High Elevation Gardening Web Log "Blog"

Topic II - Tools
Loni Shapiro shared her trake (rake and trowel in one tool). Can be ordered online. Linda Guarino has a pruner with replaceable blades (Craftsmanfrom Sears) she has used for 10 years. Good for cutting small and large stems.
General discussion by several on ways to sift large pieces/rocks from soil. They included small gauge woven wire over a wheel barrow or molded into a sack, a Riddle (English), and small holed plastic pot racks from local nurseries.

Topic II - Varieties that worked well (veggies/flowers)
Turned into a general discussion about tomatoes. The only variety mentioned was Early Girl. Some in the group are still picking ripe tomatoes outside. Large potatoes were grown from the Maine Potato Catalog (Reddale). General consensus - good garden year!

7:25pm-7:50pm Social/refreshments
Thank you to Rebecca Snow and Irene Matthews for providing snacks.
Also thanks to Rebecca's son for minding the door again.

7:50pm-8:15pm Business Meeting /Committee Meetings
20 minutes planning and 5 minutes each sharing results with the group
CE & Social Support
Ideas for speakers for next year. January/Robyn from Violas. Other ideas included: someone from Native Plant and Seed about grasses, Terra Crampton to give her Habitat Garden Talk, Patrick Pynes on Beekeeping, Dana suggested a NAU professor about soil microcosm, Tom DeGomez on fruit trees, and Brad and Phil from the NAU greenhouse to talk about their seed bank and the plants they sell.
Discussion on possible Xmas party. Date would be Dec. 14. Several offered to check out possible sites (Dana/Episcopol Church -Loni/Hospice or Health Dept.) More to follow at next meeting.

Community Programs
Congratulations on meeting goal of hosting a MG table twice each month at the Flagstaff Community Market this summer. Steve Shields is working on a booth for the Home Show for 2010 and beginning to put together
a questionnaire for a speakers bureau.

Coordination MG Projects
Loni to adapt the forms from Yavapai County with input from her committee. These will be brought to the next meeting for the larger group to review. The group agreed that the projects should have an educational component and be funded by those requesting the project. They also feel that
this meeting is a good place to approve/reject with input from Hattie. Once approved if none of the group are interested in helping it would be available for new MGs.

Volunteers - None of committee attending meeting.

8:15pm-8:20pm Announcements
myfolia.com - Ed Skiba
Ed reviewed this internet blog available to gardeners. You can journal about your garden and share with other gardeners around the world - free.
Soil and Seed conference in Snowflake this month and pine needle pick-up available for $2.50 a bag, details for both on the blog (highelevationgardening.arizona.edu)

8:20pm-8:30pm Loni had questions about her flowering quince which fruited this year. Samples brought to show and tell and the group gave suggestions about what to do with the fruit.
Next meeting: November 19th, 630pm - 830pm
Coconino County Health Department
Speaker Dan Caputo
Managing Wildlife in Your Garden

Submitted by Loni Shapiro (maxmaddy@infomagic.net)