The Beaver Tale
December 2007
President’s Note What a busy but joyous and festive time of year. As I write this, Thanksgiving is the day after tomorrow, Hanukkah arrives the day before our own holiday party, Christmas soon follows, and then the New Year’s celebrations lead us into 2008. And what great weather we’ve been having here in southern Nevada to kick off this Holiday Season. The weather has been so warm this November that some of the Creosote Bushes out on the trails at the Springs Preserve, where I hang out twice a week, are starting to bloom again. They must think it is spring already. The Texas Rangers in our front yard continue to bloom, but those guys flower almost year ‘round anyway. I do hope you can join us at the Garden Center on December 6th for our monthly gathering. This has always been a special event for the club, a time to eat, drink, be merry, and share. We are again asking each member to bring a food item or pot-luck dish for consumption and a wrapped gift in the $10 range for exchange. We aren’t doing the Chinese Auction that we used to do—which seemed to take forever and didn’t always end satisfactorily for some—but there will be an element of chance in who gets what, so we hope everyone will take part in the fun. Please make your gift cactus-related; beyond that let your imagination run wild. If it’s kind of “gender specific” you might mark it as such on the outside of the wrapping or on a tag. Also as part of the entertainment at the party, I am hoping to put together a slide show of photos like we did last year. If you have any 2007 pictures and you can put them into a digital format such as a Photo CD, get them to me as soon as possible. Call me or E-mail me if that is the case and we can arrange to meet. It’s probably kind of late to trust snail mail, depending on when you read this. I will need any input for the presentation not later than Monday, December 3rd, or thereabouts. One final thought. The December meeting on the 6th will be the final chance to earn cactus points for the year. Our 2007 cactus points “winners” will comprise approximately 15 to 20 percent of the membership; they will be recognized at our January meeting. I have compiled the point standings as of the end of November and they should show up in this month’s newsletter. If you’re “on the bubble” you want to make sure you show up. And anyone who shows up early to help us set up or stays late to help with the clean up can earn those extra points. Regardless, I hope to see you all at the party.
Phil Lawton ++++++++++
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Next Meeting Date/Time
December Program
December 6 Dinner Starts at 6:00 p.m. Please come early to help set up!
Once again it is time for our annual Christmas party. If you wish to participate in the gift exchange please bring a wrapped gift in the value of $10.00.
Meetings are the first Thursday every month at the Garden Club near Lorenzi Park, at the corner of Washington & Twin Lakes Drive.
Main dish items will be catered this year! If you signed up to bring something, Don’t Forget It!
++++++++++ Annual dues are payable in January!
++++++++++ http://www.csssn.org Lists the club Officers; If you wish to assist an officer, please use the “CONTACT” feature on the website.
++++++++++ If you have an e-mail address, we’ll email the newsletter. BUT,if you can’t be “GREEN,” please notify Liz at
[email protected] and she’ll snail mail it.
++++++++++ Planned Events December 6 - Holiday Dinner Winter and early spring are great outing months. Plan one with friends, family, and/or club members!
Individual - $15.00; Household - $25 Name(s): ____________________________________ _____________________________________________ Street: ______________________________________ City, State, Zip ________________________________ Phone: ______________________________________ e-mail address: ________________________________ email & website are default methods of communication. With that, you may elect to receive the Silver State Gardener free. It arrives by snail mail. Check below: □ YES, send it! □ NO, thank you. or We will collect dues at the meeting or you may mail them. Thanks for your continued interest! CSSSN – Membership P O Box 57110 Las Vegas, NV 89157
Celebrate Cactus Spring Show & Sale April 12 and 13
Turner-Greenhouse- http://www.turner-greenhouse.com Dave & Kris Turner 645-2032
4455 Quadrel Street, Las Vegas, NV 89129
We specialize in Cactus & Succulents for the Landscaper & Collector Native Nevada Cactus, Hedgehogs, Beavertails Red & Golden Barrels, Rainbow Cactus Yuccas, Joshuas, Ocotillos, Aloes, Agaves We also have a large selection of additional Succulents from all over the world for the house & patio.
If you love Saffron Crocus sprinkled in your xeriscape or want other interesting xeriscape plant ideas, contact the “Tomato Lady” (Leslie Doyle)
http://www.sweettomatotestgarden.com 2
Calplants.com http://www.cabrillonets.com/calplants We are always looking for rare, special, and large specimen Cactus & Succulents to buy. Call 800-384-4559 E-mail
[email protected]
Cactus Care Tips: ECHINOCACTUS POLYCEPHALUS (COTTONTOP CACTUS) Article By Susan Kent with contributions from Stephanie Thomas Photos courtesy of Pat Leary Some of you may remember this plant from a year or two ago at our first Cactus Fest over at Kris and Dave Turner’s. At that time Mark Pedigo was actively involved in doing plant rescues. Stephanie Thomas, our CSSSN newly elected Secretary, was helping him. They managed to legally place several plants in good homes as well as make them available through at least one local nursery, yep, Turner’s!. Echinocactus polycephalus is native to Nevada, Arizona, California and Mexico at lower elevations. Were it not for them, and Dave & Kris Turner, I may not have written this little tip. This clumping cactus has spherical to short spherical stems, growing up to 24 inches tall. To say, “this is a colonizing, somewhat barrelshaped cactus,” would be an understatement. Some specimens have over 100 heads. A hike on Blue Diamond Mesa revealed the colony on the right. The overall color of the plant is darker green with a hint of blue-grey. The spines are sturdy, curved but not hooked, and usually light grey. E. polycephalus prefers full sun with a minimum average temperature of 55 degrees F. It requires well draining soil and minimal water. (Do not put this plant on standard irrigation!) After blooming and pollination, the small round blackish brown shiny seeds are contained in the cotton-like material on the top of the cactus; hence, the common name, “Cottontop.” The seeds germinate well and plants begin to colonize without provocation. The plant is sometimes available at local cactus and succulent nurseries as either nursery grown or tagged, harvested material. When available, single headed 1gallon plants to large magnificent colonies in 24-inch boxed specimens are smart additions to cactus landscape.
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CACTUS POINTS Standings as of December 1, 2007
Name Askew, Dick Askew, Liz Bailey, Holly Bernikow, Iris Betzler, Joey Brenner, Marilyn Brenner, Michael Browning, Marvin Cadette, Don Cadette, Jeannie Campbell, Ken Deadrich, Paul Doyle, Leslie Duncombe, Pete Dutch, Irma Furtek, Bob Fusaro, Mindy Fusaro, Pat Gamble, Linda Garcia, Tom Garrett, Paula Grothuesmann, Jim Henry, Ola Holmes, Rick Hupy, Rusty Jones, Susan Kent, Susan Kleinman, Sol Korabell, Stan Lawton, Mary Lawton, Phil Lesley, Ramona Lindsey, Victor Lynch, Bob
Jan – Dec 1 140 150 90 175 115 110 105 10 95 170 70 100 65 140 110 105 10 10 15 190 85 160 5 90 15 20 180 30 20 65 205 65 130 110
Name Miller, Jan Minnich, Kathy Minnich, Woody Nietling, Jay Norton, John Oliver, Cal Pedigo, Mark Peters, Jim Pierce, Jim Presares, Doug Radcliff, Gunde Russo, Paul Shaw, Barbara Sheets, Mary Shoaff, Steve Soldan, Tim Steinline, Travis Teppen, Bev Thomas, Stephanie Turner, Dave Turner, Kris Valenti, Sam White, Christopher White, Rita Wujcik, Joe Wright, Pauline Zeitlan, Steve
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Jan – Dec 1 10 10 10 90 25 10 50 105 50 10 20 10 20 140 25 20 10 50 150 65 50 150 45 40 10 30 15