Nursery Work Day, 2008/9-#1

Our first official work day for the plant year 2008/9 involved lots of cleaning: Nanci, Bill, Steve and John. Nanci made sure all was cleaned up in Nursery, and then moved to cleaning seed from the rose hips and cactus fruit. Bill started the day by watering Dudleya and tree inventory, which have been on a every two week cycle over the summer. John, Steve, and Bill then proceeded to clean seed that we have collected over the 12 months. Then Steve helped do the final bag and label of seed, which I took home to get a 24 hour freeze to de-critter.
Oh… for those there, the plant listing is: Narrow leaved bedstraw, Galium angustifolium .
In the slideshow, click here, you’ll see Nanci starting to fill blender, with blades taped, with rose hip to begin seed separation. The “rose water” had the added benefit of softening your hands! Then you’ll see cactus fruit in bucket that had also been separated, then seed skimmed off top. Bill is taking the husk off False Indigo seeds. (Click any pic to enlarge)

Seed Collecting 2008

Collected rose, cactus fruit, acorns (coast live and scrub), wild rye grass, elderberry and Brickle brush with John today on Laurel loop trail. Very plentiful collection. Ranger Jacky is collecting more cactus fruit from the Nix area too. Click here for rose bed close up. (Click any pic to enlarge)

Seed Collecting

Seed collecting today with John and Bill up Laurel Loop. We scouted acorns for Coast Live Oak and Scrub Oak which are abundant, but not quite ready: on tree, turning brown and come out of cap easily. However we did collect rose and false indigo. (Click any pic to enlarge)

Big Minds Meet

Met with Karl today, new Executive Director for Laguna Canyon Foundation. Karl is all around good guy. Karl and I took Liz Brown's Docent class in 1999. With the LCF's support, we're able to continue on with projects and add to the Nursery, as witnessed by our new carts! After 7 years, we're finally using the wheel to move things around.

Nursery Work Day

Anne, David and John came to work. David and John potted up the remaining larger plants into 5 gallon pots. In the larger pots the plants can over-summer with less care and less stress. These plants were moved to the new tree structure. They were able to use up most of the recycled potting soil we had left.
Anne, John and I cleaned the 115-or-so 5 gallon pots that I’d fished out of the recycle bin at my work. This saved the Nursery about $600 for new pots being shipped to us.
The new docent training class stopped in with Bette to get a birds eye view of us working away.

Seed Collecting & Deer

I went seed collecting and as I was trying to see the rose patch by El Toro/LCH, a “foot step” behind me made me jump, only to find a deer grazing on elderberry. Collected Mountain Mahogany, Golden Yarrow and Golden Stars. Looks like it will be super year for Toyon and Oaks. Click here for current list.

Seed collecting with John. Collected: Mustang mint, onion and Mariposa lily. Black sage seed is abundant. The shrub oak look like they will bear well this year. Click here for current list.