The Upper Newport Bay will be holding their First Annual Bugs, Blooms, & Butterflies event on Saturday, May 10, 2014 from 10am to 2pm at 2301 University Drive  Newport Beach, CA  92627.
 
Among the activities will be:  education regarding the planting of native plants; understanding the connections between the insect population and native plants; introduction to butterflies and how they are beneficial to native plants; and native plant sales.
 
Master Gardeners will have a booth to hand out related materials; hold 5 minute planting demonstrations, and provide information on creating a children's garden along with seed packets to get them started.

The South African bulbs are beginning their spectacular annual display. 

Come enjoy this once a year event at the UCI Arboretum.  The UCI Arboretum is open Tuesday through Saturday between the hours 9:00amto 3:00pm.  It is closed on Sunday and Monday. 

If you would like a personal tour lead by the Master Gardeners who lovingly work at this venue, please plan to arrive on any Wednesday between 9:00 and 11:30 am. 

UCI's Arboretum is located near the corner of Jamboree and Campus in Irvine.  As you travel down Campus southbound, make the first right into the parking lot. 

See more at their website: http://arboretum.bio.uci.edu/

 

Of the estimated 29 billion gallons of water used daily by households in the United States, more than 8.5 billion, or 30 percent, is devoted to outdoor water use. In dry climates, a household's outdoor water use can be as high as 60 percent. The majority of this is used for landscaping. In fact, it is estimated that the average American home consumes 58,000 gallons of water outdoors each year, mostly for irrigation. (EPA.gov)

1. Prioritize Your Plants-First, determine which plants are most susceptible to water stress. High on your watering list should be plants that are valuable in terms of replacement cost, prominence in the landscape and enjoyment. High Priority- trees and shrubs (especially those that are young and planted in an exposed site). Large, mature shade trees and shrubs can be left alone unless the drought is severe and the trees begin to wilt, or the root systems have been recently disturbed. Medium to high priority- perennials, fruit and nut trees, small fruits and vegetables; turf that is less than one-year old. Low priority- annual flower and herb plants, ornamental grasses, established turf. These are relatively inexpensive and easily replaced. It may be difficult to keep large beds of annuals adequately watered during a drought Densler-front-4 copy

2. Apply 3-4” of mulch around plants to keep weeds down, conserve soil moisture and moderate soil temperatures. Make sure the mulch is 3-4” away from the trunk/stem of the plant to prevent rot. Mulching minimizes evaporation of water from the soil surface, reducing irrigation need by around 50%.

3. Control weeds around shrubs, vegetables and flowers. Weeds can out-compete cultivated garden plants for water and nutrients.

4. If purchasing new plants, research those that are low water users. All plants require water to become established (CA Natives included) but there are some that are bigger water guzzlers than others.

5. When possible, add organic matter (compost) to your soil. This will improve the water-holding capacity during dry weather and promote good drainage during wet weather.

6. Irrigate early in the morning. Less water loss occurs from evaporation and wind drift in the morning because of cooler temperatures and less wind. patio-123

7. Use a broom to clean driveways, sidewalks and steps. Using a hose to push around a few leaves and scraps of paper can waste hundreds of gallons of water.

8. Don't fertilize or, if you do, do so with a low nitrogen fertilizer. Fertilization stimulates growth and increases water needs.

9. The type of soil you have largely determines how often you should water: Clay soils may only need to be watered once during a given period while sandy soils may need two or three waterings during the same time.

10. Avoid runoff and puddling by spacing out, or cycling, irrigations. Let the sprinklers run for 10 minutes then shut them off for 10 minutes, allowing the water to absorb into the ground.

Attendance is mandatory for all Master Gardener in training classes. This schedule includes 16  Thursday classes and  2 Saturday field trips.   Master Gardeners in Training are allowed one absence.  More than one absence may result in dismissal from the program.  If you are aware of other commitments you have during the training period  that would require more than one absence from class, we ask that you apply another year, when your schedule is open to meeting our rigorous schedule.

Please visit the "How To Become A Master Gardener" for more information and details.