To promote knowledge, enjoyment, cultivation, and conservation of cacti and other succulent plants among its members, other individuals and organizations throughout West-Central Colorado

JULY PROGRAM:

OUTDOOR GARDENING AT THE WCBG Chinle members will have an interesting and educational opportunity at the July Regular Meeting of the Chinle Cactus & Succulent Society meeting on July 9th. The program will feature a “stroll” through the WCBG, with discussion about the plants, the garden itself, problems with plants and remedies, and lots of time for questions and answers from knowledgable members. Don Campbell will lead the “stroll”, but he encourages members to bring their own experiences to the event to share gardening hints, plant issues and problems, and solutions they’ve discovered.

The WCBG is a great “classroom” and the plants there perform equally as beautifully as the blooms at CSU shown by the photo on the right by Maryann Benoit.

Check out page five for other photos taken by Maryann of the beautiful, blooming plants at the CSU garden.

MAKE PLANS FOR THE CRUMP’S TOUR IN AUGUST Next month, the Society will be making a trip to the Crump’s Greenhouse in Buena Vista to tour the commercial greenhouse and have a special opportunity to view (and purchase) plants in this “private showing.” If you plan to attend, here is some information you might find useful in your planning. After you have considered the options, please look at the form on page ten and complete the information. Then send it to Maryann Benoit or call her with the information.

The itinerary for the tour is as follows:

Travel to Buena Vista on your own. Several members typically drive up on Friday night and return Sunday morning. Others leave early on Saturday to arrive at the greenhouse around 10 am. In either event, if you would like to carpool, please let Maryann Benoit know and she can help arrange the “pooling”.

Saturday, August 29th: 10:00 - 11:00 AM - Arrive at the Crump Greenhouse, 225 S. Pleasant Ave., Buena Vista, CO 719-395-2682. Park on the street.

News of the Chinle Cactus & Succulent Society July 2015 Vol. 7, No. 7

Succulent Morsels

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11:00 AM Tour greenhouse

Noon - 1:00 PM - Box lunches on site. The CC&SS will provide drinks. Box lunches will be available for $7. You will need to let Maryann know what kind of sandwich you want (beef, smoked turkey or vegetarian). For convenience you can fill out the form on page ten and bring it to the meeting, July 9th. 1:00 - 2:00 PM - Continue to tour greenhouses and buy plants

2:00 PM ± - Guided auto tour to see native cacti with Rita Crump

4:00 -6:00 pm - Free Time

6:00 - 7:00 PM - Group dinner reservation at local restaurant (optional) - please let Maryann know if you plan to stay for dinner and join the group. Sunday, August 30th:Travel to Grand Jct. on your own - Saturday or Sunday (your choice).

FYI, a block of rooms has been reserved for the Chinle C&S Society at the Super 8 motel in Buena Vista, 4993 530 N US Hwy 24, Buena Vista, CO, If you want a reservation, phone them at 1-800-628-8491 or 1-800-536-0719 and tell them you are with the Chinle Cactus & Succulent Society for the special rate.

PLANT OF THE MONTH: Echinocereus reichenbachii baileyi Tom Burrows reports “Here is a photo I just took of an Echinocereus reichenbachii baileyi that is now blooming. This is the first of my seed-grown specimens to bloom. The plant is about 7" tall, including the flower.”

Botanical name: Echinocereus reichenbachii var. baileyi Common name: black lace cactus, also known as cob cactus, Echinocereus baileyi, merry widow cactus, lace cactus)

Black lace cactus starts out as a single stem and slowly clusters to form an impressive clump. It is the "shaggy dog" of lace cacti with its long (but friendly) brownish or pinkish spines arranged in neat, comb-like rows. Huge (up to 5" across), dark pink flowers open over a 2-3 week period in late spring. Easily grown in pots and rock gardens in any fast draining soil. Because this xeric plant needs longer periods of warm weather to establish its roots properly, it is not recommended for fall planting in Zones 3-6.

MORE OF TOM’S BACKYARD CACTUS BEAUTIES:

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CSU GARDEN PERFORMING NICELY!! (photo by J. Hassell)

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BEAUTIFUL MILK WEED Don Campbell shares this email from From Bob Clarke received on May 31, 2015. The photos are of the flower of the Asclepias asperula, commmon name, milkweed. Bob notes that the name “Asclepias” comes from the Greek God of Healing, Asklepios. Asperula, according to Bob means “rough”, although he notes that he is “not sure how this applies.” Pictures: the 10X picture is taken through a binocular microscope. “The milkweed flower

certainly is unique (I suppose that's somewhat of an understatemen) and it’s striking! Also wanted to let you know about this website, if your not already familiar with it, created by Al Scneider in the Four Corners area, www.swcoloradowildflowers.com”

WHAT NOT TO DO IN YOUR GARDEN! (Jeff Brimley sends this description of what could have been a plumbing disaster at his Bountiful, UT home. FYI, his system works. We had the same need in our 1913 Gunnison Ave, house, and had to run the trenchless pipe under our backyard, water feature, and two-car garage.! He share his tale here with the club members.) “On Mother's day, my water main decided to blow. It’s the original steel pipe, from 1945. So, I started digging. I found the old pipe and a lot of construction debris, next to the house. Monday, I found a company that specialized in trench-less pipe

repair, Restore Pipe Systems. If I had to trench, it would have weakened two Redwood trees, that would have blown over, in our strong east winds. Also,It would have destroyed years of landscape work. Restore did a great job and were so careful not to crush any plants.

“I had to move cactus, decretive rock and the fence. They did the rest of the digging by the meter. It was so muddy.

“They cut and cleaned out the old pipe.Then they pushed a steel cable, through it. It went from the house to the meter. On the house end, the cable, had a cone shaped cutter and an attachment, for the new pipe. They placed a 50 ton hydraulic ram, at the meter. This thing pulled the cutter through the pipe, splitting it open lake a banana and pulled the new pipe with it. It sounded like an underground machine gun as it chattered its way through. After the cutter hit a union connecter, it broke the old pipe in half. The ram was so strong it pulled the old pipe, out of the ground along with the cutter. Along with the new pipe, they attached a copper wire so that it can be located in the future.

“The new pipe is in and leak free. I think the old pipe had been leaking for a long time. The Redwood trees had roots wrapped all around the meter base and the pipe. My water bill should be a lot less now.”

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Thanks to Maryann Benoit for this beautiful array of photos at CSU!

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TO GIVE AWAY….. From Kimberley Sheek “My daughter and son-in-law have decided they don't want these two cactus (Cylindropuntia whipplei on left, C. imbricata on right) www.swcoloradowildflowers.comin their front landscaping. Do you think anyone in the cactus society might want one or both?” For more information, you can email her at kimsheek@gmail.com.

MAY’S MEETING ENTERTAINING AND EDUCATIONAL! Our speaker for the May meeting, Leo Chance, once more opened our eyes to the many species of cacti and succulents that actually do well in the Grand Junction area, He also brought cold hardy plants with him for members to “buy and try”. Some surprising plants that can tolerate our climate are lithops, and he gave us some tips on how not to overwater them. He has some that are many years old! Also, he showed many photos of gorgeous Delespermas, perfect for combining with other wild flowers to brighten up any cactus garden.

Some special guests to the meeting included Roswitha Moehring, from the Denver C&SS Club, who was instrumental in helping to make the Echinocereus triglodiratos our Colorado State Cactus by going to testify before the Colorado legislature when none of us on the Western Slope could get there to do so. Bobbi and Reed Irwin,

Kimberly Sheeks, and other guests were welcomed to the program.

(L to R) Chris Christlieb, Kate Weissenburger, our Speaker Leo Chance and Walt Scheer look over the cold hardy plants Leo brought to the meeting. Don and Roswitha share a laugh during the break.

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Tom Burrows (above right), brought in an Echinopsis subenudata, a night bloomer, that had just started to open at the start of the meeting, and by the end of the meeting, had produced the lovely bloom above. Tom’s plant was featured in the May newsletter, and this flower was from the same plant, but another bud.

DENVER BOTANICAL GARDEN SHINES! Date line Denver From Correspondents Deb & Glenn Mallory

“Glenn and I were in Denver last week, and visited the Denver Botanic Gardens, right after hearing Leo Chance speak at our regular meeting. Since Mr. Chance had talked about how those species of Opuntia found on the prairie, love growing together with the lush grasses of the prairie, we found the display of plants in the Laura Smith Porter Plains Garden especially beautiful. We were there at a perfect time, right after all the rain, so that particular garden was especially green and lovely.

“For anyone not familiar with DBG, the Plains Garden is on the west side of the gardens, near the Japanese garden and tea house.”

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GARDEN PARTIES ARE A “HOT” TOPIC!

Lois Davidson reports a nice turnout for the CSU Garden Party on June 20th, despite the hot weather. Participants included Glenn and Deb Mallory, Lois Davidson, Julie Bursi, Kathy Murdock, Shari Skeie, Tom Burrows and Kate Weissenburger were the busy weeders. Deb Mallory commented that “the garden looks pretty good, not as many weeds as I expected. The gravel path was what needed the most help - Lois was planning on going back to spray that.” Photos and captions by Glenn Mallory.

Lois decides on what can stay and what should go. Kathy (top) and Shari (bottom) hard at work!

Julie Bursi surrounded by blooms. The Garden is looking good!

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ON THE LIGHTER SIDE

Hotel P. Simpsonii, built by Kate Weissenberger to keep her pedios from getting sunburned!

The Hassells add their efforts to the photo contest entries! (Janet’s photo of a Pediocactus simpsonii on left, and Bill’s photo of an Opuntia polycantha on the right.

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Crump’s Tour Sign-Up Sheet

Name(s)______________________________________ Phone__________________

Friday, August 28th ____ I/We plan to drive up on Friday Will be staying at:________________________

____ Would like to car pool (____ can drive) (_____need a ride)

____ Would like to join the group for dinner Friday night.

Saturday, August 29th

Please select your lunch choice:

____ Beef sandwich _____ Chicken or Turkey ______ Veggie Cost: $7.00 per person

____ Will be driving home on Saturday, August 29th

____ Will stay in Buena Vista Saturday night.

____ Would like to join the group for dinner.

Sunday, August 30th

____ I/We plan to drive home on Sunday.

____ Would like to car pool (____ can drive) (_____need a ride)

____ Would like to join the group for dinner Friday night.

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Members may be interested in the second session of this “Weed Rodeo” on July 13th and August 4th.

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS - June thru September 2015

JULY 6 Chinle C&SS Board Mtg - 7-9 pm 2182 Standing Rock Drive The Redlands off S. Camp Road

JULY 8 Garden Party - Wednesday, WCBG - at 8 am

JULY 9th Regular Meeting of the Chinle C&SS 6:30 pm Program: Outdoor Gardening - featuring the Western Colorado Cactus & Succulent Gardens Location: Western Colorado Botanical Garden Library

JULY 22 Garden Party - Wednesday, CSU Extension - at 8 am

NOTICE: No regularly scheduled Member meeting in August.

AUG 6 Chinle C&SS Board Mtg - 7-9 pm 2182 Standing Rock Drive The Redlands off S. Camp Road

AUG 8 Garden Party - Saturday, WC Botanical Gardens - at 8 am

AUG 22 Garden Party - Saturday, CSU Extension Gardens - a 8 am

AUG 29 Crumps Greenhouse Tour - Replaces regular August meeting. See Details on page one of this newsletter.

Sept 5 Garden Party, Saturday, WC Botanical Gardens, at 8 am

Sept 7 Chinle C&SS Board Mtg - 7-9 pm 2182 Standing Rock Drive The Redlands off S. Camp Road

SEPT 10 Regular Meeting of the Chinle C&SS 6:30 pm Program: TBA Location: Western Colorado Botanical Garden Library

Sept 16 Garden Party, Wednesday, CSU Extension Garden, at 8 am

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Photo by Maryann Benoit - CSU Garden

2015 Chinle Cactus and Succulent Society Board

President: Maryann Benoit Co-Secretaries: Deb & Glenn Mallory Treasurer: Loren Benoit 970-270-3287 970-245-6168 970-254-7471 Web Master: Tom Burrows Member at Large: Lisa Hamilton 970-462-6767 970-987-1418

V. Pres & Newsletter Editor: Janet Hassell Garden ActivitiesCoordinator: Lois Davidson 970-263-0910 970-242-2879

Program Committee: Past President: Bill Hassell Don Campbell: 970-245-5088 970-263-0910 Shari Skeie: 970-963-7266

Chinle Cactus and Succulent Society usually meets the 2nd Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm. Meetings are held in the Western Colorado Botanical Garden Library, 641 Struthers Ave., Grand Junction, CO. Guests are always welcome.

Chinle Mailing Address: Chinle Cactus & Succulent Society, PO Box 233, Grand Junction, CO 81502 CHINLE C&SS WEBSITE: www.chinlecactusclub.org