The halcyon days of summer are upon us. Yet there is still time enough to celebrate the summer season and all the beauty that gardens offer. Enjoy it whilst we may: summer officially ends on September 22.
Join Us
Garden Club meets again on the third Monday of September. Don’t forget to sign up for or renew your member- ship! We have several interesting guest speakers scheduled, and fun field trips to gardens and nurseries.
You don’t have to be a master gardener to join the club. Most members are interested in gardening and learning new tips on improving their home gardens. Sign-up forms are available in the Niguel Shores office. Join before August 1 to be included in our Garden Club Directory.
CGCI Award Winner
The Niguel Shores Garden Club received two 2021 awards from California Garden Clubs Inc. (CGCI), which were presented at their June 2022 Convention. Gar- den Club member and past presi- dent Nadine Allen received a Blue
Ribbon Certificate of Achievement and First Place in the category “Pollinator Education.” The awards were presented to Nadine at our June barbecue picnic by Orange County District Director Launa Gould.
Kudos and congratulations to Nadine, who spearheaded and submitted the application, a wonderful report, and photographs for the “Pollinator Education” award, on behalf of the Garden Club. Her report documented the establishment of two monarch butterfly planters in a common area of Niguel Shores, driven by the plight of plummeting numbers of this species in Orange County.
The entire lifecycle of the monarch butterfly revolves around milkweeds. Our response was to plant pollinator plants to attract the butterflies, and to replace ubiquitous tropical milkweed plants with native California narrow- leaf milkweed plants instead. Our response was to plant pollinator plants to attract the butterflies and to replace the ubiquitous tropical milkweed plants with Native California narrow-leaf milkweed plants instead.
We placed wooden signs, solar butterfly stakes, and informative signs in the planters to educate the community on monarch butterflies, their life cycle, and their critical role as pollinators. It is a joy to see an increase in monarch butterfly populations in Niguel Shores.
Farm Tour
A summer activity: Treat yourself to a farm tour at the Ranch in Laguna Beach, on Thursdays at 3:00 p.m. and Saturdays at 11:00 a.m. No reservations are required, but there is a limit of ten guests. This active little farm provides the Ranch Restaurant with fresh seasonal produce. Discover the history of this original homestead in Aliso Canyon, dating back to 1871. Meet the chickens, and learn about crop rotation, composting, and more—along with stunning views of the canyon and the golf course!
Happy summer.
—Ann Strauss
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