Occasionally COGC will publish gardening news or information of interest to all gardeners. Check this page for new items.
September 8, 2021
UCCE Master Food Preservers of Orange County
UCCE Master Food Preservers of Orange County (MFPOC) are certified by the University of California to extend research-based knowledge about food safety and safe ways to preserve food at home. They volunteer their time to teach hands-on classes and reach out to the greater community with demonstrations and information booths at various locations through Orange County.
At our September Zoom meeting, Master Food Preserver, Sybella Patten <jesvpatten@gmail.com> shared information about food safety and safe ways to preserve food at home. The links below contain information about food preservation and a recipe for Dill Pickles.
Approved Resources for Home Food Preservation
Using Atmospheric Steam Canners
Quick Fresh-Pack Dill Pickles Recipe
November 7, 2020
POLLINATORS
By Terry Sampson
Do you remember growing up and playing in your back yard? We would hold dandelions under our chin and if our chin turned yellow that meant we liked butter. We would pick snapdragons and put them on our fingers and then open and close our fingers and it looked like the flower was talking. As we got older we can’t forget the “she loves me, she loves me not” daisy. As we plucked off the petals, we always thought could we count the middle of the flower if it worked out in our favor?
All of those flowers are still around and many more. When someone says to you, “Oh, you belong to a garden club” the next thing they usually say is that they don’t have room for a garden. I explain that gardening is just not vegetables, but it can be flowers and herbs also. Flowers do not take up very much room and you can grow herbs in cute little pots on your patio.
I encourage people to grow as many flowers as they can for the pollinators. Pollinators are so important for all crops. The small pot of flowers someone plants on their patio will attract bees, butterflies and other pollinators which in turn may fly to their neighbor’s house and pollinate that tomato plant and when their neighbor comes over with a basket of tomatoes you would know you played a part in the scheme of things.
With all of this pandemic going on and people staying closer to home it has given us the opportunity to really realize that Mother Nature was not the least bit bothered by what was happening in the world. Your fruit tree still produced those huge apricots. Your apple tree had so many blossoms so this fall the apples will make a great pie.
Now is the time to spread the word about how important it is to plant flowers so the pollinators can do their job. There are many different types of bees that pollinate and some of them are really nice. They could care less about you and really not into stinging you. Two of those types are the Mason Bee and the Leaf cutter Bee.
When you are invited to a friend’s house for dinner (yes, it will happen again someday) bring them a flowering plant or a pot with several packets of seeds in the pot. Add a small bag of compost with it and they will be very grateful. (you do make your own compost, right?) Sharing your love of plants will spill out onto others. Stay safe and stay healthy.
Terry Sampson, Pollinators Chairman
Hesperia Garden Club
September 26, 2020
Pre-Order your Baker Creek 2021 Whole Seed Catalog
The 2021 Whole Seed Catalog is available now for
pre-order — and it ships free! This 500-page catalog is Baker Creek’s biggest and best yet, bursting with exciting new heirloom varieties from around the globe, plus recipes, articles, advice on growing and saving heirloom seed, and comprehensive histories of precious heirloom strains. It contains over 1,000 of the very best heirloom varieties we offered in 2020. The Whole Seed Catalog earns praise for its full-color design and breathtaking photography, and this one for 2021 will not disappoint. It is a must have for the coffee table, and it will surely be treasured for years to come.
The Whole Seed Catalog has come to be regarded as the preeminent resource for amazing heirloom/open-pollinated seeds, as well as cutting-edge information for and about the pure food movement.
Allow 4-6 weeks for arrival, as it ships separately. International customers can order the same catalog for international delivery here. The Whole Seed catalog will also be available on newsstands from December 3rd through February at a variety of retail locations, including Barnes and Noble, Tractor Supply, Dollar General and more!
You can request our beautiful free catalog here: https://www.rareseeds.com/request-catalogus/
FREE SHIPPING ON ALL NORTH AMERICAN ORDERS, SHOP NOW!
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April 13, 2019
COGC Organic Vegetable Plant Sale
Saturday, April 13, 8 AM to 3 PM
5081 Flamingo Circle
Huntington Beach, California
The California Organic Gardening Club is holding a neighborhood plant sale. If you missed out on last weekend’s Green Scene Plant Sale this is a great opportunity for you to stock your vegetable garden.
Our plants are in 3-inch and 4-inch pots. All plants were grown organically from organic and non-GMO seeds.
Locally grown hot and sweet peppers, eggplants, cucumbers, squash and more!
Experienced gardeners will be on hand to advise you on selecting and growing your own homegrown vegetables.
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September 10, 2017 – COGC will need a new secretary as Pam will be resigning as of December.
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August 16, 2017
These articles were taken from
Waconiah – Newsletter of Pacific Region Garden Clubs – August 2017.
The Buzz: Not all Plants are Safe for Bees
by Josie Goodenow, Bees Chairman
Invasives
by Janet Petersen, Invasives Chairman
California Organic Gardening Club 