Work the Week of 9/23

On Monday, we had a good sized crew. Betty Marcus spent her time helping me take down the tomatoes after a frost on Sunday. She also gathered wildflower seeds for scattering and cleaned up some of our hummingbird feeders and seed feeders for the season. I put out some suet feeders for the winter since we will only be in the garden for another 6 weeks. Katarina Karjala spent her time weeding the north Switzer beds. She is still working with a special boot on her left leg. Carol Hudenko and her husband, Julie Holmes, Lori Tamblingson, and Leslie Stone planted the plants removed from the inferno strip a couple of weeks ago throughout the garden. The city crew has not been here since last Thursday and they are not finished with the work. Once they are done we will need to clean-up the bed, remove rock and put in some new soil. The bed will not be replanted until spring. I have submitted a bill to Russ Anderson (Northland CFO) to present to the city, for plants, soil, and irrigation repair by Foxglove Landscaping. I have also asked him what he wants us to do with the small rock that needs to be removed. Julie and Lori also gathered lavender for drying.

Thursday brought another good sized crew. Rebecca Davis came for a short time and gathered tea pots for washing and moved the shelving to the sun room area. Betty Marcus watered the Inferno and gathered seeds for replanting. Sue Ordway transplanted some of our frost sensitive herbs into pots for the sunroom, helped Judith Chaddock clean and rearrange the area, and deadheaded some lavender. Judith reorganized the sun room and brought in some of our geraniums from outdoors. Becky Lewis deadheaded roses, spayed some for aphids, and moved sandstone to our paver area. Crys Wells gathered lavender for drying. Joe Harte trimmed some limbs shading shrubs, cut down elms, and planted a shrub. I spent my time watering, cleaning tomato pots and tea pots to put away for the winter.

Work by the city continued on Wed. this week. No word on when we can began to clean up the Inferno Strip and reconnect the irrigation. Frost has hit our vegetables and some annuals already but it has been mild so far. All frost sensitive herbs and geraniums have been moved into the sun room.  Judith will need help this winter for indoor watering. We need a few more people to have background checks to help her with watering. All vegetables have been harvested except the corn which has not ripened as yet. I am still collecting red runner bean seed. If anyone wants some for their gardens next year let me know. The city weed whacked all along the FUTS trail so in the next few weeks we will scatter some of our collected seed.

New blooms:
The Moon Garden has come alive again. The white phlox are blooming and the new white clematis (Toki) purchased earlier this year.

Work for the next couple of weeks:
Watering as needed indoors/outdoors
1 pot remaining from Inferno to replant
Irrigation repair outside of sunroom
Continue to remove seed feeders as they empty and replace with suet
Remove rock from Inferno Strip when the city has completed their work
Add soil/compost to that bed in prep for spring planting
Get a load of compost to sit for the winter
Winterize roses - cut off roses, and add ground protection
Continue to deadhead lavender
Clean large shed and garage in prep for winter

Upcoming:
Oct. 26, 9am-12pm, Girls for Good, Garden Clean-up

Ah! the list doesn't seem to get any shorter. Come whenever you can to help.
I am saving some tasks for the Girls for Good in October - canyon pine needle pick-up, washing pots, cleaning the small shed, and putting away some of the small hardscape. I don't plan to plant any bulbs this year. Last spring we seemed to have enough throughout the garden, but you might consider doing it again next fall, depending on survival rate. I am beginning to harvest the red runner beans. We have an abundance this year with two trellises of them. If you want any for your gardens for next year let me know.

Hope to see you next week!

Thanks,
Loni