Our first official workday in the garden on Thursday was very productive. Betty Marcus came and she watered for almost 4 hours and filled bird feeders. The drip system is off with a possible leak so we will be doing that for a while, as it is being checked out before we turn it on. Any extra help watering will be appreciated as it take 3 full workdays for 1 person to water the entire garden. Linda Guarino returned and got the compost area clean-up for the start of the season. Some compost is available to use for planting on the tarp in the compost area. I am going to ask Linda to do a mini update on composting for all the next time she is in the garden. Two new volunteers were in the garden. Leslie Stone spent her time sealing the raised beds, and Rebecca Davis watered and deadheaded. Joe Harte and Becky Lewis worked on putting cement in to keep our mailboxes upright. The house mailbox will need to be repaired as the bottom rotted, probably from the leak we had last year. Laura Davis and Crys Wells came and finished their orientation and also did some work in the garden. I am not sure exactly what they did as I was busy orienting some new volunteers (possibly 6). I also managed to plant some potatoes, get out some hardscape, and filled the bird feed cans.
We hauled away another redwood bench, and have a new bench that was donated (not sure who) that Diana Watt sanded/painted and stained. It will probably go in the area of the sheds, facing the rose garden.
Next week: we will work on:
More deadheading
Repositioning the raised bed
Bringing out hardscape
Feeding and watering the birds
Planting some seed
Feeding the trees
Watering - indoors and outdoors
Some raking of pine needs and filling some beds with mulch from the downed elm
Mail box repair and rain barrel work
Irrigation only if the repairs are done
Sign-ups for Thurs. snacks and mini update on compost if Linda is available
Workdays are Mon. & Thurs. from 8am-12pm, and Saturday from 9am-12-pm. For those who are new orientation is from 10am-12pm.
Future happenings:
2nd Orientation - May 4, 10am-12pm
Eagle Scout projects in the garden (trellis and pathways) - dates TBA
Warner's 10% of Proceeds Day - Saturday, July 13 - 9am-3pm
Blooming in the garden:
Plum trees, nectarine, creeping sand cherry, many bulbs, Pasque flower
Hope to see you sometime this week.
Thanks,
Loni
Friday, April 26, 2013
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Workdays 4/15 - 18 & 20
On Monday, I worked on the front 1/2 circle, with Julie Holmes, and Leslie Stone. We deadheaded, weeded (yes they are back already), and added a bit of rock to areas that were sparse from last year where the area was dug up. The two front beds were watered thoroughly. I put out another birdfeeder, but havwaterede not seen any hummingbirds as yet.
Diana Watt stopped by to update me on the cities plans for construction in the area over the next few years. They will put in a new water line next year in the middle of Turquoise - going up the hill from the corner. They are exploring traffic changes for the corner of Switzer/Turquoise. They will do one of 3 options - a circle, a light, or stop signs. All will take another piece of our corner garden - the circle taking a very large piece requiring moving the sign. This would happen within 5 years. Keeping that in mind we will make less extensive changes to the corner garden. I still want the large juniper removed and Diana will see if Norvel can help us with his bobcat.
On Thursday, we had a small crew but got a great start on deadheading in the garden. Betty Marcus came and filled birdfeeders and watered . Joe Harte worked on leveling a rain barrel & removing tree trunk covers. Nancy Palmer worked on putting out hardscape in the Faerie Garden and finished hanging birdhouse on the trellis. Rebecca Davis came for the first time and spent her time deadheading the inferno strip and watering the back gardens.I spent my time deadheading and with general clean-up.
On Saturday, we had a very successful Earth Day with 9 people helping to clean up the garden. Many of them were new to the garden. Betty Marcus and Laura Davis two of our regular joined us and Diana Watt came to help and orient people to hospice. We sanded the 2 raised beds, moved some day lilies, watered, and bagged up many pine needles while deadheading. More than 25 bags. Deadheading happened in the Inferno Strip, some of the Rose Garden, and many of the beds east of the Switzer sidewalk. You may not recognize the place. We also stabilized a bench in the Faerie Garden, got out hardscape including the umbrella, water feature (unfilled as yet), and moved the rain barrel and standing raised bed. Cleaning up revealed many bulbs blooming in the garden - species tulips, grape hyacinth, daffodils, and our 1st spring blooming plant a Pasque flower. The plums and nectarine are already blooming.
Visitors this week included: some residents, Dave and Murphy, and the Ciritello's who donated a bench and added a tag for it.
Workdays this week Mon./Thurs. 9am-12pm.
Work for this week includes:
More deadheading
Sealing the raised beds
Planting potatoes and lettuce
Adjusting the standing raised bed
Watering indoors and outdoors (the drip is off)
Orientation for new gardeners on 4/25 at 10am. This will also include HIPAA/Hospice orientation from Megan for regular gardeners who have not done it as yet.
David if you are available we have a bench that needs to be fixed.
I heard from Kay Balzer and she will be in the garden in mid-May.
Loni
Diana Watt stopped by to update me on the cities plans for construction in the area over the next few years. They will put in a new water line next year in the middle of Turquoise - going up the hill from the corner. They are exploring traffic changes for the corner of Switzer/Turquoise. They will do one of 3 options - a circle, a light, or stop signs. All will take another piece of our corner garden - the circle taking a very large piece requiring moving the sign. This would happen within 5 years. Keeping that in mind we will make less extensive changes to the corner garden. I still want the large juniper removed and Diana will see if Norvel can help us with his bobcat.
On Thursday, we had a small crew but got a great start on deadheading in the garden. Betty Marcus came and filled birdfeeders and watered . Joe Harte worked on leveling a rain barrel & removing tree trunk covers. Nancy Palmer worked on putting out hardscape in the Faerie Garden and finished hanging birdhouse on the trellis. Rebecca Davis came for the first time and spent her time deadheading the inferno strip and watering the back gardens.I spent my time deadheading and with general clean-up.
On Saturday, we had a very successful Earth Day with 9 people helping to clean up the garden. Many of them were new to the garden. Betty Marcus and Laura Davis two of our regular joined us and Diana Watt came to help and orient people to hospice. We sanded the 2 raised beds, moved some day lilies, watered, and bagged up many pine needles while deadheading. More than 25 bags. Deadheading happened in the Inferno Strip, some of the Rose Garden, and many of the beds east of the Switzer sidewalk. You may not recognize the place. We also stabilized a bench in the Faerie Garden, got out hardscape including the umbrella, water feature (unfilled as yet), and moved the rain barrel and standing raised bed. Cleaning up revealed many bulbs blooming in the garden - species tulips, grape hyacinth, daffodils, and our 1st spring blooming plant a Pasque flower. The plums and nectarine are already blooming.
 |
| Species tulip |
 |
| Pasque Flower |
Visitors this week included: some residents, Dave and Murphy, and the Ciritello's who donated a bench and added a tag for it.
 |
| Ed Ciritello and Diane Stearns and their daughter Donors of a Glider in Memory of her Mother |
Work for this week includes:
More deadheading
Sealing the raised beds
Planting potatoes and lettuce
Adjusting the standing raised bed
Watering indoors and outdoors (the drip is off)
Orientation for new gardeners on 4/25 at 10am. This will also include HIPAA/Hospice orientation from Megan for regular gardeners who have not done it as yet.
David if you are available we have a bench that needs to be fixed.
I heard from Kay Balzer and she will be in the garden in mid-May.
Loni
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Workdays Week of 4/8 and 11
Spring is wonderful with all the bulbs blooming and new growth on perennials, but looking at the deadheading to be done is depressing. Spring at Olivia White sometimes feels overwhelming. We don't do much deadheading in the fall, but it does protect our plants roots and provides some winter food for the birds. Oh well! Fast forward to Memorial Day when things will be looking great.
A large elm was removed from the back of the Faerie Garden. I can't believe how much mulch they left us from one trees limbs. The large pieces of the trunk are still in the canyon. We may be able to take one or two for decorative stumps. The tree was removed because each year it was dropping limbs in the garden and had become dangerous.
I spent Monday in the garden for a few hours. I deadhead a few plants until the rain, hail, snow began and then did some work indoors. The bird feeders were cleaned and I began cleaning the shelf in the garage. In between showers I cleaned the back porch and set it up for the Thursday workday.
On Thursday, we had a small crew but much was accomplished. Nancy and Bruce Palmer came and set up the birdhouse trellis and began to set up the Faerie Garden. As I mentioned earlier the large elm on the NE corner was taken down. It opens up the garden with more light. Nancy and Bruce brought a couple of logs up into the FG which they will place later and a group of carvers will stop by to pick up a few more. The rest will be remove by Joan Joyce.
Betty Marcus came and filled bird feeders, did some general cleaning, and began to rake the FG. Joe Harte assembled our new glider, got cement and sand out of my car into the garden for some projects, and began to get the rain barrels ready. Judith Chaddock helped us haul things around, and watered the indoor plants. I spent my time doing some deadheading, and filling some holes left by the ground squirrels.
In Zane's garden, we found a cat collar hanging on the trellis. It belonged to Max the cat we were always calling his owner about, because he was always crossing Switzer Canyon Drive. I guess he crossed one to many times, but his collar was left in the right place. We will wire it onto the trellis to provide company for Zane. I also added a Ben's Bell I bought in Tucson. I found it at the Book Sale in the local animal shelter booth. It is a nice addition to the garden.
On Saturday, Leslie Stone stopped by with her family and an Eagle Scout. It looks like we will have help with our trellises by the sheds, and the pathways from Switzer to the Rose Garden and on the corner. They may also help with other work in the garden. Whenever work needs to get done the "Project Faerie" seems to sense it.
Work for the week of 4/15-18:
Lots of deadheading - emphasis on the front of the house
Adding some rock to the front beds
Planting some potatoes/onions weather permitting
Raking pine needles and general cleaning in the FG
Earth Day - April 20, 9am-12pm
Raking, sweeping
Continue FG clean-up as needed and bringing out hardscape
Sanding the raised beds
Removing mulch from some of the FUTS trail beds
Watering as needed
Earth Day is everyday! anonymous
Hope to see you sometime this week!
Loni
A large elm was removed from the back of the Faerie Garden. I can't believe how much mulch they left us from one trees limbs. The large pieces of the trunk are still in the canyon. We may be able to take one or two for decorative stumps. The tree was removed because each year it was dropping limbs in the garden and had become dangerous.
I spent Monday in the garden for a few hours. I deadhead a few plants until the rain, hail, snow began and then did some work indoors. The bird feeders were cleaned and I began cleaning the shelf in the garage. In between showers I cleaned the back porch and set it up for the Thursday workday.
On Thursday, we had a small crew but much was accomplished. Nancy and Bruce Palmer came and set up the birdhouse trellis and began to set up the Faerie Garden. As I mentioned earlier the large elm on the NE corner was taken down. It opens up the garden with more light. Nancy and Bruce brought a couple of logs up into the FG which they will place later and a group of carvers will stop by to pick up a few more. The rest will be remove by Joan Joyce.
Betty Marcus came and filled bird feeders, did some general cleaning, and began to rake the FG. Joe Harte assembled our new glider, got cement and sand out of my car into the garden for some projects, and began to get the rain barrels ready. Judith Chaddock helped us haul things around, and watered the indoor plants. I spent my time doing some deadheading, and filling some holes left by the ground squirrels.
In Zane's garden, we found a cat collar hanging on the trellis. It belonged to Max the cat we were always calling his owner about, because he was always crossing Switzer Canyon Drive. I guess he crossed one to many times, but his collar was left in the right place. We will wire it onto the trellis to provide company for Zane. I also added a Ben's Bell I bought in Tucson. I found it at the Book Sale in the local animal shelter booth. It is a nice addition to the garden.
On Saturday, Leslie Stone stopped by with her family and an Eagle Scout. It looks like we will have help with our trellises by the sheds, and the pathways from Switzer to the Rose Garden and on the corner. They may also help with other work in the garden. Whenever work needs to get done the "Project Faerie" seems to sense it.
Work for the week of 4/15-18:
Lots of deadheading - emphasis on the front of the house
Adding some rock to the front beds
Planting some potatoes/onions weather permitting
Raking pine needles and general cleaning in the FG
Earth Day - April 20, 9am-12pm
Raking, sweeping
Continue FG clean-up as needed and bringing out hardscape
Sanding the raised beds
Removing mulch from some of the FUTS trail beds
Watering as needed
Earth Day is everyday! anonymous
Hope to see you sometime this week!
Loni
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Beginning Work for the 2013 Season
With the weather warm and dry the season for regular gardeners will begin on April 8 & 11, from 9am-12pm. This is only for those who are cleared for volunteering by Northland Hospice. Others will have to wait until they complete their requirements. We will also have a workday on April 20 for Earth Day and hope to get some community help with clean-up (sweeping, raking, sanding raised beds, and bringing out hardscape).
The primary work on Monday will begin with clean-up - deadheading, composting, and beginning to put some items out in the garden (swing, table & chairs, bird baths and feeders), planting potatoes and some seed, watering. Judith Chaddock has begun to replace plants in the house and she may need some help.
For those who are interested, the FUTS trail is complete and they have sprayed a green substance on all the disturbed beds. It is a mulch to stabilize the disturbed ground with some grass and wildflower seed. We will remove some of it in beds we plan to plant this season.
Come join us if you can.
Thanks,
Loni
The primary work on Monday will begin with clean-up - deadheading, composting, and beginning to put some items out in the garden (swing, table & chairs, bird baths and feeders), planting potatoes and some seed, watering. Judith Chaddock has begun to replace plants in the house and she may need some help.
For those who are interested, the FUTS trail is complete and they have sprayed a green substance on all the disturbed beds. It is a mulch to stabilize the disturbed ground with some grass and wildflower seed. We will remove some of it in beds we plan to plant this season.
Come join us if you can.
Thanks,
Loni
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)