Livermore Amador Valley Garden Club (LAVGC) is a non-profit educational service organization affiliated with California Garden Clubs, Inc. serving the Tri-Valley Area: Dublin, Livermore, Pleasanton, San Ramon and Sunol.

LAVGC Mission: Encourage interest in all phases of home gardening; Promote better horticultural practices; Promote civic beauty; Promote conservation of natural resources.

LAVGC offers special interest groups and workshops on a variety of related subjects.

Different special interest groups include Floral Design, Herb and Culinary, and Mediterranean/Native Plants.

Members take tours to see outstanding gardens, nurseries and to attend horticultural events. In addition, there are local hikes to see the wild flowers growing in the Tri-Valley area. Members also perform community service locally and nationally.

Thursday May 9 at 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Aesthetic Pruning of Citrus for Fruit Production

LAVGC monthly meeting is at the Alisal Elementary School multipurpose room, 1454 Santa Rita Road, Pleasanton, CA 94566.

Elizabeth Ruiz, instructor, aesthetic pruner, and owner of a local landscaping firm, Go with Nature, will be discussing how to prune citrus for fruit production. She will have a live demo to best illustrate her techniques. Born and raised in Colombia, Elizabeth has a horticulture Certificate from Merritt College and studied aesthetic pruning with Dennis Makishima, who was the first to introduce the art of pruning to California. Living in Berkeley, her skills and passion come together as a garden designer and aesthetic pruner. Elizabeth is a regular speaker for Sloat Garden Centers and speaks and works around the Bay area. Her web site and business, Go With Nature, outlines her design and pruning philosophy, services offered and completed projects.

Dinner with the speaker: We will be meeting at the Oasis Grill, 780 Main Street, Pleasanton, at 5:15 PM before the meeting. All members are invited to attend. This is a great way to meet and converse with the speaker. If you plan on attending, please contact Sondra Bierre, by Wednesday May 8th, for reservations.

Bringing Back the Natives

Registration closes on April 27 for the free Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour (which takes place on Sunday, May 5) - please do so now!

Select Spring Tours - In addition to the main garden tour (Sunday, May 5) and the Native Plant Sale Extravaganza (Sat. and Sun. May 4 and 5), two more Select Tours will be offered this spring. Learn how to remove your lawn, or how to install a drip irrigation system in hands-on workshops that will take place Saturday and Sunday, May 18 and 19. Complete the registration form if you would like to sign up for a Select Tour.

Lee Giroux's garden will be on the Bay Friendly Garden Tour on Sunday, April 28, and Beth Clark's on the Bringing Back the Natives Tour on Sunday, May 5. The tours are free but you need to register for them at their websites.

Plant Sale

Saturday, April 27th from 9-1 at Amador High School Parking lot at 1155 Santa Rita Road in Pleasanton

Flyer Distribution

Please download, print and distribute the flyer to your friends.

Please sign up to help with the Plant Sale which is on Saturday, April 27th. Our Plant Sale is at the end of the month. Please sign up for at least one shift. We need your help! Signup sheets will be available at the April meeting or call Connie Archer

Available Jobs:

• Transportation - personal vehicles (to load priced plants and transport them to the sale on Saturday. This can be any kind of vehicle.
• Helpers Friday late afternoon to load the Alden Lane truck with plants that did not get in personal vehicles at the Livermore and Pleasanton pricing locations.
• Set-up 7 a.m.9 a.m., help set up tables and put out plants
• Plant Sale Assistant -8:30-10:30, 10:30 - 1 shifts, helps organize and label plant tables as well as provide information buyers.
• Holding Area/Sales Clerk - 10:30 am - 1 pm shifts.
• Refreshments - contribute food and/or sit at table for an hour.
• White Elephant Table - Shift Time 7:30-10 or 10-1
• Publicity - we need people to distribute flyers to Pleasanton, Livermore businesses, libraries, churches and shopping centers.

Where to Go to Help

Where to Bring your Plants: Spruced up and labeled plants should be brought to the Pricing houses by Friday, April 26 before the pricing begins.

• Pricing Parties will be Friday, April 26.
• The Livermore location is at the home of Erma McCue. Put plants on patio or in the driveway next to the gate. Start time is 9 am.
• The Pleasanton location is home of Rebecca Walker. The Pricers will try to get to Rebecca's by 11:45.
• Plants may be dropped off any day of the week. You might call the night before to let them know you are coming but that is not required.
• We need vehicles of all kinds to take the plants home overnight and bring them to the sale the next morning.
• Publicity flyers are still available to distribute to family, friends, neighbors, and businesses.
• White Elephant donations - cleaned and saleable should be delivered to Amador parking lot directly around 7:30 am on Saturday.
• Pop up shade canopies are needed for the day of the sale.
• Bring trays - cardboard or plastic flats for purchasers to take plants home in.

Questions? Contact Debra Howell or Tina Higashi

Sale goes on Rain or Shine

Financial Review Committee forming

Co Presidents Tina Higashi and Karen Abbruscato are forming a Financial Review Committee (as per our bylaws. This is not an audit.) to look over the fiscal records of the past year. We need two additional members who will help with this one time process. As this needs to be taken care of after the end of the fiscal year (June), this will take place sometime after our June meeting. If you are interested please contact Tina or Karen.

Flower Show School coming in 2013. . . . . if you like to plan way ahead!

Come and join us for Flower Show School September 18th, 19th and 20th, 2013 at Alden Lane Nursery.

Flower Show School is not only for prospective flower show exhibitors and judges, but also for all garden club members and all persons interested in flower design and horticulture. The horticulture curriculum consists of basic general information on proper gardening techniques from seed/plant selection to plant culture and control of problems. Information is also presented on cultural needs of specific perennials, annuals, trees and shrubs, as well as fruits, vegetables and nuts and how to grow superior container plants.

Design instruction covers traditional floral arrangements through contemporary styles and even designs incorporating lights and motors. Many attendees are particularly interested in table setting designs showing coordination of floral centerpiece, linens and dishes.

Thanks, thanks and more thanks

....A special thanks to all of those participating in the work parties to help spruce up the Tri-Valley and those helping with the redwood seedling tagging at Alden Lane > > More