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July 25, 2008

Olivia White Hospice Garden Project

AmeriCorp weeding 7/08. Photo by Loni Shapiro.

Wow! We had our best Thursday of the 2008 season. We had 10 of our regular volunteers and 16 from AmeriCorp. After I picked up some of the crew from NAU we got started and were able to accomplish everything on our agenda for the day. Karen Kent got 2 crews started. One crew worked on our pathway around the home and they were able to finish all but 2 feet, because we ran out of pavers. The 2nd project was a ramp to our compost pile. They created that by building a bed of rock and covering it with dirt - finishing it off with some mulch. We had another large crew that spent their time weeding a bad area on the south part of the property. Lots of ragweed, clover, mullein, broom grasses,bind weed and Siberian elm seedlings.

Leslie and Kyle Penick delivered a truckload of compost. Nancy Palmer and Marcia Lamkin worked on the Faerie Garden, weeding and cleaning. Some of our local critters keep eating the alyssum so we will have to try something else. They are also burying little piles of sunflower seeds. Karen Kent and Vicki Goodwin spent their time deadheading many of the flowers that have been mowed down by heavy rains.

Karen and Vicki deadheading some oxeyed daisy. Photo by Loni Shapiro.

I have actually turned off the drip because of some losses of penstemon in our dry beds. In digging in a couple of new plants the soil was moist almost a foot down. Penstemons definitely don't like that.

Linda Guarino planted a couple of shrubs and some plants in the dry bed (Inferno Strip). Gus Delgadillo filled feeders and birdbaths and spead the compost that Leslie delivered. I spent most of my time just trying to keep everyone busy.

For our Saturday workday we had a crew of 6 master gardeners and master naturalists weeding and deadheading in the garden. Bobby Craven also came by from the Northland Hospice office and planted a new crop of spinach and lettuce and weeded some of our south beds. At the end of the workday we had more than 10 bags of noxious weeds that Cynthia Warzecha took to the county incinerator.

New plants
9-Bark Shrub (replacement), stipa grasses, Buffaloberry, butterfly weed, mountain pea, dessert windflower

New blooms:
More daylilies, shasta daisy, statis, a few agastache and beebalm

Thank you:
AmeriCorp for helping us get our big projects done

AmeriCorp creating a ramp with rocks for foundation. Photo by Loni Shapiro. Finished ramp covered with mulch. Photo by Loni Shapiro.

Grand Canyon Railway (Xanterra Corp) for 2 tickets for our Garden Party
Marcia Lamkin for bringing her baby Steller Jay to feed - to the enjoyment of all
Hattie Braun and Cynthia Warzecha for getting us a crew for Saturday's workday

Events:
July 1, 2008
Exhibit at the Artist's Gallery for July of raffle/auction items for the Garden Party

July 26, 2008
Monthly Saturday workday and weed pull

August 1, 2008 6pm-8pm
1st Friday Art Walk table with party and raffle tickets available

August 2, 2008 9am-600pm
10% Day for Northland Hospice at Warner's Nursery

August 17, 2008 230pm-500pm
Garden Party at Olivia White Hospice Home
Raffle/auction, hat contest, music, food, garden tours

Come join us this week on Thursday any time betwee 7am-11am. It is so warm that we will quit early. Come for any or all of that time. Our plans include watering east gardens as needed, cleaning bird baths and feeders, weeding the beds at the south end of the property (Norm Erickson's beds) and throughout the gardens, finishing our pathway including lining with rock and metal braces. Park in the 1st Congregational Church lot on Turquoise just past Switzer Canyon Drive. Bring a hat, gloves and any tools you prefer (we do have both) and sun screen (it should be hot). We will provide water and snacks.

Thanks,
Loni Shapiro

Posted by maxmaddy at July 25, 2008 5:56 AM