Commemorative Tree Program          

Susan Alleshouse and Ana Canto; Co-Chairs   
                  

Wreaths Across America

Thanks to you, together with sponsorship groups across the U.S., more than 3.1 million wreaths were sponsored in 2025.  Here’s an email that was sent to us by an executive director of the organization. You can read it here.

Kate Engler

The Village Grapevine 

Favorite Books

We asked some members what books they have particularly enjoyed. Maybe there's something here that will inspire or interest you.

My favorite book on gardening is Pat Welsh'sSouthern California Organic Gardening. It's organized month-by-month so I can look at the month and see what I need to be doing.  Pat's writing is entertaining and informative and she has a wonderful sense of humor.  I've heard Pat speak many times and each time I learned something new.  I also loveScott Schrader Exterior Designfor inspiration.--Devonna Hall

My favorite book is very dear to my heart and I refer to it often.  Sargent by Carter Ratcliff is a wonderfully illustrated account of the life and art of John Singer Sargent. Primarily a portrait painter, he is my favorite artist and I study his methods assiduously.—Jean Collins

I enjoyed The Wild Trees by Richard Preston. It’s a great story about the giant sequoias, their ecosystem at the top of the tree and how the old growth sequoia groves are being protected. Preston and Childs have written several thriller mysteries known as the Pendergast series. They are a quick read for a plane trip!—Susan Alleshouse

I choose The Wild Trees by Richard Preston. It’s a real life, non-fiction recount of how a group of passionate naturalists and freestyle climbers went about locating and documenting the largest coastal redwoods in California. Beautifully written and fascinating.—Moya Gollaher

The Handmaid’s Tale is a futuristic dystopian novel by Margaret Atwood, written in 1985. It’s set in a patriarchal, totalitarian country known as the Republic of Gilead, which has overthrown the United Sates. Women are forcibly required to produce children for the Commanders, who are the ruling class in Gilead. The Church is aligned with the government. There was a worldwide drop in fertility due to a polluted environment. Men’s sperm counts crashed. I have always been stunned that Atwood was so prescient in reading the tea leaves.—Olga Fabrick

One of my favorites is The Last Green Valley by Mark Sullivan. He makes history come alive especially as he relates this true story of a Ukrainian family’s incredible escape from their homeland as war breaks out between Russia and Germany. Their faith, love, courage and will to live are truly inspiring!--Lynne Engh

I love One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle. The book explores themes of mother-daughter relationships and self-discovery set against the beautiful backdrop of the Amalfi Coast.  Wonderful!--Amy Hober

This book made me appreciate historical fiction. It's The Passion of Artemisia by local author, Susan Vreeland. I read it 20+ years ago.  It's the story of the Italian painter, Artemisia Gentileschi, as she lives quite a life in 17th century Italy. You’ll recognize other famous artists and personalities from Rome to Florence including Galileo and Michelangelo.  I need to read it again!--Kate Engler

Schoolyard Gardening Grants 

Spring Visits Underway! 

Our garden-loving SYGG members are hitting the road and fanning out across the county over the next few weeks. 

The schools are supported by your generous contributions, and we’ll be popping in to visit our grateful school garden grant recipients. Committee members have liaised with nine area schools to tour their campuses alongside students and teachers while cheering on all that beautiful growth.

Thank you to those who stepped up to be leads! Claudia Chan-Shaffer (Darnall); Wendy Morris and Gail Feldman (Curie Elementary); Paula McGraime (Fallbrook STEM Academy and Maie Ellis Elementary); Susan Vandendriesse and Cindy Lautanen (Imperial Beach Charter School); Susan Graceman (La Jolla Elementary); Moya Gollaher (Ocean Beach Elementary); Jennifer Fries (St. John School); Wendy Morris and Sue Kalish (Torrey Pines Elementary) and Nancy Cunningham (South Oceanside Elementary.)

Susan Vandendriesse and Mary Lippman

Master Gardeners

Many gardeners, though certainly not one of us, mistakenly call the popular pelargonium a geranium. Though we all know the difference, it has become the acceptable name. Even garden centers advertise geraniums when they mean pelargoniums.

Rich in colors ranging from white through almost black, they cover every tone in the red family. They start with pinks, move into reds and then maroons. There are oranges and corals as well.  Because of this range, you can choose a cool selection of frosty pinks, lavenders, violets and plums. Or go hot with fire engine red and neon orange.

With so many shades, you can find a number of partners, both annuals and perennials, that play well together. Go for high contrast using the lightest and darkest combinations or stir together colors in the same range, from peach to coral.  Add a small flowering yellow to reds and oranges to create a fire effect.  Or stay with a variety of whites.

A variety of whites? Pelargoniums are now hybridized for bi-colors with the smaller inside petals in a second hue. There are whites with a speck or stroke of pink or orange or purple, and there are more choices.  The leaves, once available in only emerald green, now come tinged with yellow producing a powerful lime, or tinged with blue for a deep green. Some hybrids have multicolored leaves mimicking the colors of a coleus.

There are four types of pelargoniums. Zonal “geraniums” (Pelargonium hortorum) tend to be the least expensive because they are easily propagated. They are recognized by zones/stripes on their leaves. Many will flower for 10 months in southern California if fed regularly. You'll find them in large swaths in resorts and parks but are also effective in containers or flower beds. A smaller head will weave into a lovely collection of mixed choices or choose a larger flower head for a bold effect even without companions.

A souped up version of a zonal is a Martha Washington hybrid.  Their flower balls are larger, often on longer stems.  Of course you trade this spectacular show for a slightly shorter bloom period.  They do not love the heat that can descend upon us.  You can try to grow them in partial shade for a longer flowering time. 

Ivy “geraniums” have smaller leaves shaped like  - tadah – ivy. They're perfect for draping over large containers or hanging baskets. They also can weave in your ground beds for spice of unexpected color. To keep the color going, cut back the leggy stems regularly. I grow one trained up an obelisk for quite a show.

Then there is the naughty combination of ivy and zonal. They are better suited for baskets and urns because their growth is slower, less leggy, with wonderful blooms.

The last of the pelargonium groups is the scented variety, including the favorite spearmint and peppermint, the perfume-like rose and lemon, and surprises like pine, clove, cinnamon. And so many more. These scented pelargoniums come in a variety of sizes and colors. Some have large, furry and gray leaves. Others look like cut doilies. 

Have questions about propagation or care?  Step by the Ask-A-Master-Gardener table.  Karen White and I will do our best to answer your questions. 

BJ Boland