With the Best Weather Yet for the final event of the year, 70 members gathered at the Carmel Valley Community Youth Center for a great end of year party.  First we welcomed our new Board members, Carolyn Rice, June Dawson, Dianne Woods and Ed Morrow (above left).  Then we gave out grants to 8 local nonprofits:  Carmel Valley Community Youth Center, Friends of Carmel Valley Historical Society, Carmel Valley Boy Scout Troop #127, Carmel Valley Village Improvement Committee, Rosie's Garden, Hidden Valley Music Seminars and Tularcitos Parent Teacher Organization.  Next we feasted on member provided potluck items and club provided entrees (John Brocco and Elaine Kramer on grill duty).  

Many thanks to Karolyn Stone and her team for all the hard work arranging this great event.

More Photos available in the 2019 June BBQ Photo Album.

On April 25, 22 "adventuresome" members of the club had an amazing wildflower hike down and then up Black Mountain trail in the Santa Lucia Preserve.  Following our wonderful guide, Christy Fischer, Executive Director of the Santa Lucia Conservancy, we hiked down through fields of Lupine, and numerous other flowers such as Rose Clover, Johnny Jump-up, and Clarkia, and then through more wooded area with larkspur, Chinese Houses, cut-leaved geranium, Scarlet Pimpernel, Shooting Stars, and many many more.  We couldn't have had more perfect weather, and photographers in the group had ample opportunity to get great shots to enter into the Photography contest at the Garden Show. More photos in this 2019 April Wildflower Walk album.
Kudos to Ed Dickson for arranging such a great hike. 

Members Isabella de Sibert and Susan Osborne provided an entertaining and educational session on multiple aspects of preparing flowers and plants for exhibition in the Garden Show.  They provided an outline of tips which they covered with hands-on demonstrations.  Topics included rules, entry forms, the importance of identifying your flowers/plants, including roses, and they provided many helpful suggestions on how to clean, handle and present cut flowers and container plants.

Once again, thanks to the many members who contributed items for the raffle to cover music costs at the show.  Our substitute photographer missed getting the winners' photograph this month.

Finally, the slate of officers for next year was approved as presented.  President will be Dianne Woods, Vice President will be June Dawson, Treasurer will be Ed Morrow and Secretary will be Carolyn Rice.  Our thanks to departing Officers Don Battles, Bob Byrne and Gordon Dill.  Gordon will remain on the Board as the CGCI representative.

(Click on any photo to enlarge)

To Bee or not to Bee* - Such was the question member Charlotte Muia posed to us during her delightful talk focused on "singular bees", mostly Mason bees.  She described the difference between "singular" bees and "social" or honey bees; why we should want to attract them to our yards (they are big-time pollinators); and how to raise them (carefully and in the refrigerator).  She recommends for those who are interested in raising native bees to head to the website of Crown Bees to learn about these amazing super pollinators.

We had a stupendous number of donations this week to raffle.  Thanks to Charlotte and Carl Muia for her olive oil and his metal sculpture; Bob Rice for his carved wooden bowl; Greg Thompson for two Bee Hotels; and Judy Tschirgi for her pottery and plant.  Our winners shown above were Dianne Woods, Margaret Johnson Patty Armstrong, Guest Molly, Robert Korstanje and Remy Ryan.  Thanks all for buying those tickets to support Live Music at the Garden Show!
*Thank you Bob Byrne...