Last Week of 2013

"One of the most delightful things about gardening is the freemasonry it gives with other gardeners, and the interest and pleasure all gardeners get by visiting other people's gardens. We all have a lot to learn and in every new garden there is a chance of finding inspiration - new flowers, different arrangement or fresh treatment for old subjects. Even if it is a garden you know by heart there are twelve months in the year and every month means a different garden, and the discovery of things unexpected all the rest of the year."-  Margery Fish, We Made a Garden, 1956 

In our last week in the garden we finished all work needed to close the garden for the season. On Monday, Julie Holmes and I took down the grapes and clematis in the gazebo while Betty Marcus watered trees and shrubs. The gazebo is cleared if there is need to stain in the spring.

On Thursday, we had a small crew finish the work. Sue Ordway, Rebecca Davis, Betty Marcus, Becky Lewis, Judith Chaddock, Whitney Fessler, and Linda Guarino worked for a couple of hours then joined me for a walk through of the garden. They watered indoors and out, removed some annuals from pots, cleaned up the compost, finished up putting away irrigation, deadheaded, disconnected hoses, put tables, chairs, swings away, and covered a bench and birdhouse. Josh Bangle joined us for the walk through. It included location of materials, ideas for next year, and some procedures. See Linda Guarino for questions. Books left are a Rose book and donor book in the house library, and a Review with pictures of 2013 with a Wish List book on the entry table in the house.

Thanks to all who helped in my last year at the garden. It wouldn't have happened without each and every one of you. I will think of you when I am in my own garden next year, and as I am getting one of many massages at Flagstaff Face & Body. Don't work too hard next year. I will see you all in one of the many venues gardening in Flagstaff has to offer.

"Out of gardens grow fleeting flowers but lasting friendships."-  Beverly Rose Hopper

"I've learned that things change, people change, and it doesn't mean you forget the past or try to cover it up. It simply means you move on and treasure the memories." -  Alicia Boxer

With love and gratitude,
Loni

PS   I am adding my thank you from the paper to the blog in case you missed it. You will also find a list of all our accomplishments.

Workdays Week of 10/21

With one more week to go, we had a good Monday crew. Betty Marcus watered the Switzer beds trees and shrubs, due to the very dry weather. Katarina Karjala and Jane Reukema deadhead the Mexican Hat and hollyhocks so the seeds do not spread anymore. Becky Lewis filled niger bird feeders with seed that is still  left and cleaned the last of the two sunflower feeders. All sunflower feeders have been replaced with suet feeders. Our winter indoor crew will replace those as needed. I spent my time organizing the greenhouse so all the hardscape will fit. I also worked on our shrub list to make sure it is complete.

On Thursday Betty Marcus watered some trees and shrubs, Rebecca Davis as usual finished several tasks. She removed annuals from pots, covered tree trunks for the winter and cleaned out the small shed and tools. The shed is so clean I hate to use it on Saturday. Lori Tamblingson deadheaded throughout the garden. Sue Ordway cleaned up the compost area for winter. Judith Chaddock worked on the indoor plants. The large Christmas Cactus is in full bloom. I spent my time reorganizing the greenhouse, and checking out our tree and shrub list for the donor book.

"How can those who do not garden, who have no lot in the great fraternity of those who watch the changing year as it affects the earth and its growth, how can they keep warm their hearts in winter?"-  Francis King 

Saturday, brought the 2nd Annual visit by the Girls for Good. They helped finish cleaning up the garden and property in the canyon. They removed a large pile of pine needles that had swept in with the heavy rains this year. We probably have more than 20 bags. The rest of the girls worked on cleaning all our pots from this season. After they were done with the heavy duty tasks they did some general clean-up, sweeping, deadheading, and cleaning up more piles of pine needles in the garden.

Girls for Good and families 2013

"Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves."-  James M. Barrie  

Work for our last week:
Watering as needed
Last check for deadheading
Add covers to a couple of tree trunks
Put table and umbrella on patio
Put swing in garage
Fill 2 bird baths
Take down bird hook at entry
Put stakes up for snow?
Finish cutting back clematis on gazebo
Move mulch to back of greenhouse
Work compost 1 last time
Empty front annual pots
Have Linda check irrigation line on Switzer Canyon

Come join me for my last week in the garden,
Thanks,
Loni

Work the Week of 10/14

On Monday there were three of us working again. Julie Holmes worked on emptying the Faerie Garden hardscape and putting things away for the winter. Betty Marcus watered the trees and shrubs in the back of the house and the main garden. I did some clean-up of the vegetable beds and then helped Julie.

Thursday brought a larger crew and we all worked on putting away the garden. I spent my time with the vegetable beds and sensory pots, mulching and adding some compost. Linda Guarino worked on the garden map and helped others finish projects. Sue Ordway took down gazebo pots, and worked on the compost. Judith Chaddock and Whitney Fessler watered indoors and cleaned up plants. Whitney will help during the winter. Crys Wells worked on emptying and cleaning the rain barrels for the winter. Joe Harte came and disconnected the rain barrels and help put away the bird baths. Leslie Stone finished tying up roses, taking down birdhouses, and cleaning/putting away hardscape.

To do the last few weeks:
Water indoors and outdoors as needed
Remove plants from front of house
Organize the greenhouse
Clean the small shed and tools
Deadhead Shasta daisy, hollyhock and Mexican Hat
Cover tree trunks
Spread the last of the mulch
Put the table, umbrella, and chairs away
Put bench in north garden away
Girls for Good - Wash pots and clean pine needles from the canyon

For the next few weeks we will work from 9am-12pm, as the weather is cold and we are almost finished.

Thanks,
Loni

Workdays Week of 10/7/13

On Monday Julie Holmes and I worked on garden clean-up. Julie finished deadheading lavender and gathered some more hollyhock seed. I put away some hardscape and put protection on a beautiful ceramic pot in the native garden. I circled it with chicken wire and filled in the sides with pine needles. A trick I learned at the Arboretum. They use it for clay pots there. We will see how it works with ceramic next spring.

I had to return on Tuesday morning to unload a truckload of manure dropped by Hunter Kemmet from Equestrian Estates. Some was unloaded near the parking area to sit for next spring's use and the rest was brought to the compost area for use there. Most of it is pretty well composted - not fresh. Thanks to Hunter for getting it for us.

On Thursday, we cancelled the workday as it was snowing/raining most of the day and too cold to be working outside. It was rescheduled for Friday.

Friday's workday brought cold sunny weather. It was just Betty Marcus and I working on closing more of the garden. I worked on cleaning and organizing the garage and Betty watered indoors and washed some bird feeders, tea pots, and other outside hardscape to put away for the winter. When we finished we scattered wildflower and grass seed on the FUTS trail.

Work to finish before the season end:
Put away remaining bird feeders and baths
Faerie Garden
     Empty pots, clean and store
     Put hardscape away
     Store bentwood bench
Put table andchairs on porch for winter
Clean the small shed and greenhouse
Put away the remaining birdhouses
Cover bird houses in rose garden
Deadhead sensory pots and mulch
Add compost to the raised beds for winter
Disconnect and empty the rain barrels
Cover tree trunks
Wash pots
Clean tools
Remove pine needles from the canyon

Last workday for me Thurs. Oct 31. For those returning next season try to attend as I will review things that need to be done next year, locations of tools/materials, and written material available for those continuing.

Thanks,
Loni

Work the Week of 9/30

Monday brought a small crew to a cool garden. Temperatures at night have been in the high 20's or low 30's. Several of our regular volunteers were off as fall sets in. Katrina Karjala came and worked on deadheading lavender. Betty Marcus collected seed, and did some watering.
On Thursday we had a good sized crew that worked on putting the garden to sleep for the winter. Becky Lewis had a crew helping to prune roses and mulch them for the winter. Lori Tamblingson and Linda Guarino helped her get that done. Rebecca Davis took down pots from the gazebo, and deadheaded Russian sage and hollyhocks. She also helped me take down the water feature and put it away for the winter. Judith Chaddock watered indoors, found some room for some more hanging baskets on the sun porch, and began to take down the birdhouses. Linda also worked on the irrigation - doing some repairs - and Lori filled bird baths. I spent my time cleaning out and reorganizing the large shed to make room for the snow plow and watering some of our recent transplants.
I returned to the garden with Becky Lewis on Friday. We mulched and pruned the last of the roses and took down the red runner bean vines. It was a cool morning with most of the bird baths frozen for the first time. Joan Abbott came by and turned off the irrigation.

Plans for the next couple of weeks:
Hand water as needed weekly
Finish putting away the bird houses
Empty the last of the bird feeders and clean - replace with suet
Put away garden hardscape items
    Faerie Garden
    Wind Chimes
    Stone birdbaths
    Table and chairs
Mulch some of the more tender plantings
Clean the garage
Scatter flower seed on the FUTS trail
Girls for Good
    Wash pots
    Bag pine needles from canyon
    Clean tools from small shed
If city finishes on Switzer - remove some rock from bed, and add soil

"The scarlet of maples can shake me like a cry
Of bugles going by.
And my lonely spirit thrills
to see the frosty asters like smoke
upon the hills."
-   William Bliss Carman 









Thanks,
Loni

Work the Week of 9/23

On Monday, we had a good sized crew. Betty Marcus spent her time helping me take down the tomatoes after a frost on Sunday. She also gathered wildflower seeds for scattering and cleaned up some of our hummingbird feeders and seed feeders for the season. I put out some suet feeders for the winter since we will only be in the garden for another 6 weeks. Katarina Karjala spent her time weeding the north Switzer beds. She is still working with a special boot on her left leg. Carol Hudenko and her husband, Julie Holmes, Lori Tamblingson, and Leslie Stone planted the plants removed from the inferno strip a couple of weeks ago throughout the garden. The city crew has not been here since last Thursday and they are not finished with the work. Once they are done we will need to clean-up the bed, remove rock and put in some new soil. The bed will not be replanted until spring. I have submitted a bill to Russ Anderson (Northland CFO) to present to the city, for plants, soil, and irrigation repair by Foxglove Landscaping. I have also asked him what he wants us to do with the small rock that needs to be removed. Julie and Lori also gathered lavender for drying.

Thursday brought another good sized crew. Rebecca Davis came for a short time and gathered tea pots for washing and moved the shelving to the sun room area. Betty Marcus watered the Inferno and gathered seeds for replanting. Sue Ordway transplanted some of our frost sensitive herbs into pots for the sunroom, helped Judith Chaddock clean and rearrange the area, and deadheaded some lavender. Judith reorganized the sun room and brought in some of our geraniums from outdoors. Becky Lewis deadheaded roses, spayed some for aphids, and moved sandstone to our paver area. Crys Wells gathered lavender for drying. Joe Harte trimmed some limbs shading shrubs, cut down elms, and planted a shrub. I spent my time watering, cleaning tomato pots and tea pots to put away for the winter.

Work by the city continued on Wed. this week. No word on when we can began to clean up the Inferno Strip and reconnect the irrigation. Frost has hit our vegetables and some annuals already but it has been mild so far. All frost sensitive herbs and geraniums have been moved into the sun room.  Judith will need help this winter for indoor watering. We need a few more people to have background checks to help her with watering. All vegetables have been harvested except the corn which has not ripened as yet. I am still collecting red runner bean seed. If anyone wants some for their gardens next year let me know. The city weed whacked all along the FUTS trail so in the next few weeks we will scatter some of our collected seed.

New blooms:
The Moon Garden has come alive again. The white phlox are blooming and the new white clematis (Toki) purchased earlier this year.

Work for the next couple of weeks:
Watering as needed indoors/outdoors
1 pot remaining from Inferno to replant
Irrigation repair outside of sunroom
Continue to remove seed feeders as they empty and replace with suet
Remove rock from Inferno Strip when the city has completed their work
Add soil/compost to that bed in prep for spring planting
Get a load of compost to sit for the winter
Winterize roses - cut off roses, and add ground protection
Continue to deadhead lavender
Clean large shed and garage in prep for winter

Upcoming:
Oct. 26, 9am-12pm, Girls for Good, Garden Clean-up

Ah! the list doesn't seem to get any shorter. Come whenever you can to help.
I am saving some tasks for the Girls for Good in October - canyon pine needle pick-up, washing pots, cleaning the small shed, and putting away some of the small hardscape. I don't plan to plant any bulbs this year. Last spring we seemed to have enough throughout the garden, but you might consider doing it again next fall, depending on survival rate. I am beginning to harvest the red runner beans. We have an abundance this year with two trellises of them. If you want any for your gardens for next year let me know.

Hope to see you next week!

Thanks,
Loni

Workdays Week of 9/16

On Monday, Carol Hudenko and her husband worked on the corner - cleaning pine needles and weeding. Carol also dug up some iris and replanted them on the corner. Julie Holmes came and cleaned the birdbaths. They were very dirty because they have not been cleaned well this season with all the rain. I am sure the birds will appreciate the work. Joe Harte came and drilled holes in our whiskey barrel planter. I spent my time weeding, deadheading, making new soil for the whiskey barrel and cleaning up (mostly sweeping). The street work continues and they are getting close to the cut in area. On Thursday we will have our annual Fall Harvest Potluck in the garden at noon.

Thursday we had many volunteers for the workday with our annual Fall Harvest Potluck schedule after the workday. Many worked on deadheading, weeding and watering - Rebecca Davis, Carol Lease, Carol Hudenko, Whitney Fessler, Marilynn VanWaggoner, Betty Marcus, Jeanette Sletton, and Katarina Karjala. Crys Wells and Julie Holmes came late and helped to get the potluck organized. Katarina received her 2 year apron. She returned to the garden with her special boot after fracturing her leg. At noon we stopped to eat some of the harvest. We had brats, dogs, potato salad, bean salad, fruit salad, kohlrabi slaw, grape salad, broccoli casserole, desserts, condiments, tableware, and drinks. Josh Bangle, Sierra Gadberry, Russ Anderson and Tracy Whiting. joined us from Northland Hospice.

The city finished digging on Switzer Canyon Dr. and we will begin to return plantings to other parts of the garden on Monday. Work on the Inferno will be to restore the soil in prep for planting in the spring of 2014. The bed is currently full of small rock.
Other activities include:
Rose care - getting ready for winter, spraying for aphids
Continue seed gathering for scattering for fall
Grasshog work on the FUTS trail in preparation for scattering wildflower seeds
Move sandstone below main north garden
Clean large shed and garage in prep for winter
Begin cleaning and putting away bird feeders (seed and hummingbird) and taking out suet feeders
Begin bringing frost tender plants indoors (geraniums)

New blooms:
I was deadheading come coreopsis and found these beautiful morning glories wound around them:

Upcoming:
October 26, 9am-12pm, Girls for Good, clean-up day

For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together.  For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad."-   Edwin Way Teale

Thanks,
Loni