1st Quarter 2024: In the Garden

Garden Mission: To promote water conservation in the California Central Valley landscape through excellent gardens, exhibits and programs that educate and inspire the public.

Good News! The building permit has been issued for our new Visitor Center! Now our architect, Art Dyson, and the contractors will review the plans to provide an updated cost estimate and an anticipated construction start date. The groundbreaking ceremony will be scheduled and announced shortly, so stay tuned!

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Upcoming Spring Garden Community Events

• The Kings River Conservancy is hosting “Spring Fling on the Kings” on Saturday, April 13th from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM (Lapp Riverhouse @ 26210 Elwood, Sanger).
• Earth Day is Monday, April 22nd. We will provide a tour on Saturday, April 20th.
• Clovis Trail Fest – Saturday, May 4th from 8:00 AM to noon.
• National Public Gardens Week is May 10-19th. A CBG garden tour is planned for Saturday, May 18th, subject to cancellation due to construction.

National Public Gardens Week was initiated in 2009 to increase public awareness as to the diverse educational resources public gardens provide within local communities. The goal is to highlight programs on topics of importance and interest, such as water conservation, plant and wildlife conservation, the preservation of green spaces, and home landscaping. This week in May is a wonderful time to explore outdoors, enjoy nature in our community, and visit a few of the public gardens in Fresno County.

• Fresno County Master Gardener Spring Garden Tour – Saturday, April 20th. Tickets are now on sale for the self-guided tour of the Clark/Kendrick garden plus four other Fresno properties and the Master Gardeners’ own Garden of the Sun. Click here for the Spring Garden tour flyer 2024.
• Get ready for the 2025 Training to become a Fresno County Master Gardener! Those interested are encouraged to attend an informational class to learn about the program and take next steps toward an exciting and rewarding goal. Saturday, May 4th from 10 AM to 12PM at the Woodward Park Library, 944 E. Perrin Ave., Fresno 93720. https://ucanr.edu/sites/mgfresno/Gardening_Classes/

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Welcome to our new members!

• Lynda Kelley
• Brielle Rainey
• Sarah Wright
• Sue Bohigian

Members of CBG receive a membership card, a monthly newsletter, a digital subscription to Better Homes & Gardens, and free admission to many public gardens in California and around the country through the American Horticulture Association Reciprocal Admissions Program. See all gardens around the nation and abroad that provide reciprocal admission at http://ahsgardening.org/rap.

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Volunteers

Garden Maintenance Volunteers Needed! Spring is a wonderful time to work in the garden, and CBG has volunteer gardening opportunities! Many trees, bushes and plants are blooming, along with ongoing, determined weeds. Want to learn more about which plants do the best, thrive locally, and use less water? Learn on the job! You are invited to join the gardening crews on Thursdays, Fridays and/or Saturdays in the morning from 9 AM to noon. We weed and trim in the morning to keep the garden looking its absolute best. Interested?

You must register online at CBG’s website: https://clovisbotanicalgarden.org. You will be contacted to schedule your participation.

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1st Quater Garden & Board Activities

As you know, special events at the garden have been suspended this year in anticipation of construction activity for our new Visitor Center. Planning continues to progress, and a myriad of details have been addressed. We are nearing the beginning of construction and a groundbreaking ceremony, so 2024 will be an exciting year! Other improvements have been ongoing to make the garden more attractive with additional new features to enjoy.

Ethnobotany Area: A preliminary plan has been drafted for plantings within the Ethnobotany Area. Ground preparation is in progress, including the existing California Native area.

Ornamental Grass Area: We have created a lovely place in the new ornamental grass area for a green metal bench like others strategically placed throughout the garden. This bench requires a $2,500 donation and includes a bronze metal plaque with lettering and wording of your choice. It is a wonderful way to honor someone special in your life. Send inquiries to Clovis Botanical Garden’s email: [email protected].

Children’s Garden:

There are still opportunities to add your creations to the Children’s Garden! (Details on Website)

• Amy Wright’s family and neighbors created “Poppy the Rock Snake” that invites visitors to add painted stones they create, so Poppy grows longer and longer. Paint a rock, add it to the new “Poppy the Rock Snake,” and watch him grow!
• Dedication/memory bricks are still available to purchase on-line with one name inscribed on each brick for $40.
• Another fundraising project involves painting decorative pickets to be placed along the fence surrounding the Children’s Garden. Wooden pickets, instructions, brushes, and high-quality paints are provided for a donation of $75, and painters (young and old) are encouraged to get creative with the theme “Connecting People with Nature.”

Fresno Home and Garden Show, March 1-3: Many thanks to Jeannette Warnert for organizing the booth and volunteers to enable our participation in the Home and Garden Show again this year. A big thank you to the volunteers too! It was cold and rainy, but that doesn’t bother gardeners. The building was bustling with activity, and everyone seemed to be enjoying the day.

Collaboration with CSU, Fresno:

• CSU Fresno professor, Cheryl Gardner, (Media Communication and Journalism Dept.) has offered to provide a group of journalism students to help with social media, press releases, photography, and related items in an on-going semester-to-semester project. We are excited and looking forward to collaborating with the students who will help us keep up to date with social media trends and public relations.

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Board Members review plans for the new Visitor Center

Fresno Home and Garden Show, March 1-3: Booth arranged & set-up by Jeannette and Tom Warnert.

CBG Board Collaborates with students from California State University, Fresno

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Tips for the Central Valley Gardener:

by Elinor Teaque

After ample rainfall last season and near-normal rainfall (so far) this year, all the plants in our gardens are bigger and producing plentiful buds this spring. As we prepare our gardens for another long, hot summer, we will need to take into account that the root systems of our plants have expanded as they have grown larger. When repairing, replacing, and redesigning the drip systems for your drought-tolerant bushes and trees, make sure to place emitters at the edge of the enlarged canopies. The small feeder roots that take up water lie under the canopy drip line, not near the trunk. Some spreading and clumping drought-tolerant plants like nepeta, artemisia and yarrow have multiple, sometimes tangled overlapping root systems. Place a few emitters away from any stems you find to ensure that the entire root system is irrigated.

Most drought-tolerant plants need little, if any, fertilization. Tender-leafed herbs like parsley, cilantro, basil, and tarragon are exceptions. Feed them monthly in the summer with small amounts of an organic higher nitrogen fertilizer, keeping the fertilizer away from the central stems. Always apply high-quality organic fertilizers to any edible plants.

April is the best month to harvest wood culinary herbs like thyme, rosemary, and lavenders. Harvest the herbs, flowers and all, when flower buds are just beginning to break open and the volitive oils are at their highest concentration. The flowers are also edible. Cut off lavender flowers at the base of the stem or stalk, but avoid cutting into the woody portions of the plant. Cutting or shearing the woody portion will deform the natural shape of the lavender.

Wash your cut herbs before drying them, then spread them out on a flat surface in an area with good air circulation. You can also tie the herbs into bunches and hang them to dry. It only takes about two weeks in our warm climate for herbs to dry completely and be ready for use.

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A Message from President, Anne Clemons

The building permit for the Visitor Center has been issued. Hooray! Construction planning is underway. A Groundbreaking Ceremony will be scheduled when actual construction is close to beginning. Watch for the date.

CBG has partnered with the Fresno Iris Society to provide a new home for the Dr John Weiler Iris collection. Dr Weiler taught at Fresno State, hybridized many new varieties of bearded iris and was the first president of the Fresno Iris Society. CBG is providing space near the Pavilion, and the Iris Society will maintain the area. Planting is scheduled to begin in July.

Additional parking is part of the Visitor Center project. It will be located at the north end of the garden. Visitors can enjoy the colorful Iris as they enter the garden. This is a “win/win” for both organizations.

The End of the Year fundraising effort was a success! Donations keep the garden growing. Thank you to the many supporters of Clovis Botanical Garden – you are greatly appreciated!

Enjoy Spring!