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