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October 2016
Established in 1980
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In this issue you will find:
- Upcoming Events
- Member tours & events
- Seminars
- Fall Plant Sale
- Board Candidate Bio's
- Feature Articles
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Post-monsoon lush growth in the Arid Garden.
Photo by Mary Kidnocker |
- In your plot by Lorna Mitchell
- Feel like a picnic?
- Project Updates
- Arid Garden
- Historic Canoa Ranch
- Ogden Community Garden
- Desert Meadows Park
- Committee Updates
- Seminars
- Membership Activities
- Membership
- Message from the President
- Photos contributed by members
Want to submit an article or a photo in the November newsletter? Please submit it by October 30th.
Click to submit
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This Hatpin Barrel Cactus at the Arid Garden is loaded with last year's old fruit, this year's open flowers and many new buds yet to pop.
Photo by Mary Kidnocker
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Upcoming Events
- Look for your ballot in the mail! Board member elections this month ~ please vote.
- October 5th ~ Seed Exchange
- Wednesday, 10 am
- Vegetable gardeners are welcome to bring & share seeds
- Community Garden at Desert Meadows Park
- October 6th ~ Seminar at Desert Hills
- Kristi West, Tucson Iris Society
- Growing iris in the Sonoran Desert
- October 12th ~ Celebration
- Wednesday, 10 am
- Volunteers will be celebrating the completion of the ramada renovation
- Desert Meadows Park at the new 'Sunset Picnic Pavilion'
- Recognition for hours volunteered, community donations and funds provided by 2015 White Elephant grant
- October 13th ~ Seminar at Desert Hills
- Ursula Shuch, U of A
- Palm trees appropriate for the Sonoran region
- October 20th ~ Members Tour
- Secret Gardens at U of A Cooperative Extension
- Carpool from Green Valley Village parking lot at 9am
- October 27th ~ Seminar at Desert Hills
- Alex Shipley, Manager of Civano Wholesale
- Description of plants featured at Fall Plant Sale
- October 27th through 29th ~ Fall Plant Sale
- Continental Shopping Plaza
- 9 am to 5 pm Thursday and Friday
- 9 am to 3 pm Saturday
- November 3rd ~ Seminar at Desert Hills
- Robert Vaughn, Director, Canoa Historic Ranch
- Historic Canoa Ranch
- November 10th ~ Seminar at Desert Hills
- Toni Moore, U of A Master Gardener
- Water features for the Sonoran Desert
- November 10th ~ Annual Member's Barbecue
- Desert Meadows Park
- Festivities begin at 1 pm
- More information and sign-up to come later
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Art by Seham Mousa
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FALL PLANT SALE
Thursday October 27th through Saturday October 29th
Continental Shopping Plaza
Featuring:
- Cacti and Succulents
- Native perennials and wildflowers
- Potted plants
- Created from donated pots and plants selected from the sale
- Trees
- Fruit and ornamental trees
- Home delivery will be available for a $20 donation
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Board of Director Candidates
Watch for your ballot in the mail this month ~ please vote!
See the President's message for more details.
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Judy Christensen
Judy Christensen has served as Membership Chair on the GVG Board of Directors for the past 3 years. During her tenure she redesigned the membership form, moved communications to digital, saving the club hundreds of dollars in postage and supported the growth of the club from approximately 180 to over 380 members. She initiated a "Membership Table" at Thursday Seminars to help answer attendee's questions about the club and provide a friendly face to all. In the last year she developed the Welcome slide show that runs before each seminar, showcasing upcoming lectures and club events. Judy has also helped with plant sales, Desert Meadow Park development, Member Activities and the annual Garden Tour.
Judy and her husband divide the year between their homes in the northwest lower-peninsula of Michigan and Green Valley. They both have been active volunteers for over 15 years at a YMCA camp near their Michigan home. Judy began with perennial gardens and some annual color plantings to meet the requirements for her Master Gardener credentials and has continued to work on others areas in the 110-year old camp. She is a retired hospital pharmacist and frequent accreditation team member for colleges of pharmacy.
Judy has indicated she would be honored to serve a final 3-year term on the Board. (Club bylaws limit board members to 2 consecutive 3-year terms.) "Green Valley Gardeners is a unique organization. I especially value the wonderful folks I've met and the community education and service the organization fosters."
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Marilee Crumley
After moving to Arizona from Illinois with my husband David, I joined the Green Valley Gardeners to learn more about native plants. I have served in several garden clubs, including the Peoria Cactus & Succulent Society, where I held the office of president. I earned my Master's Degree in School Counseling, and I was a Special Education administrator at Bradley University. My involvement in the Green Valley Gardeners began by serving as Co-Chair for the Hospitality Committee, as well as being a member of the Seminar Selection Committee. I want to take a leadership role in our club, and I will try to be responsive to the concerns of all members.
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Greg Hill
I have been a garden club member for two years which has given me an appreciation for the Sonoran Desert and the many native plants, cacti and succulents. I have been a student and collector of bonsai for a number of years. I presented a seminar on bonsai last fall. I've participated in many fun social and outreach activities of our club, including the plant sales, "thank you" BBQ for the YouthBuild students, Canoa Ranch events, and the Sahuarita Pecan Festival. I appreciate the opportunity to learn about desert plants and desert gardening while working at Desert Meadows Park. The camaraderie gained by working alongside other members has been wonderful. These aspects are important to me, and I welcome the opportunity to help the club grow and continue to prosper.
I am a retired marketing executive. My wife, Sharon, and I spend summers on Whidbey Island in Washington. There I spend time restoring an Austin Healey, one of 3 English sports cars in my collection, in addition to tending my bonsai collection.
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Patricia Pearson
My husband Rob and I moved to Sahuarita 16 years ago from Phoenix. After visiting many nurseries, I put in the whole back yard. Thanks to my mother, I have always wanted to do something with gardening. After retiring as a nurse, I joined Green Valley Gardeners, and I have been a member for over 10 years. I became a Master Gardener in 2012. I am an avid birdwatcher, and I am chairperson for the Hummingbird/Butterfly Garden at Desert Meadows Park. I have also volunteered with the Members Activity Committee, Canoa Ranch, and was co-chair of the Garden Tour in 2015.
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Gene Van Dyken
I love landscaping when it's presented as an art form, done right makes it both pleasing and relaxing to the eye. Love gardening for its energy, diversity, and health. My experience really evolved, in revitalizing baseball fields, designing my own yards and chairing my HOA's landscape.
My involvement with GVG Club started in 2013 when our current home was part of the home tour. The next year to co-chair for the home tour. For the past 2¾ years I've been involvement with the design and development of Desert Meadow Park. My back (and my wife) reminds me of the many hours of physical work I've invested in the project so far.
I am running for the GVG board, not only because of its long history, but to insure that it continues to be a vital part of Green Valley and the surrounding community.
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"In Your Plot"
by Lorna Mitchell
Harvests have been great this summer and we anticipate the same for the winter months. Rain and cooler temperatures have our new transplants and seedlings thriving. Now is the time to plant while soils are still warm so seeds will germinate and roots grow.
October is the beginning of our winter vegetable season. We are fortunate to garden year around by rotating types of crops. Remember to replenish soil nutrients with amendments of steer manure, peat, and balanced fertilizer whenever you dig. Now is the time for transplants of cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, Swiss chard, spinach, cilantro and kale. Put in seeds of carrots, beets, Swiss chard, kale, lettuce, spinach, cilantro, peas, radishes, kohlrabi, rutabaga, parsnips, and turnips.
Garlic goes in now and stays in till May or June. I've had good success with garlic from the 99 cent store, just pull it apart and bury individual cloves in the soil, point up about 2 inches apart, make sure it will receive irrigation.
Don't plant "winter squash", that's a term for hard skinned squash that stores well but it is very frost sensitive and grows in the summer. Also, don't plant potatoes yet; Irish potatoes will plant in February, sweet potatoes in May.
Onions go in next month. Day length determines the growth of the bulb in onions. At our latitude we have short days all year around. Be sure to get "short day" onions which bulb with only 11-12 hours of daylight. Short day onions don't store well but are juicy and sweeter than storage onions. Long day onions store well because they are drier but that concentrates the polyphenol chemicals. Hot temperatures cause onions to bolt (sending up a flower stalk) so we grow them in the winter. Plan now to order plants, I'll be ordering soon so if you want to tag your order with mine, contact me. Send email to Lorna
A pest that warrants mentioning is the cabbage looper. Watch those little brassicas for the tiny green caterpillars that gobble up their leaves; treat with BT but be sure to wet the underside of the leaves also. Keep grasses, especially Bermuda, away from young seedlings so they are not crowded and over run.
See you in the garden during the great autumn weather this month. Happy Gardening!
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The new "Sunset Picnic Pavilion" is ready for use
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Picnic Time!
Desert Meadows Park now has three, excellent, vary diverse, picnic areas for your enjoyment.
If you wish to plan a group picnic, you can call or email Chuck Parsons to reserve an area.
Reserve via email or call 520-904-9020
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Texas Olive tree blooms look much like a pristine corsage nestled within dark green foliage.
Photo by Mary Kidnocker |
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Arid Garden
by Mary Kidnocker
With blooming lantana, ageratum, asclepias, turpentine bush, rabbit brush,
red bird-of-paradise, woolly butterfly bush, pineleaf & desert milkweed, chocolate flower, eupatorium, Mexican flame vine, and moss verbena... butterflies, butterflies in the garden this month. We suggest you consider any of these plants to attract a wide variety of the winged beauties.
Probably our biggest continuing task the past month has been deadheading. With so many plants in full bloom during monsoon season, it seems that we constantly remove spent flowers. Another challenge has been to keep up with the elimination of uninvited members of the spurge family. This annual weed exudes a milk-like sticky latex from broken stems, which is difficult to wash off the hands... sure appreciate the use of "hula hoes."
A special thanks to Jackie Jensen who continues to hand water transplants and stressed plants in the garden each mid-week. They love it & show it!
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| Velvet Pod Mimosa plant shows off it's fuzzy, "WOW-pink" flowers each monsoon season. Photo by Mary Kidnocker |
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Historic Canoa Ranch
(HCR)
by Jack Davis and Raydine Taber
The HCR gardens are being prepared for the addition of cool weather plants. We will have a work day October 19th to add and replace plants.
We will be participating in the fourth annual Canoa Ranch Anza Day celebration on October 22. This celebration is free to the public and there will be both a re-enactment of Anza's arrival and a presentation to kick off the new exhibition featured in the Green Valley News on Sunday, September 25th. Along with those activities, there will be informational booths and food trucks. Docents will be available to answer questions as visitors wander the buildings and the grounds. The GVG, Canoa Ranch volunteers will be available to answer questions about the gardens and our partnership with NRPR. We will also be talking about GVG and have brochures available for all our projects along with membership applications.
One of the NRPR staff brought in a child's red wagon and asked us if we could, on Anza Day, use it as a display. We will be setting it up with pumpkins, gourds and seasonal flowers. It will either be displayed at the Senior House Kitchen Garden or near the raised beds at Grijalva House. Look for a picture in the November Sand'n'Seeds.
Special event at HR: On October 30th, the Green Valley Band will present a concert with Arizona and western songs. Come dressed in your favorite western garb, drink sarsaparilla and eat kettle korn while enjoying the music. $10 per person. Call 520-724-5220 or email for information:
Email Canoa Ranch
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| Enjoy this photo of one of the newer cacti planted on our spring work day. |
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Allen J. Ogden Garden by George Stone
COOL NIGHTS AND HUMMERS:
September nights creeped in and boy were we ready. Evening hours at the garden have taken on a new look with more and more gardeners spending an evening hour in their garden plots. We also are enjoying the patio where the Hummingbirds can be seen feeding and performing their usual acrobatic maneuvers.
Our little birds are in their Southern migration pattern. Most are now gone but we still see about 6-10 birds per hour. We did not get to enjoy our new feeder station very long , but we look forward to March when the birds will come North again. In the meantime, we will be fine tuning the feeder stations. If you would like a visit to the feeder stations, please call me at 343-9690.
COOL SEASON CROPS:
Did you go to the September 22nd seminar where Michael Ismail spoke on winter vegetable planting? He gave an outstanding presentation and we all came away learning something new. Afterwards I ran right to the garden and sowed some more carrots. Don't need them ~ just got caught up in the moment.
ZIKA VIRUS:
There is still danger of the Zika. This is not something to fool around with so if you have standing water get rid of it. Wear long sleeve clothing and try to avoid the mosquito bite. How to do that? Not sure. Kill the little suckers if you can. No shortage of them.
ONIONS:
The 2 onion plots at the Ogden are in the process of being renovated. Contaminated soil has been removed with new soil ready to be installed starting next week. I order the Texas Sweet, 10-15 Y October 3rd for a delivery by Nov. 14th. That's when we plant 2,000 onions in #20 & 21. In addition, 4,400 are to be grown at the Rio Rico High School. More about the onions as we progress towards a harvest.
VOTING FOR BOARD MEMBERS:
Please take the time to vote when you receive it in the mail. We have an outstanding slate of members willing to step up and serve in a leadership capacity. The least we can do is VOTE. You will select 3 members from a 5-member slate of candidates, return your ballot in the enclosed envelope. I have been asked to "suggest" a candidate but have declined to do that. I served on the election selection committee and do not feel comfortable in making such a recommendation. Your ballot MUST be received no later than the 31st of October. You may review each candidate's biography in this issue of Sand'n'Seeds.
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The park continues to attract bird watchers and photographers.
Photo by Gary Campbell |
Desert Meadows Park
by Chuck Parsons
Club volunteers have spent 33 months on this project. Much has been accomplished! It will be fun over the next few weeks to get reactions from returning winter-residents that haven't been to the park during the summer. Many of the trees have matured significantly as well as other landscape plants, and more landscaping has been accomplished since they left last Spring. Our "pay" for the hours volunteered is surprise, delight and enjoyment we see and hear from park visitors. In addition, we are receiving more donation dollars from the community to help us with this project.
The garden plots have attracted a lot of attention from visitors this summer. They have been very lush and productive. Elissa Dearing and Megan Todd have concocted an effective organic fertilizer routine that they used on their own plots as well as all the plots being tended for food bank production. By the end of September over 3350 pounds of fresh produce had been donated to the Green Valley and Sahuarita food banks. That's 350 pounds more than donated during 2015 in total.
Now that the third picnic area is completed, we are promoting the park for picnic events. So far reservations have been made for weddings, memorial services, new comer picnics, club gatherings, family and wedding photos, etc. Ryan Todd will have his Eagle award event at the Barrio Garden in December ~ participants will have the opportunity to see his community service project first-hand during the event. His was the garden shed at the community garden ~ the 'hub' of the garden for our plot holders.
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Membership Activities
By Marita Ramsey and Cathy Merritt
A tour of the University of Arizona Master Gardener's Secret Gardens is planned for Thursday, Oct.20th. We will carpool from the Green Valley Village parking lot, adjacent to the El Rodeo restaurant, at 9am.
Please mark your calendars for Saturday, Nov 12th for our annual BBQ. It will be held at Desert Meadows Park at 1PM. More information will be sent in an upcoming e-blast.
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Membership
by Judy Christensen
Thanks to the 8 new members who joined Green Valley Gardeners in September. We so appreciate your enthusiasm and willingness to support our mission and community education and service.
CHEERS to:
- Dave Crumley, husband of member, Marilee, our Hospitality Chair.
- Linda and Jim Dodge who spend the summer in Rockford, MI
- Haydee Hernandez - Full-time resident of Sahuarita
- Russell and Marilyn Luebbert who spend the summer in Grand Marais, MN
- Tom and Cindy Wilson - Full-time GV residents
Looking forward to seeing you at a Thursday Seminar or other event soon. Stop by the Membership Table to say 'hi' and pick up your name badge. Thanks, also, to Jackie Jensen who is helping staff the Membership Table until we return from Michigan.
Our current Membership Total is 381!
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Message from the President -- Bill Berdine
The Nominating Committee will mail out the 2016/17 election ballot the end of the first week in October. A stamped return envelope will be included with the ballot. Please take time to read the ballot and vote for three of the five members listed on the ballot. All members are invited to attend and participate in the November 1st club's Board meeting at which time the Nomination Committee will announce the results of the election ballot. The meeting will be held at Friends In Deed (corner of La Canada and Camino Casa Verde), starting at 1 PM. The monthly Board meetings set the club's agenda for the upcoming Fall, Winter and Spring seasons and active involvement by the membership at large would be appreciated and welcomed by the Executive Board.
We continue to be in need for volunteer involvement by members with interest or expertise in finance and web-based data management. Anyone with an interest in these areas should contact me.
Click to email Bill Berdine
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Photos Contributed by Members
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This photo was contributed by Jane & Dave Grondin. It is their garden in UP Michigan this summer. Jane & Dave have just been assigned plot #14 at the community garden in Desert Meadows Park.
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