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.

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Workdays 10/15 & 10/18

On Monday, Toni Barnes beat me to the garden and began deadheading lavender. Marilynn VanWagoner helped her, picked some lettuce for the house, and help me put tools away. Joe Harte came with Pesha and placed tubing around the tree trunks. A couple of years ago we had animals in the garden gnawing on the bases of them and the tubing worked last year to prevent that. The trunks are getting larger and we will have to try chicken wire next year. I took down the last of the tomato vines and got rid of some of the dirt in the pots, and began to prepare the wildflower bed for planting on Thursday (raking and removing rock). Dave Hill and Murphy spent their last regular Monday. They will be moving to Cottonwood and coming only twice a month during the winter as weather permits.

The weather continues to be cold in the early morning and warms quickly making our work easier. Thursday was no exception. David Hockman returned from a long year of injury recovery. He worked on repairing our back pathway with Linda Guarino. They also put away our heavy granite bird baths for the winter. Linda did her usual work on the compost and David moved some bricks. Judith Chaddock watered indoors, and helped Laura Davis remove vines from the gazebo in preparation for repairs and resealing. It was quite a job with 4 years of growth on the vines and thousands of seeds on the clematis. Betty Marcus came and watered the new transplants in the garden, she also helped me close up the garden for the day. I spent my time mulching a couple of roses, putting hardscape away, planting wildflowers, and watering.

Work by the city continues on the FUTS trail on the corner of Turquoise and Switzer Canyon. Next year we will have to recreate the corner garden where the sign is. That and beautifying the area surrounding the sheds will be our major focus.

Work will continue for at least another week in the garden. It may go into November depending on the weather and how much is done. If the weather remains dry we may need to water in November.

Work remaining:
Roses - prune, tie up large bushes
Compost - clean area around compost, put wheel barrels away for the winter
Wash pots and put away
Rain barrels and water feature - empty, clean and store
Repair glider or send to Hodgepodge
Plant a small shrub
Water indoors and out as needed (new plantings, wildflowers, etc)
Put last of hardscape away - windchimes, etc.
Winterize sensory pots - prune and mulch

Workdays this week include our usual Mon./Thurs. and Saturday which is Make a Difference Day.
Hope to see you sometime this week.

"There is a harmony in autumn, and a luster in its sky, which through the summer is not heard or seen, as if it could not be, as if it had not been!"     Percy Shelley

Thanks,
Loni

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