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