Holiday Luncheon

Please Join Us for Our Holiday Luncheon

Our Holiday Luncheon is one of the most popular events of the year, and we hope you can come.  It's immediately following the presentation by Dutch master René van Rems on European Floral Holiday Arrangements.

Date:  Thursday, December 12
Time:  12:30 pm
Place: Good Samaritan Episcopal Church, 
Cost: $50; members only

Please reserve your seat by bringing a check or credit card to the meeting on November 14, or mail a check that must be received by December 6 to Sue Kalish, 8641 Nottingham Place, La Jolla, CA  92037.

You may also sign up online here (please note there is a $3.00 processing fee when paying online)

Please note:  Because of limited seating capacity, the presentation and luncheon are open to members only.

Workshops

Holiday Centerpieces with

René van Rems

Here's a fantastic opportunity to create a custom centerpiece for your holiday table demonstrated and guided by René van Rems, our December speaker. This workshop is fun and informative, but don't delay signing up as class is limited to 20 students.

Where: Good Samaritan Episcopal Church Courtyard, 4321 Eastgate Mall, La Jolla
When: Wednesday, December 11 from 1 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Workshop Fee:  $120, includes instruction fee and all materials

Create a European-style holiday centerpiece with unusual natural materials such as Sierra Nevada pine, spruce, various redwood tree cones, berries and branches. This woodlands natural design will have a center candle with an optional modern clear glass hurricane cover. It will be demonstrated step-by-step by René and you will be guided along the creative path. This ‘goof-proof’ table decor can be made to the size you need. Some gilded materials will be available if shimmer is what you like. Then take home your centerpiece following the holiday luncheon the next day!

No previous design experience required! 

The class fee includes all materials. Bring a floral knife and pair of pruners, if you have them. Dress comfortably and be ready for some fun! 

Note: The Club is generously underwriting some of the workshop fee for the opportunity to use the centerpieces at our Holiday Luncheon the next day, December 12.

Reservations can be made at the November 14 meeting and full payment is required by November 18.  Reservations are transferable to someone on the waiting list.

Contact Taunya Daley and Janet Cooke

Bouquet of Thanks

The VGCLJ did it again! Honoring a long-held tradition, 30 members gathered to decorate 130 succulent pumpkins for veterans, nurses and doctors at the VA Medical Center. It was a huge success! Our members are so talented and the camaraderie was palpable.

The VA Medical Center is very appreciative of our efforts. Thanks to Sandra, Julie and Karen for their commitment to this worthy project! Next up: poinsettias and personalized cards for Christmas.

Glee Logsdon

Holiday Pantry and Bake Sale  

What is your holiday specialty? Is it sweet or savory? We are asking every member to bring their special holiday treats to the Holiday Pantry Sale at the December meeting. The sale of your goodies will help fund our many projects throughout the year. This is also a great opportunity to purchase items for hostess gifts, neighbor gifts, or to be enjoyed by you and your family. Here are some tips:

* Plan on baking, canning, or just assembling ingredients…it’s up to you! Think sweet or savory, both are appreciated.

* Bring several items decoratively packaged for the holiday season. One large item--like a pie or a cake--is great also. Don’t forget to label your items and add your name to the tag if you wish. 

* Please price your items ahead of time or we will help you decide. We have tags too!

* Bring your items as early as possible. It is much more impactful for the display to have an abundance of items from the start!

* Streamline your Pantry Sale shopping by having a list of special people you would like to give a nice homemade gift to this year. 

* Bring cash to purchase items, the lines go much quicker if you do!

Your contributions to this event are very much appreciated! It is a lot of fun and it helps our organization bring quality programs to you throughout the year!

Robin Vandever

Wreaths Across America

50th Anniversary Closeout Goal --
50% of Members Sponsoring a Wreath!

At last count 51 members have donated a wreath--will you join us in honoring our veterans?

The easiest way to sponsor a wreath(s) is right here from the club’s direct link. We'll also be available to you at the October and November meetings--contributions can be accepted by cash or check, made out to Wreaths Across America.

     *  $17 – price per wreath (you can sponsor as many as you like!!)
     *  November 29, 2024 – deadline for sponsoring wreaths.

For grave-specific wreaths, if you do not have the exact location of your loved one, you can look it up here. 

We appreciate your support to honor our veterans.  Thank you for all you do.

DONATE HERE
Kate Engler

Field Trips

The Botanical Garden and Buildings in Balboa Park

On Wednesday, March 12, we will be treated to a presentation and private tour of the biggest new “Garden Story” in San Diego in many years–the Botanical Building and Gardens–the most photographed area of Balboa Park! 

Our field trip is timely because the two-year restoration of the Botanical Building, the original building of the 1915 Panama-California Exposition, is now completed and will reopen to the public in November. This restoration has been a long journey over the past 110 years, and we will explore the gorgeous results of the restoration and how the gardens have been updated. More will be shared about this exciting field trip in the months ahead.  
 
On October 7 the San Diego Union-Tribune reported that Katy McDonald will be the new President and CEO of Forever Balboa Park, the organization that has spearheaded the restoration of the Botanical Building and Gardens. Katy is a San Diego native who will hit the ground running in mid-November. Katy has done a spectacular job at the San Diego Symphony and at the San Diego Museum of Art.  
 
What: Guided Tour of the Botanical Building and Gardens in Balboa Park
Where: The patio fountain inside of the House of Hospitality, Balboa Park
When:  Wednesday, March 12 at 10:30 a.m.
Fee: $20

The presentation and tour will be led by Katy McDonald and Jacqueline Higgins, Landscape Architect, Forever Balboa Park’s VP and liaison to the City of San Diego. At about noon, we will enjoy an optional no-host luncheon at Artifact, the extraordinary dining experience inside the Mingei Museum. Please join us.
 
We will have sign-ups at our meetings in the months ahead. 

Christy Wilson, Jody Oliphant and Alyce Ashcraft

Commemorative Tree Program

Uncovering the Secrets of Oak Trees 
Fascinating Facts You May Not Know

 We all sit in the shade of trees we didn’t plant. 

The Coast Live Oak is an evergreen tree that can live for several hundred years. It‘s the backbone of Coastal California woodlands, a California icon, and the basis for city names like Thousand Oaks and Oakland. Spanish settlers associated Oak trees with fertile land, and the placement of the Franciscan missions matches the Coast Live Oak’s native range.

Coast Live Oaks can reach a mature height of 82 feet. Some specimens may attain an age exceeding 100 years. Examples of this include the Grand Oak of Cherry Valley, California, the Encino Oak Tree, which died in the 1990’s, and the Pechanga Great Oak.

The tree is extremely drought tolerant and fire resistant. The leaves are dark green and oval and often convex in shape. The leaf shape may be useful as condensation surfaces for dew and mist allow the tree to survive years with limited rainfall.

The acorns of these trees were incredibly important food sources for indigenous people. In addition to human use, the acorns are important food for squirrels and small mammals. Many species of native wasps create galls on the branches of the trees, making this tree an important part of their life cycle. Acorn woodpeckers rely heavily on these trees for food. 

Chanterelle mushrooms are also primarily found growing around Coast Live Oaks. Mites living in the hair tufts on the underside of leaves help protect the Oak’s leaves from fungal infection.

The Oaks embody the qualities of strength, wisdom, longevity and determination. Our Club has planted Oak trees in several community parks, including Paradise Hills Community Park, Montgomery Waller Community Park and Linda Vista Community Park.

We hope this article inspires you to consider the gift of a tree—a living legacy that grows and flourishes with time. Whether celebrating a milestone birthday, sharing holiday joy, or honoring the memory of a loved one, donating a tree makes a meaningful and lasting tribute. With its strength and endurance, an oak tree stands as a symbol of resilience and renewal, bringing beauty to our world for generations to come.

To honor or memorialize someone, use this link to donate a commemorative tree in their name. To donate via mail, send a $75 check and a completed form (found on page 46 of the yearbook or online at VGCLJ.com) to Village Garden Club of La Jolla; 1140 Wall Street, #783; La Jolla, CA 92038-7003.

Devonna Hall and Libby Levine
Co-Chairs, Commemorative Trees

DOnate here

Master Gardeners

November's "To Do" in the Garden

Plant

With wet weather coming, we hope, and the heat behind us, now is the time to plant trees, shrubs, perennials and ground covers.  

Flowering cabbages in autumnal shades, bulbs, seasonal annuals and winter-blooming perennials are disappearing from shelves. Hurry. 

Pat Welsh believed November was the best time to plant California Natives.  If you are new to Natives, don’t assume you can plant them and walk away.  They require a specific set of how-tos and are not all waterwise.  Check with the nursery and do some research before you embark on a major project.

Wildflowers love to be seeded or planted now.  Be sure you do a thorough weeding first.

There’s still time to seed winter veggies such as beets, carrots, leafy greens and radishes.  You will need transplants if you hope to harvest broccoli and her cousins, celery, peas and parsley.  

Last week I lifted my strawberries, discarded those older or diseased, and replanted the runners. (Our spring rains ruined my crop but I am forever hopeful.)

Redesign your pots for the front door, patio and balcony.  

Feed

For a holiday display, plants need food now, and lots of it.  Our cooler weather doesn’t allow hybridized perennials and annuals to naturally absorb the nitrogen needed for an abnormal flush of flowers.  Try liquid fertilizer every 2 weeks or a pellet but be sure it gets the water it needs to dissolve.  Heavier feedings can burn the plant. Instead, stick to a 2-week schedule for liquid fertilizer or use a liquid boost to supplement the pellet.

Prune

Trees that are very dense need to be pruned. There’s an old maxim that says a bird should be able to fly through the tree. Pruning after bloom will prevent winter storm damage and give a good blooming next year.

Shrubs that do not bloom in the winter or are not fully budded like many camellias can be shaped now.  Follow the natural form of the shrub: vase-like, oval, columnar unless you want a more formal or geometric design that complements your home’s architecture.

Prune back your spring and summer flowering perennials.  They’ve gotten very leggy and their lower stems covered in old leaves are breeding grounds for disease.  Winter’s sun will keep them healthy.

Rejuvenate

Flowering perennials are resting now so it is a good time to divide them, share your bounty with friends, neighbors, and VGCLJ members.

Soil that is taken care of will reward you with a healthier garden.  Add compost and worm casings to bare areas, till with a pronged tool, and then cover with 2-3” of mulch.  This will prevent dirt splashing onto the path or wall.  Anything heavier will prevent the lighter rains from reaching the ground.

Eliminate

Go snail hunting during a morning fog or after it rains. Plop them into a container and discard them.  Do not put them in your green containers.

Reset

Your automatic irrigation systems need to go on less often but keep the length of time it operates for a particular zone.  You might consider getting it automated so it will not go on after a rain.  But be forewarned:  heavy fog will turn it off and plants may not get the water they need, especially if newly planted.

Visit

The Festival of Trees at December Nights will be here soon. Look for our tree.

Come to our table for freebies and advice on how to plant them.  

You can also use our two websites:  mg.ucanr.edu and mastergardenersd.org.

BJ Boland, Karen White and Heather Hazen