A Garden Show at Merritt--SEED UP!

One of our propagators, Patti Tauscher, is also a movie maker. She has developed a television series called SEED UP! which is a modern take on the age-old art and science of horticulture. Each new episode introduces the classes, people and projects comprising the renowned Landscape Horticulture Department at Merritt College. Be ready for unique tours of the private gardens of professors and students. Take a fresh look at urban community gardening, propagation, pruning, permaculture, flower arrangement and more.

Patti is at work on Season 2. From Season 1, four episodes can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/peraltatv. More episodes are broadcast on Comcast TV Channel 28 viewable in Berkeley, Oakland, Emeryville:
Wednesday @ 11:30 am
Friday @ 4:30pm
Saturday @ 10 am
Sunday @ 2 pm
Monday @ 4:30 am (for insomniacs).

Program 1 starts July 22, 2009 and will repeat each 5 weeks.
Garden Tour: Patti Tauscher/an artist’s view
Native Plant Habitats with Glenn Keator
Monologue by DC Allen
Propagation Tips (seeds) with Susan Ashley
Know Your Trees (carob/sumac/maple) with Jocelyn Cohen
Show & Tell (dahlias) with Lawrence Lee

Program 2 starts July 29 and will repeat each 5 weeks.
Garden Tour: Glenn Keator/a collector’s garden
Urban Community Gardening with Tom Branca
Propagation Tips (cuttings) with Susan Ashley

Program 3 starts August 5 and will repeat each 5 weeks.
Garden Tour: Christopher Shein/public gardens
Flower Arranging with Connie Hubbell
Aesthetic Pruning Club (Japanese Garden)
Garden Monologue by Toni Chantell

Program 4 starts August 12 and will repeat each 5 weeks.
Garden Tour: Christopher Shein/home garden
Monologue by Mario Marion
Permaculture with Christopher Shein
Propagation Club (cuttings/plant media)
Know Your Trees (cedars/manzanita) with Jocelyn Cohen
How do you play in your garden? Hand Dance by Leslie Egashira

New South African Plants Garden at Merritt Summer 2009

On the Merritt Landscape Horticulture Department south-facing hill over one hundred South African plants were installed this spring and summer. There are shrubs, trees, pretty bulbs, and groundcovers. Many are from familiar southern hemisphere plant families—Geraniaceae, Asteraceae, Restioaceae, and Proteaceae. The hill is a wonderful location for them because it has relatively nutrient poor soil and drainage is good. The resident gophers are the only known pests so far. Right now they are looking great--blooming and growing. Ken Mohler, a Merritt Propagation Club member, has been growing these plants for several years and installing them in local gardens. Many of them are relatively new to Bay Area general landscape use. The Merritt Landscape Horticulture Department sought to plant them on the hill to provide a demonstration garden for horticulture students and plant sale customers and to create a mother plant resource for the MPC.

The garden is open every day. We are still installing official paths and signage.