Workdays Week of 10/21

With one more week to go, we had a good Monday crew. Betty Marcus watered the Switzer beds trees and shrubs, due to the very dry weather. Katarina Karjala and Jane Reukema deadhead the Mexican Hat and hollyhocks so the seeds do not spread anymore. Becky Lewis filled niger bird feeders with seed that is still  left and cleaned the last of the two sunflower feeders. All sunflower feeders have been replaced with suet feeders. Our winter indoor crew will replace those as needed. I spent my time organizing the greenhouse so all the hardscape will fit. I also worked on our shrub list to make sure it is complete.

On Thursday Betty Marcus watered some trees and shrubs, Rebecca Davis as usual finished several tasks. She removed annuals from pots, covered tree trunks for the winter and cleaned out the small shed and tools. The shed is so clean I hate to use it on Saturday. Lori Tamblingson deadheaded throughout the garden. Sue Ordway cleaned up the compost area for winter. Judith Chaddock worked on the indoor plants. The large Christmas Cactus is in full bloom. I spent my time reorganizing the greenhouse, and checking out our tree and shrub list for the donor book.

"How can those who do not garden, who have no lot in the great fraternity of those who watch the changing year as it affects the earth and its growth, how can they keep warm their hearts in winter?"-  Francis King 

Saturday, brought the 2nd Annual visit by the Girls for Good. They helped finish cleaning up the garden and property in the canyon. They removed a large pile of pine needles that had swept in with the heavy rains this year. We probably have more than 20 bags. The rest of the girls worked on cleaning all our pots from this season. After they were done with the heavy duty tasks they did some general clean-up, sweeping, deadheading, and cleaning up more piles of pine needles in the garden.

Girls for Good and families 2013

"Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves."-  James M. Barrie  

Work for our last week:
Watering as needed
Last check for deadheading
Add covers to a couple of tree trunks
Put table and umbrella on patio
Put swing in garage
Fill 2 bird baths
Take down bird hook at entry
Put stakes up for snow?
Finish cutting back clematis on gazebo
Move mulch to back of greenhouse
Work compost 1 last time
Empty front annual pots
Have Linda check irrigation line on Switzer Canyon

Come join me for my last week in the garden,
Thanks,
Loni

Work the Week of 10/14

On Monday there were three of us working again. Julie Holmes worked on emptying the Faerie Garden hardscape and putting things away for the winter. Betty Marcus watered the trees and shrubs in the back of the house and the main garden. I did some clean-up of the vegetable beds and then helped Julie.

Thursday brought a larger crew and we all worked on putting away the garden. I spent my time with the vegetable beds and sensory pots, mulching and adding some compost. Linda Guarino worked on the garden map and helped others finish projects. Sue Ordway took down gazebo pots, and worked on the compost. Judith Chaddock and Whitney Fessler watered indoors and cleaned up plants. Whitney will help during the winter. Crys Wells worked on emptying and cleaning the rain barrels for the winter. Joe Harte came and disconnected the rain barrels and help put away the bird baths. Leslie Stone finished tying up roses, taking down birdhouses, and cleaning/putting away hardscape.

To do the last few weeks:
Water indoors and outdoors as needed
Remove plants from front of house
Organize the greenhouse
Clean the small shed and tools
Deadhead Shasta daisy, hollyhock and Mexican Hat
Cover tree trunks
Spread the last of the mulch
Put the table, umbrella, and chairs away
Put bench in north garden away
Girls for Good - Wash pots and clean pine needles from the canyon

For the next few weeks we will work from 9am-12pm, as the weather is cold and we are almost finished.

Thanks,
Loni

Workdays Week of 10/7/13

On Monday Julie Holmes and I worked on garden clean-up. Julie finished deadheading lavender and gathered some more hollyhock seed. I put away some hardscape and put protection on a beautiful ceramic pot in the native garden. I circled it with chicken wire and filled in the sides with pine needles. A trick I learned at the Arboretum. They use it for clay pots there. We will see how it works with ceramic next spring.

I had to return on Tuesday morning to unload a truckload of manure dropped by Hunter Kemmet from Equestrian Estates. Some was unloaded near the parking area to sit for next spring's use and the rest was brought to the compost area for use there. Most of it is pretty well composted - not fresh. Thanks to Hunter for getting it for us.

On Thursday, we cancelled the workday as it was snowing/raining most of the day and too cold to be working outside. It was rescheduled for Friday.

Friday's workday brought cold sunny weather. It was just Betty Marcus and I working on closing more of the garden. I worked on cleaning and organizing the garage and Betty watered indoors and washed some bird feeders, tea pots, and other outside hardscape to put away for the winter. When we finished we scattered wildflower and grass seed on the FUTS trail.

Work to finish before the season end:
Put away remaining bird feeders and baths
Faerie Garden
     Empty pots, clean and store
     Put hardscape away
     Store bentwood bench
Put table andchairs on porch for winter
Clean the small shed and greenhouse
Put away the remaining birdhouses
Cover bird houses in rose garden
Deadhead sensory pots and mulch
Add compost to the raised beds for winter
Disconnect and empty the rain barrels
Cover tree trunks
Wash pots
Clean tools
Remove pine needles from the canyon

Last workday for me Thurs. Oct 31. For those returning next season try to attend as I will review things that need to be done next year, locations of tools/materials, and written material available for those continuing.

Thanks,
Loni

Work the Week of 9/30

Monday brought a small crew to a cool garden. Temperatures at night have been in the high 20's or low 30's. Several of our regular volunteers were off as fall sets in. Katrina Karjala came and worked on deadheading lavender. Betty Marcus collected seed, and did some watering.
On Thursday we had a good sized crew that worked on putting the garden to sleep for the winter. Becky Lewis had a crew helping to prune roses and mulch them for the winter. Lori Tamblingson and Linda Guarino helped her get that done. Rebecca Davis took down pots from the gazebo, and deadheaded Russian sage and hollyhocks. She also helped me take down the water feature and put it away for the winter. Judith Chaddock watered indoors, found some room for some more hanging baskets on the sun porch, and began to take down the birdhouses. Linda also worked on the irrigation - doing some repairs - and Lori filled bird baths. I spent my time cleaning out and reorganizing the large shed to make room for the snow plow and watering some of our recent transplants.
I returned to the garden with Becky Lewis on Friday. We mulched and pruned the last of the roses and took down the red runner bean vines. It was a cool morning with most of the bird baths frozen for the first time. Joan Abbott came by and turned off the irrigation.

Plans for the next couple of weeks:
Hand water as needed weekly
Finish putting away the bird houses
Empty the last of the bird feeders and clean - replace with suet
Put away garden hardscape items
    Faerie Garden
    Wind Chimes
    Stone birdbaths
    Table and chairs
Mulch some of the more tender plantings
Clean the garage
Scatter flower seed on the FUTS trail
Girls for Good
    Wash pots
    Bag pine needles from canyon
    Clean tools from small shed
If city finishes on Switzer - remove some rock from bed, and add soil

"The scarlet of maples can shake me like a cry
Of bugles going by.
And my lonely spirit thrills
to see the frosty asters like smoke
upon the hills."
-   William Bliss Carman 









Thanks,
Loni