Zane - Friend and Therapy Dog Extraordinaire

Nancy Palmer with Zane at our Fall Harvest Lunch

On December 24th, our friend and therapy dog Zane, passed over the "rainbow bridge". He succumbed to lymphoma after working at the Olivia White Home for more than 6 years.

Zane was the Pet Idol of Flagstaff for 2006, but was more more than just a pretty face.
As a hospice volunteer and friend Zane had “all the right stuff”.
He was kind, gentle, and comforting to all he met.
He was playful or serious as the situation indicated.
He always made each person he encountered feel special and important by sensing what they needed.
He knowingly lay quiet by their side or nudged them for his favorite treat.
When you stroked or petted him he always made you feel you found just the right spot.
He soothed residents, family members in time of sorrow, staff on a busy day, and volunteer gardeners between chores.
It is hard to imagine the Olivia White Home without his presence. He will bring a smile to the face of all who think of him when visiting the home and garden. They will remember how he would place his head on a resident’s lap, lay quietly near a sleeping resident, drink from the bird baths (even though he had a dish), seek out those he knew had treats, lie on the ground with his tongue hanging out after a massage, and chase an occasional squirrel or fox. The garden and home came alive with his presence.
Through the tears I smile just thinking of him.

Loni Shapiro
Volunteer Garden Coordinator
Olivia White Hospice Home

Thank You for 2010

Appeared in the AZ Daily Sun 12/27/10

Thank you to all who volunteered donated and supported the volunteer gardeners at the Olivia White Hospice Home after our recent episode with vandalism. We can’t express how much it meant to us to see the outpouring of support and generosity. We had extra volunteers for the last few weeks of the season to plant our fall bulbs, phone calls, many donations, and people just stopping by to thanks us for what we do. We have always felt appreciated, but this just reinforced how much this garden means to the community in addition to how they feel about Northland Hospice.

As a result of your generosity we were able to replace some broken/lost items, up our security, and had enough left over to complete our drip system in the gardens. Special thanks go to Bobby Goita and the Fishing 4 FUNds donation. We were the recipients of their yearly donation to the Flagstaff community.

Thanks also go to our regular volunteer gardeners (master gardeners & hospice supporters) for a very successful season. Additional thanks to those that supported us throughout the year with their generous donations of materials and time. Warner’s Landscape and Nursery continued with a 7th year of 10% of proceeds day for Northland Hospice. We received many donations from families who received care at the home including a bent wood bench. The Bountiful Alliance foundation awarded us a grant to develop a garden to honor Michael Moore (writer and naturalist). Work on the Native Medicinal Garden began this year and will continue in 2011. Last of all Dave & Terri Hill continued their generous support of the gardens by donating a new stone bench and a chipper for our compost pile. We had our usual group help from Coconino High School Seniors, Upward Bound Students, CREC (Coconino Rural Environmental Core), AmeriCorps, the Grand Canyon Youth, and Northland Prep Honor Society).

We would also like to thank the Daily Sun for publicizing the vandalism. The publicity resulted not only in help for the gardens, but at least for now an end to the vandalism.

“Seeds of discouragement will not grow in a thankful heart.”
Anonymous

Loni Shapiro
and the volunteer gardeners of Olivia White Hospice Home

Last Workday of the 2010 Season 11/11/10

We spent the last workday of the garden season at Olivia White Hospice Home trying to stay warm. The temperatures the night before were below 20 and today not much warmer until about 11am. Many of our regular crew braved the cold to help close up the garden for the season.

Most of the crew worked on spreading the remaining mulch throughout the garden (Linda Guarino, Marilynn VanWagner, Becky Nelson, Julie Holmes, Judith Chaddock, and Debbie Crisp (a master gardener trainee)). Marcia Lamkin took care of the birds and watered inside. Crys Wells cleaned out our rainbarrel and planted some leftover bulbs with Debbie. Linda added the last of the food waste to the compost. During the off season it will be gathered once a week and added to the pile. Leslie Penick stopped by to say hi and visit a resident. Dave and Terri Hill came with their dog Zane to visit residents. I spent my time emptying the rain barrels (already had ice) and putting hardscape away.

Thank you:
Joanie Abbott and her crew from Foxglove Gardening for getting in the last of our drip system's main line before the frost came.
Al Katte for repairing our standing raised bed and painting our new plant stand.

We had a long but very productive season this year with all the winter snow and monsoon rains. Much was accomplished!

Usual garden maintenance (weeding, watering, planting (annuals and lost perennials), repairing drip lines and walkways, general garden maintenance))

Work at improving sustainability
Installed 2 rainwater collection barrels
Added 2 new composters
Began adding food scraps from the house
Began using a new chipper for cuttings from the garden

Re-doing some of the front gardens to decrease water use
Reduced size of the north bed to what is believed to be the property line
Began clustering plants and adding mulch to decrease water use
Added drip lines

Educational items revised and added for visitors and residents
Sign on back patio with:
Food available to pick
What’s blooming?
Rainwater levels
What’s new in the garden?
Revised Scavenger Hunt, General Info about the entire garden and the native garden

Worked on a grant for a new garden from Donna Chesner (widow of Michael Moore), who visited the site. This is $5oo for the 1st year and and may include more next year. Money will provide plants, signage and needed improvement to the existing beds. Planting scheduled for spring of 2011.

Michael Moore Native Medicinal Garden 2010 Moved rock to line garden with help from Norvel Owens and his bobcat
Moved some non-native shrubs/plants to other parts of the garden
Planted some aspen and a native Walnut tree
Developed a plan and began creating a plant list
Installed a stone bench donated by Dave Hill

We added a cedar split rail fence on Switzer Canyon Drive for safety near a large sink hole on the property. Lee Treece filled that hole with rock for us and we topped it off with mulch.

Work groups who helped this year:
Regular crew of master gardeners and hospice volunteers (12 regulars and 3 new volunteers)
Coconino High School Seniors
Upward Bound students from NAU
CREC – Coconino Rural Environmental Corp
AmeriCorps
Grand Canyon Youth Corp
Northland Prep Honor Society

Publicity:
2 articles for the Master Gardener Column in the Daily Sun
2 articles for the Northland Hospice newsletter
Coconino County Fair Display
2 photos in the 2011 Master Gardener Calendar
Created a blog for weekly updates on the garden (owhospicegardenvolunteers.blogspot.com)
Front page article in the newspaper on recent vandalism in the garden.

Fundraising:
Cards, bookmarks, and bricks for gazebo
Plant and Garden Sale in June (over $800)
Annual 10% Day at Warner’s (over $1900)
Wish List Book Donations
Electric Chipper and Stone Bench for the new garden – Dave and Terri Hill
Willow Bench for the Faerie Garden – Susan Roe and Family
Other items donated (see 2010 Donations at right)
Helped put in for a Home Depot grant for continued greening of the garden (shed, composter, rainwater collection, wheel barrows, and a weed whacker)
A $500 grant from the Bountiful Alliance foundation to honor Michael Moore

Goals for 2011:
-Plant seedlings in the spring in the newly fitted greenhouse. We may need to borrow space from Linda Guarino until the greenhouse is emptied in the spring.
Look at adding a tile floor and growing some of our own veggies and annuals
-Regular workday 2 days a week – Monday/Thursday with 1 Saturday a month if supervision help available
-Finish work on redoing the front beds including drip lines
-Add drippers to the new main lines in back of the house
-Begin planting and create signs for the Michael Moore Native Medicinal Garden
-Hold a 2nd Plant and Garden Sale with the goal of improving sustainability in the garden
-Work with the city on revising the corner garden with the new FUTS trail and sidewalk
-Continue articles for the Daily Sun and the Northland Hospice newsletter
-Update educational materials
-Look at seasonal scavenger hunts
-Continue to look for bench/glider donors

Thank you to all who helped with donations or time this year. It takes a village.

Loni Shapiro

Garden Workday 11/4/10

On a warm day, we had a small crew helping in the garden today. Crys Wells, Vicki Goodwin, and Marilynn VanWagner all deep watered tree and shrubs in the garden. We turned off the water a couple of weeks ago and their has been no rain and warm weather. Linda Guarino worked on taking hanging baskets down from the gazebo. Marcia Lamkin watered inside and took care of the birds (feeders and birdbaths). I spent my time cleaning up the standing raised bed, working on the compost, and putting away hardscape. After lunch I finished watering the trees and shrubs.

Someone dropped by some materials as a donation - wildflower sheeting, herb indoor planters, and paper whites. They did not leave a name for the donation but we thank them.

Several people stopped by to place their bricks in the gazebo floor.

Next week plans are to finish placing the mulch pile, put away remaining hardscape, and paint a donated plant stand to use on the sun porch. We also need to finish filling a sink hole just east of the street on Switzer Canyon Drive. This should be our last day in the garden except for winter watering if needed. We will meet in the winter, beginning in January (once a month) for planning. If you want to join us send me your e-mail address at cnslds@q.com.

We will also have Joanie Abbott and her crew from Foxglove Gardening here to finish our main drip lines in the back of the house (yeah). So all the beds will have the possibility of drippers and cut our work down considerably. Our regular garden crew will add drippers in the spring. It is such a huge garden we hope we have enough pressure to get it watered successfully.

Thank you:
Anonymous donation of paper whites, herb pots, and wildflower meadow cloth
$500 from Fishing 4 FUNds which will go towards our new drip lines and purchase of safety equipment for the garden.

New in the garden:
A new arbor trellis
Solar motion sensitive lights

"Seeds of discouragement will not grow in a thankful heart."
Anonymous

We can't thank you enough for your generous donation and support following our story in the AZ Daily Sun.

Loni

Garden Workdays 10/23-28-30/10

On Saturday (10/23) we had a small crew that worked on mulching the roses, turning the compost, and general garden clean-up. Cynthia Katte one of our regulars worked on the compost and helped us begin to mulch the garden for winter. Ann Eagan worked on the roses with Laura Davis and me. We tied up some large shrubs and mulched all the roses in the garden. We also had 2 young men from the Grand Canyon Youth Corp. who helped move mulch, compost and clean-up.

On Thursday which started out cold but ended up being very sunny and warm, we managed to get many things done. Linda Guarino worked on the compost pile, helped me put away the fountain, and planted many bulbs. Becky Nelson and Marcia Lamkin planted bulbs and Marcia did her usual check on the birds (baths and feeders). Laura Davis and Nancy Palmer moved some rocks to the new garden and put together our new arbor which will be stored until spring.

Laura and Nancy with the new trellis in the garden.

Judith Chaddock cleaned up the front beds - gathered hollyhock seed and deadheaed the Russian sage. Marilynn VanWagner moved compost to the raised beds and helped clean-up. I spent my time deadheading the sensory pots and mulching and began to empty the standing raised bed in hopes that Al Katte might be able to repair it. This was it's 4th year and it is really leaning to one side and has bottom slats that neet to be replaced.

This Saturday (10/30) we finished planting bulbs, continued to mulch the garden, and emptyed the standing raised bed. We had a couple of new master gardener trainees, some people from the Grand Canyon Youth Corp, one of our regular who we haven't seen in a while - Leslie Penick, and Peggy Scurlock and her daughter Chela (volunteers from hospice).

Thank you to:
Richard Wilson for a solar birdbath donated this week in rememberance of his wife Jean Wilson.
Board President Lee Treece for dumping a load of rocks in our sink hole.
Thanks to the garden crew for a wonderful end of season gift certificate for the Seasoned Kitchen.
Thanks to the community for all their support regarding the newspaper article/vandalism and to the police department to keeping a watchful eye on the garden.

On that note, we did find some strange happenings in the garden this am in the Faerie Garden, tree branches broken, bricks moved, and a few plants disturbed, but it seems to have been animals this time. We also found Zane's water dish moved to the garden with leaves and mud in it.

Weather permitting we will be in the garden for a couple of more weeks on Thursdays. Come join us to help us wrap up the garden season. We will continue to mulch, may need to water, and put the garden away.


Happy Halloween,
Loni

Garden Workday 10/21/10

I returned from Chicago this week, after visiting the beautiful Chicago Botanic Gardens. If you ever travel to that area it is a must see. They have almost 400 acres of formal gardens, with 9 islands. On arrival you keep looking for a castle on the property. They also have some unique areas; a large garden on the roof of their science center, a state of the art enabling garden, an amazing bonzai collection, and a very large garden railway (16 trains). I have encluded a couple of photos of the hundreds I took. One is a view of one of the islands, and the other a bed adapted for wheelchairs.




This bed has a duel purpose. It has three levels for various sized wheelchairs and it is water efficient with the water draining from the highest bed to the lowest.

While I was gone much has happened at the Hospice Home Garden. The gardens have been vandalized twice. We had broken hardscape, pulled plants, and some items just tossed in the canyon. Most of the damage was to the Faerie Garden, which was designed as a children's play area. We even received threatening notes demanding money. It is very sad and difficult to comprehend why someone would do this. The police have been notified and the newspaper came on Thursday to ask questions. You may see something in the Daily Sun. We have put all items of value away in our greenhouse, except for a few that are too large, or might be repaired. It is really not the cost of the items but what they mean to the people who donated them for their loved ones.

On Thursday, we had a small crew that worked on mulching the roses, and putting away the garden for the winter. Even though I say winter, I picked several roses yesterday to bring in the house. It really hasn't been cold enough to freeze them out. Linda Guarino returned from her trip to Africa. She transplanted some herbs, and put the tea and faerie garden items in storage. Cynthia Katte and Marilynn VanWagner also put items away and then helped me mulch the roses. Thanks to A & A Tree service we got a large load of wood chips.

We will be in the garden on Saturday from 9am-12pm planting bulbs and continuing our mulching. We will continue at the garden probably until mid-November weather permitting. Most of our time will be spent watering as needed and mulching for winter. Come join us if you can on our regular Thursday workdays.

While I was gone I attended a horticultural therapy conference and I will occasionally share some ideas from that. In several of my classes we talked about the Green Man which has been a garden symbol for centuries. He symbolizes growth and renewal. Google that if your interested in what it is all about. I actually made my own Green Man box to put small treasures in.

Thanks,
Loni Shapiro

Garden Workday 10/7/10

On a cold, windy day in the garden we managed to get some fall clean-up done. I checked the rain guage after the big storms but found it broken. We have had almost 28 inches of rain this summer so far, and the stream was flowing in the canyon today.
David Hockman came and planted some mums purchased this week on sale. After he finished he and Julie Holmes worked on weeding and cleaning up the corner of Switzer Canyon and Turquoise one last time. It was a good day for weeding after all the rain. Nancy Palmer spent her time putting away hardscape from the Faerie Garden. Cynthia Katte worked on compost and dead heading. Judith Chaddock dead headed and cleaned-up plants on the sunporch. We are expecting our first frost this week, and most of the tender plants have been moved inside for the winter. Vicki Goodwin returned after a busy summer and spent her time cleaning up the tea garden for winter. Laura Davis stopped by for a short time to plant some seeds in the Michael Moore Garden. Carol Lease stopped by to say goodbye. She is off to the valley for the winter.

New in the garden:
5 mums planted in the front gardens for color

Thank you:
Cynthia Katte for helping put together our seed packets for distribution to families. We now have two (Mexican hat and hollyhocks).

Next week:
Plans for next week include putting away hardscape, weeding the front gardens one last time, watering as needed, collecting some hollyhock seed, deadheading and tying up large roses, spreading mulch, and planting a couple of perennials weather permitting.

October happenings:
October 23, 2010 9am-12pm Bulb Planting
We will have Iris (Dutch and bearded), Daffodils, Tulips, Crocus, Alliums, Scilla and Snowdrops to get in the ground - more than 200 bulbs to replace those eaten this spring. We also hope to have the Grand Canyon Youth Corp. to help us that day.

"An iris likes to sit on the ground the way a duck sits on the water: half in, half out." Anne Raver Deep in the Green (1995)

"It is a greater act of faith to plant a bulb than to plant a tree."
Clare Leighton Four Hedges (1935)

I will be gone for a week - Horticultural Therapy Conference in Chicago. Hope I have new ideas to share on my return.

Loni

Garden Workday 9/30/10

2010 Garden Crew with Zane


Dave Hill, Nancy Palmer and Zane

It was another beautiful day in the garden, although quite chilly when I arrived before 8am. It is difficult to believe it will be October as the garden still looks like August. We had a large crew today because we were planning our annual Harvest Lunch. Carol Lease was the first to arrive and as usual she did a variety of things, feeding and watering the birds, making shrub labels, and putting away some pots for the winter. Cynthia and Al Katte, worked on chipping up material from the compost pile, getting ready for winter. Kay Balzer picked the last of the tomatoes and cleaned the pots and put them away, she also composted some more roses. David Hockman worked on cleaning up after Agassiz built a stone bench. He got rid of all the leftover concrete. Crys Wells and I watered the front and back gardens. Judith Chaddock and Julie Holmes pruned the roses. Marilynn VanWagner watered the sun porch plants. Susan and Joe Harte stopped by with some of their beautiful award winning sweet peas. Dave Hill and Zane also joined us for the lunch.

At 11:30 we broke for our harvest lunch. As usual the food was delicious - pulled pork sandwiches, German potato salad, kolrabi slaw, tomato salad, fruit salad, green salad, jello mold salad, corn and squash bake, hummingbird cake, banana bread, lavender brownies, and drinks. We were all stuffed after that meal, but took time to review some of the season, and give/receive thanks.

The husband of a recent resident stopped by with his son to donate a wind sculpture. It was placed in the Rose Garden and was moving in the wind immediately. It is a beautiful addition to the garden and visible from several benches.


Thank you:
To all who brought food for the lunch
Bob Smith for a beautiful wind sculpture for the rose garden

Plans for next week:
Water, weed, continue fall clean-up, begin spreading mulch and putting away some hardscape.

October happenings:
Bulb Planting - Saturday, October 23, 9am-12pm

"The man who has planted a garden feels that he has done something for the good of the world." Charles Dudley Warner
My Summer as a Gardener 1871

Thank you to all who helped and donated this year,

Loni

Garden Workday 9/23/10

I arrived in the garden this am to very cool weather, and a rain guage that registered 1.75 inches from the storms on Wednesday. We had a large group today and our focus was on adding compost to the gardens, weeding, and continuing our fall clean-up (dead heading and cutting back irises). Kay Balzer, David Hockman, Marilynn VanWagner, and Becky Lewis all worked at adding compost to the east beds and the rose garden. Becky and Cynthia Katte also spent time cutting back and cleaning up iris which was finally finished today. It is hard to believe that all the iris we have came from an original group of about 30 donated from one person in 2004, and a few extras from Betty Marcus and by purshase. We probably gave away more than 200 this year and they grace almost every garden we have. Cynthia also did her usual work with the compost. Crys Wells and I weeded along Switzer Canyon Drive. Al Katte stopped by to look at repairing our standing bed for next year. Joe Harte pruned trees and gathered Mexican hat seed for our donation seed packets. Carol Lease returned from vacation and did many tasks - filling bird feeders, cleaning hummingbird feeders, repairing the drip system, and maintaining the fountain.

New in the garden:
The beginnings of a new stone bench in the Michael Moore Garden

A clean garage
A clean, re-organized greenhouse
All iris trimmed and cleaned

October happenings:
Weekly workdays from 8-9 am-12pm
Saturday, October 23, 9am-12pm bulb plantign

Workdays will continue into November weather permitting to put hardscape away and coninute fall clean-up.

Plans for next week include spreading more compost, weeding, and dead heading, watering, spreading mulch if available, organizing the greenhouse for winter (pots that are outside), and our fall harvest lunch.
Cutleaf Staghorn Sumac with fall color. Photo by Loni Shapiro.

"In the garden, Autumn is, indeed the crowning glory of the year, bringing us the fruition of months of thought and care and toil.
And at no season, safe perhaps in Daffodil time, do we get such superb colour effects as from August to November."
- Rose G. Kingsley, The Autumn Garden, 1905

Thanks,
Loni

Garden Workday 9/16/10

The warm dry weather continues, with the need to water frequently. We had a small crew in the garden today but managed to get many things done. Laura Davis spent some time with Dave Hill and the bench builders for the new garden. The malapai and sandstone bench will be built next week by Aggassiz Landscaping. She also helped David Hockman get a potted burning bush in the ground, repaired an old trellis and placed it in the ground. David had to do delicate surgery to get the applewood trellis back together before placing it.

Becky Lewis continued to cut iris, and helped Kay Balzer get some of our less frost tolerant plants in the sunroom (geraniums (regular and scented) and rosemary).


Kay and Becky. Photo by Loni Shapiro.

They also organized the room with a beautiful display for the winter. Cynthia Katte took care of the fountain and the compost, and then spent time deadheading. We had a new master gardener volunteer Shelomith Watson who spent her time weeding, and digging up some iris for her children's school garden. I spent my time weeding and feeding/watering the birds.

New in the garden:
Return of the applewood trellis
A burning bush
Many of our less frost tolerant plants moved into the sunroom inside the house.

September happenings:
Regular Thursday workdays from 8am-12pm
Fall Harvest Lunch - September 30th - 1130am/1pm

October happenings:
Annual bulb planting - Saturday, October 23, 9am-12pm

Plans for next week include weeding along Switzer Canyon Drive and adding some much needed compost to some of our first beds along the back of the house. We still have iris to thin and clean-up and deadheading. Last of all we will begin seed collection for our give-away seed packet.

From David Wann's the Zen of Gardening

"The knowledge you harvest from the garden is eventually stored in some root cellar or freezer in your brain, and as a garden writer, you pull it out when you need it. But the fact is, you first gather the information with your hands and your senses. Gardening, like sex, is hands-on."

Thanks,
Loni

Garden Workday 9/9/10

New Willow Bench in the Faerie Garden. Photo by Loni Shapiro.

On another sunny cool morning we were able to get much accomplished in the garden. Laura Davis and Marcia Lamkin worked on placing the new willow bench. Appropiately it will reside in the Faerie Garden. It is not only beautiful , but fits into the whimsy of the garden. This bench has been on our wish list for several years and was donated earlier this summer by Susan Roe and family in memory of her father. It will be a special place to sit and enjoy the view of the canyon from the Faerie Garden.

David Hockman continued his digging ways - transpanting two large shrubs in our front north garden. We have been busy for several weeks moving plants to make this a smaller/more compact garden for more efficient watering. Kay Balzer transplanted some more day lilies and penstemon ,and I spent some time defining the end with malapais rock. Next week we will try to move one more shrub into the area - weather permitting.

Linda Guarino and Cynthia Katte worked on the compost. Cynthia brought her sifter from home and the resulting compost looked like black gold, ready for Home & Garden magazine.

Linda also worked on transplanting some Sneezeweed into the new Native Medicinal Garden and Cynthia began cleaning and cutting back the iris. Becky Lewis helped her do that and also deadheaded the roses. Marilynn V. returned from her busy life and watered the front gardens for us. Crys Wells stopped in and helped to deadhead and weed.

New in the garden:

Willow Bench in the Faerie Garden

A smaller north bed on Switzer Canyon Drive

Some of the first plants added to the Michael Moore Native Medicinal Garden

Plans for September:

Weeding Party this Saturday morning 9/11/10 from 9am-12pm

Regular Thursday workdays for the month from 8am-12pm

Plans for October:

Saturday 10/23/10 from 9am-12pm Bulb Planting

Next week our work on fall cleaning and some transplanting dependent on weather/forecast.

"Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, when Nature may heal and cheer and give strength to body and soul alike." John Muir

Thanks,

Loni Shapiro

Garden Workday 9/2/10

When I arrived in the garden early this am (730) I wished I had worn a coat. It was very cool, but by the end of the morning in the 80's. Fall is definitely arriving with wide ranges in temperatures. I had to attend a meeting first, but when I arrived people were already busy working. Al Katte had the new chipper out working on getting it ready for a demo/safety talk later in the morning.\
Al and Cynthia Katte and Linda Guarino working with the chipper. Photo by Loni Shapiro.

Linda Guarino was busy getting more of our iris thinned. Laura Davis and Nancy Palmer were watering and cleaning up the new garden area. Laura and Linda also helped me prepare fair entries for floriculture. Marcia Lamkin arrived later and began helping them as well as filling bird feeders and baths. Joe Harte and David Hockman worked on putting in a new fence in an area that could be dangerous, with some erosion. They cemented the posts in and set-up a split cedar fence that will serve as a warning and provide something for a vine to crawl up.
Switzer Canyon Drive fence. Photo by Loni Shapiro.

Cynthia Katte worked on the water feature, turning the compost, and planted some new iris. Kay Balzer continued to work on transplanting material in the far north Switzer bed. Much has been moved. We still have 2 shrubs that need to be moved (dogwood and juniper), but we are almost done with downsizing this part of the garden.

Happenings this month:
Coconino County Fair Sept. 4-7 (about 30 entries in floriculture/agriculture)
A display table was set up at the fair and we did 26 entries. The table was visited by many local and valley residents. We gave away fresh tomatoes, bearded iris, and hollyhock seeds to those who stopped by. We won 5 blue ribbons in agriculture, 5 in floricultue, 6 red in floriculture, and 1 white in agriculture and 4 in floriculture. The Juliet tomatoes won a special ribbon.

Weed Party Saturday, Sept. 11 - 9am/12pm
Regular Thursday workdays 8am-12pm

October happenings:
October 23, Saturday from 9am-12pm
Regular Thursday workdays 8am/12pm weather permitting

Come join us for our fall clean-up activities and planting/transplanting.

Thanks,
Loni Shapiro
cnslds@q.com
928-522-8635

Garden Workday 8/26/10

A new Arizona walnut getting ready to be planted. Photo by Loni Shapiro.

Signs of fall are in the air, with many of our perennials fading, cool mornings and turkey vultures gathering overhead. We had a large crew in the garden today. Laura Davis, Nancy Palmer, Joe Harte and Marcia Lamkin all worked on planting a new Arizona walnut tree. Phyllis Hogan and Donna Chesner, Michael Moore's widow, stopped by to look at the new area for his memorial garden. Linda Guarino and Becky Lewis worked on thinning more iris at the south end of the gazebo. Al Katte came and put together our new chipper. It not only works well, is easy to operate, but it also is very quiet. Perfect for some of our mechanically challenged crew. He will do a demo for us next week. Carol Lease worked on caring for the birds, our water feature, and smoothing a flagstone pathway. David Hockman worked on re-sanding some pathways and leveling sinking bricks on a bench pad. Cynthia Katte worked on the compost, watered and deadheaded. Judith Chaddock deadheaded many of our spent perennials and Kay Balzer worked on redoing our north Switzer Canyon bed - smaller and less spread out. Crys Wells worked on many of our weeds that are beginning to flower. I did many little jobs and kept people busy in the garden today.
Dave Hill and Zane brought out many visitors from the house.

Plans for next week include our usual bird care and watering as needed, continuing work on pathways and benchpads, re-doing the front gardens, and preparing entries for the fair (floriculture). Laura, Nancy, and Marcia will continue to work on the new garden.

New in the garden:
An electric chipper donated by Dave Hill
More iris has been thinned and is available for anyone who wants some. Leftovers will be taken to the fair on Friday.
A new Arizona walnut tree.


Upcoming special workdays:
September 11th - 9am-12pm - weeding party
October 23rd - 9am-12pm - fall bulb planting

"Ideally, a garden is a cycle of events in which the gardener grows, along with the soil and the crops. Food from the garden and bright, fragrant flower blossoms invigorate the gardener to grow more food and blossoms, a perpetual cycle of delight."

David Wann The Zen of Gardening

This past weekend I attended the regional Highlands Master Gardener conference in Payson. David Wann was one of the keynote speakers. His talk was one of the best I have heard regarding sustainability. He has a newer book - Simple Prosperity: finding real wealth in a sustainable lifestyle - which covers the themes from his talk. I will share some of his messages in the coming weeks. He is not only a gardener, and writer, but a philosopher.

Loni Shapiro

Garden Workday 8/19/10

On another warm, dry day in the garden our regular crew worked on pathways, compost, deadheading, and the new Michael Moore garden. Nancy Palmer and Laura Davis worked on planting some aspen, weeding, planning, and digging a hole for a new tree. Laura also continued to work on trellising our bush clematis and grape vine in the gazebo.

Clematis and grapevine growing on the gazebo trellis. Photo by Loni Shapiro

Native Plant & Seed gave us a deal we couldn't resist for a new Arizona Walnut which will grace the Michael Moore Garden. David Hockman began work on repairing our pathways and mentioned that it went much faster when Karen was helping. They are all needing repair from the heavy rains we continue to get this season. Cynthia Katte worked on the compost and continued deadheading. Julie Holmes filled birdfeeders and baths and also worked on deadheading.

Julie Holmes deadheading the Shasta daisy. Photo by Loni Shapiro

Marcia Lamkin watered the house plants and helped Nancy and Laura in the MMG. I spent my time watering, weeding, and running out to get some sand for the pathways.

Thank you:
Nancy Palmer for helping with shipping on the willow bench and purchase of an Arizona Walnut.
Jean Hockman for the donation of some Naked Lady Amaryllis which we will pot and put on the sunporch for the winter (Zone 7-11).

New in the garden:
Arizona Walnut Tree
Aspen cluster
3 Fall Woods Asters (Pink/Purple/Blue)

Upcoming workdays:
Saturday, September 11, 9am-12pm - a weeding party
Saturday, October 23, 9am-12pm - fall bulb planting

Come join us in the garden on Thursday between 8am-12pm. We will continue to work on pathways, deadheading, watering as needed, weeding, and the Michael Moore Garden. Parking only available at the 1st Congregational Church on Turquoise just past Switzer Canyon Drive.

"What a magical place! I thought gardens like this only existed in dreams. Thank you for this beautiful gift." From Tending the Earth Mending the Spirit

Most of us who work at Olivia White Gardens can identify with this quote.

Thanks,
Loni

Thursday Workday 8/12/10

Bee Balm in the Tea Garden (Photo by Aspen Crystal 2010)

On another sunny warm day (no rain for several days) a few regulars gathered in the garden to work on watering, weeding, planting, cleaning, compost, and thinning iris. Linda Guarino worked on the compost, planted several plants and a shrub, and began our annual iris thinning. We have several bags of thinned iris (mostly purple) available on our back porch for anyone who needs them. On Thursday 8/19/10 I will take whatever is left to the monthly Master Gardener meeting. Kay Balzer continued to work on the Inferno strip beds, weeding, transplanting, and watering new plants as needed. Carol Lease took on the job of cleaning the shed for the season - we hardly recognize it. She also found time to fill bird feeders and baths, and take care of our fountain. I spent most of my time watering as it has not rained in days. Judith Chaddock and Cynthia Katte spent most of their time deadheading and helped with the iris. Joe Harte came by and did some repairs for us. He worked on one of our seed catch trays, put some air in the tires of our wheelbarrows, and replaced some broken arms on one. We had a visitor on a walk from Missouri to the Grand Canyon and he stopped to help us weed. Even non-gardeners enjoy the many routines of gardening, being outdoors, and the companionship of other gardeners. For a small crew it was a very productive day.

Thanks to:
Dave Hill for his generous donations to the garden - a chipper for our compost pile and a stone bench for the new Michael Moore Garden.

Blooming:
Some of the fall asters have begun to bloom

New in the garden:
Coreopsis, Pincushion, Penstemon, Ozark Sundrop for the front beds
White Balloon Flower for the moon garden
Pasque flowers to replace a couple we lost this winter
Blue False Indigo and Cornflower for the east of the house beds

Healing in the Garden
"My cares and worries seem to melt away when I'm gardening: it is so calming for me. I'm a totally changed person after a day in my garden."
Mary Jo, a gardener in Iowa from Tending the Earth Mending the Spirit

Garden Workday 8/5/10

Lavender - Photo by Aspen Crystal 2010

On a beautiful warm partly cloudy day in the garden much was accomplished. We had 12 of our regular gardeners helping. Gwen K. worked on planting, watering, and weeding. Linda Guarino, worked on the compost and weeding the new area for the Michael Moore Garden. Becky Lewis and Marcia Lamkin also worked on weeding and getting the bed ready for more soil and weed cloth. David Hockman transplanted some aspen trees into that garden from the aspen grove. Julie Holmes and Judith Chaddock weeded and Judith also deadheaded some lambs ear. Joe Harte worked on our trees, removing suckers and pruning. Carol Lease filled the bird feeders and baths, worked on leveling a large granite bath, hung a wind chime, and did a couple of plant tags. Laura Davis stayed at home and worked on our Michael Moore grant. Kay Balzer brought some plants from home and put them in the inferno strips and the native garden - pussy toes, and a variety of daisies.

Thanks to:
Kay for the donation of several plants from home

Visitors:
Dana Prom Smith stopped by to check out the garden and visit with other Master Gardeners

New blooming in the garden:
White phlox in the moon garden, and Shropsire Lad climbing rose next to the arbor bench (David Austin rose)

Harvested:
Tomatoes (sweet 100 and juliet), zucchini, lettuce, and crookneck squash

On our next Thursday workday we will begin digging up iris, continue deadheading and weeding as needed, water as needed, make some lavender wands for the house, plant a shrub, and getting the beds ready for the Michael Moore garden.

Repairs are needed on the seed catch tray, and the native garden walkway.

Come join us on Thursday anytime between 8am-12p. Water and snacks provided along with tools and gloves. Bring any special tool you like to work with. Parking only in the 1st Congregational Church lot.

"There is not a blade of grass that shoots uninteresting to me."
Thomas Jefferson
Letter to Martha Jefferson Randall 1794

Thanks,
Loni

Garden Workday 7/29/10

After a week filled with rain (6 inches in our rain guage)our crew spent the day working on a variety of tasks. We had a crew of AmeriCorps volunteers (14) join us on their community service day in Flagstaff. They spent their time on some serious weeding (ragweed), repairing a pathway, and moving some junipers out of the new native garden.



Some of our regular crew were also in attendance to help supervise, transport, and work in the garden. Linda Guarino picked up part of the crew at NAU and supervised the weeding project on the corner of Switzer Canyon Dr. and Turquoise. Laura Davis and Nancy Palmer supervised the crew working in the new Native Medicinal Garden. Carol Lease did many tasks - labeling plants, cleaning the large water feature we have, and some dead heading. I deadheaded lambs ear and worked on the compost pile, while retrieving tools for the crew. Gwen K filled the birdfeeders and baths, watered some plants under the eaves, and deadheaded/weeded. Marcia Lamkin watered inside, worked on the Faerie Garden and helped with the Michael Moore Garden. Many of our regular crew were off today, but much was accomplished with the help of AmeriCorps.

Thanks to:
The crew from AmeriCorp for all their hard work, and Linda Guarino for helping with transport.
The Thomas Roe family for their generous donation of a willow bench for the Faerie Garden.

Next week we will continue to water as necessary, weed on the corner and in front of the house, deadhead lambs ear, move some aspen trees, plant a shrub, and work on the Michael Moore Garden.

Come join us on Thursday, between 8am-12pm for any or all of that time. Suggested attire: hat, sunscreen, gloves if you have them and close toed shoes. You are welcome to bring your own tools but we do have a large supply. Park in the First Congregational Church lot. We provide water and snacks.

"There is some hope in weeding, for the weeds may one day be defeated, but the tidying of a garden is as exacting and unending as the daily washing of dishes."
Clare Leighton - Four Hedges (1935)

Thanks,
Loni

Workday 7/22/10

Shasta Daisy - Photo by Aspen Crystal 2010

On my first day back in the garden we had a full crew with everyone back from vacation. It was a bit difficult for me to concentrate after lying on the beach in Capitola, CA for a couple of days.

Laura Davis continued to work on getting the grapes to climb up the gazebo and worked with Nancy Palmer on the Michael Moore Native Medicinal Garden. They continue to plan, move plants and weed the area. Judith Chaddock and Julie Holmes both deadhead flowers and worked on cutting lavender flower bunches for drying. Cynthia Katte and Linda Guarino worked on the compost pile. They put in two new composters from the city of Flagstaff and organized the area. Al Katte installed two rain collection devices, just in time, as they were full by the time we left the garden. Kay Balzer worked on weeding in the front of the house and continued to clean-up the south inferno strip. David Hockman was back and as usual was digging holes. He put in a new quince, moved a shrub, and helped with weeding the new garden. Carol Lease made labels, watered, worked on the bird feeders/baths, and transplanted a couple of volunteers in the Inferno Strip. Crys Wells worked on deadheading and cleaning up the pot area with Cynthia. Marcia Lamkin watered indoors and worked on the bird feeders.

New in the garden:
2 rainwater collection barrels
shelving and insulation in the greenhouse
2 new city of Flagstaff composters

Harvested:
French radishes
variety of lettuce
herbs
kale

By the time I left the garden today our rainbarrel was full, water was flowing below the garden in Switzer Canyon and the rain guage read 3 inches. Needless to say the drip was turned off. John Gordon was busy in the greenhouse putting up recycled shelving, insulation on the back wall covered with recycled plywood. All in all a very busy and productive day in the garden.

Plans for Thursday include a large group of AmeriCorps volunteers to help us continue to prepare the Michael Moore Garden (hardscape, weeding, soil, transplanting some juniper), weeding on the corner, and repairing our rollercoaster walkway. We will be watering as needed, deadheading shasta daisy and lambs ear, cutting more lavender (one for each room in the house), and adding some tags to roses. It should be a very busy day.

Parking only in the church lot. As usual snacks and water will be provided, just bring yourself, any tools you prefer, and wear a hat and sunscreen.

"All work is as seed sown; it grows and spreads, and sows itself anew."
Thomas Carlyle

Loni Shapiro

Garden Workday 7/15/10

While I was on vacation Cynthia Katte was in charge of the gardens at Olivia White. Many of our regulars came to help that day. Nancy Palmer watered the garden and fed the birds. Linda Guarino worked on the drip system, and did some weeding in the gardens in front of the house. Carol Lease added some tags to our vines and repaired some damaged ones from the winter. Judith Chaddock finished our second pruning of the roses and fed them and helped Nancy with the birds. Becky planted some plants we purchased at the Arboretum plant sale. Cynthia worked on the compost pile and brought Al to look at installing the rain collection devices. Kay Balzer and Laura Davis worked in several areas of the garden.

Thank yous: Kay and Laura )for watering some of the pots (with all the rain the garden was fine) and thanks to Cynthia for managing the crew.
Cynthia Davis, Linda Guarino, Marcia Lamkin and Laura Davis all worked on the 10% day and deserve additional thanks.
Dave Hill and Zane and the volunteer coordinator Jacque Auxier also represented hospice at the fundraiser.

I will be back in the garden on Thursday and the focus will be on the planned new garden (Michael Moore Medicinal Native Plant Garden), cutting lavender, planting a shrub, and continued revamping of the front gardens. As usual we will be watering, weeding, and feeding the birds.


Loni

Workday, July 8, 2010

Rose Garden and Gazebo - June 2010

Thursday was a busy and warm day in the garden. Peggy Sheldon-Scurlock came with a group of students from Northland Prep. Academy's Honor Society. They pulled weeds, and did general clean-up of the property east of the gardens. They removed Dalamation Toadflax, bindweed and garbage from the area. They also scavenged some rocks for one of our front gardens. Several of our regulars came - Linda Guarino, Nancy Palmer, Marcia Lamkin, Julie Holmes, Kay Balze, Marilynn VanWagner, and Becky Lewis. Linda got us a truckload of soil from Landscape Connection and a load of manure from Equestrian Estates. Several helped unload the materials near the site of the new garden for Michael Moore. Kay worked on cleaning up the south inferno strip, replacing some plants lost this winter, weeding, and digging up some dying grasses. Nancy and Becky worked on improving the 1/2 circle in front of the house. Thay added plants (daylily, creeping phlox, and moonshine yarrow) and improved the bed with a west rock wall. Julie pruned the roses for the 2nd time, fed them and I watered the feed in. Marilynn watered and weeded. Marcia filled the bird feeders and baths.

We had several visitors to the garden. John Gordan, from With the Grain Woodworks, came to look at getting the greenhouse ready for fall (insulation, shelving, and a better floor). Catherine Sickafoose came to see what was blooming and to remind us about her show at Brandy's for the month of July. Last but certainly not least the White's came to pay their respects to Olivia on the 3rd anniversary of her death. 3 generations were present - her sister Josie, mom Jill, and grandma Joan. They spent some time just walking through the gardens and enjoying a beautiful day.

Next week I will be in California and Cynthia Katte will be in charge. On the agenda is the usual watering/weeding, finishing up the pruning and feeding of the roses, labeling some of our many beautiful vines, feeding and providing water for the birds, and cleaning up the compost area. We have something getting into our piles even with covers held down by large rocks - skunk, ground squirrels, racoons? We need to get all our compost in containers. If you have any unused City of Flagstaff composters please contact me (cnslds@q.com).

On Saturday the 17th of July we will hold our 7th Annual 10% Day at Warners. 10% of the proceeds will benefit the gardens. Come get your plants as the monsoons start and save all that watering. Hospice volunteers and Master Gardeners will be available for questions and garden as well as hospice items will be for sale. Your purchases will support the beautiful gardens at Olivia White and Northland Hospice.

New Blooms:
Hollyhocks, Rocky Mountain Bee Plant, Prairie Penstemon (white flowers), some Shasta Daisy.

New in the garden:
Two rainwater collection devices - to be installed.

"Perhaps our best hope for gardening as an art is that gardening is an activity whose never-achieved aim is progress towards a nerver-completed work of art."
Geoffrey Charlesworth The Opinionated Gardener (1952)

Thanks,
Loni

July 1, 2010 Workday

Looking through the rose garden walkway arch to see the beautiful robusta rose. Archway has 2 double clematis (Josephine (photo) and Franziska Marie)

On another beautiful day in the garden many of our regulars came to work: Cynthia Katte, Judith Chaddock, Linda Guarino, Kay Baltze, Marilynn VanWagner, Laura Davis, Joe Harte, Carol Lease, Becky Lewis, Nancy Palmer, and Marcia Lamkin. Cynthia helped with watering, planting, and digging up a shrub that needed to be moved. Judith helped with potting some bellflower, and cleaning up our sunporch plants and geraniums. Linda and Laura worked on getting our grape vines up on the gazebo, and improving the gardens in front of the home. Nancy and Marcia worked on the Faerie Garden. Carol Lease fed and watered the birds and planted a hanging basket for the back porch. Marilynn watered the back gardens. Joe helped us move a large shrub and fixed the drip again. Several people worked on the front beds, adding new plants, moving some from other parts of the garden, and removing some invasive grass.

The 1/2 circle bed in front of the house now has another blue mound spirea, some more moonshine yarrow and Rocky Mt. penstemon, some new coreopsis and lavender, and a replacement creeping phlox. Kay removed some invasive varigated grass and several others removed some bellflower, which many had requested at our plant sale.

More plants leftover from our sale are being purchased. Our intake is now over $700 which will go towards the purchase of some rain collection devices and a new composter. We will also get an estimate on some additions to our greenhouse so we can use it next spring.

Thank you:
Kay Balze for some pussytoes to add to the native garden.
Thank you to our regular gardeners who made many purchases of leftovers today.

New in the garden:
A new birdbath for the front 1/2 circle. This winter the old one broke in the heavy snow.

Many of the roses are blooming - both Canadian roses and the large robustas are in full bloom. We also have Julia Childs, Sally Holmes, Carefree Delight, Peace, Knockout and many of the Carpet Roses. One of the new roses Morden Sunset also has a bloom.
The grapes have many babies ready to grow.
The Inferno Strip is in full bloom - many penstemsons, Mexican Hat, Mirabilis, snow in summer, cinquefoil, yarrow,and lambs ear.
The daylilies have also begun to bloom.

On the agenda this week is rose pruning and feeding, watering, weeding, finishing the update of the front 1/2 circle, and feeding the birds. We will be in the garden from 8am-12pm as usual. Come join us!

Peggy one of the patient volunteers and her daughter Chella along with some friends will help us clean up along Turquoise. They will pull the dreaded Dalamation Toadflax and pick up some garbage along the way. They would also appreciate any help interested in removing noxious weeds.

As usual no parking at Olivia White. Please park in the church lot on Turquoise (1st Congregational) or on the east side of Turquoise. Water and snacks are provided. Hat, sunscreen, and closed toed shoes recommended.

"There is simply the rose; it is perfect in every moment of it's existence."
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

Thanks,
Loni
cnslds@q.com

Workday 6/24/10 and Plant Sale

This week was a successful one for the gardeners at Olivia White. On Thursday in the am several volunteers came and helped us get ready for the plant sale. Cynthia Katte, Judith Chaddock, Julie Holmes, Becky Lewis, Bethany Page, David Hockman, Kay Balzer, Cindy Murray, Linda Guarino, and Marilyn VanWagner. Kay and David worked on the corner of Switzer and Turquoise thinning moonshine yarrow and weeding. Becky, Julie, Judith, Bethany and Cynthia did some thinning and getting plants ready for sale. Marilyn watered some of the beds. Linda and Cindy resanded our back patio.

On Thursday afternoon Kay came back and helped me with some much needed supervisory assistance on the last day of the Upward Bound group. They watered, weeded, stained a bench, filled bird baths, and cleaned the sunporch. Thanks again to Upward Bound and especially Verlinda Folgheraiter for their help this month.


On Saturday, we held our 1st Annual Plant and Garden Sale. We sold many plants and garden tools/art. We made a nice profit so we may do this again. All the plants were extras in the garden and our only expense was for soil. The leftover plants will be available for the next couple of weeks on Thursday AMs. Extra garden tools/art will be donated to Hodge Podge. The profits will go towards upgrading our sustainability - composter, and a couple of rainwater collection devices for our gutters.

Special thank yous to: Julie Holmes, David Hockman, Becky Lewis, Cynthia and Alan Katte, Marilyn VanWagner, and Kay Balzer for helping on the day of the sale. Thanks also to Laura Davis for providing some herbal tea. Thanks also to those who came and spent their money to improve the gardens at Olivia white.

On a side note, a couple of years ago we were given a donation of several amaryllis which Cynthia Davis planted in a big pot on our sunporch. They were beautiful the first year, but with so much going on in the garden somewhat neglected except for occasional watering. The sun porch the last two years has been cold because of our winters. We even lost a few plants. On Saturday after the plant sale I went through the sunporch to clean up and to my surplrise found several of the red amaryllis boldly blooming. Another example of the magic in growing plants at Olivia White Hospice.


Next Thursday, we will continue to weed on the corner of Switzer and Turquoise and begin to move plants in the beds on Switzer just north of the house. The drip will need to be added to the newly moved plants. We always have watering to do as well. Come join us for any or all of the time in the garden - 8am-12pm.

Upcoming:
Warner's 10% day - July 17th, 2010

"The man who has planted a garden feels he has done something for the good of the world." Charles Dudley Warner - My Summer in the Garden (1871)

Thanks,
Loni

Plant and Garden Sale

Every year many of our perennials expand - especially this year with all the winter moisture. Because of that we thinned many of our plants. Some were put in newer parts of the garden and others will be available for purchase. Some of those available will be snow in summer, yarrow, native geranium, germander, gallardia, vinca, penstemons (Rocky Mt., clutei, and mat), and many red hot pokers.

In addition we will have some slightly used extra pots, tools, and garden art from the home and some of our gardeners. We are considering it Olivia White Garden's garage sale.

What: Plant and Garden Sale
When: Saturday, June 26, 2010 from 1-3pm
Where: Oliva White Home
752 N. Switzer Canyon Drive
No parking at the home which is reserved for staff and families. Park on Turquoise or at the 1st Congregational Church.

All proceeds to benefit the gardens at Olivia White.
For questions contact Loni Shapiro (cnslds@q.com or 928-522-8635)

Workday 6/17/10

On another beautiful day in the garden we focused on digging up plants to transplant or pot for our first plant sale (Saturday, June 26th, 1-3pm). David Hockman spent his day digging up a large grass (pampas) which will be gifted to Joanie Abbott. It was so large it took 3 of us to get it in a temporary pot. Linda Guarino worked on setting timers for the drip and adding a few new plants. Kay Baltz, Becky Lewis, Cynthia Katte, Judith Chaddock, and Nancy Palmer all worked on transplants. Kay also found time to weed, and Judith cleaned up our geraniums that spent the winter on our sun porch. Marilyn VanWagner watered, and Laura Davis worked on several things. We had some visitors who came to see our varieties of clematis. Crys Wells also worked on transplants and made a flyer for our plant sale.

On Friday, Phyllis Hogan from Winter Sun stopped by to meet with Laura to look at the new site for the Michael Moore Native Medicinal Garden.

New blooms:
Several clematis, more penstemons, fireweed, robusta and John Cabot roses, native geraniums, and centaurea rothrocki (Rothrock's knapweed)

New from the CSA:
Zucchini, sage, tomatoes, and peppers

We have several rock squirrels who are eating all the bulbs - even alliums - and are looking at possibly trapping and relocating them. Today I spotted an abert squirrel sitting on the bird feed seed catching tray eating all available droppings.

I also have never seen so many lizzards about. Animals are fun but some like the rock squirrels do so much damage in the garden. Dan Caputo an animal control expert said you need to remove the temptations, but if we did that we wouldn't have a garden.

Upcoming:
Thursday workday - June 24, 8am-12pm
Plant and Garden Sale - June 26, 1-3pm
Monthly Saturday workdays only by request as we have not had anyone interested for May or June.

This Thursday we will work on pricing items for the sale on Saturday, weeding and watering areas needed, and checking drip emitter placements. Come for any or all of the time.

Thanks,
Loni

Workdays 6/8 & 6/10, 2010

It was a great day for gardening on Thursday. The temperature was cooler and we had a nice breeze. We also had a large crew to help. Becky Lewis, Cindy Murray, and Kay Baltz worked on weeding the inferno strip and near the birdhouse trellis. Joe Harte and Carol Lease both worked on the drip. We had a couple of major repairs and emitters were added to the gazebo hanging baskets. Nancy Palmer worked on pots for annual color and planted some of our new perennials. Cynthia Katte worked on the compost piles and deadheading. She also transplanted some pine penstemons for the plant sale. David Hockman spent his time working on fixing one of our redwood benches. I am sorry to say their is not much life in them anymore. We are looking for sponsors for new green benches.Crys Wells watered the front beds.

On Tuesday and Thursday afternoons the group of kids came from Upward Bound. They watered, weeded, fertilized trees, fed and watered the birds, washed pots, and cleaned the greenhouse.

Special thank yous to David for all the hardware to fix benches and Carol Lease and Joe Harte for taking extra time and travel to make sure our drip was running. Joannie Abbott from Foxglove Gardening gave us a piece of drip line so we would not have to buy 500 feet.

New blooms:
Several penstemons (desert, mat, rocky mountain, etonii, Austrian copper rose), Flag and Dutch iris, succulents in the rock garden and sulfur buckwheat.


Austrian Copper Rose


Rock Garden

New plantings:
Color pots throughout the garden (salvia, alyssum, sweet potato vine, calendula, petunia, lobelia, cosmos, marigold, geraniums, etc). Several things were also added to the sensory pots, Moon Garden, Rock Garden to fill up or replace perennials that did not make it through the winter.

Come join us next Thursday morning any time between 8am and 12pm. We will be cleaning up some geraniums and focusing on digging up some of our extra plants to sell at a plant sale on June 26th. We will have germander, penstemon, lambs ear, snow in summer, yarrow, iris, and red hot pokers. There will also be extra pots available and other garden items.

No parking at Olivia White. It is available on Turquoise or at the 1st Congregational Church. Water and snacks provided. Just bring a hat, sun screen, and closed toed shoes are recommended.

Events this month:
Plant and Garden Sale June 26 1pm-3pm

Thanks,
Loni Shapiro
new e-mail cnslds@q.com

Workdays 6/1 & 6/3, 2010

The first week of June was a warm and busy week for the gardens at Olivia White Home. On Tuesday, we had our first visit from a group of highschoolers from throughout the state (Upward Bound). There were 11 from Coconino High, schools in Williams, Winslow, Window Rock and Hopi, along with their supervisor for the month. They are living at NAU, taking classes and doing volunteer work. On Tues & Thurs. they watered, weeded, fed the birds, planted, and helped the house clean the garage.

On Thursday, many of our regular crew came and 10 college students from CREC that Laura Davis supervised. The crew from CREC got our new Michael Moore Native Medicinal Garden started - weeding and moving some non-native shrubs and plants. They also helped Linda Guarino unload some compost from Equestrian Estates. Linda also set the timers on our drip system and planted some perennials. Vicki Goodwin worked on weeding, Cindy Murray, Cynthia Katte, and Judith Chaddock watered and moved mulch from the roses, Carol Lease worked on the drip and the roses, Marcia Lamkin on the Faerie Garden, Marilynn V. watered & weeded, Crys Wells planted potted some red hot pokers and iris taken out of the beds by CREC, and David Hockman dug a hole and worked on a bench that needs to be repaired. I spent most of my time trying to keep everyone busy.

New blooms:
Dutch Iris, Evening Primrose, several succulents in the rock garden, and some penstemons.

New plants:
Too numerus to list, but many annuals in pots.

Come join us next week. We will be planting more annuals, and digging up some plants for our planned Plant & Garden Sale on June 26th. If you have any garden plants or tools you want to contribute, please contact Loni Shapiro at 928-522-8635 or cnslds@q.com.

Workday 5/27/10

Well it sure felt like spring had arrived today. The plants are growing quickly even with the dry weather, because of so much moisture this winter. The potatoes and and radish leaves are beginning to peek out, and the produce from the CSA seems happy even though it has been cold.

The first to arrive today was Vicki Goodwin. She watered all the back gardens and managed to get in some weeding in front of the house. David Hockman did his usual hole digging for a Mock Orange, McCormick Rose, and a couple of small plants. He also dug up a crushed Russian sage that met it's demise in the winter when a plow dumped a driveway bumper on it. We were all happy to see Laura Davis return from Tucson. She spent the day planning for the new garden, and planting a few hardy perennials. Julie Holmes and Judith Chaddock worked on the inferno strip - weeding and adding a few new perennials. Cynthia Katte made sure the birds had food and water and continued to deadhead the tulips and daffodils. Marcia Lamkin planted our annual red runner beans on the birdhouse trellis and worked in the Faerie Garden. Marilyn VanWagner watered the front gardens. I spent my time planting some summer bulbs, and getting pots ready for the last of the tomatoes, peppers, and basil.

Blooming:
White Tulips and in the Moon Garden
Pansies in the Tea Garden
Blue Flax in the Inferno Strip
Irises, purple alliums, alyssums, and blue flax throughout the gardens.

Planted:
Red Hot Pokers, a variety of Penstemon, and grasses in the Inferno Strip

Plans for next week include setting the timers on the drips, a few more repairs, planting some annual pots, and planting the last of the perennials from High County Gardens. We need to begin moving extra plants into pots for a garden sale in June - Red Hot Pokers, lambs ear, yarrow, and germander. If the weather continues we also need to fully uncover mulch from the roses.

For the month of June there will be many opportunities to help in the garden. We will do our usual Thursdays from 8am-12pm and since I will be in the garden on Tues/Thurs from 1pm-330pm with a group of Upward Bound students, you are welcome to join in and help teach/supervise seniors from thoughout Arizona. Their projects will include: watering, weeding, planting, providing food and water for the bids, and staining a couple of benches. On Thursday June 3rd we will also have a group from 8am-12pm from CREC. They will be helping to create a new Native Medicinal garden (weeding, moving plants, and rock work). If you want to join us, wear a hat, sunscreen, and closed toed shoes. Park either on Turquoise just past Switzer Canyon Drive, or at the 1st Congregational Church. Tools, water, and snacks are provided.

To own a bit of ground, to scratch it with a hoe, to plant seeds, and watch the renewal of life- this is the commonest delight of the race, the most satisfactory thing a mand can do. ----Charles Dudley Warner 1870

Thanks,
Loni Shapiro

Workday 5/20/10

On a beautiful, sunny day in the garden, our regular gardeners came and helped get the garden up and running for 2010. Al Katte got our water feature going, posted a information board for residents and visitors, moved a large rock that got moved by the snowplows and fixed our Wildlife Habitat sign. Linda Guarino returned from her vacation and repaired all the leaks in our drip system. Vicki Goodwin watered and weeded our front beds. Nancy Palmer finished mounting the birdhouses, added the last of the hard scape to the Faerie Garden and filled the bird feeders and baths. Cynthia Katte planted some donated iris and deadheaded the daffodils. I spent my time planting tomatoes and other vegetables, watering the houseplants and some recent plantings.

We had several visitors to the garden. Dave Hill and Zane brought out many residents to enjoy the garden. The local coordinator of Upward Bound came to see the garden and learn firsthand what her volunteers might be doing in the garden in June. We will have their help in June for two afternoons each week..

New Donations:
McCormick Rose from Nancy Palmer in honor of her parents
Bearded Iris - donor unknown

New Plantings:
Tomatoes - Yellow Pear, Big Beef
Seeds
Radishes - French Breakfast
Beets - Gourmet Blend
Bush Beans - Contender
Spinach - Bloomsdale
Carrot Baby - Little Finger
Corn - Spring Treat
Lettuce - Valentine, Gourmet Baby Greens, Farmers Market Blend, Q's Special Medley, Red Sails

New Blooms:
Choke Cherry Tree

New Features in the Garden:
Lasagna Vegetable Bed
Informational Sign for residents and visitors

Our next workday will be May 27th from 8am-12pm. You are welcome to join us for any or all of that time. Plans for the day include: watering those beds not on drip, continuing clean up of cinders/pine needles, filling bird feeders and baths, planting 2 roses - 2 shrubs - and some hardy perennials and red runner beans, set timers for the drip system, and clean up of the greenhouse. We need to sort through what might be used for a Plant & Garden Sale in June. The following week we will be looking at thining some lambs ear/yarrow for the plant sale. If you have any questions feel free to e-mail me at maxmaddy@infomagic.net.

Thanks,
Loni Shapiro

Workday 5/13/10

On Thursday, with a chill in the air in the morning, several volunteers came to work in the gardens. Judith Chaddock and Colleen Copeland-Larrabe finished pruning the roses and adding their initial feedings. David Hockman dug several holes to plant new shrubs and vines. Nancy Palmer came and finished mounting bird houses on the trellis. Joe Harte returned for the season and pruned several trees and shrubs, while cleaning up debris in the canyon below the garden. Julie Holmes filled bird feeders and helped Vicki Goodwin weed and clean up the south Switzer Canyon beds.

Most of the daffodils and tulips are gone after the hard frost last week, but other shrubs and plants continue to grow each week.

Our first Saturday workday was held without anyone attending. The Saturday workdays were scheduled for those unable to work on weekdays, but if there is no interest they will not occur. Future Saturday workdays will be with RSVP required by the Friday before. They are the 3rd Saturday of each month through September. Contact Loni Shapiro by e-mail or phone - maxmaddy@infomagic.net or 928-522-8635.

New plantings:
Arnold Red Tartian Honeyshuckle shrubs (2), Hops
Native Garden - Rocky Mountain Columbine, Creeping Barberry
Moon Garden - Dusty Miller, Evergreen Candytuft, Mt. Atlas Daisy
Rock Garden - Creeping Basket of Gold Alyssum
Butterfly/Hummingbird Garden - Pincushion Penstemon, Blue Glow Globe Thistle, Sunset Hyssop
Sensory Pots - Pineapple Sage, Curley Parsley
Perennial Bed - 3 Poppies - 'Royal Wedding', 'Brilliant', 'Victoria Louise'
A variety of vegetables - broccoli, cauliflower
Greens - lettuce, choi, mustard greens, spinach

New blooms:
Crabapple trees, Apple trees
Faerie Garden - Prairie Smoke
Cement Patio area - European Pasque Flower

On our regular workday, Thursday, May 20, from 8am-12pm we will be weeding, watering, cleaning and deadheading the Switzer Canyon beds, doing drip repairs, and planting a few hardy perennials. We still have some hardscape to be placed in the garden and will need to fill bird feeders and clean baths. Come join us for any or all of that time. Parking is available on Turquoise or at the First Cogregational Church. Those new to the garden should arrive by 830am for orientation.

Workday 5/6/2010

On Wednesday, Norvel Owens came by the garden with his bobcat, and helped us move a rock pile that has been sitting at the corner of Swizer and Turquoise for more than a year. Rocks were added as a backdrop to the large sign on the corner and to line the beds that are between the corner and the house. This will be the location for a new "Native Medicinal Garden" to honor Michael Moore. Some of the smaller rocks were piled near the sign to create a shady rock garden. Norvel made short work of a really big job. Many of the rocks were not only large but very heavy. Watch our progress as we work to improve these gardens (more natives and more drought tolerant).




On our regular Thursday workday we continued to clean up the gardens and began to prune our roses. There was more damage than usual with the heavy snows. David Hockman did his usual hole digging and planted a new tree. Hattie Braun came to give instructions on pruning to some master gardener trainees and those new to rose pruning. Vicki Goowin and Marilyn VanWagner found time to water much of the garden, while Hattie, Colleen Copeland-Larrabee, and Judith Chaddock pruned. I spent my time getting ready for a Saturday "Container Gardening" class in the garden. Nancy Palmer spent her time getting the birdhouses up on the trellis. Leslie Pennick came late and worked on the compost pile.

On Saturday, after spending a couple of hours in the classroom, attendees came to Olivia White and planted tomatoes, a shade basket, stacking herbs, and a wine barrel full of natives. The class of 8 made short work of their assignments and then planted a pot to take home.

Next week in the garden on Thursday, we will be finishing rose pruning, checking the drip system, watering the front gardens, and beginning clean-up of the south beds. We have a couple of shrubs to plant in front of the house and some hardscape to bring out. Joanie Abbott's crew turned on the water for us so the timers need to be set.

On May 15th, from 9am - 12pm we will have our first Saturday workday. The weeds are multiplying, and we will continue to deadhead all areas of the garden. Work will focus on the beds on Switzer Canyon for clean-up. We will begin creating new beds in those south gardens in June. Native medicinal plants will be added to the Michael Moore garden.

New in the garden:
Lasagna bed for veggies (variety of kale), potatoes and lettuce planted, two tomatoes planted and covered with frost cloth, stacking herb pot.

New blooms:
Pasque flowers, Guinea-Hen Flower (fritillaria)


We are not sure where this bulb came from. I looked through our old lists of planted bulbs and it is not something that was purchased. We order many bulbs in the fall and it may have come with some other small bulbs by mistake. It is beautiful!

Newly planted:
Native Garden - Limber Pine
Native Garden Pot - Alpine Strawberry, Yarrow (red & white (Greek), Shenandoah Switch Grass, 'Blue Lips' Penstemon, Blue Avena Grass, Tickseed, Wine Cup
Tomatoes - Juliet, Green Zebra
Herbs - Sage, Rosemary, Oregano, Parsley, Dill, Chocolate Mint, Thyme, Lemon Balm, Basil
Shade Basket - Coleus and Sweet Potato Vine