Greetings Gates!
It seems Mother Nature tricked us with her little “False Fall” and we are back to being hot again! Hopefully it cools down this month and allows us to get outside for some solid gardening time. This month is one of my favorite meetings since we feature a “best dead plant” category in our monthly mini-show. So dig up from the grave and bring your best and spookiest decomposing rot of a succulent or crispy zombie of a cactus. Have fun with it! We will of course still feature our usual monthly mini-show.
This month features Matucana, Oroya, and Submatucana for “cactus” and Aizoaceae for “succulent.” Our October speaker is Tom Glavich who will speak on the flowering plants of South Africa’s winter season.
We have some fun events coming up that I hope you are all able to join us for!
Annual Gates BBQ
As I mentioned last month, we have our club’s annual potluck barbeque on Saturday October 19th at 3PM. This event will be hosted at Judy Horne’s Yucaipa home. The club will be grilling hamburgers and hotdogs. Please bring your favorite dish to share with the club. Don’t forget about our annual Cactus Cook-Off competition which features cacti dishes such as chili, soups, salads, etc. So if you have a potentially award winning receipt that you would like to share with the club… now is the time to show off those cooking skills! We will have a sign-up sheet and directions at the meeting.
Succulent Nursery Field Trip
Our succulent nursery field trip is scheduled for Saturday November 9th (yes, this is the day after our November club meeting). You are welcome to drive yourself or join us on the chartered bus (details below).
This is the tentative schedule for the trip. (Please keep in mind that weather, traffic, or unforeseen circumstances may change this schedule slightly. Be flexible and we should have a wonderful trip)
7:30AM – 8:00AM: Meet at Costco parking lot: 12700 Day St., Moreno Valley, CA 92553.
8:00AM: Bus will leave from Costco parking lot! Please be prompt!
9:30AM: Arrive at PW Plants @ 404 Lor Lor Lar Lane. Romona, CA 92065. It is approximately 82 miles from Costco, Moreno Valley
11:00AM: Arrive at Botanic Wonders @ 2705 Sarver Lane, San Marcos, CA. 92069. It is approximately 27 miles from PW Plants
12:00PM – 1:00PM: Lunch time (bring bagged lunch). The club will provide lunch and drinks for confirmed rsvp members and 1 guest (if applicable).
1:30PM: Arrive at Waterwise Botanical @ 32151 Old Hwy 395 Bonsall, CA 92003. It is approximately 9.5 miles from Botanic Wonders
3:00PM: Return trip back to Costco, Moreno Valley, CA by 5:00PM
RSVP Instruction – Please read carefully
Field trip is open to all Gates CSS paid members/family. The club will charter a bus for the day trip. Maximum space available is 47 people on the bus. There is a $20.00 deposit to rsvp your space on the bus. Your deposit will need to be collected by October 31, 2024, to secure your seat on the bus. When you are on the bus for the trip, your $20.00 deposit will be refunded to you. Yes, that means it is free for you. If you are not on the bus by the time it leaves, you will forfeit the $20.00 deposit.
Members are encouraged to RSVP with Phuc as soon as possible. If not enough people RSVP for the bus, we may have to down-size the bus or cancel the bus charter and carpool ourselves for the trip. Contact Phuc at (909) 910-9195 for further details or clarifications.
November is right around the corner and that means it’s election time! Please see a Board member for both information on how to assist with an elections committee and how to sign up if you are interested in running for a Board position. We have 2 Board of Directors positions up for vote this year. Remember, your Gates leadership team is comprised of members just like you! This is a great opportunity to help grow the club even bigger than the last 60 years!
See you all soon!
All my best,
Jeffrey Loew
Gates Cactus and Succulent Society 