2012 Accomplishments

Olivia White Hospice Garden

Accomplishments for 2012 Season

Usual garden maintenance (bringing out hardscape, weeding, watering, planting (annuals and lost perennials), repairing and adding drip lines, repairing walkways, general garden maintenance, composting, harvesting vegetable for the home).  Worked 2 weekdays (Mon. & Thurs.) and one occasional Saturday a month.

                Drip lines repaired and added to the re-landscaped front bed, and all new plantings

                Drip in front ½ circle dug up with suspected leak (replanted). break in city water line in same bed required replanting again

                All walkways repaired.  New entries added to the sheds, and one walkway enlarged to accommodate a new swing glider.

                Repairs done on an old rain barrel - two new rain barrels added in the fall

                Repaired redwood benches on back porch

                Produce harvested for the home included:  tomatoes, lettuce, spinach, choi, kohlabi, potatoes, onions, peppers (variety), squash (variety, strawberries, raspberries, grapes, and herbs                                       

                Continued tree care – pruning, removal of Elm, and protecting from animal damage. Several new trees planted

                Cleaned the garden and weeded the corner of Switzer and Turquoise in preparation for the 10th Anniversary

                Transplanted shrubs from the corner (4) in preparation for FUTS trail work

                Removed vines from gazebo in preparation for repairs and resealing

Orient master gardener program and new volunteer gardeners, and provide education individually.

                Orientation done for the Master Gardener class, groups, tours, and individual new volunteers

               

Work at improving the bed directly in front of the house.

                Planning meeting in January for re-landscaping

                Added trellis and clematis/trumpet vine

                Dug up large juniper shrubs and small plants

                Lowered soil level and added new soil/compost

                Landscaped and planted

                                Sandstone, large rocks, and wood pavers added

                                New plants and shrubs added, as well as transplants from other parts of the garden

                Drip irrigation added

                Rock mulch added

                Fencing added

2012 Season Thank You

Thank You for Another Successful Year in the Gardens of Olivia White Hospice Home. Thank you to all our regular volunteer gardeners (master gardeners & hospice supporters) for a very successful garden season. We had a difficult year with few regular volunteers due to age related injuries, but Mother Nature came through with a great monsoon season to make our gardens more beautiful than ever.  Special thanks go to those groups that continue to support us throughout the year with their generous donations of time and or materials. Warner’s Landscape and Nursery continued with a 10^th year of 10% of proceeds day for Olivia White Hospice as well as discounts for purchases.  Other groups who helped with their time included;  Flagstaff High School, NAU Honors Class, Girls for Good, and AmeriCorp. The Bountiful Alliance Foundation awarded another grant to continue to develop a garden to honor Michael Moore (writer and naturalist).  Work on the Native Medicinal Garden began in 2010 and continued throughout this year.  Last of all Dave & Terri Hill continued their generous support of the gardens with a donation of an outdoor table for residents, families, and staff.  

One of our many groups - NAU Honors Class

We entered the Native Plant Society contest and received 2 special recognition awards for the best Mini Meadow Garden (Kay Balzer) and most Heartwarming Canine Memorial (Loni Shapiro). Other major work included revamping the front garden beds, and beginning a remodel of an area where two ponderosa trees were removed and two sheds added.  That work will continue next year along with work on the corner garden. Thanks to the City of Flagstaff we will have an Urban Trail surrounding the property extending all the way to the Y.

The gardens and Olivia White Home continue to be an inspiration for all residents in Flagstaff. They help those in need of the services offered, need a quiet place to contemplate life, celebrate others lives, just enjoy passing by, and as a place for gardeners to learn.  This year visits included:  the Native Plant Society Annual Garden Tours, the Senior Companion/Foster Grandparent programs, and the Arboretum docents and staff. We also had a large group of visitors in the garden for the 10th Anniversary Celebration of the Olivia White Home in August. The Mayor declared it Marilyn Pate Day - the founder of Northland Hospice and the Olivia White Hospice Home.

We begin our season in January with monthly planning meetings until April when weather permitting we began cleaning up the garden. Watch our blog (owhospicegardenvolunteers.blogspot.com) for dates and beginning orientation to the gardens. We are always looking for new volunteers.

Flagstaff ….. thank you again for your generous spirit!

“Gardens are not inherently meaningful in many ways; but, making a garden and caring for it creates meaningfulness.
If you plant it, they will come."   
-   Michael P. Garofalo, Pulling Onions  

Loni Shapiro, Master Gardener

and the volunteer gardeners of Olivia White Hospice Home

Workdays 10/22, 25, 27

I want to thank all for helping put the garden to bed this week. The workday began with the temps at 27, but it soon warmed up. We had a good crew on Thursday. David Hockman fixed our gliders and the pathway to the small shed. Betty Marcus, Marilynn VanWagoner and Judith Chaddock all cut back roses and tied the large ones up. Judith also watered the house plants. Vicki Goodwin dug a hole for a new shrub, and cleaned/disconnected the rain barrels for the winter. Crys Wells helped Julie Holmes put away the furniture and Joe Harte and Pesha came for treats. Just kidding, Joe put the water feature away for the winter after it thawed out. Peggy Sheldon-Scurlock also joined us and did many little tasks.

We took a short break to plant and honor a long time resident (Tess). A Desert Peach was planted near the sheds. Her son and daughter-in-law came by and visited with friends. They spent Friday at a memorial for her at the Peaks. They live in San Diego but will stop by occasionally next year to see how the shrub is doing when they visit their 2nd home in Flagstaff.

On Saturday, the "Girls for Good" arrived shortly after 8am. I didn't count them but there must have been 25 or more. I was thankful that Diana Watt was here to get most of them working in the canyon to remove garbage and pine needles. I took many others and had them washing pots, planting bulbs, working on compost, sweeping and putting away some of the hardscape we forgot on Thursday. Marilynn VanWagoner came and helped supervise some of them planting bulbs and watering.  At 11am my crew of 5 from Make a Difference Day arrived. They only had an hour but they took down a swing, planted a few more bulbs, swept, and put away pots, tools and anything that was still outside. All in all it was a very successful day with many hands to get the work done. 

We are pretty much done for the season. I am going to the garden next week to finish up some little tasks and water as needed (Mon. & Thurs.). The tools should be cleaned, we have stakes to put in the ground for snow plowers, and that is about it.  If anyone wants to join me I will probably not be there until 9am. For the winter, we will need to water weekly indoors again. I will talk to Judith about how often she wants to come and get back with you to see if anyone wants to help. Oh! I forgot, Karen  Kent stopped by today, and took several plants home to care for this winter. I spoke with Karen Overton and she will stop by tomorrow and take the Christmas cactus that was in Adams room. Thanks to Judith's care it is blooming in three colors. Spectacular! I cleaned up the coleus today (FG pot) and it still has some life. I thought the freeze had finished it.

Thank you for another great season, and making an extra effort when asked because of our small crews. We will begin planning for next year in January. If there are any bad Thursday and you want to join us, please let me know. As usual, it will be a breakfast meeting.

"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom." -  Marcel Proust  

Thanks,

Loni

Workdays 10/15 & 10/18

On Monday, Toni Barnes beat me to the garden and began deadheading lavender. Marilynn VanWagoner helped her, picked some lettuce for the house, and help me put tools away. Joe Harte came with Pesha and placed tubing around the tree trunks. A couple of years ago we had animals in the garden gnawing on the bases of them and the tubing worked last year to prevent that. The trunks are getting larger and we will have to try chicken wire next year. I took down the last of the tomato vines and got rid of some of the dirt in the pots, and began to prepare the wildflower bed for planting on Thursday (raking and removing rock). Dave Hill and Murphy spent their last regular Monday. They will be moving to Cottonwood and coming only twice a month during the winter as weather permits.

The weather continues to be cold in the early morning and warms quickly making our work easier. Thursday was no exception. David Hockman returned from a long year of injury recovery. He worked on repairing our back pathway with Linda Guarino. They also put away our heavy granite bird baths for the winter. Linda did her usual work on the compost and David moved some bricks. Judith Chaddock watered indoors, and helped Laura Davis remove vines from the gazebo in preparation for repairs and resealing. It was quite a job with 4 years of growth on the vines and thousands of seeds on the clematis. Betty Marcus came and watered the new transplants in the garden, she also helped me close up the garden for the day. I spent my time mulching a couple of roses, putting hardscape away, planting wildflowers, and watering.

Work by the city continues on the FUTS trail on the corner of Turquoise and Switzer Canyon. Next year we will have to recreate the corner garden where the sign is. That and beautifying the area surrounding the sheds will be our major focus.

Work will continue for at least another week in the garden. It may go into November depending on the weather and how much is done. If the weather remains dry we may need to water in November.

Work remaining:
Roses - prune, tie up large bushes
Compost - clean area around compost, put wheel barrels away for the winter
Wash pots and put away
Rain barrels and water feature - empty, clean and store
Repair glider or send to Hodgepodge
Plant a small shrub
Water indoors and out as needed (new plantings, wildflowers, etc)
Put last of hardscape away - windchimes, etc.
Winterize sensory pots - prune and mulch

Workdays this week include our usual Mon./Thurs. and Saturday which is Make a Difference Day.
Hope to see you sometime this week.

"There is a harmony in autumn, and a luster in its sky, which through the summer is not heard or seen, as if it could not be, as if it had not been!"     Percy Shelley

Thanks,
Loni

Workdays 10/8, 11, & 13

I returned to the garden on Monday. Marilyn VanWagoner came and cleaned all the hummingbird feeders for the winter. The crews came for the FUTS trail and we determined we had to move several shrubs that were in the way. An e-mail was sent in case anyone wants more moonshine yarrow. Diana Watt called her husband who came to help and Marilyn & Laura Davis helped dig up the shrubs (2 cotonasters and one liliac). I also helped with getting them in wheelbarrels and watering so we could plant on Thursday. They were difficult to get out having been there for probably 10 years and without soil preparation.

On Thursday, Joe Harte came and planted the cotonaster near the new shed area. Linda Guarino spread the rock I purchased for the 1/2 circle garden, and Carol Lease started a brick pathway to the 2nd shed.I picked all the remaining tomatoes with a threat of frost this week and began putting FG hardscape away. I also hung the suet feeders. Joan Abbot came and turned of the the main valve on the drip. She will drain the rest of the system next week.

Saturday brought a large crew of volunteers from NAU's Honors Class (13). They planted all our bulbs, spread the remaining mulch, and put all the FG hardscape away. They were only there for 1.5 hours but got much of our fall work done for the season.

Service Project - Honors Class at NAU

Yes, we still have work to do! Our last day will probably be Oct. 27th - Make a Difference Day. On the list for this week and next:
Clean up tomato pots and put away
Take vines down off gazebo
Compost
Watering new plantings and indoors
Continue to put hardscape away
    Remaining windchimes and other art items
    Hanging pots in the gazebo
    Bird baths (clean and put away)
    Clean bird feeders and put away
    Put away bentwood bench
Deadhead lavender and Russian sage
Plant wildflower seed on north end of house
Wash pots
Empty rain barrels and disconnect
Finish shed pathway
Winterize sensory pots

At end of season wheelbarrels will be stored by the office.
Hope to see you sometime this week or next.

Thanks,
Loni

Workdays for the Last 2 Thursdays

Report from Betty:

On Sunday the 30th of September there was a break in one of city's main water lines in the 1/2 circle garden. Betty and Ed Marcus came after a call from the house. They were told that the city would bring a back hoe to repair the area on Monday morning. They removed plants in the area, putting them in pots and some of our raised beds in preparation for the repair. The city came on Monday morning and made the repair but did not need to use a back hoe. Work the next two weeks will include putting that garden back together. Linda Guarino, Crys Wells, and Marilynn Van Waggoner also helped on the workday. 

Note from  Becky:

We had a good workday yesterday,

Laura, Judith, Marilynn, Linda, Betty, Joe and myself -- a good crew.

Betty, her husband Ed, and Linda saved plants in the front half circle so that the water main break could be fixed without damaging the garden. Ed and Betty also salvaged important rocks. Linda and I replanted everything on thursday and Linda got the drip system repaired and working, she even ran it for about twenty mins or so! It looks great! Betty got all of her pots back.

Marilyn worked on deadheading and general clean up.

Judith watered indoors and mulched a few of the roses that had been missed.

Betty watered and "cleaned up"

Joe put in pavers in font of the shed so that the snowblower can get out easily and just so it looks better. Joe will put plastic around trees next time he works.

Laura worked in the medicinal garden.

I think we got a lot done but your whole list is not finished primarily because of attention given to the front half circle.

Betty and Ed deserve a special thank you for being so responsive when help was needed quickly.

I returned to the garden Sunday morning to see what was needed for our workdays this week. It was nice to have a couple of weeks off (my first for the summer) to just relax and get ready for the end of season push.

Thanks,
Loni

Workday 9/17 & 20

On Monday, Julie Holmes came and helped move plants from the area where the trees will be taken down. Since we have plenty in the garden already - volunteers took the plants home. Katarina Karjala cleaned tea pots and put them away for storage for the winter. She also did some deadheading. Linda Guarino came and finished the irrigation in the front bed.

On Tuesday, the two ponderosa trees next to the parking lot came down. They were removed to improve the effectiveness of the solar panels on the home. Work will begin this weekend in leveling the ground and the following weekend in placing our sheds. Next year we will work on making the shed less conspicuous in the garden with trellis and plantings.

Before

After

Thursday, was the day of our Annual Harvest Lunch. Several arrived early and participated in the workday before lunch. Jeanette Sletton worked on composting and mulching roses. Vicki Goodwin, Crys Wells, and Becky Lewis all helped with the mulching. Becky also helped Linda Guarino unload rock mulch for the front bed. Carol Lease worked on the irrigation. She added a few lines and plugged some lines where the sheds will be placed. Several people joined us for lunch - Debbie Crisp, David Hockman, Lee Lease, and Tess (resident). As usual we had a great meal - brats, German potato salad, baked beans, kale salad, calabacitas, jello salad, carrot and raisin salad and a couple of pies. Becky brought some homemade pickles and goat cheese, and Marcia Lamkin brought a banana bread. Katarina Karjala made an apple dessert using some of our apples from the garden, and Brandon Porter brought us a pie. We all ate to much and then enjoyed some thank yous and gifts for the season.

I will be on vacation the next 2 Thursdays - Monday workdays are cancelled. Laura Davis may be working on those Mondays if you want to work in the MMG. Contact her if you are interested. My next days supervising in the garden will be on October 8 and 11. While I am gone Betty (9/27) and Becky (10/4) will be in charge for the workdays. On the agenda for the next couple of weeks:
Deadheading all except penstemons
Watering indoors and all new transplants
Compost (empty red plastic can from pantry)
Cleaning and organizing the garage shelving (put questionable items in a box for my return)
     Black plastic tubing behind the door can be put around treetrunks for the winter
Mulching sparse areas throughout the garden
Moving geraniums out of pots and beds (what doesn't fit on the sun porch is available for the taking)
Beginning to put away hardscape
      Small items in the FG and throughout the garden (boxes in the greenhouse)
      Water features (under the table and in the corner of the back patio)

We may have 2 Saturday workdays in October - 13th and 27th - weather permitting. The first will be a day for planting bulbs and the 2nd Make a Difference Day for final clean-up.

I used to visit and revisit it a dozen times a day, and stand in deep contemplation over my vegetable progeny with a love that nobody could share or conceive of who had never taken part in the process of creation.  It was one of the most bewitching sights in the world to observe a hill of beans thrusting aside the soil, or a rose of early peas just peeping forth sufficiently to trace a line of delicate green.  
~Nathaniel Hawthorne, Mosses from and Old Manse

Thanks,
Loni

Workdays 9/10 & 13

On Monday Julie Holmes came and we worked on removing rocks from under the trees, moving a large succulent to several parts of the garden, and removing bellflower. There were more rocks than we anticipated - buried from years of erosion - so she called John and he came to help us. Between the two of us we only have 2 good knees, so we needed the help, and John came to our rescue. We did everything except plant all of the succulent. Some will be given away but others planted later this week.

With a small crew today we were able to get much done. Linda Guarino worked on the irrigation for the front bed revamp. She will finish on Monday and pick up rock mulch on Thursday. Betty Marcus, as usual did a variety of activities - watering indoors, dead heading, cleaning bird baths, and spraying the roses for aphids. Becky Lewis transplanted a couple of perennials that are under the pine trees that will come down and she planted some more of the transplanted ice plant. Crys Wells also worked on the ice plant. The house was very busy today with lots of traffic to work around. Dave Hill and Murphy brought out several residents. I helped Linda a little, watered the new plantings, made a trip to Home Depot for some more irrigation equipment, and pulled the plants out of the potato bed. They will be dug up some time this weekend, but one came to the top when pulling the plants. I should have taken it to the county fair as a freak vegetable, but didn't know it was there. I am sure it would have brought a blue ribbon. It's a bird, it's a plane, it's super-potato.
.

Blooming:
Ketchup and Mustard Rose, Julia Child's Rose
Lots of seed on the Job's Tears
Many apples on the Granny Smith
Beginning fall color on the Virginia creeper

Plans for next week:
Tree removal on Tues. Sept. 18 - 8am - no volunteers in the garden please
Thursday, Sept. 20 - 12pm - Harvest Lunch after workday
Mulching and tying large roses - mulching throughout the garden
Adding rock mulch to front bed

Upcoming:
Thursday, Sept. 20 - Harvest Lunch 12pm
Friday, Oct. 19 - Volunteer Lunch/Northland Hospice
Saturday, Oct 27 - Make a Difference Day in the garden 9am-12pm

The foliage has been losing its freshness through the month of August, and here and there a yellow leaf shows itself like the first gray hair amidst the locks of a beauty who has seen one season too many.  ~Oliver Wendell Holmes

Hope to see you in the garden next week.

Thanks,
Loni

Workdays 9/3 & 6

Labor Day brought several volunteers to help Laura Davis in the MMG - Nancy Palmer and Toni Barnes. Debbie Crisp came and helped me weed and remove invasive plants (Wood's Rose and Bellflower). Congratulations to Toni Barnes for finishing her MG hours for certification today.

A photo taken Monday of a rose dedicated by the gardeners for a long time garden visitor.

On Thursday, Linda Guarino returned to work and added new plants to the front garden, and made repairs on the wood rings which have been driven over several times. We now have an iron fencing to protect the bed. With the help of Becky Lewis she added many ground covers and lots of drought tolerant perennial forbs and grasses. Next week she will work on installing the drip and on the following week adding rock mulch. That will end the work on that bed for the season. We had several other volunteers working in the garden that day. Vicki Goodwin came for a couple of hours and transplanted a 3rd peony into the rose garden. She also planted a moonshine yarrow in the north bed and a couple of pussy willow in the faerie garden. Jeanette Sletton spent her time transplanting vinca and kinnickinnick to the beds along Switzer Canyon Dr. These are plants that need to be moved in preparation for cutting down 2 pine trees. The pine trees will be replaced by our sheds. I helped Jeanette move rock from the corner to create a new bed for them. Betty Marcus continued collecting seed and for the 3rd time sprayed roses for aphids. The aphids have been worse this year with the moist and cool evening climate. Julie Holmes stopped by to pick up our August hours for tally.

Amy Websdale's Teapot

On Friday, a small group of visitors from the Retired Senior Volunteer Program came and gave us a beautiful  Japanese teapot from Amy Websdale. Earlier this year she came to enjoy the garden and particularly loved the tea garden. We lost her recently to a long time illness and she wanted us to have one of her teapots.  It is now in the garden with a backdrop of Hyssop and surrounded by mint.

Plans for next week include:
Possible tree removal?
Finish removing plants from under the trees on Monday (succulent and any others needed for tree removal)
The usual deadheading, compost, and watering indoors
Begin mulching roses when mulch available
Add drip lines to front bed
Clean and organize the garage shelves

Upcoming:
Fall Harvest Lunch - September 20, at 12pm (contact Loni for potluck items)
October 27 - Make a Difference Day - possible group project to finish the season

Change is such hard work.
Billy Crystal
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_change5.html#ZYuphrRjAhvQrBq0.99

and what we have in front of us for the next several weeks is no exception. The pine trees will come down and the sheds will replace them - maybe the end of this week or beginning of next. Our job will be to make the garden welcoming again after that happens. We will not make any changes this fall but think about it over the winter and talk in January about what we would like to do.

Thanks for all your help and support. Looking forward to the end of this garden season (probably Oct. 27 - Make a Difference Day).

Loni

Workdays 8/27 & 30

The rain continues almost daily and the drip system has been off for a couple of weeks. The only thing being hand watered are some pots and new plantings.

On Monday we had a small crew. Nancy Palmer worked planting in the Michael Moore Garden. Toni Barnes and Katarina Karjala worked on the front bed planting grasses and leveling the tree rings. About a half hour after doing that someone drove over them, flattened a plant and broke two rings. We may need to reconsider putting some rocks in front to prevent driving into the bed. Toni and Katarina also cut back iris and thinned one small bed. They are yellow iris and some of the crew may want some. The remainder will be taken to the county fair this weekend. I worked on thinning gaillardia with some help from Toni and Katrina. The bed is just east of the sandstone patio and has not been thinned for 6 years. We probably removed more than 100 extra plants. The thinning should help with better blooming next summer.

Thursday Betty Marcus came and continued to collect hollyhock seeds and Mexican hat. Joe Harte worked on connecting our two new rain barrels. Joe brought some geraniums to give away and several gardeners took them. We still have some left if you are interested, as we have too many for the winter sun porch. Judith Chaddock returned from her new knee surgery and was able to get all the indoor pots watered and geraniums cleaned.  Marcia Lamkin helped Laura Davis planting in the MMG. I spent my time watering some pots and tomatoes, cleaning up a couple of vegetable beds, planting a few perennials.

Over the Labor Day weekend a display from the garden was set-up at the Coconino County Fair. We had seeds and iris available for giveaways, and the table was visited frequently by those people visiting the Floriculture Bldg. Thanks to Superintendent Carol Burris for letting us show off the work we do in the garden.

New plantings:
In the front bed Cheyenne Sky Grass and Switch grass. Both turn red in the fall and have beautiful seed heads.
Added to the bed east of the sandstone patio, Orange Mt. Daisy, and coreop

New in the garden:
2 new rain barrels, one placed where the old black rain barrel was and the other in front by the garage. If you need to water pots or new plantings there will be a watering can there so please use the rain barrel rather than the hose as soon as there is enough water in them. Judith uses the back rain barrel to water sun porch plants.
New fencing to prevent visitors from driving into the front bed.
New blooms:
Red Wing Butterfly Gladiolas, some agastache, and a butterfly bush

Plans for next week:
Cut lavender
Remove Wood's rose and weeds under the apple tree, and remove Bellflower from the rose garden walkway again
Plant ground cover and new plants in front bed, pussy willow in FG, moonshine yarrow, and lavender
Repair front wood rings after damage from a driver
Move peony to rose garden
Begin moving plants from pine tree area

With impending big changes happening at the gardens this thought was helpful to me.
When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.  ~Victor Frankl
Thanks,
Loni

Workdays 8/20 & 23

Water flowing in the canyon, over and around trees

The gardens are very wet from all the rain we have had this month and last. On Thursday the water was flowing in the canyon after another heavy rain. Some of our natives (mostly penstemons look dark and over watered - hope they make it).Our rain gauge since April 26th recorded over 11 inches. We have lots of tomatoes but have only been able to pick 2 so far that were ripe, with little sun recently.  Many plants including the squashes have powdery mildew, but they are still producing. I was all set to spray roses on Saturday with lots of aphids spotted on Thursday. After the hail I could not find any - interesting. I am sure they will be back, but maybe they don't like hail. We will forgo the County Fair entries this year as most of the flowers are done or damaged by hail.

Monday we had a small crew but much was accomplished. Toni Barnes returned and worked on the front garden creating another spoke with sandstone. If that wasn't enough she went down in the canyon with her chain saw and cut 14 wood slices from a downed tree for pavers in the new garden. Nancy Palmer spent her time planting ground covers in the new spokes. I worked on weeding the north Switzer Canyon bed and began cleaning up the greenhouse in preparation for moving items from the shed later this week.

On Thursday work continued on the bed in front of the house. Kay Balzer worked her design magic with rock and wood and Linda Guarino dug in hardscape and plants from other parts of the garden. She found some more mat penstemon near the compost, pine penstemon that seeded from a large pot, native geranium, and some campanula that had spread. Also planted were horehound (groundcover), low grow catmint, a low-grow sand cherry and a sage. More plantings will be added to this reworked bed including some grasses, and a rock mulch when it is  done.

Redesign of front beds
Beginning hardscape and plantings 8/23

Other volunteers were busy in the garden. Betty Marcus and Carol Lease moved all the small items from the sheds to the greenhouse in preparation for the work on the foundation. Carol organized and cleaned the sheds and the greenhouse. Betty Marcus also cleaned birdbaths, gathered some Mexican hat seed, sprayed roses, and deadheaded. Becky Lewis brought us some of her wonderful goat cheese and spent her time in the garden deadheading.

Plans for next week:
Continue work on the front bed (planting and digging in some pavers)
Watering, weeding, and compost pile work  as needed
Begin work on reworking the small arc bed behind the sandstone patio
 (thinning gaillardia and replacing with other plantings)
Continue to cut back iris and deadhead other plantings

New in the garden:
Reworked front bed with hardscape and plantings
Reorganized sheds/tools (all hand tools and supplies in the greenhouse, shovels and large tools in small shed, adapted garden seats and weed bags in the large shed)

Upcoming:
Coconino County Fair - I will set-up a table in the Floriculture Building. No entries this year.
Fall harvest lunch - Sept. 20, 12pm
    Please let me know if you are coming as I have only one response and may cancel or put off to October.
Bulb planting - early Oct.
Garden wrap-up late Oct. or early Nov. weather permitting

"A garden is never so good as it will be next year."
Thomas Cooper     Horticultural Magazine 1993

Thanks for all you do to keep the gardens beautiful and all who enjoy them curious to see what is next.
Loni

Workdays 8-13/8-16

On Monday our workday was cancelled due to a celebration in the garden. It was the 10th Anniversary of the opening of the Olivia White House. A small group of people came to honor Marilyn Pate the founder of Northland Hospice and the director when the house was built. She came with Bill her husband and was honored by the current Director, Diana Wyatt, President of the board Joe Donaldson, and the current Mayor of Flagstaff. Ray and Joan White, who donated the home were also in attendance along with other friends of Northland Hospice. It was a beautiful day and the gardens were at their peak. Many who could not be there but who have give to the home and hospice but could not be there were honored. Nancy Palmer, Linda Guarino, and myself represented the gardeners.

On Thursday, work resumed in the garden. Laura Davis stopped by briefly to water the MMG. Judith Chaddock came and watered inside as well as deadheaded. She also began to gather some of our lavender for 2012. Jeanette Sletton deadheaded, and Betty Marcus gathered seed for our yearly giveaways. Kay Balzer returned and began her magic on the front garden remodel. Marcia Lamkin watered pots. Joe Harte pruned trees and suckers. I spent my time removing the dreaded bellflower from one of our roses. Just before we were ready to leave a downpour came along with hail. Betty, Marcia, and me had to wait a 1/2 hour before we could get to our vehicles.

On several days this week we had 4-legged visitors (deer) to the garden.  They were very curious and came right up to the edge of the rock walls. After we were gone they helped themselves to dinner.

The Ketchup and Mustard rose buds were all missing except one bloom, which I took in the house for the residents to enjoy. On Saturday my plan was to spray some of the roses for aphids. I looked and looked and couldn't find any. I think the hail on Thursday scared them all off - at least for a while. Instead I helped Steve Raymer, a new master gardener, weed the inferno strips and cut back iris.

We are beginning to harvest seed from our hollyhock and Mexican Hat. If you want any please stop by the garden on one of our workdays (Mon/Thurs from 8am-12pm).

Plans for next week:
Continue work on the front beds
Deadhead iris, shasta daisy, and lambs ear
Spray roses for aphids ?
Begin removing dirt from north side of house and moving items to the greenhouse from the sheds
Watering, weeding and composting as needed

New blooms this week:

Ketchup and Mustard Rose planted in honor of Lois Steve

Some fall asters

Thanks to all who help make the gardens at Olivia White beautiful!

Loni

Workdays 8/6 & 9/2012

Saturday, I came and worked on finishing the front bed in preparation for soil. Rock was added to circle the remaining shrubs (Potentilla), and around the back of the juniper/spruce in the middle of the bed. These were extra rock from the expedition a couple of weeks ago for the MMG. I also removed soil and debris from the south end of the bed.

On Monday we had a small crew - Julie Holmes, Becky Lewis - and they finished work on weeding the corner garden. I spent my time watering pots and cleaning up in prepartion for the 10th Anniversary. Nancy Palmer came and worked on setting stones in the MMG.

On Thursday our big task was unloading 3 truckloads of soil that Linda Guarino brought from the Landscape Connection. Crys Wells, Marcia Lamkin, and I all helped Linda unload and spread the soil. I planted 3 shrubs (1 smokebush, 2 large leaf barberry), Linda moved large rocks in the bed, Marcia-Betty-Crys cleaned up, and it began to rain (yeah) so the dirt could settle. This bed has a long way to go to be finished but looks 100% better even with a couple of shrubs, tree, and clematis. We will use the theme of the 1/2 circle with red and purple colors along with a few other colors for spring. It will also be mulched with small rock/gravel. An "under construction" sign will be put in place for the 10th Anniversary Celebration.

Judith Chaddock, Jeannette Sletton, and Betty Marcus spent their time deadheading, watering, and planting. Betty began collecting hollyhock and Mexican Hat seeds. Laura Davis worked on the MMG.

Work for next week:
Monday workday cancelled
Thurs. - continue work on the front bed/evening out the soil now that it has rained/circling the shrubs with rock.
Compost
Watering - indoors/outdoors as needed
Begin cutting back iris
Removing dirt from the north wall in prep for work on the foundation
Move peony from the bed on Switzer and replant in Rose Garden

Upcoming:
Fall Harvest Potluck - Sept. 20, 12pm following our workday

Special thank you to Linda Guarino this week for use of her truck and all her hard work to get the soil in out front beds.

Thanks for all who came and continue to support this garden,
Loni

Workdays Week of 7/30 - 8/4

On Monday Laura Davis came to work in the MMG. Julie Holmes and I worked on beginning the weeding of the corner gardens. We removed the usual ambrosia (ragweed), sweet clover, some invasive grasses, mullein, and bind weed from the area along Switzer Canyon. The work there will continue on Thursday. We hope to clear the area in preparation for the 10th Anniversary of Olivia White Home on August 13th.

Tuesday morning brought Joe Harte and Laura Davis to the garden to place a new redwood arbor in the MMG. I stayed and helped make sure it was level until I had an appointment at noon, and then had Doris a volunteer from the house relieve me. The structure is up and adds a beautiful touch to the new garden and is permanently cemented in.

Joe Harte digging post holes.

Joe Harte adding cement & Laura Davis
holding up the other end of the arbor.

Finished arbor in the
Michael Moore Garden

The rain in the garden is now over 6 inches since the end of April. The drip system has been off for more than a week.

Laura Davis also came on Thursday to work in the MMG adding some of the rock collected recently. Several of the volunteers including me worked on weeding the corner gardens - Vicki Goodwin, Christine Orr, Judith Chaddock, Carol Lease, Crys Wells, and Marcia Lamkin. It has not rained in a couple of days so Marcia helped me water the pots, Carol  added some labels, and Christine took care of the compost. Linda Guarino took on the difficult task of removing soil from the front gardens and adding some rock around shrubs and trees. Several others helped her after weeding - Marcia , Crys , and myself.

On Friday the Senior Companion/Foster Grandparent Programs came for a tour of the garden and to eat lunch on a beautiful afternoon. Lunch included many salads and special drinks like watermellon smoothies and cucumber water.

Also on Friday Bruce and Nancy Palmer came by and added a new birdcage to the Rose Garden. It was a donated item from Laura Davis. Ir looks beautiful - watch for a photo next week.

Early in the week we had a new visitor(beetle) to the garden. Not sure what it was but it looked like a miniature watermelon.

Plans for next week:
Continue work on the front bed including adding good soil and planting 3 shrubs.
Continue weeding at the corner.
Deadheading lambs ear and shasta daisy
General clean-up in preparation for the Monday Anniversary Celebration (sweeping, putting away all unneeded items (watering cans, pots, brooms, etc.)
Labeling some grasses in the 1/2 circle garden.

Come join us this week for our usual Mon./Thurs. workdays from 8am-12pm. If you have extra time or want to come on another day, contact me for some specific weeding tasks.

Thanks,
Loni

Native Plant Society - Garden Tours

The volunteers at Olivia White Hospice Garden want to thank the Native Plant Society for 2 special awards for our Red and Purple Mini Meadow and for the Zane Memorial Garden. Thanks to all who came to visit the garden on Sunday. We did not have a sign-in but I am sure more than 100 came to look at the gardens which are at their peak with all the rain. In addition to the 2 legged visitors there were many 4 legged and winged residents of the garden who were boldly out to watch. Several people requested the lemon cookie recipe. It is my favorite cookie from Martha Stewart and here is the link. Enjoy!

Thanks also to the garden volunteers who helped make it a successful day.
Toni Barnes, Laura Davis, Nancy Palmer, Linda Guarino and Marcia Lamkin

Sometimes our season gets long with so much work to do, but having visitors come and admire what you have accomplished makes it all worthwhile.

Thanks again,

Loni Shapiro

Workdays 7/23, 27 and 29

On Monday, we had our usual small crew but were able to get many jobs off our list for the week. Our focus is to get ready for the Native Plant Society garden tours on Sunday. Laura Davis stopped by on her way to Phoenix and gave Nancy Palmer and Toni Barnes their assignments. Toni watered and Nancy and Toni moved all the rock that was gathered on Saturday to the MMG. Toni also moved our compost to the compost area. Katarina deadheaded and washed what was left of our pots. I added a few planting, worked on protecting our strawberries from the squirrels, and watered indoors.

Dave Brimhall, one of the gardener's from Riordan Mansion stopped by and picked up the last of our plants from the sale as a donation. The remaining garden items were taken to Hodge Podge. We made over $500 this year with minimal digging. The money will go towards rain barrels for the garden.

The house held an "ice cream social" which I made homemade ice cream for (strawberry & coffee), and one of the residents cut lettuce for a lunch salad.

Thursday, our crew spent most of their time getting the gardens ready for Sunday's tours. Linda Guarino worked on compost, protecting electric lines for the drip system, and weeding. Laura Davis worked in the MMG. Jeanette Sletten brought another volunteer and they worked on removing the Wood's Rose from underneath our apple tree. Carol Lease worked on a drip repair and made tags for new trees/shrubs and the MMG. Becky Lewis, burried drip lines in the FG, placed 3 bricks, and cleaned up the rose garden (weeds and debris). Judith Chaddock returned and took care of plants in the house, planted a few plants, cleaned up the sun porch and outside pots, and deadheaded. Marcia Lamkin cleaned up the cushion for the bentwood bench, and swept sidewalks. I spent my time doing various odd jobs, and keeping everyone else busy.

Several years ago we had 7 aspens donated that were planted by Gore. We lost 2 after the 1st year - one to winter plows and the other to deer. After that we fenced the trees. They have grown considerably and our pruner noticed that the one in back on the edge of the garden before it drops off is actually a cottonwood. It is much taller than the other trees and has a grey bark rather than white. Joe Harte removed the fence and pruned it. It should be big enough to withstand deer browsing.

On Sunday the garden was open from 11am-4pm for garden tours for the native plant society. We had two gardens recognized - 1/2 Circle Red/Purple Mini Meadow Garden and Zane's Memorial Garden. Many visitors came and enjoyed the garden, tours, and refreshments.

 

Plans for next week:
*Finish digging front beds
Compost
Watering as needed
Weeding corner garden
Clean up debris around iris, deadhead as needed

Thanks,
Loni

Workdays 7/16 - 19 - 21

On Monday after a plea for help in planting trees and shrubs, Toni Barnes came early and finished digging our tree hole. She also removed a large clump of red hot poker so that a rose could be planted. Ruth Ellis came and cleaned up an area where the bell flower has taken over some roses. Nancy Palmer worked on planting some new finds from the Arboretum plant sale, and put in some new solar lights to the arbor bench. I spent my time watering a couple of new plantings and removing one of our lilacs so a new nectarine could be planted in it's place. Toni, Ruth, and Nancy planted our new Amur Maple, Toni planted a new Harrison's Rose (aka - the yellow rose of texas), and she helped me plant the new dwarf nectarine. All are safely in and just need irrigation lines. All in all a very productive day.

Amur Maple to honor Patty Kavanaugh, RN
donors - Northland Hospice Staff
planters - Toni, Nancy, and Ruth

Harrison's Yellow Rose

Dwarf Nectarine from Karen Overton

On Thursday, we had a small crew. Christine Orr and Linda Guarino worked on the compost. They turned over bins, sifted, chopped material and moved the completed pile near the main compost area. . Christine and Linda also removed some dirt from the front beds. Linda and Jan Busco planted some finds from the Arboretum Plant Sale. Jeanette Sletten watered and deadheaded lamb's ear. Carol Lease worked on adding irrigation lines to the new trees and shrubs. Laura Davis came for a short time and watered the MMG. There was a discussion regarding trees on the property. We will accept no more unless something needs to be replaced. We have one tree (cottonwood vs. aspen) in the small  grove, that will get quite large.  Our 1st Hawthorne needs to be moved. It appears to be too crowded where it is, and not getting enough sun.

On Saturday we held our annual 10% Day at Warners. Susan Holiday, Steve Raymer, and Becky Lewis all helped to host a table at the nursery. We sold some of our fund raising items (cards, magnets), answered some gardening questions, and shared information about hospice and the gardens at Olivia White.
Thanks to Warners and their generous spirit and helpful friendly staff.

New in the garden:

Amur Maple Tree, Harrison's Yellow Rose (aka: yellow rose of Texas), Dwarf Nectarine

Sunset Crater Penstemon, Morman Tea, variety of penstemons, Ornamental Oregano, lavendar (Royal Velvet and white), zauchineria..

Solar lights for the arbor bench

Upcoming:
Warner's Landscape & Nursery  10% of proceeds Day, July 21 9am-530pm
Native Plant Society Contest Awards, July 25, 630pm, Federated Church
Native Plant Society Garden Tours, July 29, 11am-4pm, OW Garden

Work for next week:
General clean-up of garden in prep for garden tours (sweeping, cleaning porch area, weed 2 native plant garden entries)
Make tags for new tree shrubs
Finish washing pots
Fill bird feeders and clean baths
Continue work on front beds (soil removal))

Loni Shapiro

Workdays 7/9/12 - 7/15/12

On Monday this week we had a few volunteers after the glorious rain. Tomi Barnes came early and worked in the MMG, dug up some juniper from the front beds, and planted some new shrubs. Betty Marcus watered some new transplants, fed and watered the birds, and cut some spinach and lettuce for the house. Laura Davis worked on putting in some new plants and watering the MMG. I spent my time washing pots, keeping everyone else busy, and taking care of some plant sales.

On Sunday we will have the Native Plant Society to judge a couple of our gardens for their contest (Zane's Garden & the 1/2 Circle Purple & Red Meadow Garden).

New plants in the garden:
      Sierra Pink Currant
      Lavender "Royal Purple"

Plans for the week:
     *Plant an Amur Maple after moving a small shrub
     *Continue getting the beds ready for planting (front of the house), removing plants & dirt
     *Remove red hot pokers & plant a yellow rose
    * Move dirt and compost from the north end of the house
     Compost care (chipping the juniper or tossing if not wanted)
     Watering as needed with the beginning of the monsoons
     Planting 2 lavender, and several annuals for the front pots
     Remove bell flower again from the area north of the rose garden
     *Weeding - Infernos and the 2 judging gardens
     Cut lavender for drying and press flowers
 

Upcoming:
Native Plant Society Contest judging July 15, 1130am
Warner's Annual 10% Day for Northland Hospice & Olivia White Gardens July 21 - 9am - 5pm
Saturday Workday - July 28 9am-12pm
Native Plant Society Evening Event July 25
Native Plant Society Public Tour July 29 11am-4pm


Hope to see you on Thursday.

Thanks,
Loni

Workdays - Week of 7/2 - 7/8

On Monday we had a small crew but managed to get many things on our list done. Julie Holmes worked on cleaning up and tagging plant sale items. Laura Davis worked in the MMG - planting and watering.  Toni Barnes got the fun job of digging in our very dry soil. She planted some daylilies behind the pet memorial area, removed a buffalo berry stump,  and continued removing plants and cleaning up the front beds. This week we will start removing soil and on Sunday will have AmeriCorp remove some shrubs. We have a new summer volunteer from NPA - Linnea - who spent her time watering several beds. Katarina Karjake watered and cleaned up the front beds.

Our plant sales are going well (about $250). I will send a revised list out at the end of the week. We will probably only go 2 more weeks.

On Thursday we had a good sized crew (10). Linnea came again and watered. She also cleaned the bird baths and made some hummingbird food. Laura Davis stopped by to water the MMG and leave some treats. Judith Chaddock watered indoor and helped with weeding outdoors. Christine Orr worked on the compost and helped Judith weed. Crys Wells came with her two nieces who come by each year to help in the garden. Crys watered and her nieces weeded a nasty area just south of the Faerie Garden. Debbie Crisp and Becky Lewis both had the least fun task of digging up dirt from the front beds in preparation for redoing the beds. Jeanette Stetlan fed and watered most of our  roses. Our Plant & Garden Sale continued with many visitors. Some plants and garden tools remain. Watch the listserv for details.

We had a large crew (9) on Sunday from AmeriCorp. They did many hard tasks over 3 hours in the garden. 4 shrubs were dug out of the front beds, and two (burning bush) were replanted. We missed David Hockmans' expertise with fishing out the large rocks, which we found many of, but managed to get the job done. Other jobs accomplished were removing weeds from the south rock wall, gathering some rocks to circle the new plantings, moving  sandstone to the MMG, and watering before it poured (yeah). Laura Davis helped me keep all busy and she watered the MMG, and tied up some of the grape vine in the gazebo.

2012 AmeriCorp crew planting a shrub

Watering

Plans for next week:
Watering as needed
Dig up red hot poker - plant Harrison's Yellow Rose
Plant new current
Compost pile
Weeding - 1/2 Circle Garden & Switzer Canyon Inferno Strips
Continued work on front bed garden -soil removal
Remove bell flower
Cut lavendar and press flowers 

Upcoming:
Native Plant Society Contest judging July 14 or 15
Warner's Annual 10% Day for Northland Hospice & Olivia White Gardens July 21 - 9am - 5pm
Saturday Workday - July 28 9am-12pm
Native Plant Society Evening Event July 25
Native Plant Society Public Tour July 29 11am-4pm


Thanks,
Loni

Workdays June 25 & 28

Two new master gardeners Toni Barnes and Katrina Karjala came on Monday and helped water, worked in the MMG with Laura Davis, and helped get plants back into the 1/2 circle garden. Cynthia Katte also returned and watered indoors and deadheaded outdoors. Julie Holmes had the fun task of cleaning up garden pots for the plant sale. That much help on a Monday was helpful in getting the work for the week done.


David came from Foxglove Gardening and closed up the holes in the front gardens. The drip there has been open for a week and there have been no leaks. A couple of the plants are a bit stressed, having been removed and replace, but otherwise the garden looks good. Some additional rock will be needed to make it presentable for the contest evaluation (July 14 or 15).  The week of July 9 we will do the last minute touch ups (weeding, etc.)


I am working on a local crew from AmeriCorp to come and help did up the large shrubs in front of the house. They will most likely be coming on Sunday, July 9th, if you want to help (9am-12pm). Depending on how many we have we will have them do weeding and help Laura in the MMG.


On Thursday our crews worked on several parts of the garden and we hosted our annual Plant & Garden Sale. An e-mail will be sent with what is left from this weeks sale. Christine Orr came and worked on the compost and then watered a front garden bed that is being redesigned. Becky Lewis came and removed most of the perennials plants. Some will be added to our sale and others will be saved for putting back in the bed. Judith Chaddock came and cleaned up the sunroom plants and the outside geraniums. She spent the remainder of her time pricing garden sale items. Linda Guarino returned from a long vacation in Equador and worked on sprucing up the 1/2 circle garden, the drip system, and watering the north Switzer Canyon beds. Laura Davis continued work on the MMG - planting and watering. Crys Wells came and watered several beds in the East gardens. I spent my time tagging new plants, selling plant sale items, and watering new plantings.


New in the garden:
Decorative wheelbarrow in the Native Garden
More perennials for the Plant Sale


Plans for next week:
Watering as needed
Compost pile
Weeding - west and south of FG, south of gazebo
Pruning Wood's rose
Begin removal of front shrubs and soil 

Upcoming:
AmeriCorp Workday: July 8, 9am-12pm
Native Plant Society Contest judging July 14 or 15
Warner's Annual 10% Day for Northland Hospice & Olivia White Gardens July 21 - 9am - 5pm
Saturday Workday - July 28 9am-12pm
Native Plant Society Evening Event July 25
Native Plant Society Public Tour July 29 11am-4pm

Hope to see you this week for volunteering or shopping!
Loni

Workdays June 18 & 21

This week we sprang a leak in the drip system. Foxglove Gardening and several other consultants are trying to figure out where it is coming from. In the meantime, one of our newest gardens (entered in the Native Plant Contest) has be partially dug up. Toni Barnes came earlier this week and helped me water the entire garden by hose from the house. Between the 2 of us it took about 5 hours to do that. We are praying for rain this weekend, especially if the drip is not repaired.

Nancy and Bruce Palmer dropped by and added some new birdhouses to the arbor bench.

On Thursday we had a large crew to make sure everything was watered. Carol and Lee Lease were there when I arrived and Lee put together a small decorative wheelbarrow for the native garden. Carol worked on the back sand patio - repairing and resanding it. Peter Weiser came for the plant sale and dug up some raspberries for his garden and we had a few other shoppers (penstemons were popular). We will continue the sale for the next several weeks. A neighbor of Carols, Jeanette Sletten, just came up from the valley for the summer, helped us water. Vicki Goodwin did some work in the Faerie Garden and some major weeding in the north beds with Christine Orr. She also pulled some of that spreading Bellflower that was taking over some roses.  Christine also worked on the compost pile. Betty Marcus was there before I arrived  (6am) watering. Susan Holiday a new MG came and labeled all our plants for the sale. Laura Davis worked in the MMG and also planted some clematis in front of the house. Julie Holmes planted a replacement carpet rose for the Rock Garden area.  Katrina Karjala came on Monday and Thursday and helped water. Joe Harte came and worked on pruning the woods rose back so our apple tree gets some sun. It is a difficult job (lots of stickers) and will have to be completed next week. I spent my time getting sand for the patio,keeping everyone busy and doing some watering.

The plant sale will continue. In addition we will have garden related items for sale this week (pots, books, tools, etc.)

New in the garden:

A decorative wheelbarrow in the Native Plant garden

Arbor bench with new birdhouses

New blooms:

Shropshire Lad  David Austin Rose

Poppy in the Moon Garden

Work for next week:
Pricing sale items
Continue back patio work and Wood's rose pruning
Begin digging the front bed plants out
Deadheading iris and other spent blooms
Watering as needed
Weeding - beds south of gazebo this week
Planting - some replacements plants and 1 shrub

Upcoming:
Native Plant Society Contest judging July 14 or 15
Warner's Annual 10% Day for Northland Hospice & Olivia White Gardens July 21 - 9am - 5pm
Saturday Workday - July 28 9am-12pm
Native Plant Society Evening Event July 25
Native Plant Society Public Tour July 29 11am-4pm

Thanks to all who helped this week - my e-mail brought many out to help with the watering.

We will be in the garden next Monday and Thursday. The plant sale will continue and we will have some garden related materials (pots, tools, books, etc.).

Loni

Workdays 6/11 & 14/12

On Monday I was off attending a class on Native Plants at CCC. Laura Davis was in charge for the day and several regulars came to help water, along with a new master gardener trainee and Peggy Sheldon-Scurlock. Special thanks to Betty Marcus who filled in last week on several days to water in my absence.
On Thursday, we had a small crew with many regulars vacationing or out ill. Carol Lease worked on some plant tags and put in our new oblesques and added a clematis to each. They are both located in the front of the home.

Carol Lease and new trellises

Laura Davis and Betty Marcus both watered along Switzer Canyon. I watered new planting and made some soil for pots. Joe Harte came and worked on the pathway from the rose garden to the parking lot.

Because our crews have been small we have been unable to dig up enough plants to do our annual plant sale. Instead we will offer what we have already dug up on our workdays beginning June 21, for about a month. We will have plants, pots, books, and other gently used garden materials and our fundraising items for sale
.

Sale Plants 

Plans for next week:
The decorative wheel barrow has arrive and needs to be assembled.
There are several plants - large and small - for a variety of gardens that need to be put in the ground.
The back patio need to be re-sanded and some pieces buried more.
The woods rose is taking over one of our apple trees and needs to be pruned and some dug up
We need to begin removing plants from the front garden bed that will be redone
Weeding inferno strip and deadheading iris.
Watering indoors and out
Compost management

New in the garden:
Most of the vegetable have been planted
Deer are enjoying the strawberries
Half dollar sized apples on our granny smith tree for the first time
2 new oblesques made into trellises in front of the house

Hope to see you in the garden this week.

Loni

Workdays 6/4 & 7

On Monday, we had a small crew working. Laura Davis came to water the Michael Moore Garden, Betty Marcus watered the beds in front of the house that are not on the drip. Julie Holmes continued to work on deadheading the lavender which has more dead woody parts after our dry winter. The plants are old and this problem seems to increase not only with low water but age. It may be time to replace a few as they do very well in the garden and seem to keep the deer from the rose garden. I spent my time putting in some veggies from the CSA and watering new plantings. Vicki Goodwin stopped by to check out her new plantings in the Faerie Garden.

On our second workday of the week, there were several regulars in the garden. Carol Lease did her usual problem solving with the drip (replacing broken lines and adding new ones). Even with the drip the plants are looking much more stressed this year (no rain since April 26th). Betty Marcus worked on supplemental hand watering many of the beds, and I watered all the new plantings. I have been doing it daily for the last several weeks. Carol also tagged our iris so that when we thin in the fall we will know the colors.  Becky Lewis, Christine Orr, and Marcia Lamkin worked on digging up new plants for the plant sale. Christine also did her usual management of the compost area. Judith Chaddock watered indoors and moved some of our indoor geraniums into pots along with aloe. I planted the pots in front of the house with some perennials but mostly annuals, and a small rock rose on the third anniversary of the loss of my mom. Laura Davis continues to work on the Michael Moore Garden and the Tea Garden. Joe Harte came by and worked on pruning trees.

Blooming:
The most striking blooms (there are too many to list) this week are the John Cabot Rose and the Missouri Evening Primrose

Plans for next week:
Watering as needed
Last week to dig plants for the plant sale. This will be our big push this week so the plants have time to settle in before being sold.
Next week we will return to garden maintenance and remove some large patches of bell flower that are taking over.
I will be taking a class on Monday and Laura Davis is in charge.

Hope to see you this week. Anyone interested in helping with watering until the monsoons start please let me know.

Thanks,
Loni