Co-President’s Message – August 2025

 As I write this, I am sitting on a deck chair on a boat on the Duoro River in Portugal, but not to worry, I’ll be back for our meeting – wouldn’t want to miss all those yummy harvest delights and the hats you creative types come up with. 

Like most of you I’d guess, travel almost always includes gardens or at the very least, checking out plants outside of museums or along sidewalks. Although if you flew directly west you’d come to NYC, Lisbon latitudinally is actually the same as San Francisco and many of the plants were ones we had in LA – definitely most not the ones we’d find in Colorado: agapanthus, huge swaths of plumbago, lantanas and stunning hibiscus nearly reaching a 2nd floor window and, of course, bougainvillea. Also growing, literally all over the place, was Ipomea indica or blue morning glory – the “lovely” funnel shaped purple flowered vine that is their invasive version and part of the same family as our dreaded bind weed. 

I also learned, as we traveled, that cork is a major export here. The bark can only be harvested by hand. If it’s not done correctly the tree can die, And, after harvesting, the bark will grow back and in nine years can be harvested again. Some people retain the details of historic dates & people in the places we visited, I remembered cork trees… 

It’s been super hot and dry here so I can’t help but think about my plants back in Niwot. Hopefully the tomatoes and all the flowers in pots are being watered and when I get home there will finally be a substantial harvest of tomatoes and the land-scape roses will have their second flush of blooms. I absolutely love to travel, but as a famous girl once said “there’s no place like home”.         

Connie