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Sunday's Internet Edition, 08:18 AM, November 23, 2008.
River Valley Garden Club explores 'bold' use of succulents
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Photo by Wendy Smith
Ernesto Sandoval, Curator of the UC Davis Botanical Conservatory presents 'Succulents for Bold Year Round Interest' to the River Valley Garden Club on Tuesday, Oct. 28.
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By Wendy Smith
River Valley Times Staff
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UC Davis Botanical Conservatory Curator Ernest Sandoval treated the members of the River Valley Garden Club to a talk on succulents on Tuesday evening, Oct. 28 at the Rancho Murieta Association.
Sandoval, who grew up in Los Angeles, said he got his start in gardening by mowing lawns. “I learned to love gardening and landscape so much that when I saw what they had at UC Davis I actually volunteered to work for free until they hired me,” he said.
One of Sandoval’s specialties is succulents, or drought resistant plants that need little water storage. He offered outlines on which succulents will thrive in the River Valley climate and which ones are best avoided.
“Remember, just because you can buy it doesn’t mean that you should,” said Sandoval, He noted that many of the plants, while they fare well in the summer, would not hold up to the chilly winters.
Sandoval dispelled the myth that all succulents are spiny and threatening, like cacti and agave plants. “I love aloes,” he said. “They are softer than agaves, medicinal - and if you rub against them in the yard you won’t have problems.”
He also showed slides of many succulents with flowers, including the Star of Bethlehem, which has white flower sprays that offer a lovely accent to any garden.
For those wanting more traditional looking succulents, Sandoval recommended the Agave Americana Mediopicta. “This agave can handle anything,” he said. “That being said, be careful where you plant it because it may want to take over your garden.”
Sandoval also warned that if gardeners did like the appearance of spines, such as found on the Mezcal Ceniza plant, to be very careful when planting them. “You don’t want to plant them in a spot where your neighbors might injure themselves. It could create community tension, and no one likes that,” he said with a smile.
Sandoval also offered basic care tips for succulents to the members of the RVGC. “Make sure that they don’t get too wet in the winter, so slopes or providing them with drainage is a must,” he said. “Succulents also make terrible house plants because they really do prefer the sun. You can tell because they tan just like we do.”
He also recommended several gardens in California that feature succulents such as the Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek, The Strybing Arboretum, Botanical Gardens in San Francisco and the University of California Botanical Garden in Berkeley. Sandoval offered these as excellent examples of using succulents to accent gardens, and to use alongside other plants.
The RVGC also took some time to present one of their two scholarship recipients with a check. Cynthia Gause is a Cosumnes River College student who is pursuing botany. She does garden design and hopes one day to own her own nursery. The RVGC presented her with $500 in scholarship funds, as her family watched with pride. “Thank you so much for this,” she said. “This will truly help in my educational efforts.”
The RVGC is looking to extend its programs to youth in the area, using such icons as Smokey Bear. They are planning to hold a poster competition for first through fifth graders on the topic of forestry and conservation. The winner will be passed on to the National Garden Club and Forestry Service.
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