Cover story

MOVEMENT Kirk McNeill created this forged and fabricated mild metal and stone work, “Four Energies.”

Art blossoms

Outdoor exhibit returns to Sierra Azul Nursery

By JOHANNA MILLER

Sierra Azul Nursery and Gardens in Watsonville is once again brimming with art as Pajaro Valley Arts’ annual “Sculpture Is” exhibit returns for the 15th year.

Installed in late May and officially opened on June 7, the popular outdoor exhibit will be up through October. Visitors can browse sculptures by 42 artists, of various sizes and mediums, which are situated among the nursery’s two-acre demonstration garden.

Pajaro Valley Arts Exhibit Coordinator Hedwig Heerschop said that a good number of pieces have already been sold in the first month of the show.

“We actually sold a lot of pieces last year, and now we’re closing in on that record,” she said. “It’s really cool. I think some people have money to spend. Maybe they couldn’t go on vacations, or they got a little extra from the government and thought, ‘Hey, why not?’”

Tarmo Hannula

ILUMINATED “Resiliant” is a kiln-formed glass and steel piece by Lea de Wit.

Johanna Miller

GIVING BACK This sculpture will be donated back to Sierra Azul, with proceeds benefiting PV Arts.

STAND TALL Pajaro Valley Arts' Exhibit Coordinator Hedwig Heerschop shows “Reeds,” a steel sculpture by San Jose artist Jeff Owen.

Tarmo Hannula

FRAGILE “Blooming Glass” is a work by Scott Graham and Cristy Aloysi.

Artists from Walnut Creek to Pacific Grove were selected to be part of this year’s exhibit, which features 100 pieces, including everything from garden totems, glass work, abstract steel, mosaics, musical sculptures—ones that include bells, gongs and chimes— and more.

Heerschop said that certain pieces are collaborative, meaning they are created by a number of artists working together. This includes a tall, sugar skull-themed totem created by a group who used to work together at Watsonville/ Aptos Adult Education.

“We also have some brand new artists here this year, which is really nice,” Heerschop said.

Shoppers will also have a chance to give back this year. The proceeds of one specific sculpture by Santa Cruz artist Mike McClellan will go to PVA.

Entitled “RP 3” and made from marble, steel and wood, the piece will be donated back to the garden as a permanent fixture.

“Sculpture Is” was one of PVA’s only exhibits that was able to be physically installed last year, due to its open-air location. And this time around, they were also able to hold a small outdoor gathering for the artists to celebrate the show’s opening.

Heerschop said that the exhibit is unique in that it lasts for nearly five months. As such, if a piece is sold, artists have an opportunity to bring in another piece in its place.

“They have an opportunity to make a little extra money,” she said. “And they love it—they love being here.”

The longtime partnership with Sierra Azul has only grown stronger over the years, Heerschop added. Nursery owners Jeff and Lisa Rosendale have been heavily involved in the show, with Jeff Rosendale often being a co-juror—including this year, along with Susan Arias.)

“We’re a family now,” Heerschop said. “I always appreciate everybody, what everybody does for [the artists], to provide them a space. It’s so appreciated. That’s what we’re doing it for.”

“Sculpture Is” runs through Oct. 31. Sierra Azul Nursery and Gardens, 2660 East Lake Ave., is open daily 10am-5pm. For information, visit sierraazul.com and pvarts.org.

Johanna Miller

Nothing silly about psyllids

DANGEROUS PESTS Psyllids are small insects that suck plant juices.

Hard-to-see pests spread plant diseases

By KATE RUSSELL

Psyllids are jumping plant lice that suck plant juices. There are more than 160 psyllid species in California, 140 of which are native.

Psyllids are hard to see. Very often, you won't even know psyllids have arrived in your garden until tiny flecks of brown seem to leap away as you pass. Those jumping brown flecks are psyllids.

One of the biggest problems associated with psyllids is their poop. After they have robbed your plants of valuable nutrients, they add insult to injury by excreting a large portion of the sap they stole and depositing on leaves. Known as honeydew, the excrement of sapsuckers is filled with sugar and other nutrients. Honeydew ends up being food for sooty mold and disease-carrying ants.

Psyllid feeding can also spread viral diseases such as calico, bacterial diseases such as zebra chip, galls, leaf and bud discoloration and deformation, and premature leaf drop. Leaf distortions often look similar to peach leaf curl. Psyllid feeding also creates points of entry for other pests and diseases.

Psyllids look like tiny cicadas or winged aphids, and are only 1/5-inch long. They have tubular mouthparts, strong legs and short antennae. Adults hold their wings in a roof-like position. Nymphs are flattened and look a lot like soft scale insects. Psyllid nymphs commonly produce waxy filaments or covers, called lerps. Lerps are made from wax and honeydew.

Adult psyllids can fly, but most prefer to jump. If you see what you think is a psyllid run or fly away, it is probably an insect called a psocid. Psocids are beneficial insects that feed on fungi. They differ from psyllids in that they have a narrow “neck” and chewing mouthparts.

Psyllids have strong preferences for particular host plants. While some psyllids prefer sweet peppers and chili peppers, other varieties will go after peaches and nectarines, while some will only feed on olive or pear trees, and yet other psyllid species will only feed on potato and tomato plants. The invasive Asian citrus psyllid carries huanglongbing, a deadly citrus disease. When a tree becomes infected, it must be destroyed.

Once psyllids appear in your garden, insecticidal soaps and yellow sticky sheets can be used to help control them. Parasitic wasps and pirate bugs help control psyllid populations so avoid using broad-spectrum insecticides. Severely infested plants should be thrown in the trash.

To prevent invasive psyllids from finding your garden, only buy pest-free plants from reputable nurseries, place new plants in quarantine, and do not bring plant products that may be infested into your state, community or yard.

Because of the risks posed by invasive psyllids, any unrecognized psyllids should be taken to your agricultural commissioner or local County Extension Office for identification.