The Hardy Way." I, for one, will miss Kate and her inspiring volunteer spirit. As we say in the Coast Guard, fair winds and following seas, my friend.
Simone Adair, Editor
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An Interview with Kate Verhoef
by David George and Simone Adair
Talented Contra Costa UC Master Gardener Kate Verhoef is leaving our program this summer. She plans to travel to Europe, teach part-time, and visit her family in Canada. As much as we hate to see Kate go, we celebrate her many contributions to our program during her tenure. Simone and I met with Kate to gain her perspective on her volunteer years and what our program can achieve going forward.
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Volunteer Support Hard At Work
By Jon Dwyer
The Volunteer Support project of the Contra Costa County UC Master Gardener’s organization is one of only three of the 15+ projects that are 100% “inward facing,” which means that all of the various activities within the project are in support of the UC Master Gardeners and do not deal with the general public.
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News From Our Garden
By Janet Miller
Even though we just passed over the summer solstice, ushering in our warmest season, it feels like Spring has just begun. With the record–breaking rainfall, which we are grateful for, our garden beds were way too soggy to work at the normal time.
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What Happens at Ask a Master Gardener Tables?
By Laura Brainin–Rodriguez
Ask a Master Gardener tables are staffed at many of our Contra Costa farmers’ markets and single–day events. At these tables, we offer University of California vetted gardening advice: we show people how to use gopher traps; how to use shade cloth; how to employ hardware cloth to exclude rodents; how to deploy nets to protect fruit trees and supply information on trapping earwigs and snails.
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Community Gardens – Measuring Success
By Karen Maggio
Engaging community, demonstrating best practices, encouraging teamwork, teaching and sharing experiences — this is what we do as UC Master Gardeners, in community gardens throughout Contra Costa County. The many successes we share come in different forms and sometimes defy quantitative measurement.
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School Gardens Impact Our Communities
By Kate Verhoef
Now that my time as School Garden Co–Lead is coming to an end, I’ve been thinking about all the different ways that the School Gardens team has impacted youth, parents, educators and school communities over the last couple of years. There have been one–off but helpful visits to check and repair irrigation systems, consult on pruning, or determine what non–human animal is chomping leaves.
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Problems with Succulents
By Stephanie Hargrave
Client’s question:
I live in Walnut Creek and recently had my front and backyard landscaping done. A couple of the cactus plants seem to be dying. They get full sun and initially twice a week water. Now they are on a weekly watering schedule. Please advise.
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Water Conservation Garden is Grateful
By Liz Rottger and Liv Imset
The Co–Leads of the Water Conservation Garden, Liv Imset and Liz Rottger, thank all the UC Master Gardeners who have been coming out and kick–starting our second season of this new pilot project. We would like to recognize the West County UC Master Gardeners who have been helping us to convert a dead hillside into a vibrant eco–system: Pam Austin, Titania Buchholdt, Trish Clifford, Linda Garcia, Lorene Holmes–Dees, Brian Kerss, Dan Lent, Lauren Maghren with Baby Benjamin, Rachel Maldonado–Aziminia, Ken and Molly Ong, Val Simonetti, Mary Stewart, Barbara Turunen and Vivien Williamson.
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Bee's Bliss Unhappy in Pleasant Hill
By Stephanie Hargrove
Client’s question: I’m wondering if I should prune back my Salvia Bee’s Bliss, I live in Pleasant Hill. The leaves yellowed after the winter, and I thought it was due to too much moisture from the winter rain. Now it’s dried out, so maybe I didn’t give it enough water this spring? How hard should I prune it back, and can I do it now or wait until fall?
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Get Real in the Garden — CoCoMG South County Gatherings
By Kathy Gage
Several years back, three South County UC Master Gardeners from Alamo, Danville and San Ramon — Bonnie Dwyer (class of 2013), Bob Archer (class of 2019), and Janette Drew (class of 2016) — came up with the idea of hosting early evening informal and unofficial get–togethers for South County CoCoMGs. We’d gather at members’ houses to view their gardens and enjoy each other’s company, sharing appetizers and drinks. In Bonnie’s words, “We are calling it Get Real in the Garden because anyone willing to host is meant to share their garden just as it is…the real garden, not the cleaned–up garden!”
The Latest Dirt
Volume 13, Issue 2 - May 2023
Editor's Note: Welcome everyone to your May edition of The Latest Dirt. This is such a great time of the year. Spring is well on its way, if not with a few extra downpours. Hopefully, your garden is filled with blooms. We finally got through pulling the weeds in our garden and have filled in empty spots with new plants and herbs and vegetables, including a few tomato plants from this year's big sale in Richmond.
Mary Jo Corby summarizes sales in both central and western parts of the county and highlights both front-of-the-house and behind-the-scenes activities. As a West County resident, we were particularly happy to have the Great Tomato Plant Sale back in Richmond, after a four-year hiatus. Congratulations to the many volunteers who made both these events such an amazing success.
David George interviews the inimitable Emma Connery, who shares many of her memories of the early years with the UC Master Gardeners. Like me, I'm sure that you also remember fondly Emma's instruction during your New Volunteer Training, especially her love for insects. Following David's interview is a heartfelt article about Emma Connery by Liz Rottger.
Lori Palmquist shares her expertise on which irrigation smart controller is best for your garden. As she says in her article, "Smart controllers have revolutionized irrigation, and the water savings are pronounced and undeniable."
Take a moment to read about our new Acting/Interim County Director Sheila J. Barry. She has extensive experience serving also as Santa Clara's County Director, as well as the Livestock and Natural Resources Advisor for the San Francisco Bay Area.
But first Robyn Barker, Executive Leadership Team Member, describes some of the upcoming events on the horizon, such as the Annual Business Meeting and the Get-Together at Our Garden in June. She also bids us a fond farewell from the ELT as she and other ELT members and EC officers near the end of their terms.
Simone Adair, Editor
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April Showers Bring May Flowers
From the Executive Leadership Team...
“April showers bring May flowers”
Ah, the lovely month of May! Even the word sounds sweet on the tongue.
It’s mid-morning in the growing season. We in Contra Costa County continue to savor the last of the wild California poppy bloom as the hillsides slowly give up their springtime green. The leaves on the trees are turning from a fragile gold to the solid green of summer.
For gardeners, it’s a month of expectancy. Will my seedlings result in a bountiful harvest? Did I plant the tomatoes deeply enough? Was it too early for the eggplants and peppers? All those flowers in the orchard? Fruit? Or disappointment?
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BRAVO! BRAVO!! BRAVO!!!
By Mary Jo Corby
A huge BRAVO to all the UC Master Gardeners of Contra Costa County!!! The 2023 Great Tomato Plant Sale was very successful indeed!
At a glance:
- The 3-day sale idea was a success! Many customers commented that they saw the long line on Saturday and decided they would shop on Sunday or Monday. We had a steady stream of customers on both days. Then, with many plants left at Our Garden, we decided to have a second Saturday sale, which again attracted a steady stream of customers. THANK YOU to all who rallied for the second event!
- The ADA section was very well received. Those shopping in this area were very grateful not to have to stand in a long line or walk on the ever-so-tricky mulch.
- Holding a sale in Richmond for the first time since 2019 was a smashing success! It was a beautiful day, and it was so heartwarming to hear from those who shopped the sale just how thrilled they were to have the event back in their area.
- Plant sales for Central County over all the sale days (CoCoMG pre-sale, 3-day sale, Wednesdays and second Saturday) nearly reached our 2022 total. The Richmond
sale put us OVER THE TOP with their $19,800 in sales, making 2023 the highest earning GTPS to date!
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The Good ‘Ole Days of CoCoMG! An Interview with Emma Connery
by David George
Emma Connery has seen it all. A lot of change and growth has occurred since she joined the UC Master Gardener program in Contra Costa in 1994. I was honored by the opportunity to interview Emma on Earth Day and listen as she compared today’s broad-reaching, community-based program with what it was like in the early years.
What did you do before the Master Gardener program, Emma?
“After high school, I went right to work at Pacific Bell, as it was known at the time. The only positions open to women without a college degree were for operators – you know those folks who helped with directory assistance and long-distance calls. I rose through the ranks over 27 years to the position of phone network designer and then as data compiler for the director in charge of rate increases. I retired from the phone company in 1992 and enrolled in college and earned degrees in horticulture (’94), entomology (’98), and integrated pest management (’03).”
When were you certified as a UC Master Gardener and what role did you play in those early years?
“I was certified in 1994 and have the second most longevity of all active volunteers still in our program (after Prabhakar Sathe). The program was very small when I joined, maybe less than 50 volunteers. There was just a Help Desk and no other community outreach, so that is where I started. All our funding at that time came from UC and went towards the salary of the Program Coordinator, with no money left for program supplies or equipment. The Help Desk was located in the back room of an elementary school in Pleasant Hill. We had one desk and one phone. The only resource materials were a few newspaper articles and a handful of non-UC books.
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Light Up the Night
By Liz Rottger
First as a UC Master Gardener, then as Association President for two years and finally as UC Master Gardener Program Coordinator for six years, Emma Connery has been a transformative force in CoCoMG, working tirelessly to create new opportunities for UC Master Gardeners to get involved and impact their communities. As she always said, “members expand our mission.”
She was tremendously instrumental, for example, in the expansion of CoCoMG into West and East County. I remember running with Emma an extension cord some 500 feet from a nursery school, across a playground and street, to the cash registers at a community garden without any electricity so we could have our very first West County Great Tomato Plant Sale in 2014.
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Smart Controllers for the Win! Choose Which One is Best for You
By Lori Palmquist
Smart irrigation controllers are the intelligent choice for our gardens. They automatically adjust the irrigation schedule daily, based on changes in the weather. They’re like a thermostat for your landscape. And how great is it that our water providers are paying us to use them?
Did you know that smart controllers have been around for more than 20 years? And did you know they can potentially lower your water use (and thus your water bill) by at least a third during the irrigation season (generally May through October in the Bay Area)? They’re already required by our landscape ordinance in California (MWELO). This is because they’re a VAST improvement over the scheduling habits most people have with conventional irrigation controllers. They automatically adjust your irrigation based on real-time weather. Many of them even look at the forecast and adjust based on that. And most of them provide remote access and programming.
Smart controllers have revolutionized irrigation, and the water savings are pronounced and undeniable. With the advent of WiFi controllers and the resulting saturation of the smart controller market (pun intended), the prices have been driven down by demand and intense competition among controller manufacturers. And with the water districts providing such great rebates, the barrier to using these valuable water savers has vaporized.
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CoCoMGs Get New Interim County Director
By Simone Adair
Please join me in welcoming our new Acting/Interim County Director Sheila J. Barry. She’ll also be standing in for Alameda County. Barry serves as the County Director for Santa Clara County, as well as the Livestock and Natural Resources Advisor for the San Francisco Bay Area.
According to the UCCE Santa Clara County website, Barry conducts applied research on grassland and oak woodland management. Sheila works with cattle ranchers and public agencies to promote working landscapes that conserve biological diversity and protect water quality.
She has a Master of Science degree in Animal Science from Texas A&M University and Bachelor of Agricultural Science degree in Agricultural Science and a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from University of California Davis. Barry is licensed by the State of California as a Certified Rangeland Manager.
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Help Desk Answers Question About “Wild Greens”
Client’s Question:
There is an abundance of these two “wild” greens in my large garden area. I’d love to harvest them if edible, so I would like an ID and any suggestions you may offer. Thanks very much.
Susan Heckly’s reply:
Thank you for contacting the UC Master Gardener Program Help Desk. And thank you for sending good photos of the plants you need identified.
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Help Desk Responds to Phase of the Moon Timing
Client’s question:
Thank you for your “ASK US!” service. We will need to begin weed whacking soon, before our house is completely overgrown. Is there an optimal time to cut weeds based on the phase of the moon (or any other factors)?
Susan Heckly’s response:
Thank you for contacting the UC Master Gardener Program Help Desk with a question about weeds. The best time to cut weeds is as early as possible. Ideally, weeds should be removed before they get a chance to set seeds. Once seeds are formed, even if they are not ripe yet, they will continue to ripen on the cut plant. If you don’t remove them from the landscape, they will reseed and give you a great weed crop next year—and in subsequent years. There’s an old saying— “one year of seeds gives you seven years of weeds” from seeds that lie dormant in the soil.
The Latest Dirt
Volume 13, Issue 1 - March 2023
Editor's Note: Welcome everyone to the March edition of The Latest Dirt. If you're like me, you are looking forward to the spring. It has been a cold, wet winter. Our garden clean-ups here at home have been soggy, though we've had some beautiful clear blue skies. We've rushed out on those days to do some weeding, and it seems like all the rain made our weeds stronger than ever.
So it is with great happiness to read this month's articles. Mary Jo Corby and Robin Moore talk about this year's Great Tomato Plant Sale, our first in-person event since 2019. Several other articles focus on pollinators and beneficials, starting with Liz Rottger's article on the pollinator garden at the Water Conservation Garden in El Cerrito.
Robin Mitchell shares a beautiful article on the many benefits of Fuschia plants for our birds and beneficials. Anne Sutherland describes the history of the Jardineros and then talks about the current events and projects. The Help Desk's Terry Lippert describes the effect of pouring alcohol in your yard. Lisa Bramblet gives a first-hand view of dealing with 811 - Call Before You Dig. Kate Verhoef updates us on a School Garden event. And Laura Brainin-Rodriguez describes the 2023 Ask A Master Gardener project, as well as looks for new volunteers.
But first Greg Letts, Executive Leadership Team Member, looks forward to spring, as well as giving us additional information on the upcoming Great Tomato Plant Sale
Simone Adair, Editor
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Spring is in the Air
Article and photos by Greg Letts
The Old Farmer’s Almanac predicted above average rain this winter and they nailed it. I don’t recall them mentioning anything about local snow, but there it was. But it is now time to move on.
Spring is on the way. My backyard has drained, the paperwhites and daffodils are in bloom, as is my early peach tree.
Spring also means GTPS! The Great Tomato Plant Sale, our largest activity and primary fundraiser for our program, is right around the corner. This is my fourth. Each year I am amazed that those trays of little squiggles, pictured here, turn into more than 25,000 plants that overflow the 17 hoop houses and numerous tables upon which they are staged. And then they are all gone! Most of them sold, of course, but many plants are donated to school and community gardens.
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Great Tomato Plant Sale 2023!
By Mary Jo Corby and Robin Moore
Hello UC Master Gardeners,
We are very excited to be back to in-person sales for both Walnut Creek and Richmond this year! The past two years’ sales have been online-only, and while many of our customers really enjoyed ordering their plants via the online system, we missed seeing the hustle and bustle of the Saturday “opening”, chatting with customers and hearing their lovely comments about the plants and how beautiful they looked. It’s time to get that excitement rolling again!
We are trying something new in Walnut Creek this year – a consecutive, three-day, in-person sale! We are doing this for a few reasons. First, for customers who worry about gathering in crowds with Covid still lingering, this gives them a way to avoid the Saturday “feeding frenzy.” Second, we always have inventory left. Historically we’ve held the option open of holding a second Saturday sale, but it’s a hard push to put everything back together a week later for a smaller return. Our three-day sale will keep the momentum rolling, both for the customers and for us.
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If You Plant It, They Will Come
By Liz Rottger
It was a late afternoon in early April 2022 when I arrived at Pacific Oaks Community Garden to pick up the garden’s key. UC Master Gardeners finally had a formal agreement with the community garden to take over its operations. The garden was a chain-linked fence enclosure of a steep, grass-covered hillside with a very large vacant flat area. A small community garden had struggled for several years to gain a toehold in this space without success. There were two formal, weed-choked raised beds, along with several other areas that had once been cultivated, but were now mostly covered in either wild oat grass or Oxalis. As I walked across the lot, the only sound I heard was that of the late afternoon wind that blows in from the Bay. It was a beautiful setting, but essentially dead.
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Plant California Fuchsias Now for Hummers, Bees, and Fall Color
By Robin Mitchell
There are so many reasons to love California fuchsias! They are drought tolerant, fast-growing, small to mid-size perennials that deer generally find unpalatable. They are easy to grow, and they tolerate garden conditions well. They bloom in late summer and into the fall when most other natives have stopped blooming or gone dormant. Hummingbirds and bees love the profuse red-orange funnel-shaped flowers, and the fuzzy silver or green foliage adds lovely color and texture to your garden.
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¡Saludos a los jardineros maestros, especialmente a la clase de 2023!
(Greetings UC Master Gardeners, especially the Class of 2023)
By Anne Sutherland
Jardineros (Gardeners) is a small group that wants to help underserved populations grow their food and learn gardening basics. Most of us speak Spanish but recognize that recently arrived people of Asian and Eastern European extraction may also be underserved.
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What is the Effect of Pouring Alcohol Into the Yard
By Terry Lippert
Client’s question:
Can you tell me anything about pouring out old alcohol into the yard/garden/dirt?
We have some cases of wine, champagne, & spirits.Terry Lippert’s reply:
Thank you for contacting our UC Master Gardener Help Desk. You’ve asked about the effect of pouring out old alcoholic beverages (wine, champagne, and spirits) into the yard and garden. We do not recommend disposing of alcohol in this manner. It would likely kill or significantly harm your plants.My research located a scientific journal article published by the American Society for Horticultural Science reporting on a study of the effects of growing paperwhite narcissus bulbs with a water/ethanol mixture.
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Call before you dig?!
By Lisa Bramblet
Yes, that’s right. It's a good idea to find out what you may be digging into before you start. If your garden site has been occupied for 20+ years and there have been various projects conducted on the site (i.e. prior digging/trenching), it's by the grace of God no previous digging has severed a vital service line. The threat of doing so does loom large, especially, when in preparation for trenching, you peel all the mulch off the original crushed gravel paths, and you find a surprise "Electrical Box" right in the middle of the garden going goodness knows where! That's when you call 811.
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UC Master Gardeners Teach Plant Propagation to Students at John Muir Family Farm
By Kate Verhoef
In December and January 2023, School Gardens collaborated with Community Gardens to give a series of propagation lessons at John Muir Family Harvest Farm. The attendees were 14 middle school students from Antioch Charter Academy (ACA). Also present were their teacher Allen Stahler, two-parent chaperones, and Family Harvest Farm manager Mary Cherry.
I caught up with UC Master Gardeners Suzanne Miller, Jan Manns, and Kathryn Wilson after their experience at the farm on January 12.
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Ask a Master Gardener Wants You in 2023!
By Laura Brainin-Rodriguez
AAMG kicks off its 2023 season in April. We can’t wait to get out to our 14 Farmers Markets and Our Garden tables, as well as at single-day events, including the Great Tomato Plant Sale where you get to interact with county residents and hear their gardening queries and concerns.
Our season runs from April-October. Most markets are once a month. Our Garden is every week to reach those attending the weekly garden talks. San Ramon City Center is twice a month, and Shadelands is every other week.
To make it possible for AAMG volunteers to join our tables we release the next month’s VMS postings on the 15th of the prior month and have a dedicated slot for the 2023 UC Master Gardener graduates. March will be different, since we have our kickoff event, in person, on March 20, 2023. We will send a Collaborative Tools message to the AAMG roster, and you can sign up on VMS.
The Latest Dirt
Volume 12, Issue 7 - December 2022
Editor's Note: All of us here at The Latest Dirt are so excited to welcome the Class of 2023 New Volunteer Trainees. We are so glad to have all of you join us. We look forward to working with you to promote sustainable gardening practices. You will have many opportunities to work in all our various programs. This issue is dedicated to your future as UC Master Gardeners.
Our Program Coordinator Dawn Kooyumjian shares her message of welcome and can't wait for your final presentations in March. She also shares her background, as well as her goals for the Contra Costa Master Gardener Program for the next three to five years.
Our Executive Leadership Team Members also share the various programs they advise, and how excited they are to meet you. They are all available to answer your questions about how to participate in the many hands-on trainings and how to engage with the community.
We hope that your journey with the UC Master Gardener Program will be rewarding and enjoyable. As your fellow UC Master Gardeners, we are eager share our knowledge as you continue to learn and serve our local community. Again, welcome to the Class of 2023!
Special thanks goes out to Liz Rottger who took time and special care to compile all the New Trainee Volunteer Bios. And finally, happy holidays to all of you, and best wishes for the New Year.
Simone Adair, Editor
***Special Note*** If viewing on a mobile device, please use landscape orientation for the best experience.
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Program Coordinator Dawn Kooyumjian Welcomes Class of 2023
by David George
I was honored with the opportunity to interview Dawn Kooyumjian, the Coordinator of both the Alameda and Contra Costa County’s UC Master Gardener programs for this special Class of 2023 issue. Dawn shared her warm welcome to our new trainees, her fascinating background, and her vision and program goals for the next several years.
“First of all, I’d like to welcome our new Class of 2023! But congratulations are a bit premature (she laughs). The reading, homework, labs, and final presentations are meant to be both educational and challenging. We will celebrate in March. But I have seen that this class brings fantastic experience and potential to our program, and I can’t wait to see all of you certify. Hopefully, you’ve enjoyed the training so far as much as we’ve enjoyed delivering it. You’ve been provided just a taste of the wonderful opportunities to come.”
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When You Meet Them
Be sure to say hello to our wonderful new group of trainees, the Class of 2023. They have taken the time to introduce themselves to us with, what must be for them, painfully brief bios, but nonetheless packed with information about their lives and their passions. There are 25 new trainees—20 from Central County, 3 from West County and 2 from East County. We enjoyed editing these bios and we think that we speak for all of us when we tell them we look forward to meeting them in person in our projects, Demonstration Gardens, and perhaps at our upcoming holiday party on December 12th. Each year, a new class of volunteer UC Master Gardeners re-invigorates our organization and helps to expand its mission. They are our seed corn with the potential to produce in the future even larger and more diverse harvests in the communities we serve. We also thank Fletcher Oakes for all of his beautiful portraits of the new class. Editors
Sangita Baxi, (Walnut Creek, 2 years) Growing up, my brothers and I would help my mother in the outdoor garden—weeding, mowing grass and trimming hedges, planting vegetables in a tiny plot, and digging holes for her prized rose bushes. Every spring was the same. We moved every few years and the latter half of my childhood was spent in the Midwest. After I’d been on my own for a bit, I realized I missed working in the garden and set up a container garden on the balcony of my apartment and grew herbs, flowers, tomatoes and eggplants. I was hooked!
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Executive Leadership Team Welcomes New Class
Welcome to the Class of 2023,
As an Executive Leadership Team Member I work with two projects and two projects in waiting.
- Communications: this project serves as the organizational hub for many of our outreach activities: our website, YouTube channel, social media, The Latest Dirt - our internal newsletter and News to Grow By - our public newsletter. If you like taking photographs, writing articles, filming and editing videos, posting to the blog, organizing email lists, coding web pages, sending e-blasts, etc., we have a job for you!
- Volunteer Support: this project was recently renamed to describe the myriad of activities performed to make your volunteer experience easier and more productive. Volunteer Support hosts our social events, orders badges and pins, publicizes volunteer opportunities through our Jobs! Jobs! Jobs! newsletter, surveys our volunteers skills & interests, manages our volunteer management system (VMS), communicates with our pool of Honorary Master Gardeners, and more. We need people with a multiplicity of skills and interests. Join us!
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The Latest Dirt
Volume 12, Issue 6 - November 2022
Editor's Note: Our trees remind me that we are fully into fall. I'm thoroughly enjoying the changing of the colors of the wide variety of trees here in Contra Costa County. I'm also feeling very grateful for the days of rain we've had. Those were several less days that we needed to water our garden. This time of the year also brings many chores that need to be done. I spent the last few Sundays raking leaves. And it's not over.
And as fall turns to winter, UC Master Gardeners are also busy at work at the wide variety of projects in the County. Laura Brainin-Rodriguez shares with us her Ask A Master Gardener end of year report. AAMG is also seeking new Farmers Market Leads so check out her article to see if there's a good fit. Speakers Bureau Co-Lead Gail Burt shines a light on how popular webinars have been. Anne Sutherland explains what Jardineros have been doing. Soubarna Mishra highlights the many successes of the 2022 School Gardens year.
Karen Maggio, Phil Quinlan and Liz Whiteford report on the new Gehringer Pollinator Garden in North Concord. Lori Palmquist discusses the many ways in which Communications shines a light on the many CoCoMG projects. It's a great article on how we all work together. David George shares his interview of Lisa Bramblet and how Rivertown Demonstration Garden is getting a makeover. Sarah Hoyer answers this month's Help Desk question about peach trees. We also spotlight our Statewide Director Missy Gable who has been awarded this year's Distinguished Early Career Coordinator. Separately, Ann Ramirez thanks the Growing Gardeners Project team for all their hard work.
First, Executive Leadership Team Member Bill Miller celebrates all the volunteers who continue to work at Our Garden and discusses the 2022-2027 Strategic Plan and the upcoming December 12 Social Recognition and Appreciation Event.
Simone Adair, Editor
The Latest Dirt - Nov 2022
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Hopeful, Happy, Cold, Rainy, and Wet Fall and Winter to You!
…A garden is the way that the land says, “I love you.”
Braiding Sweetgrass—Robin Wall KimmererThat’s not the normal salutation, but it is the wishful thinking found deep in our bones. Our plants and trees so need a deep watering, as do our souls. As light fades and nighttime arrives earlier each evening, we can feel the change in the weather and appreciate the rhythm of the seasons. Here’s to falling rain and mounting snowpack in the Sierra.
By Bill Miller
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AAMG Wraps Up the 2022 Season and Looks at 2023!
The 2022 Ask A Master Gardener Season was outstanding! We straddle two fiscal years, so the numbers below represent our contacts from April-October 2022. This year we reached 10,508 Contra Costa County residents at the AAMG tables in 14 farmers markets, Our Garden, and at eleven single-day events! We want to thank Deb Cuevas, the AAMG Single Day Event Facilitator, who coordinates with community partners and recruits leads for the single day events.
By Laura Brainin-Rodriguez
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Speakers Bureau Webinars are Hits!
When the Speakers Bureau Speaks, People Listen! Here is what our audience is saying in return…
“Beginning gardener here; thanks so much for all this amazing information.”
“Great job all! Amazingly knowledgeable speakers!”
“This has been an exceptionally informative, practical, and helpful seminar. Much info was covered in a short time period. Thank you so much!”
“Thank you all for a great, interesting and inspiring presentation!”
By Gail Burt
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¿Qué hacía Jardineros? What are Jardineros up to?
Many of you know that our UC Master Gardener Program Mission Statement includes reaching underserved populations in our county. To that end, a small group of us was inspired to build on the success of Our Garden, Ask A Master Gardener, Community Gardens, and School Gardens Projects by offering our assistance with their Spanish-speaking clients. Many Spanish speakers in our county are bilingual, but many are not, and to see faces light up when hearing a few words of their native tongue is heartening.
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School Gardens Swing into Cooler Seasons
As the cool autumn breeze blows and the leaves change color, fall activities are in full swing in schools, along with preparations for a successful winter garden. School gardens take center stage at this time, with harvest festivals and educational activities.
By Soubarna Mishra
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The Gehringer Pollinator Garden Project
We’re building a new demonstration pollinator garden at Gehringer Community Garden in North Concord. After receiving approval from the Executive Leadership in September, the UC Master Gardener team (Phil Quinlan, Karen Goodwin, Liz Whiteford, Anna Wendorf and Allison Thomas) hit the dry, weedy, ground running.
By Karen Maggio, Phil Quinlan and Liz Whiteford
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Who’s Shining the Light?
There’s a hidden treasure in Contra Costa County. No, it’s not buried deep in a cave in the hills or in the lair of a fire-breathing dragon. It’s spread out over the whole 716 square miles of this county. It’s hidden in plain sight, sparkling here individually or glowing there collectively, depending on where and when you turn your gaze.
By Lori Palmquist
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Rivertown Demo Garden Gets a Makeover
I caught up with busy Lisa Bramblet the other day to talk about all of the exciting changes that are happening or are about to happen at the Rivertown Demonstration Garden. Lisa is a co-lead this year, along with Ken Studer and Mark Thomason, for our East County demonstration garden, formerly known as “Mangini.” I asked about her history with the UC Master Gardener program, the current work reinvigorating the planting beds, and her suggested vision to turn Rivertown into a first-rate public demonstration garden.
By David George
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Peach Tree Starts Flowering in October
Client’s question
I have a peach tree I planted two years ago. Last spring it had many blossoms until there was a cold snap. Then only one blossom managed to make a fruit. I was just looking at the tree and noticed it has a dozen or so blooms (in October!). Should I remove these, as they are very unlikely to make fruit?By Sarah Hoyer
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Statewide Director Missy Gable Wins Prestigious Award
The UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County congratulates Missy Gable, our Statewide Director of the UC Master Gardener Program, part of UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, on receiving the 2022 Extension Master Gardener National Coordinator Award for Distinguished Early Career.
By Simone Adair
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Growing Gardeners Project Has Stellar Year
In September we completed our third and final “Vegetable Gardening for Beginners” course for 2022. We had three courses in 2022 and registered a total of 116 students. 45% of the students attended all four classes to earn a certificate. Registration representation by location: Central 49%, South 30%, West 10%, and East 11%. We are now in the planning stage for the 2023 courses.
By Ann Ramirez
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Walnut Creek EcoFest Hosts CoCoMG Booth
The EcoFest in Civic Park was the opening event for Walnut Creek’s Sustainability Week (10/21–28/22). The Fest was fairly well attended by families and ‘aging hippies’ (or so Keith opined). Various vendors represented the theme of sustainability through their products (e.g., electric bikes) or purpose (Recycle Smart, Regional Parks, Farmers Markets, Save Mt. Diablo, and the like). Of course, the UC Master Gardeners were there—Keith Silva, Bill Miller (in a jester’s hat, no less!) and I, Kathy Gage.
By Kathy Gage
The Latest Dirt
Volume 12, Issue 5 - September 2022
Editor's Note: While the summer is winding down, the heat has been on the rise around the County, with temperatures reaching over 100 degrees in many places. That hasn't stopped our UC Master Gardeners from accomplishing their Project goals. Kathy Gage writes about the new AAMG booth at Dougherty Station in San Ramon. Karen Maggio explains how a garden is so much more than plants. Ann Ramirez and Ann Howard give an overview of the Growing Gardeners Project. We have two Help Desk submissions this month, one on mango health and another on aphids taking over milkweed plants.
Our Garden, Rivertown Demonstration Garden and the new Water Conservation Garden in El Cerrito all give updates. Kate Verhoef recently participated in a teacher exploration seminar at Jack London Elementary in Antioch where teachers were encouraged to think like their students. Robyn Barker clears up questions about qualifying hours. David George profiles ELT member Greg Letts. Our Garden members come together to wish a happy 90th birthday to P.K. Sathe.
First, Executive Leadership Team Member Robyn Barker celebrates the visible and invisible members of our UC Master Gardener Team.
Simone Adair, Editor
***An important note — Some email programs have clipped the bottom part of the newsletter. If this happens, click the three small dots at the bottom of the newsletter. This should bring up the rest of the articles.
The Latest Dirt - Sept 2022
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CoCoMg Team Works Together Toward Success
Ah, the bounty of late summer! At the time of this writing, the beds at Our Garden are bursting with produce: tomatoes of all shapes and colors, cucumbers, eggplants, and those irrepressible zucchinis that somehow either manage to hide until they are yule log size or else spring to that size overnight. And the flowers! Bright yellows, neon reds, and brilliant whites—unbelievably tall sunflowers with faces full of seeds, fluffy tennis ball sized zinnias and feathery cosmos. Walking in Our Garden does not fail to bring happiness and faith in the future.
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Ask A Master Gardener Farmers Market — Dougherty Station, San Ramon
Blue sky, warm temps (but not TOO warm), no wind: a perfect day for a UC Master Gardener Ask A Master Gardener booth in San Ramon! As you may know, Dougherty Station is a brand new market. It opened in May 2022.
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More Than Plants, A Garden Is…
A garden is certainly about plants, but it’s so much more. A garden is creativity, beauty, sanctuary, community and unique. Having had the pleasure of touring our many community gardens and urban farms this past year, one thing stands out. Gardens are personal, an individual expression of one’s self and, sometimes, a community collaboration.
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Growing Gardeners Look to Add Volunteers
The Growing Gardeners project was first adapted for CoCoMG in 2018 by Darlene DeRose based on a UCCE-Los Angeles County program. Monika Witte assumed the lead role just in time for the Pandemic to change everything. Monika successfully adapted the program for the Zoom platform and later added an in-person day at Our Garden. In 2022, before stepping down, Monika developed a team model with Hosts, Co-Leads and Coordinators to manage the various aspects of the program.
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Mango Plants Are in Need of Help
Dear UC Master Gardener,
My mango plant seems to have stopped growing. I have several of these plants which I have sprouted from a seed. Does it require fertilizer to continue to grow? The plants are several months old. Thanks.
Terry Lippert’s response:
Thank you for contacting our UC Master Gardener Program’s Help Desk with your question about growing mangoes from seed. I chose your question to answer because I have always considered mangoes to be a tropical fruit and I didn’t think it could grow outside a greenhouse in Contra Costa County. I thought that the occasional winter freezing temperatures we have most years would doom the trees. So, I wondered why you would be trying to grow mango trees from seeds.
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Update From Our Garden
The summer has been good to us at Our Garden. Heat waves have been short followed by reasonably mild temperatures—a relief to the garden and the gardeners. Our twice-weekly harvests have yielded over 11,000 pounds of produce for our friends at the Monument Crisis Center, and we’re not done yet. We still have much more to come, including winter squash, sweet potatoes and cabbages – all of which tilt the scale mightily.
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What’s New at Rivertown?
Rivertown Demonstration Garden has been planning and re-grouping, and planning some more, as the garden has been reoccupied over the last year, following little to no activity during the pandemic. In the midst of making plans for a mini orchard along our back fence line and a potential patio garden demonstration adjacent to our amazing Garden Shed, we determined that not only was there something hampering plant growth in the main garden beds, but that we also were not altogether feeling that the current garden configuration was much of a ‘Demonstration.’
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“Make a Dent in the Universe!”
I had just finished tying down the last zip-tie on the new Water Conservation Garden sign—designed by UC Master Gardener/Designer, Fletcher Oakes (2019)—anchoring it tightly to the garden’s fence, when a car stopped behind me and a young woman jumped out. She was excited and wanted to know all about what we were doing and then asked how she could get involved. She isn’t the first person this summer that has been curious about our work at the Water Conservation Garden in El Cerrito.
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Rewarding Fun at an Antioch Elementary School Garden
I recently had the pleasure of participating in a teacher exploration seminar at Jack London Elementary in Antioch. We gathered in a classroom and divided the teachers into three groups. Each group was given a brown paper bag full of items to remove, examine and share.
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Milkweed Is Overrun with Aphids
Client’s question: I'm growing milkweed in hopes of creating a habitat for monarch butterflies. Every day every plant is infested with oleander aphids. I pick them off but I'm wondering if there's anything else I can do that would not require such careful attention. Thanks so much for your help.
CoCoMG Emma Connery’s reply: Thank you for contacting the UC Master Gardener Program’s Help Desk regarding aphids on your milkweed. Thank you for helping to save Monarchs by providing habitat.
Yep, those aphids sure do love milkweed! I am sure you are finding picking off aphids pretty tedious. This is a bit of a dilemma—manage one insect on a plant while causing no harm to the other.
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Qualifying Hours Explained
While working on reappointment this year, we discovered that the subject of qualifying hours was a source of confusion for a lot of UC Master Gardener volunteers. This article is intended to serve as a resource on this subject. If you don’t want to read it now, you may want to bookmark its location so that you can return in the future if you have questions.
What hours are required?
Our hours requirements are governed by the University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Program’s Administrative Handbook for Program Staff, dated June 1, 2011 (accessed August 26, 2022).
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Interview with Greg Letts
Greg Letts and I had a chance to sit down the other day beneath the oak tree lording over the entrance to Our Garden in Walnut Creek. We talked about his experiences so far in the UC Master Gardener program and his role on the Executive Leadership Team. Greg is a graduate of the class of 2019 and has been instrumental in several important efforts already.
What was your career prior to being certified as a UC Master Gardener, Greg, and why did you apply for the program?
“I had a 25-year career in the outdoor products industry, selling outdoor gear and clothing to distributors and retailers. Before that I was in the office products industry. I chose to retire in 2019 and had already applied to be a UC Master Gardener program volunteer.
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Using Recycled Water—What You Should Know
From our sibling UC Master Gardener Program of Alameda County.
The Latest Dirt has covered many aspects of living with drought as an ongoing condition of global warming. We are pleased to share with you an article by Jim Farr, a UC Master Gardener in Alameda County. Farr writes about the positive and negative aspects of using recycled water to replace from-the-tap water for our gardens. In particular, he highlights the negative impact of recycled water’s higher salt content on our landscapes. Writing in clear language, Farr helps readers understand the ‘who, what, when, where, why and how’ increased salinity can harm the health of our landscapes.
Read Farr’s cautionary tale about using recycled water to help our environment.
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UC Master Gardeners Wish a Happy 90th Birthday to PK Sathe
Ninety years old and still going strong!! They say that gardeners live longer, healthier lives than non-gardeners and UC Master Gardener Prabhakar S. Sathe (known as PK to one and all) is an inspiring example of that idea. PK is a much beloved and valuable member of the Our Garden team and is responsible for getting most of our veggies seeded and growing throughout the year.
However, his experience as a Master Gardener didn't start with us. PK moved to the US from his native India in 1978 after working in the Indian Diplomatic Service for over 25 years.
The Latest Dirt
Volume 12, Issue 4 - July 2022
July 2022
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Celebrate endings—for they precede new beginnings – Jonathan Lockwood Huie
During our June business meeting, followed by a fantastic social gathering at Our Garden, we celebrated the end of a stellar year with remarkable achievements by so many of our hard-working UC Master Gardener volunteers of Contra Costa County.
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School Garden Readiness for the New School Year
While some schools have well-established systems in place to manage their gardens during school breaks, others struggle to keep their plants alive and weeds at bay. The children, teachers and parents who take on the responsibility of supporting school gardens during summer learn valuable lessons on gardening, especially on watering and pest deterrence.
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Membership Project is Renamed Volunteer Support
We're changing the name of the Membership project to Volunteer Support. This recognizes the many functions of this CoCoMG project. Volunteer Support directly affects every CoCoMG.
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An Infestation of Cockroaches in the Garden
Client’s question: We have an infestation of cockroaches in our garden. It started 3 or 4 years ago. We would see them on our neighbor’s sidewalk. Starting this year, they are making our garden their home. This is the worst we have seen in our garden. They hide between the crevices of the retaining wall blocks of the veggie garden.
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Understanding Community
The Contra Costa Community Garden team serves 14 very different community gardens and urban farms throughout the county. On any given day, UC Master Gardener volunteers are found in small private residential or treatment program gardens, larger public facing community gardens, or out in east county urban farms.
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Sunflowers for Mom
My mom says: "Optimism is hard work." In April I planted little plants that I thought would do well in her scorched-earth Inland Empire summer garden bed, which is only about 25 square feet. I'm happy to say that I've provided her with an ongoing source of interest and even joy.
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Speakers Bureau's New Co-Lead Jumps Right In
I have so much to learn and contribute. Benjamin Franklin said: “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” I decided to follow this sage advice and jump right in.
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Ask A Master Gardener Summer News
What Are People Asking Us? Apparently, this is the year of the earwig! We are inundated with inquiries about what to do about this rather daunting looking creature. Then, of course, there are numerous questions about rats, gophers, moles, mice and men.
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Living in Wildfire Country: Summertime Fireworks
At this time of the year, those of us living in Wildfire Country wake up at night and listen to booming fireworks and mentally check our evacuation preparations (“Go-bag ready? Should I update our property inventory with new video? All cats and dogs are inside and their crates and food by the door—check. Car tank full–check.”)
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Interview with Mr. Gopher Bob Archer
Even though Bob is relatively new to the program, he is an experienced gardener and successful gopher trapper. He worked with UCCE scientists to approve a new and effective device to remove destructive gophers from gardens. He shared with me both his background and trapping techniques for gophers and other rodents, and even demonstrated the new device and technique in a video.
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Continuing Education: Science-based, UC-focused, Master Gardener-relevant
The CE team provides learning opportunities for best practice of horticulturescience to help you carry out our mission. Our emphasis is on science-based education, preferably from UC or other cooperative extension sources, with relevance to UC Master Gardener volunteer roles.
