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April 13, 2007
Olivia White Hospice Garden Project Update/Scheduled Workday 4/26
Work officially began in the garden on Thursday, April 12th. A crew of volunteers led by Marion Lopez and Hattie Braun pruned roses throughout the garden. We had some of our regular volunteers along with several Master Gardener trainees. We managed to get the work done before the afternoon snowfall. The roses remain heavily mulched and probably will be for some time.
On Sunday, April 15th Jan Busco came out and cut back perennials while I weeded and planted potatoes and onions (should have been sooner).
On Thursday, April 19 an orientation to working in the garden was provided for 5 new volunteers.
Before we got started Nancy Palmer and Cynthia Katte mounted bird houses on our new trellis. The trellis was completed last fall by John Gordon's Community Service Program from the Coconino County Jail. Plans are to add some vines later in the season to the opposite side to provided even more of a screen. Although this was designed as art birds have already been spotted checking out the new development.
Karen Kent dropped by to begin weeding the rose garden. She and Cynthia Katte placed several Memorial Bricks in the gazebo floor.
Cynthia Davis, our new volunteer coordinator and caretaker of the birds has been busy with the feeders and baths. This winter we had a severe rodent problem around and in the home so after advise from the local Audubon Society (Bea Cooley) we made some changes. We moved a couple of feeders to the gazebo area away from the house where the problem occurred. We will have hummingbird feeders there instead. We also purchased a catch tray for our feeder by the house and are now using hearts of sunflower seed (already shelled). This should keep birds from flicking off seed in trying to open shells. Other suggestions included cleaning bird feeder area frequently and putting out less food - only as much as is typically eaten. They even suggested taking in feeders at night, which might not be a bad idea with all the deer trying to get in them, but not practical for us since we don't live in the house.
On Saturday, April 21 we had a crew from the Youth Corp and a student from St. Mary's doing spirit hours. Emily Manone brought her crew of students and her family (husband and children) and much was accomplished. Skye Sieber, another master gardener helped on Saturday to supervise the student's work. The back patio was weeded and repaired after winter damage, many perennials were cut back, and weeding was done throughout the gardens. Emily's husband got our birdbaths and fountain back in place for the season. In only 2 hours the crew managed to get more than half of our clean-up chores for spring done.
Thank-yous this month to:
Our regular crew - Nancy Palmer, Laura Davis Karen Kent, Cynthia Katte, Cynthia Davis and Leslie Penick
Marion Lopez
Hattie Braun and Master Gardener Trainees
Emily Manone and family and the Youth Corp
Charlie Seby and his Mom
Skye Sieber
Plans for 4/26/07
Cleaning and filling birdbaths and putting up new seed tray
Rework tree water wells after winter damage
Get fountain up and running
Finish painting the greenhouse
As always - weeding
Watering? depends on current weather
Cynthia and Loni to visit Baptist church as a possible alternative site for summer auction/tea
Upcoming Plans
May 1/9am-12pm - Garden workday with Coconino High School students.
Cynthia Davis supervising - contact her at 527-7548 if you would like to help.
May 1 - First showing of original watercolors at the East Side Public Library
Paintings to be raffled/auctioned on August 18th at our Garden Tea.
June 1 - Paintings on display for the month at the Arboretum at Flagstaff
July 1 - Paintings on display at the Artists Gallery for the month
August 18 - Garden Tea - Auction/Raffle at Olivia White Hospice Garden
Details to be added later
Fundraising
We do have note cards (prints of the paintings of the garden) and raffle tickets for 2 of the paintings available for sale at the Northland Hospice Office, the Olivia White Hospice Home, and Hodge Podge. The cards come in a package of 4 for $10. The raffle tickets for original watercolors by Mary Swanson and Lynn Overend are $3 each or 6 for $15. The paintings by Roberta Rogers and Catherine Sickafoose will be auctioned at our tea in August.
We still have photo note cards and bookmarks with flowers from the garden available at all the above locations.
Profits from all items are used for creating our beautiful garden.
"Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where Nature may heal and cheer and give strength to body and soul alike." John Muir
Come join us next week or drop by and purchase some cards to benefit the garden.
Happy gardening!
Loni Shapiro
Posted by maxmaddy at April 13, 2007 5:04 AM