June 2023

Bay Breeze

In This Issue

From the President

Juan Carlos Esparza, Urban Scapes

Save the date Saturday June 17 because we are on the countdown to the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of CLCA annual awards night. The trophy awards banquet will be at Michael’s Shoreline in Mountain View. To make the event even more special, this is the 50th annual awards presentation. You can click here to register to attend. Last year’s meeting was a fun event for everyone.

Our chapter’s vice president Andrew Tuckman has been busy organizing the judging of over 30 entries, all submitted for in site examination for outstanding landscaping and superior workmanship in landscaping and construction. We cannot praise Andrew enough for his hard work on the event and for his dedication to SFBAC/CLCA.

Beyond our regional awards, the deadline for CLCA state trophy awards is August 8. More information about the awards will appear in Bay Breeze.

This year the annual CLCA convention will be in our backyard—November 8-11 in Monterey, so plan now to attend and Monterey is always a great place to visit both for its history and for the wonderful Monterey Bay Aquarium. You may want to make this a family event.

On Friday, May 5, we had a no charge spring mixer and awards packet drop off event at Devil’s Canyon Brewing Company in San Carlos. We had planned to meet outside in the beer garden, but rain forced us inside. It is always nice to meet some new contractors at these events and attending provides everyone with the opportunity to network within the industry.

Landscape Contractors Insurance Services, Inc.

Upcoming Events

STEPSTONE PAVERS INSTALLATION TRAINING

PBM Santa Clara Yard | Wednesday, May 14th | 11:30 am

PBM Redwood City Yard | Thursday, May 15th | 11:30 am

Learn to Install Stepstone Pavers, Stair Treads, and the Bison Pedestal System.
Lunch Provided!

SFBA Chapter Board of Directors Meeting

Peninsula Building Materials | May 22nd | 5-6:30PM
2490 Charleston Rd., Mountain View

CLCA Members are welcome to attend

SFBA Chapter Awards of Excellence Presentation & Dinner

Embassy Suites | Saturday, June 21st | 6-11pm
901 East Calaveras Blvd., Milpitas

SAVE THE DATE

Auxiliary Report

Hope everyone is enjoying the fabulous spring weather. Summer officially starts on June 21. Hope you have wonderful travel plans for the summer.

The Auxiliary had our second meeting of 2023 on May 18 at the home of Vicky Parrott. Thank you, Vicky for hosting us and thank you everyone who attended (Michelle Ott, Rick Camin, Vicky Parrott, Girvin Peters, Charlene Ott, Alice Domine and James Walker). Here is a summary of that meeting:

We reviewed the schedule for LEAF raffles. Our raffle income for 2023 is $250, which represents two raffles (January and April). We will have a raffle at the Achievement Awards banquet on June 17. For the rest of the year, there is potential for only 3 more raffles (possible vendor night in September or October, Installation night in November and the Christmas Holiday Party in December). Hopefully we will have good attendance at all of these functions in order to maximize our fundraising efforts for LEAF. We discussed using a cashless system for raffles. Our Treasurer Rick Camin will be investigating a Paypal option.
We don’t have anyone at the moment to host the Auxiliary potluck in August.
The Chapter Picnic is confirmed for Sunday, September 10, 2023 at Cuesta Park in Mountain View. We have reserved both areas 1 and 2 so we will have the whole barbecue area to ourselves. Dust off the chili pot, dig out your favorite finger-food dessert recipe. We will be bringing back the chili cook-off and the dessert competition. We had intended to have both in 2022 but as you may remember, the picnic got canceled due to RAIN! Come join your CLCA friends and family for a great barbecue, fun games for all ages and of course the horseshoe tournament. Ed and Jonathan Ott are still the ones to beat. All are welcome at the picnic.
Like this time last year, we are investigating several options for the Christmas Holiday party. We will keep you updated when we have a date and a venue.
Our next meeting will be in October hosted by Chapter President Juan Carlos Esparza.

We enjoyed lunch and good conversation. Thank you again to everyone who attended. I appreciate everyone taking time out from their busy day to attend the meeting.

Enjoy the month of June. I hope to see everyone during the summer months and catch up on everyone’s activities. Happy Father’s Day!

Lesley Peters
Garden Designer
650-444-4580
gpland@sbcglobal.net

CLCA Trophy Awards 2023

Save $100, Enter Now

Water Conservation Showcase

Are you interested in discovering innovative ways to protect one of Earth’s most valuable resources?

Look no further than the Water Conservation Showcase on June 15th at the San Ramon Valley Conference Center!

This FREE event, open to the public, is dedicated to showcasing scalable strategies and solutions that can make a real impact on our water conservation efforts.

Attend in-person in San Ramon to network with like-minded individuals and check out the latest water conservation products in the expo hall. Lunch and raffle prizes provided.

Details and Registration

Peninsula Building Materials 100 Anniversary

Serving customers in Northern California since 1923, Peninsula Building Materials is family-owned and operated by the Morey family to this day.

To honor its 100th Anniversary, PBM hosted an Open House on April 29th at the magnificent Masonry Showroom in Mountain View. Vendors, customers and business associates came out to pay tribute to the long standing relationships that made PBM what it is today.

The Anniversary Celebration included its own paperboy, vintage vehicle and plenty of balloons and bubbly. Congratulations PBM!

Partner Spotlight

Ewing Irrigation & Landscape Supply

Do you need help navigating industry challenges?

Ewing is here for you.

If you’re a member of our ProAdvantage loyalty rewards program, log in to your account any time to take advantage of the many services and solutions Ewing offers to help our customers succeed. If you’re not a member, visit the ProAdvantage page to learn more and sign up today.

You also can find a wealth of business ideas and solutions in the Ewing blog and YouTube video libraries, Ewing Education course offerings, and newsletters.

Contact your local Ewing Representative today:
Tony Munoz
tmunoz@ewingirrigation.com
(408) 436-8848

Waterwise Column

Dwarf Meyer Lemon Citrus Tree

Solar citrus

The easiest citrus to care for and to grow are the true dwarf citrus

By Matthew Frazier
Expert Certified Water Manager
Qualified Stormwater Manager
Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper

With summer nearing, there is much to anticipate.

Including warm mornings and hot days. The solar energy which falls upon our gardens and landscapes is an item to be harnessed.

One of the techniques shared with me early on as a nursery consultant is using black mulch around citrus. For those of us who grow any type of citrus, this can be both functional and ornamental.

The easiest citrus to care for and to grow are the true dwarf citrus. In my two years at Almaden Valley Nursery, I worked as a nursery consultant and sales associate responsible for citrus, trees, and vines.

The citrus was my favorite. Monrovia and other quality growers shipped us various sizes of citrus every week. These small shrubs and trees yielded fruit every year and captured the attention and the interest of our customers and visitors.

There are many types of mulch available for our garden and landscapes. Black bark mulch seems a great match for dwarf citrus. The black mulch absorbs solar energy during the warm mornings and hot days of summer and then releases this solar energy in the late afternoon and evening.

In addition to photosynthesis, this is a wonderful impact upon the citrus. The aesthetics of black against green foliage and brightly colored fruit is unmistakable. The halo of energy and heat which surrounds the root zone and the trunk will offer the necessary energy for fruit production while adding a flair for the ornamental. Small particle bark is ideal in that it allows excess irrigation to vaporize more quickly and be absorbed by the leaves of the citrus.

The stark contrast of colors offers an element of interest. The black mulch accentuates the array of colors of both foliage and fruit while capturing this much-needed solar energy. There are many varieties of dwarf citrus available, and I encourage our readers to visit your local garden centers an nurseries and take a closer look at these beautiful shrubs and trees. The summer solstice is Wednesday, June 21st this year at 7:57am PST. What better way to usher in summer season than with the purchase of a dwarf citrus this spring which will likely yield a crop by summer? Another addition to the citrus is the fragrant and ornamental annual ground cover Sweet Alyssum. Sweet Alyssum comes in several colors ranging from gold to purple to white and is on a list of insectary plants which attracts beneficial predatory insects. The contrast of colors between the black mulch, the dwarf citrus, and the Sweet Alyssum; enticing the imaginations and senses of many. In earlier column entries, I have alluded to insectary plants and this entry is no exception. Alyssum spreads like a carpet over the ground and brings ladybird beetles or ladybugs and a host of other beneficials. With the fragrance of the Alyssum comes the sweeping evening winds of summer, which carries the aroma of citrus blossoms as well as the floral notes surrounding the dwarf citrus trees.

This spring, I encourage our readers to indulge themselves and pay a much due visit to your local garden center and nursery. Almaden Valley Nursery is where I got my start as a nursery consultant. And Almaden Valley is ripe for the harvest of Solar Citrus. Thank you.