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May 15, 2006

Olivia White Hospice Home Workday 6/1

An unusual Allium with large bluegreen leaves - Ivory Queen Ornamental Onion - planted last fall. Photo by Loni Shapiro.
The garden continues to evolve this Spring. Each week there are new surprises. Many of the perennials have come back, but many were lost to the very dry winter. New blooms this week include Dutch Iris, Liliac, Austrian Copper Rose, Cora Bells, Allium, fruit trees and some of the early penstemons. Our workday last week included building a brick pad for a glider, finishing feeding and pruning the roses, planting more herbs/tomatoes, adding to the sensory pots and planting some donated perennials and annuals from Mary Lou Parliman's greenhouse. We had many visitors from the home this week, asking questions and just enjoying the beauty of the garden and what it brings - color, smell, peace, education and activity.

Thank-yous include:
David Hockman - our mason in residence who continues to add hardscape to the garden.
Karen Kent - for continuing care for the Rose garden and general clean-up.
Allyson Daley - for filling in whereever needed/weeding-planting-watering.
Elsie Ellis - watering all of the back garden and helping to plant the last two tomatoes.

New plants include:
Holly Hock, Cleome, Larkspur, Cosmos, Red Salvia, Statis, Bunnytail Grass, Dwarf Delphinium, Herbs (Stevia/Flat Leaf Parsley)and Tomatoes (Cold Start/Oregon Spring).

Plans for 6/1/06:
Continued work on glider pad and start of path from parking lot to Rose garden.
Planting some annual color for the gazebo and more herbs in the standing bed.
Planting 9 shrubs purchased on Saturday.
Picking up and planting one - very large - locust tree in the inferno strip. We will probably need a crew for this one, some with pick axes. If you are interested in helping please let us know. (Loni 522-8635/Laura 214-8175)
Repair work - sand for the back patio and filling in some beds with compost that have deteriorated over the winter.
Cleaning the fountain.
Weeding, and general garden clean-up.

For all you birders out there we have had a continuing saga with the local crows who seem to have take over the birdbaths. We have seen few other birds. Each week we find bread, bones, peanut shells, and even some small dead birds int he bath. We have seen the crows depositing many of the items to clean or soften them in the water. I stopped at the Wild Bird Store and asked for their help. Their suggestion was to empty to baths for a week or so until the crows move on to another water source. Any suggestions you have would be appreciated.

Hope to see you in the garden this week - Thursday 9am-12pm. As usual park in the Congregational Church lot on Turquoise just past Switzer Canyon or on Turquoise. Wear a hat, sun screen, gloves and bring any special tool you like to use.

A hawthorn tree is rich in legends throughout the world and religious history. The Burning Bush seen by Moses was said to have been a hawthorn. A beauty planted by David Hockman in 2005. Photo by Loni Shapiro

"Every shepard tells his tale under the hawthorn in the dale." John Milton (1608-1674)

Thanks,
Loni Shapiro

Posted by maxmaddy at May 15, 2006 7:42 PM