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October 15, 2006
Garden Dreams Become a Reality at the Olivia White Hospice Garden
Master Gardener Column 10/14/06
Have you ever dreamed of plunging your hands into the cool dark soil, loamy to the touch, alive with earthworms, micro-organisms, organic matter, all the wonderful things which make soil fertile, fragrant, just waiting for a seed to drift by, snuggle in and bloom into some glorious plant only to open your eyes, find yourself in Flagstaff, Arizona with a caliche bar, or pick axe in hand, sweat upon your brow and hope in your heart that at any moment you’ll come across something that mildly resembles soil or even dirt for that matter?
Such was the plight of a half dozen master gardener volunteers at the Olivia White Hospice Home garden when they attempted to tackle a long and narrow strip of land south of the home on Switzer Canyon Drive a few years ago. Unbeknownst to the garden crew just a few years earlier volunteers had hauled off truck loads of discarded tires, asphalt chunks, entangled pieces of wire and concrete, broken clay sewer pipe and the long lost hood of a Chevy truck from the location. To this day traces of the lands former life as a dump of opportunity continue to be unearthed.
The narrow strip of land was a “hell strip” in the truest sense of the term first coined by horticulturist Lauren Springer Ogden to describe strips of land surrounded by sidewalks and streets, parched and neglected, barren to all plant life except the most obnoxious of weeds. Lauren’s idea was to transform such strips into low-maintenance, low-water, colorful, lush flower beds. The “hell strip” is now more graciously referred to as the “inferno strip”.
With Lauren’s idea in mind, Terra Crampton, a member of the tenacious garden crew, chose equally tenacious perennials and bunch grasses - germander, gaillardia, fall aster, little blue stem and blue fescue - for the area. Soil adversities aside, the strip was tilled, the perennials planted, and the plants were watered regularly until established. The plants in the “inferno strip” receive an annual dose of cinders and are occasionally run over by an errant sidewalk snowplow, and they receive only minimal attention from garden volunteers. And yet, amazingly enough, these perennials not only survived the first year, but in the ensuing years have thrived. What more could a Flagstaff gardener ask for? …a couple earthworms, some organic matter, a little more rain…
The following are descriptions of the “inferno strip’s” most successful.
Michaelmas daisy (Aster novae-belgii), a white, purple, or pink flowered aster, has flourished in the inferno strip. Smaller flowered asters such as this one require less care and are more drought tolerant than their larger flowered counterparts. Like most asters, they do best in a well drained soil with full sun.
Hoary tansy aster (Machaeranthera canescens) is the lovely native purple and yellow aster which has been blooming throughout Flagstaff this fall. It grows in any soil type, in full sun to light shade, and requires little water and less care.
Blue fescue (Festuca glauca) is a densely tufted, evergreen perennial grass that prefers a well drained soil and sun to light shade. ‘Elijah blue’ with its powder blue leaves is a favorite cultivar.
Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) is a native bunch grass. Contrary to its name, little bluestems turns bright red in fall retaining some of its color throughout the winter. This grass prefers a well draining soil but is adaptable to heavy clays and rocky soils. It grows best in full sun to light shade and with low to moderate water.
Blanket flower (Gaillardia pinnatifida and Gaillardia x grandifolia) is a good choice for areas which receive full sun. They require low water and grow in any soil type. The showy red and yellow flowers of both species attract butterflies and honeybees.
Germander (Teucrium chamaedrys) has done extremely well planted in both the rose garden and the inferno strip at the hospice home. Germander is a member of the mint family, has woody stems, small glossy leaves and purple flowers. It grows well in any well drained soil and can take sun to part-shade.
By Laura Davis
The author is a Master Gardener volunteer for Coconino County Cooperative Extension. For more information about the Master Gardener program, call 774-1868 ext. 17.
Posted by maxmaddy at October 15, 2006 6:52 AM