Bi-monthly update: July 2

left: Our weeders at the Tennis Court

Dear Garden Aficionados and Mission Hills Garden Club Members,

Please find our current events below. Also, if you have not renewed your membership yet, please renew now. Thank you, if you have renewed already (Barbara Strona for Membership).

Saturday, July 10, 9.30 – 12.30 a.m.

Crafts event: Pressed flower note cards. Bring: scissors, pressed flowers for yourself and to share and trade. Optional: bits of colored paper to go with flowers (paint samples), ribbon, rubber stamps or other paper crafting supplies. Create beautiful unique cards to use for any occasion. Free to members and $10 for guests (if you have not signed up yet, please contact Debbie, 619 295 3773). 4070 Jackdaw Mission Hills, United Church of Christ (Debbie Quillin for Crafts Events).

Friday, July 23, at 5:30 p.m.

The MHGC is sponsoring a Pioneer Park concert on July 23rd at 5:30. The music will be Zydeco. We are planning a potluck for garden club members (it was much fun last year). Please bring a dish to share with the group, your own beverages, plates, cups, utensils and chairs. Remember there is no glass allowed in the park (Debbie Quillin for Hospitality).

Sunday, July 25, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Sign up for a Lunch & Tour of the wonderful Oddo Gardens, Elfin Forest (detailed map provided w/ registration with Carol, 858 909 0001). Cost is $15.00. Registration (with payment) will be for "members only" until July 15th, when it will open to non member friends on a space available basis.

I am delighted to be able to offer our club a special afternoon in the gardens of Frank and Susan Oddo located in the Elfin Forest.

The property is set on 3 acres encompassing a variety of garden themes. The succulent garden and a 75-foot running creek replaced a water-thirsty lawn in 2008. There is a full size bronze mountain lion perched on a rock in a grassland savannah. For rose lovers, there are 25 AARS winning roses. Wander up the hill through the fern, cactus, palm and cycad gardens and many shaded areas, check out Tillandsia Trail, visit the outdoor living room, follow the path down to the newly-planted lavender aroma garden, step into the Crystal Garden and continue down to the spa pavilion gardens. A little further down the hill and you will encounter the all-organic vegetable garden, lined by the lower rose walk. There is even still a small lawn left that is surrounded by a Yucca forest. Return to the spa pavilion and continue around the house to the 5,000 gallon koi pond and newly built whimsical viewing area. A little further around the house and you arrive at the deck where we will enjoy lunch and enjoy the view that will forever be parkland preserve.

The Elfin Forest Garden Tour has selected these gardens twice to be on their tour. The vegetable garden was featured in the April 2010 issue of San Diego Home & Garden magazine and the succulent garden was photographed for an upcoming issue in the same publication. The San Diego Horticulture Society selected the Oddo gardens to host its Volunteer Appreciation Party in June 2010. The Koi Club of San Diego held its May meeting in the gardens.

Join the fun! (Carol Costarakis for Special Events)

Wednesday, July 28, 6 – 8 p.m.

Garden Club Meeting: Speaker Fausto Palafox

“URBAN FORESTRY IN SAN DIEGO ”

Fausto Palafox, Owner of Mission Hills Nursery and Member of The City of San Diego's Community Forest Advisory Board will speak on “The Urban Forest” and the important role it plays in the general well being of San Diego's population, how it improves our local climate, works to capture rain water that would otherwise go down storm drains and, lastly, removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. He will speak about the importance and urgency of reversing the loss of approximately 27% of our shade canopy since 1985. He will explain this national movement to replace lost urban forests and how we can get involved using recommended common sense solutions. This is a topic that is just now getting the attention it deserves as we look to ways to improve air quality, preserve water shed and save water from run off and evaporation (Meredith French for Programs).

NEW! Bring your “dull blades” to the next meeting. Carol will introduce the knife/tool sharpening lady to the club: Laurie MacDonald - she will be available that evening to do sharpening (Carol Costarakis for Special Events).

Bring nice items for our raffle (tax deductible), plants/cuttings for our plant exchange table, and questions/samples for the Plant Doctor. Socialize with other garden aficionados, take plants home, enjoy munchies, have fun.

Saturday, July 31, 6 - 8 p.m.
Wine in the Garden at 3785 4th Ave. Our host is Carlos Franco of Green Fresh Florals ("http://www.greenfloralsd.com), (Sandra Scherf for Coffee/Wine in the Garden)

Wednesdy, August 25, 6 – 8 p.m.

Garden Club Meeting: Speaker Jim Mumford of Green Scaped Buildings. “Living Walls and Roofs – Purposes and Creation”

Jim Mumford is a horticulturist, Certified Landscape Professional, and an accredited Green Roof Professional. Jim found early on that by combining rain water harvesting with home grown food in a closed –circuit ecosystem on walls and roofs would work quite well in urban environments. He has quickly become the go to guy for such systems and serves clients not only locally but nationally.

Saturday, August 28, 10 a. m – noon

Coffee in the Garden at 3574 7th Ave

Saturday, September 25, 6 - 8 p.m.

Wine in the Garden at 4251 Arguello Street

Saturday, October 30, 10 a. m. - noon

Coffee in the Garden at 1506 Plumosa Way

Saturday, November 20 10 a. m. - noon

Coffee in the Garden at 1753 W. Montecito Way

Do you have a gardening tidbit or a GC event report to share with us? Please contribute to our Newsletter (Nancy Dimsdale for the Newsletter).

Please check out our handy Calendar on our Website: http://www.missionhillsgardenclub.org. You find all of our events and other garden or neighborhood related events on it (Scott Borden for e-Communications).

Neighborhood Events:

Fridays, 3 to 7 p.m.

We now have our very own Farmer´s Market in Mission Hills. On Falcon Street, between Washington and Fort Stockton.

Vendor List:

Smit Orchards (certified organic) - peaches, nectarines, plums apricots, cherries, blueberries right now. When in season apples and grapes too as well as dried fruits and nuts
Suzie’s Farm (certified organic) - A lot of items you don’t see everywhere like sprouts of all kinds, edible flowers etc. They also have more standard organics like carrots, radishes and greens
Soto Farms (certified organic) - peaches, avocados, carrots, strawberries, celery etc.
Gayton Farms - largest variety of produce- artichokes, celery, greens, tomatoes, asparagus, onions, brussel sprouts, broccoli and much more
Rivas Farms - Strawberries, cauliflower, various squash, broccoli, tomatoes, corn
Atkins Ranch - large selection of citrus and avocados as well as potted herbs
Burin Farms - Mostly greens like kale, chard, romaine, green and red leaf, mixed greens, basil and other herbs
Hopkins Ranch - Huge variety of almonds
Lopez Nursery - potted plants, mostly flowers and such
Hidalgo Flowers - Simply the best flower grower in San Diego, huge selection of fresh cut flowers

Specialty Foods:
Petrou Foods - Olives and olive oils, feta cheeses, pickled garlic
Poppa’s Fish - Fresh seafood
Julian Bakery - Julian Pies and other baked goods
Shroom Shack - many varieties of local mushrooms
Gingerly Bakery - Cupcakes and other sweets
Sunflower - Large variety of local honey
Howllistic - Dog treats
Jackie’s Jams - Homemade preserves and jellies
Baba Hummus - Hummus, pita chips, and other Mediterranean items
CJ’s - Breakfast breads and other sweets
Caribbean Delights - Hot sauces and marinades
Zaiqai - Indian foods and sauces
Plants that Produce - potted seedlings. Mostly produce types like lettuces, tomatoes herbs and more

Have these and more detailed infos always handy:

http://www.missionhillsgardenclub.org/

http://www.mhgardenclub.blogspot.com/

Find us on Facebook (find “Mission Hills Garden Club”)

We always love to hear from you and see you at our events!

Happy Gardening,

Sabine E. Starr

for Communications