Dear Members,
I know that we have been dealing with high summer heat, and now wildfires, some sparked by July thunderstorms. But on the upside, I have been enjoying this wonderful wildflower year, filled with more blooms than I have ever seen.
Recently, I took an automobile outing to Mt. Lassen with retired teacher Bea Currie and former Chapter treasurer, Lynne Peterson. It was mid-July, near the peak of bloom in our mountains. We spent a wonderful day filled with bog orchids and leopard lilies. As we drove west in the dusk, a ghostly image flashed by. We screeched to a stop and turned back to investigate. On a steep slope was blooming a six-foot, fragrant, white lily—something I had never seen. This proved to be the Washington lily (Lilium washingtonianum ssp. washingtonianum), named for Martha Washington. This lily is found in the Cascade, Klamath, and Sierra Nevada mountains of Oregon and California. It seemed appropriate to find it on the flanks of Mt Lassen, the southernmost Cascade volcano. For me this was the botanical highlight of the summer.
We of Shasta Chapter already are planning for some fall activities, but are fully aware that plans might change. Just as Shasta College is planning for hybrid classes this semester (part in-person, part online), we of Shasta Chapter are considering the same approach for plant sales. If possible, we will hold an in-person plant sale in late October. In addition, we intend to offer online plant sales before and after, possibly starting as early as late September. We expect that plans will be more settled in time for the next newsletter. In the meantime, I wish you a wonderful August. Be safe and stay well. ~Susan Libonati-Barnes, President
