Workday 6/17/10

On another beautiful day in the garden we focused on digging up plants to transplant or pot for our first plant sale (Saturday, June 26th, 1-3pm). David Hockman spent his day digging up a large grass (pampas) which will be gifted to Joanie Abbott. It was so large it took 3 of us to get it in a temporary pot. Linda Guarino worked on setting timers for the drip and adding a few new plants. Kay Baltz, Becky Lewis, Cynthia Katte, Judith Chaddock, and Nancy Palmer all worked on transplants. Kay also found time to weed, and Judith cleaned up our geraniums that spent the winter on our sun porch. Marilyn VanWagner watered, and Laura Davis worked on several things. We had some visitors who came to see our varieties of clematis. Crys Wells also worked on transplants and made a flyer for our plant sale.

On Friday, Phyllis Hogan from Winter Sun stopped by to meet with Laura to look at the new site for the Michael Moore Native Medicinal Garden.

New blooms:
Several clematis, more penstemons, fireweed, robusta and John Cabot roses, native geraniums, and centaurea rothrocki (Rothrock's knapweed)

New from the CSA:
Zucchini, sage, tomatoes, and peppers

We have several rock squirrels who are eating all the bulbs - even alliums - and are looking at possibly trapping and relocating them. Today I spotted an abert squirrel sitting on the bird feed seed catching tray eating all available droppings.

I also have never seen so many lizzards about. Animals are fun but some like the rock squirrels do so much damage in the garden. Dan Caputo an animal control expert said you need to remove the temptations, but if we did that we wouldn't have a garden.

Upcoming:
Thursday workday - June 24, 8am-12pm
Plant and Garden Sale - June 26, 1-3pm
Monthly Saturday workdays only by request as we have not had anyone interested for May or June.

This Thursday we will work on pricing items for the sale on Saturday, weeding and watering areas needed, and checking drip emitter placements. Come for any or all of the time.

Thanks,
Loni

Workdays 6/8 & 6/10, 2010

It was a great day for gardening on Thursday. The temperature was cooler and we had a nice breeze. We also had a large crew to help. Becky Lewis, Cindy Murray, and Kay Baltz worked on weeding the inferno strip and near the birdhouse trellis. Joe Harte and Carol Lease both worked on the drip. We had a couple of major repairs and emitters were added to the gazebo hanging baskets. Nancy Palmer worked on pots for annual color and planted some of our new perennials. Cynthia Katte worked on the compost piles and deadheading. She also transplanted some pine penstemons for the plant sale. David Hockman spent his time working on fixing one of our redwood benches. I am sorry to say their is not much life in them anymore. We are looking for sponsors for new green benches.Crys Wells watered the front beds.

On Tuesday and Thursday afternoons the group of kids came from Upward Bound. They watered, weeded, fertilized trees, fed and watered the birds, washed pots, and cleaned the greenhouse.

Special thank yous to David for all the hardware to fix benches and Carol Lease and Joe Harte for taking extra time and travel to make sure our drip was running. Joannie Abbott from Foxglove Gardening gave us a piece of drip line so we would not have to buy 500 feet.

New blooms:
Several penstemons (desert, mat, rocky mountain, etonii, Austrian copper rose), Flag and Dutch iris, succulents in the rock garden and sulfur buckwheat.


Austrian Copper Rose


Rock Garden

New plantings:
Color pots throughout the garden (salvia, alyssum, sweet potato vine, calendula, petunia, lobelia, cosmos, marigold, geraniums, etc). Several things were also added to the sensory pots, Moon Garden, Rock Garden to fill up or replace perennials that did not make it through the winter.

Come join us next Thursday morning any time between 8am and 12pm. We will be cleaning up some geraniums and focusing on digging up some of our extra plants to sell at a plant sale on June 26th. We will have germander, penstemon, lambs ear, snow in summer, yarrow, iris, and red hot pokers. There will also be extra pots available and other garden items.

No parking at Olivia White. It is available on Turquoise or at the 1st Congregational Church. Water and snacks provided. Just bring a hat, sun screen, and closed toed shoes are recommended.

Events this month:
Plant and Garden Sale June 26 1pm-3pm

Thanks,
Loni Shapiro
new e-mail cnslds@q.com

Workdays 6/1 & 6/3, 2010

The first week of June was a warm and busy week for the gardens at Olivia White Home. On Tuesday, we had our first visit from a group of highschoolers from throughout the state (Upward Bound). There were 11 from Coconino High, schools in Williams, Winslow, Window Rock and Hopi, along with their supervisor for the month. They are living at NAU, taking classes and doing volunteer work. On Tues & Thurs. they watered, weeded, fed the birds, planted, and helped the house clean the garage.

On Thursday, many of our regular crew came and 10 college students from CREC that Laura Davis supervised. The crew from CREC got our new Michael Moore Native Medicinal Garden started - weeding and moving some non-native shrubs and plants. They also helped Linda Guarino unload some compost from Equestrian Estates. Linda also set the timers on our drip system and planted some perennials. Vicki Goodwin worked on weeding, Cindy Murray, Cynthia Katte, and Judith Chaddock watered and moved mulch from the roses, Carol Lease worked on the drip and the roses, Marcia Lamkin on the Faerie Garden, Marilynn V. watered & weeded, Crys Wells planted potted some red hot pokers and iris taken out of the beds by CREC, and David Hockman dug a hole and worked on a bench that needs to be repaired. I spent most of my time trying to keep everyone busy.

New blooms:
Dutch Iris, Evening Primrose, several succulents in the rock garden, and some penstemons.

New plants:
Too numerus to list, but many annuals in pots.

Come join us next week. We will be planting more annuals, and digging up some plants for our planned Plant & Garden Sale on June 26th. If you have any garden plants or tools you want to contribute, please contact Loni Shapiro at 928-522-8635 or cnslds@q.com.

Workday 5/27/10

Well it sure felt like spring had arrived today. The plants are growing quickly even with the dry weather, because of so much moisture this winter. The potatoes and and radish leaves are beginning to peek out, and the produce from the CSA seems happy even though it has been cold.

The first to arrive today was Vicki Goodwin. She watered all the back gardens and managed to get in some weeding in front of the house. David Hockman did his usual hole digging for a Mock Orange, McCormick Rose, and a couple of small plants. He also dug up a crushed Russian sage that met it's demise in the winter when a plow dumped a driveway bumper on it. We were all happy to see Laura Davis return from Tucson. She spent the day planning for the new garden, and planting a few hardy perennials. Julie Holmes and Judith Chaddock worked on the inferno strip - weeding and adding a few new perennials. Cynthia Katte made sure the birds had food and water and continued to deadhead the tulips and daffodils. Marcia Lamkin planted our annual red runner beans on the birdhouse trellis and worked in the Faerie Garden. Marilyn VanWagner watered the front gardens. I spent my time planting some summer bulbs, and getting pots ready for the last of the tomatoes, peppers, and basil.

Blooming:
White Tulips and in the Moon Garden
Pansies in the Tea Garden
Blue Flax in the Inferno Strip
Irises, purple alliums, alyssums, and blue flax throughout the gardens.

Planted:
Red Hot Pokers, a variety of Penstemon, and grasses in the Inferno Strip

Plans for next week include setting the timers on the drips, a few more repairs, planting some annual pots, and planting the last of the perennials from High County Gardens. We need to begin moving extra plants into pots for a garden sale in June - Red Hot Pokers, lambs ear, yarrow, and germander. If the weather continues we also need to fully uncover mulch from the roses.

For the month of June there will be many opportunities to help in the garden. We will do our usual Thursdays from 8am-12pm and since I will be in the garden on Tues/Thurs from 1pm-330pm with a group of Upward Bound students, you are welcome to join in and help teach/supervise seniors from thoughout Arizona. Their projects will include: watering, weeding, planting, providing food and water for the bids, and staining a couple of benches. On Thursday June 3rd we will also have a group from 8am-12pm from CREC. They will be helping to create a new Native Medicinal garden (weeding, moving plants, and rock work). If you want to join us, wear a hat, sunscreen, and closed toed shoes. Park either on Turquoise just past Switzer Canyon Drive, or at the 1st Congregational Church. Tools, water, and snacks are provided.

To own a bit of ground, to scratch it with a hoe, to plant seeds, and watch the renewal of life- this is the commonest delight of the race, the most satisfactory thing a mand can do. ----Charles Dudley Warner 1870

Thanks,
Loni Shapiro

Workday 5/20/10

On a beautiful, sunny day in the garden, our regular gardeners came and helped get the garden up and running for 2010. Al Katte got our water feature going, posted a information board for residents and visitors, moved a large rock that got moved by the snowplows and fixed our Wildlife Habitat sign. Linda Guarino returned from her vacation and repaired all the leaks in our drip system. Vicki Goodwin watered and weeded our front beds. Nancy Palmer finished mounting the birdhouses, added the last of the hard scape to the Faerie Garden and filled the bird feeders and baths. Cynthia Katte planted some donated iris and deadheaded the daffodils. I spent my time planting tomatoes and other vegetables, watering the houseplants and some recent plantings.

We had several visitors to the garden. Dave Hill and Zane brought out many residents to enjoy the garden. The local coordinator of Upward Bound came to see the garden and learn firsthand what her volunteers might be doing in the garden in June. We will have their help in June for two afternoons each week..

New Donations:
McCormick Rose from Nancy Palmer in honor of her parents
Bearded Iris - donor unknown

New Plantings:
Tomatoes - Yellow Pear, Big Beef
Seeds
Radishes - French Breakfast
Beets - Gourmet Blend
Bush Beans - Contender
Spinach - Bloomsdale
Carrot Baby - Little Finger
Corn - Spring Treat
Lettuce - Valentine, Gourmet Baby Greens, Farmers Market Blend, Q's Special Medley, Red Sails

New Blooms:
Choke Cherry Tree

New Features in the Garden:
Lasagna Vegetable Bed
Informational Sign for residents and visitors

Our next workday will be May 27th from 8am-12pm. You are welcome to join us for any or all of that time. Plans for the day include: watering those beds not on drip, continuing clean up of cinders/pine needles, filling bird feeders and baths, planting 2 roses - 2 shrubs - and some hardy perennials and red runner beans, set timers for the drip system, and clean up of the greenhouse. We need to sort through what might be used for a Plant & Garden Sale in June. The following week we will be looking at thining some lambs ear/yarrow for the plant sale. If you have any questions feel free to e-mail me at maxmaddy@infomagic.net.

Thanks,
Loni Shapiro

Workday 5/13/10

On Thursday, with a chill in the air in the morning, several volunteers came to work in the gardens. Judith Chaddock and Colleen Copeland-Larrabe finished pruning the roses and adding their initial feedings. David Hockman dug several holes to plant new shrubs and vines. Nancy Palmer came and finished mounting bird houses on the trellis. Joe Harte returned for the season and pruned several trees and shrubs, while cleaning up debris in the canyon below the garden. Julie Holmes filled bird feeders and helped Vicki Goodwin weed and clean up the south Switzer Canyon beds.

Most of the daffodils and tulips are gone after the hard frost last week, but other shrubs and plants continue to grow each week.

Our first Saturday workday was held without anyone attending. The Saturday workdays were scheduled for those unable to work on weekdays, but if there is no interest they will not occur. Future Saturday workdays will be with RSVP required by the Friday before. They are the 3rd Saturday of each month through September. Contact Loni Shapiro by e-mail or phone - maxmaddy@infomagic.net or 928-522-8635.

New plantings:
Arnold Red Tartian Honeyshuckle shrubs (2), Hops
Native Garden - Rocky Mountain Columbine, Creeping Barberry
Moon Garden - Dusty Miller, Evergreen Candytuft, Mt. Atlas Daisy
Rock Garden - Creeping Basket of Gold Alyssum
Butterfly/Hummingbird Garden - Pincushion Penstemon, Blue Glow Globe Thistle, Sunset Hyssop
Sensory Pots - Pineapple Sage, Curley Parsley
Perennial Bed - 3 Poppies - 'Royal Wedding', 'Brilliant', 'Victoria Louise'
A variety of vegetables - broccoli, cauliflower
Greens - lettuce, choi, mustard greens, spinach

New blooms:
Crabapple trees, Apple trees
Faerie Garden - Prairie Smoke
Cement Patio area - European Pasque Flower

On our regular workday, Thursday, May 20, from 8am-12pm we will be weeding, watering, cleaning and deadheading the Switzer Canyon beds, doing drip repairs, and planting a few hardy perennials. We still have some hardscape to be placed in the garden and will need to fill bird feeders and clean baths. Come join us for any or all of that time. Parking is available on Turquoise or at the First Cogregational Church. Those new to the garden should arrive by 830am for orientation.

Workday 5/6/2010

On Wednesday, Norvel Owens came by the garden with his bobcat, and helped us move a rock pile that has been sitting at the corner of Swizer and Turquoise for more than a year. Rocks were added as a backdrop to the large sign on the corner and to line the beds that are between the corner and the house. This will be the location for a new "Native Medicinal Garden" to honor Michael Moore. Some of the smaller rocks were piled near the sign to create a shady rock garden. Norvel made short work of a really big job. Many of the rocks were not only large but very heavy. Watch our progress as we work to improve these gardens (more natives and more drought tolerant).




On our regular Thursday workday we continued to clean up the gardens and began to prune our roses. There was more damage than usual with the heavy snows. David Hockman did his usual hole digging and planted a new tree. Hattie Braun came to give instructions on pruning to some master gardener trainees and those new to rose pruning. Vicki Goowin and Marilyn VanWagner found time to water much of the garden, while Hattie, Colleen Copeland-Larrabee, and Judith Chaddock pruned. I spent my time getting ready for a Saturday "Container Gardening" class in the garden. Nancy Palmer spent her time getting the birdhouses up on the trellis. Leslie Pennick came late and worked on the compost pile.

On Saturday, after spending a couple of hours in the classroom, attendees came to Olivia White and planted tomatoes, a shade basket, stacking herbs, and a wine barrel full of natives. The class of 8 made short work of their assignments and then planted a pot to take home.

Next week in the garden on Thursday, we will be finishing rose pruning, checking the drip system, watering the front gardens, and beginning clean-up of the south beds. We have a couple of shrubs to plant in front of the house and some hardscape to bring out. Joanie Abbott's crew turned on the water for us so the timers need to be set.

On May 15th, from 9am - 12pm we will have our first Saturday workday. The weeds are multiplying, and we will continue to deadhead all areas of the garden. Work will focus on the beds on Switzer Canyon for clean-up. We will begin creating new beds in those south gardens in June. Native medicinal plants will be added to the Michael Moore garden.

New in the garden:
Lasagna bed for veggies (variety of kale), potatoes and lettuce planted, two tomatoes planted and covered with frost cloth, stacking herb pot.

New blooms:
Pasque flowers, Guinea-Hen Flower (fritillaria)


We are not sure where this bulb came from. I looked through our old lists of planted bulbs and it is not something that was purchased. We order many bulbs in the fall and it may have come with some other small bulbs by mistake. It is beautiful!

Newly planted:
Native Garden - Limber Pine
Native Garden Pot - Alpine Strawberry, Yarrow (red & white (Greek), Shenandoah Switch Grass, 'Blue Lips' Penstemon, Blue Avena Grass, Tickseed, Wine Cup
Tomatoes - Juliet, Green Zebra
Herbs - Sage, Rosemary, Oregano, Parsley, Dill, Chocolate Mint, Thyme, Lemon Balm, Basil
Shade Basket - Coleus and Sweet Potato Vine