Updated July 1st 2026!
We are a group of gardeners and plant lovers who meet monthly to talk about gardening. We also share plants, seeds and cuttings, and learn from horticultural guest presenters. Most of our meetings are free and open to the public--please join us!
We are on our annual "summer break". Our next meeting will be September 14th. Our usual meeting place, the Chico Library, is being renovated, so check here as the date approaches for the time and location.
Please welcome our new Board of Directors for the '26-'27 club year.
Their installation was facilitated by Carol Jauregui, Director of the Buttes District of the California Garden Clubs Incorporated (third from left).
This year's Board of Directors included, left to right: Jessica Beattie (Director), Krista Weber (Secretary), Sally Miller (front, Vice President, Acting President), Tony Berkhoudt (rear, Director & Co-Treasurer), and Candice Boggs (Co-Treasurer). Not pictured: Maureen O'Reilly (Membership) and Diane Bryant (Director).
We would not have a club without people volunteering to fill these roles. Thank you, Board of Directors! 👏
PHOTO OF THE SUMMER:
July gardening activities
Cover tomato plants (their fruits, especially) if temps are above 100° F for more than a day. Use at least 50% shade 🍅
Summertime is the right time of year to re-pot most cacti, palm trees and succulents (except Aeoniums, which prefer it in winter) 🌵
Fertilize your houseplants as they are growing during the long, warm days of summer
Last chance to plant pumpkins and melons from seed! 🎃 🍉
Like oleander plants? Now is a great time to propagate them via stem cuttings rooted in water
Raise your mower height to cut your lawn. The taller grass shades the grass and helps it save water/deal with heat better
Plant seeds of biennials to have small plants by autumn that will flower next year (forget-me-nots, evening primroses (Oenothera), foxgloves, hollyhocks, Canterbury bells, lunaria, etc)
Fertilize summer annuals and vegetables
Once you've harvested the berries, cut back the canes that bore fruit on your berry plants. They're done bearing and its good to make room for this year's growth which will flower/fruit next year
Tie up vines and stake tall plants like gladiolus, sunflowers etc. 🌻
Trim off faded rose flowers by cutting down to a five-leaflet leaf that points outside away from the center of the plant at the height you'd like new flowers to emerge
Weed, weed, weed! 🌱 🤏
Order spring bulbs (planted in autumn) now for a good selection 🌷
Photo courtesy of member Dan C
Beautiful downtown Chico, California
Fresh tomatoes from a member's garden.
Butterfly bushes (Buddleia sp.), Rudbeckia, canna lilies and zinnias in a member's summer garden.
Club members at one of several "potting parties" to prepare plants for our fund-raising spring Plant Sale
