Workdays 6/27/11 & 6/30/11

On Monday we had a small crew. Betty Marcus and Char Wallace watered, and I worked on putting together a new rack for the shed. Nancy Palmer & Laura Davis watered in the MMG. Several people stopped by and purchased leftover plants from our sale.

On Thursday, most of our regulars came, we had a visit from Carol Leases's daughter, and we managed to finish several projects. Shoppers continued to purchase and our intake has now exceeded last year and is almost at a $1000 for our 2nd Annual Plant and Garden Sale.


Carol and her daughter Lori spent their time organizing the sheds. Another crew worked on the half circle garden - first weeding, then adding rock mulch, and finally adding a few more grasses. That crew included Becky Lewis, Gail Reed, Kay Balzer and Linda Guarino who transported the rock in her truck. The new garden looks great and is ready for impending monsoons.


Susan Thompson and Gail weeded the north bed along Switzer Canyon. Betty Marcus made sure all dry pots and new plantings were watered. Joe Harte trimmed some trees and planted our new flowering plum with the help of Gail and myself. Vicki Goodwin finally got our trees boosted with fertilizer and gave them all a long drink. Judith Chaddock did her usual deadheading and watering the sun porch. Crys Wells came and also helped with the deadheading. The MMG had it's usual crew of volunteers watering and weeding - Laura Davis, Nancy Palmer, Rebecca Moore and Marcia Lamkin back from vacation.

Special thanks to:
Kay Balzer for the rock mulch
Linda Guarino for the use of her truck again
All the gardeners who purchased plants even though they planted many of them
Rebecca and Carol for the snack
Joe Harte for caring for our trees including planting one today
Crys Wells bloodgrass for the 1/2 circle garden

New in the garden:
We are trying rock mulch for the first time
2 sheds neatly organized by Carol Lease & her daughter
A flowering plum (Thundercloud)
New frogs and a bed and chair for the Faerie Garden





New blooms this week:
Daylilies, more roses and lamb's ear, sulfer buckwheat, native primrose volunteers

Next workday Thurs. July 7, 8am-12pm - no work on July 4
Saturday workday for July, the 16th from 9am-12pm
Warner's 10% Day, July 16th, 9am-5pm

"Under that heat haze the great garden lived like a happy beast, released from the world, far from everything, freed from everything."
Emile Zola The Faute de L'Abbe Mouret 1875

Thanks,
Loni

Workdays 6/20-23-25/11

On Monday, Laura Davis and Rebecca Moore worked in the MMG. Char Wallace, Kay Balzer, Al Katte, and I were busy in the main garden and Linda Guarino stopped by to check on the new drip in the 1/2 circle. Char and I watered the front and back gardens and removed some excess mulch mostly from the rose garden. I also worked on cleaning up some plants for the sale. I finally have all the plants from the front beds identified. Kay worked on the 1/2 circle and divided some daylilies. Al finished the shed so it is ready to load. All the annuals are planted. Thanks to Al Katte and Jim Woods for getting our new shed up and the old one moved. They had help from Cynthia Katte, David Hockman, and Vicki Goodwin in preparing the ground.

On Thursday we had a big crew again to help get ready for the plant sale. Judith Chaddock and Cynthia Katte priced the gently used items. Cynthia also reorganized the compost and Judith the sun porch plants. Gail Reed and Susan added plant tags and did other small tasks to get ready for Saturday, Vicki Goodwin and Gail potted some plants, and Vicki watered the front gardens. Linda Guarino and Dave Hockman worked on edging the back pathways. Linda also transported some soil for the MMG. Betty Marcus watered several areas. Char Wallace deadheaded iris and help with plant sale preparation. It was a busy day but we manage to get all plants and sale items ready for Saturday. Several areas had to be watered more than once due to the temperatures and the wind. Nancy Palmer and Laura Davis worked on the Michael Moore Garden. Crys Wells brought us some tables for the plant sale and watered some thirsty plants in the front 1/2 circle.

On Plant Sale day we had many of our regulars helping in the garden: Nancy Palmer, Cynthia Katte, Rebecca Moore, Gail Reed, Judith Chaddock, Vicki Goodwin, Marilynn VanWagner, Carol Lease, Jim Wood, Crys Wells, Maret Mitchell, Betty Marcus, Char Wallace and Julie Holmes. We had a small crowd of shoppers, but managed to make over $500 for the garden. It was a warm, windy day but people from the garden club came for both tours. We had lots of yummy refreshments, cookies/fruit/ and herbal teas for people to taste while shopping. The raffle for 2 items was won by Christine Orr and Char Wallace.

We still have many plants available for sale, so will have them available for the next couple of weeks on our workdays. What is not sold will be replanted in the garden on the corner after the FUTS trail is completed.

Special thanks to:
Rachel Edelstein for collecting many of our gently used items for the plant sale.
Linda Guarino for bringing many loads of soil in her truck this year, working every week on the drip, compost, and helping with the 1/2 circle garden project.

Upcoming:
July 9 - Kitchen Herb Class through CCC, 9am-12pm
July 16 - Saturday workday for July 9am-12pm
July 16 - Warner's Annual 10% day for Northland Hospice - 10% of all purchases benefit the garden

New blooms in the garden:
Bell flower, sulfer buckwheat, some roses, New Mexican locust (north side of house)

It take's a village. Thank you to all who make our gardens beautiful with their time or donations. The garden is truly a community effort.

Thanks,
Loni

Workdays 6/13,16,18/2011

Monday was another beautiful warm day in the the garden. We had a small crew. Nancy Palmer came and watered the MMG and the south Inferno Strip. Kay Balzer continued to work on the front 1/2 circle. She brought some plants from home, planted a couple of shrubs and some grasses from Crys Wells, and moved some plants from other parts of the garden. Char Wallace came and watered the dry beds in back of the house and some of our sale pots. I worked on planting some more annuals, watering, and putting out some signs.

Wow! Each week I think we have such a long list of tasks, and we will never get them done, but we always manage to do them and more. It was a beautiful day this Thursday, despite all the pine pollen blowing about. We had a large crew that worked primarily on two tasks - getting ready for the plant sale and putting in our new shed. Judith Chaddock, Becky Lewis, Julie Holmes, Susan, and Marilynn VanWagner all worked on getting plants ready for the sale (clean-up and tagging). Cynthia and Al Katte, Jim Woods, Dave Hockman, and Vicki Goodwin moved the old shed including leveling the ground, and put in the foundation for the new shed. David also managed to plant a Coloradao Blue spruce recently donated. Laura Davis and Rebecca Moore weeded and began planting in the Michael Moore Garden. Kay Balzer and Linda Guarino worked in the front half-circle, watering and getting in the drip system. Carol Lease helped repair the drip and helped me hang the baskets in the gazebo - a sure sign of summer. Betty Marcus and Char Wallace came late and stayed late to make sure all gardens were watered. Laura, Char and I cleaned up the pot area in prep for moving things into the sheds next week. Joe Harte came and worked on the trees. He also did a pruning demonstration with ponderosa and crab-apple.

On Saturday we had a small crew but managed to get many things done. Cynthia Katte, Debbie Crisp, and I planted the last of the annuals, perennials and worked on the plant sale pots. Al Katte and Jim Woods finished putting up the new shed and re-building the old shed on a new site. Al still has some tweaks but we should be able to get items in the sheds next week.

Rachel Edelstein and her husband Bob dropped by a bunch of items for our Plant and Garden Sale. Thanks to Rachel for collecting them thoughout the year for us.

New blooms in the garden:
Locust tree, sulfer buckwheat, native gaura (some pulled due to too many this year), lambs ear and cinquefoil(in the sun. A new plant in the Faerie Garden that seeds were planted for last year - Love in the Mist - a donation from Roabie Johnson's garden.

Special thanks to:
Al Katte and his crew for getting our new shed up and running.
Joe Harte for educating us about tree pruning
Judith Chaddock and her crew for plant sale preparation

Garden visitors:
Dave Hill and Murphy with many of the residents.
Dana Prom Smith

Upcoming:
Saturday, June 18, 9am-12pm workday
Mon. & Thurs., June 20-23 8am-12pm workdays
Saturday, June 25, 11am-2pm Plant & Garden Sale
Saturday, July 16, 9am-5pm Warner's 10% Day

Come join us for any of our workdays. Work over the next week will be primarily on finishing planting and getting ready for our plant sale on June 25 (clean-up/tagging plants).

"Those who labour in the earth are the chosen people of God, if he ever had chosen people." Thomas Jefferson Notes on the State of Virginia (1787)

Thanks,
Loni

Workdays 6/6/11 & 6/9/11

On Monday, we had a small crew but managed to get several things done. Nancy Palmer came and manged to get more weeding done in the Michael Moore Garden. Char Wallace finished deadheading the germander on the Inferno Strip. Kay Balzer came and finished getting the 1/2 circle garden ready for soil on Thursday. I spent my time planting a few annuals and watering.

Thursday we had a larger crew. David Hockman finished working on the pavers for the north pathway and will finish adding the frames next week. Betty Marcus had the unenviable task of removing all material from the shed and putting it in the greenhouse, so we can begin to construct our new shed. She also managed to find time to water the Inferno Strips. Becky Lewis sprayed some roses for aphids, planted some annual pots, and helped Kay Balzer unload soil for the 1/2 circle garden. Kay unloaded soil and planted the new plants in the garden with the help of Linda Guarino. Linda brought the soil in her truck and helped unload and plant.


Carol Lease worked today mostly on drip repairs. Cristine Orr and Gail Reed spent their time planting annual pots throughout the garden. Judith Chaddock cleaned the sunporch area again and brought out all the geraniums. Julie Holmes planted some annuals in pots. Nancy Palmer continued to work on the weeding in the Michael Moore Garden with the help of Hattie Braun.

Signs of several animals visiting the garden were evident this week. The tops of our beautiful variegated pink-phlox were gone, and I found many holes where tulip bulbs used to be. We have an abundance of lizards this year and I spotted this fellow sunning himself on a rock. I almost missed him.



New in the garden:
Annual pots: lobelia, petunia, geraniums, vinca, callibrochia, bacopa, salvia, alyssum, red salvia, dahlberg daisy, pennisetum grass
New in 1/2 circle garden: a variety red & purple penstemons, a variety of grasses, purple & red sage, bee balm

New blooming:
More iris including Dutch, gaura, dogwood, ox-eyed daisy, penstemons, and lambs ear, Austrian copper rose, sulfur buckwheat, and locust tree along Switzer Canyon



Special kudos:
Kay Balzer for all her hard work on getting the 1/2 circle garden up and running before the monsoons
David Hockman for putting in a difficult pathway with little help
Linda Guarino & Carol Lease for all their work on getting the drip up and running
Nancy Palmer for managing the Michael Moore Garden for the last 3 weeks in Laura's absence (finishing the pavers and weeding)

Plans for next week:
Educational piece this Thursday from Joe Harte on Pruning Tips (at the break)
Finish the north pathway
Remove some mulch from heavy areas
Finish planting annuals
Begin getting plants ready for sale (dividing larger pots of Shasta Daisy)
Water new plantings as needed
Move old shed and begin constructing new

Upcoming:
June 18, Monthly Saturday Workday 9am-12pm
June 25, Plant and Garden Sale, 11am-2pm
July 16, 10% Day at Warners, 9am-5pm

Come join us for our upcoming workdays on Mon. 9-12 and Thurs. 8-12 and Saturday 9-12. Parking on Turquoise or at the 1st Congregational Church lot. Hat and sun screen recommended. Water and snacks provided.

"Of all wonders of nature, a tree in summer is perhaps the most remarkable; with the possible exception of a moose singing "Embraceable You" in spats."
Woody Allen

Thanks,
Loni

Workday 5/30/11 & 6/2/11

Wow! What a beautiful day to work in the garden. We had one of our biggest volunteer days for the season with 17 volunteers showing up to help.

Nancy Palmer, Marcia Lamkin and Rebecca Moore weeded, watered and placed sandstone pieces for a pathway in the Michael Moore Garden. Kay Balzer, Becky Lewis and Jim Woods all worked on the 1/2 circle garden. They gathered rock from Kay's property with the help of Jim Wood's trailer and then began creating the hardscape. Jim was quite a trooper with recently fracturing some ribs. Judith Chaddock, Cynthia Katte, and a new master gardener all worked on the roses. They pruned, uncovered the crown area, fed and then watered. The aphids are already abundant with our cooler/wetter spring. David Hockman continued to work on the north pathway. With a few more pavers he should be finished next week. Crys Wells and Vicki Goodwin both watered needed beds not yet on the drip and pots for our plant sale. Char Wallace finished pruning the lavender and helped with watering some roses. Marilynn VanWagner did the nasty job of pruning the germander along the inferno strip. Joe Harte pruned some trees and repaired some drip lines on the inferno strip. Linda Guarino and Carol Lease both continued to work on repairing and adding drip lines. Betty Marcus watered the south inferno strip and the corner garden. I spent my time updating the sensory pots and planting vegetable that Linda brought from her greenhouse.

New blooming in the garden:
Ox-eyed daisy, salvia, Austrian Copper rose, some penstemons, colorful iris (pink, yellow, orange), and the hawthorn and mountain ash trees



New plants added:
Veggies - pickling cuke, zucchini, Japanese cuke, Japanese eggplant, summer squash, bunching onion, salad burnet
Sensory pots - Color/Little Zebra grass, pineapple sage, statis, alyssum
Touch/Carex,horsetail rush, white licorace, yellow strawflower
Taste/Fern leaf dill,chocolate mint, stevia, curled and Italian parsley
Smell/Chocolate mint, alyssum, Provence lavender, trailing rosemary, fragrant Persian stonecress
Tea Garden - German chamomile

Plans for next week:
Planting annual pots and hanging baskets
Finish planting perennials
Finish north pathway
Rose care - aphid control
Watering as needed
Continue adding drip lines
Get soil for front 1/2 circle

Come join us on Monday (9a-12p) or Thursday (8a-12pm). Parking is available on Turquoise just past Switzer Canyon Drive or in the 1st Congregational church lot.
Hat and sunscreen are recommended for this warm weather. Water and snacks will be provided.

"Perhaps our best hope for gardening as an art is that gardening is an activity whose never-achieved aim is progress towards a never achieved work of art."
Geoffrey Charlesworth The Opinionated Gardener 1988

Loni