Gardens Founded in 2001 - Home in 2002

Echinacea - Photo by Laura Davis

The garden began in 2001 with the help of Norm Erickson, a Northland Hospice volunteer, at the corner of Switzer Canyon Drive and Turquoise. At that time the home had not been completed but a beautiful sign was placed on the corner. Norm continued to work on the beds on the east side of the sidewalk along Switzer Canyon Drive and in front of the home, until 2008. The rest of the gardens were developed by a core of Coconino County Master Gardeners initially led by Laura Davis and since 2007 by Loni Shapiro.

The garden crew is active from April-October and sometimes in November weather permitting. Work happens weekly throughout the garden season on Monday and Thursday mornings from 8:00 am-12:00 pm. It also is scheduled for one Saturday a month from April through October. Cancellations due to weather will be posted by 6:00 am of the workday on this blog. You must attend a spring orientation to the garden and Northland Hospice & Palliative Care in order to work. A summary of the work that has been done is included on the blog. Look for weekly postings on this blog during the garden season.
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Volunteering in the Garden

2015 Calendar

April 13, 11:30-1:30 Lunch and orientation for new volunteers at hospice and TB testing for all

April 16, 9:15-10 TB tests read and 10:00 garden orientation. First Thursday workday 9-12

April 20, First Monday workday 9-12

May 2, Saturday workday 9-12

If you are interested in volunteering, please email CrysWells@gmail.com.

Please note: TB testing is required annually for all garden volunteers.

If you have current TB results that were done by a physician or at a hospital, these may be submitted to Northland Hospice.

If you are unable to attend the meeting, please contact the volunteer coordinator Kathy Simmons (ksimmons@northlandhospice.org) to schedule a time for testing and orientation.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Review of 1st Garden Meeting of 2010


Olivia White Gardens 1/28/10

Our first meeting of Olivia White garden volunteers was held at my home on Thursday 1/28. After enjoying breakfast we settled down to planning for the 2010 season. Our priority this season will be revamping the gardens along Switzer Canyon Drive. We need to work on making them smaller and more draught tolerant. That will mean moving some plants, adding others, and working on our drip system. We have a large pile of rocks near the corner of Switzer and Turquoise. These need to be moved slightly east and with some soil we may create another rock garden there. Another project involves applying for a small grant from the herbalist Michael Moore's widow, Donna Chesner, to create a native medicinal garden area in his honor/memory east of the sidewalk on Switzer Canyon Drive.

We also hope to work on making our gardens more sustainable with some new equipment: chipper, weed wacker, rain collection barrels and new compost bins. This project will depend on approval of a grant and our fundraising efforts for 2010.

For fundraising this season we hope to do our usual 10% day at Warner's, notecards and book marks, as well as a garden sale of plants and unused materials sometime in June. Watch this site for announcements about dates and contact Loni Shapiro if you have anything you would like to contribute to our sale.

Our next meeting will be on February 25th from 9am-12pm at the Olivia White Home. We will have a short meeting to update progress on pending projects and then work on room plants as wells a repotting house plants. Come join us if you would like to help. The home is full so parking is only available at the 1st Congregational Church on Turquoise just past Switzer Canyon Drive. For questions please contact Loni Shapiro at 522-8635 or maxmaddy@infomagic.net.

Saturday, January 2, 2010

First Planning Meeting for 2010 Agenda

Agenda January 28, 2010
9:00 am - 12:00 pm (Breakfast 9-10 am/Meeting 10-12pm)

1. General updates

A. Rocks at Turquoise and Switzer Canyon Drive
B. Dave Hill and Zane
C. Financial update for 2010
Warner’s account
New donations
Laura’s project ?
Home Depot grant ?
D. Updated materials (Rose Book, Donations Book, Photo Book, Wish List)
E. CSA
F. New compost source
G. MG Class orientation
H Gardening Gone Wild

2. Plans for 2009

A. House plants – need a few replacements for rooms. Need a regular person to water one time a week – including sun porch

B. Look for people to adopt gardens/activities
Linda Guarino – Inferno Strip/Rock Garden/Drip
Laura Davis – Tea Garden
Loni Shapiro – Annual & Veggie Pots/Moon Garden
Nancy Palmer & Marcia Lamkin – Faerie Garden/Birdhouse Trellis
Roses ? (Carol Lease but not until May)
Leslie Penick – Compost/materials
David Hockman/Al Katte/Joe Harte - Repairs
Joe Harte – Tree Care
*Birdbaths/Feeders?
*Native Garden - ?
*Norm’s Front Beds - ?
*Greenhouse - ?
*Saturday workdays?
*Upward bound students?
*Watering pots/front garden until drip in?


C. Priorities for beginning of season?
Clean sun porch and replant any pots there or in house that need it
Clean-up and place hardscape
Drip System - set up front beds, make any needed spring repairs
Redesign Norm’s beds in front of house and along Switzer to Turquoise
Native Garden & shed area-planting and appearance
Faerie Garden – do we still want Aspen trees to shade?
Educational Materials
Scavenger Hunt (revision done)
Do we still want materials for the Tea & Faerie Gardens? (signs)
Put up sign for residents on garden info (have sign need a way to post)
Get greenhouse ready by fall (shelved/remove wood floor)
Fundraising – Warner’s in July
Monsoon Madness plant/garden Sale ?
Native Plant Entry? (Rock or Moon Gardens)
County Fair entries if it happens ?

D. Immediate material needs
Compost, soil for pots, stain for one indoor bench

E. Additional goals for season
Set up group workdays – AmeriCorp, Grand Canyon Youth, Coconino High School, Earth Day?, Upward Bound?
Work on resident involvement with Jacque/Kelly
Thin lambs ear, iris, and germander throughout gardens (garden sale?)
Improve climber care and plantings surrounding gazebo
Add more plantings to parking lot/rose garden walkway
Plant climbers surrounding arbor bench

3. Schedule next meeting in February