Olivia White Hospice Home Garden Volunteers: Workdays 5/13 & 16, 2013

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.

Monday, May 13, 2013

Workdays 5/13 & 16, 2013

Monday brought another beautiful day in the garden. Betty Marcus spent her time watering as the irrigation is still off. I transplanted some small shrubs and herbs, watered the new plantings in front, and cleaned the children's area on the sun porch. Julie Holmes came and filled all the bird feeders and sanded the north patio. We had a new master garden Carol Hudenko who I put to work thinning out some of the bell flower in the main garden. Brandon stopped by to let us know he has found some help for caring for the birds. The Girls for Good will come by twice a week on our garden days to do the work starting on May 20th. This is the group that helped us last year with cleaning pine needles from the canyon. Dave Hill brought out many residents and took a couple 1/2 way up Turquoise on the new trail. Tomorrow, I am meeting with the Eagle scouts regarding the garden projects which may begin next week. On Thursday, we will celebrate Dave's birthday (it was last week but we didn't know) with a cake and ice cream. Come join us.

On Tuesday, I met with the scouts and their families. We will begin the scout projects on Monday, May 20, at 4pm. There will be 2 projects. One will be in the shed area. Leslie Stone's son, Carson, will be work on a screen trellis and a trellis on the west side of the shed. He will have help from his dad and scout troop. The 2nd project is to recreate the rock trail from Turquoise to Switzer. This should make garden access there easier and make getting from parking at the church to the garden shorter. I sent out an e-mail looking for help with supervising these projects. Contact me if your interested. They will be at least 2 days, and our primary role is to make sure they can find the equipment in the garden they need, provide supervision, and water and snacks. They will work from 4pm to dusk. Projects postponed until June!

Thursday was a busy workday with many volunteers. Betty Marcus did her usual watering, Judith Chaddock worked on the plants inside the house and cleaning the sun porch. Whitney Fessler planted some replacement plants in the Faerie Garden, and filled bird feeders. Katrina Karjala spent her time moving our hose bib by the birdhouse trellis and removing Mexican Hat from our planned trail. She had to trim a tree branch that hung over the new bib area. Leslie Stone moved several daylilies and transplanted a rose that was being overtaken by a shrub. It should do better with more sun. In the process she had to take out a large area of bell flowers which had spread significantly. They can become invasive. Speaking of bell flowers, Carol Hudenko spent her time thinning out areas of bell flower and lambs ear. Becky Lewis worked on transplanting a barbary shrub to replace a loss in the 1/2 circle. She also began weeding the bed on the north end of the house along Switzer Canyon. This is a 2nd round for this bed which tends to be weedy as it is on the edge of the open space. I spent my time planting a Hopi - corn, bean, & squash bed and preparing soil for planting tomatoes later this week. Last of all Jane Reukema came and planted a new Flowering Quince to honor her mother.

At break time we enjoyed cake and ice cream to honor Dave Hill for his birthday which was last Thursday. It was the perfect day for cake and ice cream even if it was only 1030 in the morning. Many residents visited the gardens today with Dave & Murphy.

On Friday, Betty Marcus came and watered while I worked on planting our tomatoes and an egg plant. Both are covered with frost cloth until the weather is more stable.

Upcoming:
Thursday, May 23, 10am, Hattie Braun pruning roses (brief lecture followed by pruning)
Sunday, June 2, 10am-3pm, CMGA Plant & Garden sale
Thursday, June 13, 1015am, Dorothy Lamm on local weeds (brief lecture followed by weeding)
Saturday, July 13, 9am-5pm Warner's 10% of Proceeds Day

New blooms:
Fire Spinner Ice Plant - gardens in front of the house

One of many iris in the garden. Purple alliums.
Photos by Betty Marcus

Work for the week:
Water
Weed
Plant pots throughout the garden
Transplant rose
Gather rock for a rock garden in the Native Garden
Clean gazebo area (weeds in floor, vines surrounding)
Remove dead tree
Prune and feed roses
Fill bird feeders and baths - possible help from Girls for Good
Move bench
Breaktime lecture and rose pruning - Hattie Braun

Thanks,
Loni

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Reporting OWHH Volunteer Hours

For the 2015 garden season all volunteers will report hours in the book on the back patio at the garden. If you are there on a scheduled workday the book will be on the table. If you come on a non-workday, maybe to water or complete something you wanted to finish, the keys and sign-in book will be inside the home in the table drawer to the left as you enter.

Please record all hours in the garden, at meetings, and for home activities.

At the end of each month the sign in sheets will be sent to the office so please get your hours in by the end of the month.

Wish List 2015

Wish list book is kept on the table in the lobby of the Olivia White Home. Check the book for further details. Contact one of the gardeners if you want to donate.

General plant related materials not available at Warners (where we have an account from a yearly fundraiser) – up to $250 (cash/gardeners will purchase as needed); includes special fertilizers, perlite, sand, soil, and other repair items. Purchase of unusual plants at other nurseries (Viola’s, NP & Seed & HCG).

Special feed for roses (we have 50) - $250 per season or what you want to donate. Gardeners will purchase.

4 Pruners/clippers - $10-40 (see book for ideas)

A variety of long/short handled, cut and hold, small and large diameter.

Craftsman Handi-cut for irrigation (see book for details)

4 Weeders – variety of long and short handled (see book for ideas)

4 Trowels – variety

Mud Gloves (8 Pair – 1 small-5 med-2 light weight) (see book for details).

Spray nozzles for hoses – prefer short handled with multiple settings.

Birdhouses for trellis (new or used in good condition).

Bat or butterfly house for grounds.

Hulled sunflower seed or chips for bird feeders ($28-85 depending on size).

We only use this type of seed, because of clean-up requirements for millet or black oiled sunflower. We also need niger seed (cost ?) for the goldfinches. This takes more than $500 out of our garden budget.

Replacement wheelbarrows-prefer metal with no-flat wheels. (1 needed)

Welcome to the Gardens at Olivia White Hospice Home

The gardens surrounding the home were created for all who find themselves here. The history below reflects the many hands that have worked in the gardens. The volunteer gardeners have worked to create a quiet, peaceful place to experience alone or with those you love. The garden design enhances the sensory experience. You can hear zipping hummingbirds, water fountains, and the sound of wind chimes. It is a place to stop and smell the roses or the soothing fragrance of lavender. The many vegetables and herbs grown allow residents and staff to taste the gifts of nature. You can feel the gentle embrace of the wind and touch the soft leaves of lamb’s ear or bunny tail grass along with other more prickly plants in a ‘touch pot’. Another design consideration was providing universal access to all visitors and special beds/pots that allow interested residents to participate in gardening. Sitting and standing raised beds, and ‘sensory pots’ accessible to wheelchairs are enjoyed by many residents.
Peace to all who enter…

History
The gardens were started by Norm Erickson, a hospice volunteer, before the home was built in 2001, on the corner of Switzer Canyon and Turquoise where the Olivia White sign is found. Norm also created the gardens directly in front of the home. In 2001 Laura Davis, a master gardener began designing and planning for the gardens that surround the home. Loni Shapiro assumed responsibility for garden coordination and planning in 2007. The first project in 2002 was to lay the cement pathway which was done by NAU’s Construction Management class led by Dave Grider. A flagstone patio was created east of the home by Joanie Abbott of Foxglove Gardening with the help of Heber Trunnel. The first two plantings by the master gardeners included an Inferno Strip on Switzer Canyon led by Terra Crampton, and a Rose Garden led by Hattie Braun with a large donation of roses by Bill Brechan. Coconino County Park and Recreation at Fort Tuthill donated many truckloads of compost, and Bill Eichinger used his bobcat to help edge with rocks the gardens you see today. In 2004 a core of master gardeners and hospice volunteers (Loni Shapiro, Karen Kent, Cynthia Katte, David Hockman and Nancy Palmer) joined Laura and began creating the many gardens here today. Today we have a regular crew of master gardeners and hospice volunteers, with two workdays each week throughout each spring and summer. They are supported by many other church groups, scout troops, AmeriCorp, college - high school - middle school groups, Coconino County Adult Probation Community Service, Upward Bound, and businesses throughout Flagstaff. Warner’s Landscape and Nursery needs to be singled out for their continuing support for the gardens since their inception with yearly fundraisers and discounts on plant and hardscape materials. In 2006 the gazebo designed by Jill Morris was completed with the help of Terry Payne and John Adams, from Christ’s Church, and Loven Contracting. John Adams along with the help of the Sunshine Lion’s Club finished it with a brick pathway. Foxglove Gardening installed the drip system over three years from 2008-10. Most of their time was donated. From 2010-2012 we received grants from the Bountiful Alliance to create a Native Medicinal Garden in honor of Michael Moore, writer and naturalist. The work on that garden continues along Switzer Canyon Drive. The garden was dedicated by a Navajo elder in 2012. A small garden was dedicated in 2011 to our long time therapy dog “Zane” Hill. Plans for 2013 include continued revamping of some front gardens, work on the corner of Turquoise with the installation of the FUTS trail, and landscaping our new shed area.

The gardens continue to evolve each year. Some have already been altered from the original plan, such as the Rose Garden, east front and ½ Circle gardens, and north Switzer Canyon beds. In addition, many other trees, shrubs, plants and hardscape items have been donated. A list of donors is located in the library of the Olivia White Home. The library also includes a binder of all the roses found in our garden (over 40). A map of the garden was completed under the direction of Cynthia Katte and Kathy Pate that includes the location of most of the gardens and the special features. This will be updated in 2013 to include the changes along Turquoise and Switzer Canyon. A copy of the current map is included with this handout and can also be found in the Rose binder.

Donations/Volunteering
A “Wish List” for donations is provided in the home that includes yearly needs as well as special projects. Our main fundraisers to help pay for materials and water are memorial bricks (brochures available in the home), an annual 10% of proceeds day at Warner's Nursery, and a summer Plant & Garden Sale at the home. In addition, we sell note cards made from original paintings of the garden, photo note cards, and earrings made from Job’s Tear seeds grown in the garden. All can be found on the table in the entry of the home. We are always looking for new volunteers to help in the garden. Our weekly garden activities during the year can be found on the Volunteer Blog (owhospicegardenvolunteers.blogspot.com) or by contacting,Sierra Gadsberry, Volunteer Cordinator at sgadsberry@northlandhospice.org.

Revised 11/12

Gardens Founded in 2001 - Home in 2002

Volunteering in the Garden

Monday, May 13, 2013

Workdays 5/13 & 16, 2013

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