Workweek from 6/10/-6/15

On Monday, Nancy and Bruce Palmer began creating a sandstone pad for the new bench in the north Native Garden. They used all the leftover sandstone that Diana Watt had donated last year. They will return on Thursday to finish it. Betty Marcus came and watered all areas not on the drip system. Julie Holmes worked on removing bell flower from many of the rose garden roses. I spent my time watering and putting in a few new plants. Dave and Murphy were out in the garden with many residents. We picked our first strawberries and shared them with residents.

Wow! a fabulous workday on Thursday. We had about 16 people working in the garden and other visitors who came to hear Dorothy Lamm talk about and identify weeds from their gardens. Linda Guarino arrived early and got Rebecca Davis to help her check irrigation emitters in many of the gardens. She also turned on the front 1/2 circle irrigation for just 15 minutes and there seemed to be no major leaks. After that she began adding emitters to some of our new plantings throughout the garden. If you see anything missing let Linda know for next Thursdays workday. Rebecca also managed to plant 2 shrubs and joined the weeding party north of the house. They (Dorothy Lamm, Chela and Peggy Scurlock, and Sue Ordway) removed Dalmation Toadflax, jointed goat grass, cheat grass, and squirrel tail grass abundant on the property just adjacent to ours. Nancy and Bruce Palmer toiled for some time in the heat and finished the sandstone pad for the bench in the Native Garden. Betty Marcus came early and watered many of the beds not on irrigation. Marilyn VanWaggoner helped water the north front of the house. Becky Lewis continued her work on roses. Some needed an additional Neem oil treatement, and some needed plants cleared from under them. Leslie Stone planted a Rugosa Rose. She actually had to dig 2 holes as the first one had a huge rock at the bottom. She also moved the stone bench that had become lost under the 1st tree we planted in the garden in 2004 (a blue spruce). Crys Wells moved a cluster of allium that was in the area where the new trellises will be put in on Saturday and Monday. Jane Reukema cleaned out our greenhouse, now that all hard scape has been put in the garden. Joe Harte trimmed a few tree branches and suckers. One of the "Girls for Good" came and filled bird feeders and cleaned and filled bird baths. Yvonne Chavez our new volunteer coordinator and Carol Lease came to hear the weed talk. One of the caregivers came out and cut lettuce for lunch for the residents. As usual Dave and Murphy joined us with several residents in the garden.

"To resist the frigidity of old age, one must combine the body, the mind, and the heart.  And to keep these in parallel vigor one must exercise, study, and love." 
-   Alan Bleasdale

Joe Harte found an interesting bug on our walnut tree. It was later identified as most likely a spittle bug. It can be washed off branches and should not harm the tree. It can deform branches if left on. Check out this site for a photo. http://bugguide.net/node/view/403690

On Saturday, we had a large crew of scouts in the garden. I counted at least 15 and there were probably more, from the ages of 4 on up. Carson Stone, an Eagle scout and his family, Boy Scout troop, and friends came to begin putting up some trellises in the garden. One is to block the view of the parking lot from the garden and the other along side the shed for climbing plants. As you can see this is a nice place to sit and view the Rose Garden and gazebo. The bench that Diana refinished is now part of the area. The crew dug holes for the posts with and auger and by hand, cemented in the bases, and then found time to help gather rocks to line a trail for the corner. That project will be done next week by another Eagle scout. The day had the feel of an old fashioned barn raising, with all working hard but enjoying themselves. The trellises were raised on Monday evening - come check them out.

Carson Stone - his family and friend.

New in the garden:
Sandstone pad in the Native Garden created by the Palmers, and a whiskey barrel pot with natives
More sandstone for a walkway between the Rose Garden and Switzer sidewalk donated by Diana Watt
3 new shrubs (Rugosa Rose, Apache Plume, and Elderberry)
A clean greenhouse - yeah! Thanks to Jane Reukema
New rose off the patio - Yellow Sunsprite - family donation

New blooms in the garden:
Peony, more iris, more clematis, ox-eyed daisy, day lily, the Purple Robina tree, and New Mexican locust
"The 'Amen!' of Nature is always a flower." 
-  Oliver Wendell Holmes 

   
Photos by Betty Marcus

Ready to pick this week:
Spinach, lettuce, mustard, and some kale

Work for the next few weeks:
Weeding - bed south of gazebo, including removing woods rose, the corner ambrosia, and bell flower incroaching on roses
Watering - inside and outside as needed
Plant up leftover annuals and perennials
Continue creating a new area in the native garden including gathering rock for a rock garden, and planting some pots.
Clean gazebo area (seedlings in bricks, bird droppings, etc.)
Adjust fencing at garden entrance
Reset bricks under the bench just north of the Faerie Garden
Resand the north patio
Wash pots

Upcoming:
June 15   9am-12pm    Monthly Saturday Workday
                                   Scout Trellis Project
June 20   9am - till       Scout Pathway Project
July 13    9am-5pm     Warner's 10% of Proceeds Day
July 25    9am-12pm   AmeriCorp help for the Thurs. workday

Thanks for all the help this week.

Loni