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May 2019
Established in 1980
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In this issue you will find:
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Jim Campbells Tricho's at Desert Meadows Park |
- Message from the President
- Upcoming Events
- Seminars
- Nominating Committee
- Member Tours & Events
- Feature Articles
- GVG's "Plot to Plate" Cookbook
- "In Your Plot"
- Make a Donation to GVG via AmazonSmile
- Project Updates
- Allen J. Ogden Community Garden
- Arid Garden
- Desert Meadows Park
- GVG Gardens at Historic Canoa Ranch
- Copperview Elementary School
- Calendar of Volunteer Opportunities
- Committee Updates
- Membership
- Spring Garden Tour
- Art-in-the-Park/Spring Fair
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MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
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My end of the Season message is short but sweet, we have raised more income from our October through April fund raising activities to a new high of $30,500 (pre-final audit). This includes a final sale of our Plot to Plate cookbook with $3800 in net profit selling out at the final seminar April 11. The plant sales recorded a net profit [NOTE: all $ figures rounded down to an even $] of $9,400 as compared to $7,200 in 2018. The Garden Tour's 2019 net profit was $8700 as compared to $7,500 in 2018. The recent 2019 Spring Fair Art in the Park's net profit was $8600 as compared to $3,321in 2018. We had a number of factors that came into play that helps to account for the success of all of our fund raising efforts: great weather, quality products such as the cookbook and selection and careful presentation of plants for our Spring and AITP salea, creative new features such as raffling items and care and support of vendors at Art in the Park as well as much improved traffic control for that event. And, of course there was the addition of Club ambassador, George Jr.! However, the key factor, in my opinion, was the enthusiastic involvement of our members in volunteering countless hours in preparation for our events and activities. The Garden Tour alone required 56 volunteers and the Spring Fair at least 36, the plant sale required the services of 56 volunteers. The enthusiasm of the membership participating in the Members Only plant sale event was especially evident as it brought in a net profit of $4,000 in 4+ hours.
A reminder:
I want to remind the membership that we are beginning the process of electing three members to the Board of Directors. I hope to see a ballot in October that contains the names of members who aspire to serve on the Board. Members can nominate other members and/or self-nominate. All Board of Diretor nominations should be directed to the Nominating Committee by contacting either Bill Carley [custombill@att.net] or Dave Crumley [crumley99@msn.com].
A request:
I urge all Club members to communicate with Board members, including myself, about your interests, concerns and expectations for the upcoming Summer months. One consideration is a series of small attendance (10- 15 members) "master classes" on focused gardening and landscape topics (e.g., fruit tree selection, care and issues; vegetable gardening in high heat months, monsoon season gardening). The classes would be held at sites illustrating the topical considerations not in an auditorium. Your suggestions and topic recommendation will be appreciated. Board member contact information can found on the Club web site. Thank you for your continued involvement.
Bill Berdine, President
Green Valley Gardeners
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SEMINARS
by Bill Carley
The seminar committee , Cynthia Surprise, David Duffy, and Bill Carley , wish to thank all members who attended the seminars during the 2018-2019 season. The attendance increased by 5% over last season. The total attendance was 2927 for 20 seminars.
The committee is working on 2019 -2020 seminars.
The fall schedule will be published in SEPTEMBER SAND AND SEEDS
NOMINATING COMMITTEE
"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not."
- Dr. Seuss
The Nominating Committee is looking for members interested in serving on the Green Valley Gardeners Board of Directors.
As a board member you will have an opportunity to establish and administer club policies You will also have input into the establishment of new programs and projects the club undertakes.
The term of office for board members is three years. Board members are elected in October and take office in November.
If you have questions about serving as a board member contact Bill or Dave at the email or phone numbers listed below.
If you would be willing to serve or would like to nominate a member, please contact Bill Carley at
custom.bill@att.net 920-344-6563 or Dave Crumley at crumley99@msn.com 520 404 8773
MEMBER TOURS AND EVENTS
by Marita Ramsey
Be on the lookout for separate eblasts providing details for each of these seminars and member activities. And visit
our
website for a complete calendar of events
Some interesting workshops to check out in May:
Art As a Way of Knowing the Sonoran Desert
Workshops you might be interested in attending this May. The workshops are held in venues such as Historic Canoa Ranch, Desert Discovery Center and Cienega Creek Natural Preserve. They are sponsored by Pima County Natural Resources Parks and Recreation (PCNRPR). There is a fee.
In general the workshops involve the arts, specifically drawing and painting, as the portal to share knowledge of and engage folks in the ecological systems in the Sonoran Desert and specific systems such as a mesquite bosque at Canoa Ranch and the saguaro forest at Desert Discovery Center. You do not need to be a skilled artist to participate and benefit from the workshop.
The class titles are:
- Art As a Way of Knowing the Sonoran Desert at Canoa Ranch
- Art As a Way of Knowing the Sonoran Desert at Desert Discovery Center
- Art As a Way of Knowing the Sonoran Desert at Cienega Creek Natural Preserve
- Forest Bathing Among Giant Saguaros at Desert Discovery Center
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Green Valley Gardeners' "Plot to Plate Cookbook"
Thanks to the Cookbook Committee, comprised of Marilee Crumley, Rena Duffy, Lorna Mitchell and Christa Ryan, for their hard work and dedication to make this valuable resource a reality.
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"IN YOUR PLOT"
by Lorna Mitchell
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Summer will be upon us before month's end, which means early morning visits to the garden and afternoons being thankful for air conditioning. Sunshine is our most famous commodity in southern Arizona and our vegetable plants thrive in it and produce a harvest. Watering to plants may need to be increased to offset the heat; check irrigation frequently for leaks and check soil to keep it moist but not soggy wet.
Cold temperatures this winter slowed onion growth but they begin increasing bulb size whenever the day length is right for their variety. So, our onions will not be as large as in some years. Our now hot days are stimulating the onions to override their normal 2-year life cycle and send up flower stalks which monopolize energy and create a hard center in the onion. It's a balance as to when to harvest: Are they as big as they will get? Flower stalks ruining the bulb? Keep them moist until harvest; then dig them - don't pull them. In that new space dig in steer manure and granulated fertilizer then plant seeds of beans, melons, radishes, cucumbers, okra, black eyed peas, leaf lettuce, or squash or plants of peppers, sweet potatoes, and eggplant.
Garlic needs to dry out completely so leave it in till the tops die down.
Tomato plants are in almost every plot and they are either determinate(growing like a bush with fruit ripening at the same time) or indeterminate(continuing to grow and producing fruit all season).
Determinate plants will bush and stop growing as they set fruit and do not need any pruning or support, making them easier to maintain. All the fruit will ripen about the same time, which is great for sauces and canning.
Indeterminate tomatoes are more common, such as Early Girl and Juliette, and if you want a serious harvest provide some pruning and support. Pruning consists of snipping out "suckers" at the leaf axials (all season long) which helps channel the root's energy into the leading stem to produce fruit. I suggest reviewing a video on pruning tomatoes at Johnny's Selected Seeds website. The idea is to identify two or three central leaders and make them produce fruit instead of extra vines.
Sturdy support is needed for indeterminate tomatoes and it needs to be in place before the plant grows large. It must keep the plant aerated and off the ground to prevent disease and rot. It needs to be strong enough to bear the weight of the plant and hold firm in the ground so monsoon winds don't twist it. The ultimate tomato cage is welded wire fencing six feet high with 2"x4" openings (it also comes in 4"x4") cut into 42-48 inch lengths to make cylinders to surround each plant. Wire each to a 5-6' long T-post pounded into the ground. The plant can be trained to grow inside the cage which utilizes vertical space for growing. These cages last many years and they nest for storage in the winter.
Pests we need to watch for are the white fly, tomato hornworm and squash borer. All these have a larval stage so we can use BT to control them. BT stands for Bacillus Thuringiensis, a natural organic bacterium which is selectively toxic to many caterpillars. It is sprayed on in water solution and there is no residue. It is exempt from tolerance requirements so may be applied up to the day of harvest.
Those are my plot thoughts for now, Happy Gardening, Lorna Mitchell
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Shop AmazonSmile and Benefit the Garden Club
Green Valley Gardeners is now listed on AmazonSmile. When you shop Amazon, log into AmazonSmile, use your existing personal account login information, select Green Valley Gardeners as your non-profit of choice. The club will receive a small donation for each qualifying purchase you make. Thank you!
To shop AmazonSmile go to
http://smile.amazon.com/
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Allen J. Ogden Community Garden
b
y George Stone
April was a blast. Busy? -yes. Sometimes stressful? yes-but it was still fun. We enter May all hyped up about the crops we have in the ground. Are we using too much water or is it not enough? My best advice is to check that hose end timer and install a brand-new battery. I get mine at the 99-cent store and they last as long as those bought somewhere else. The heat hits 100 this month and the sun plays havoc on those timers so don't leave town without adding that new battery. I roam the garden and am proud to say there is some pretty darn good gardening going on at the Ogden. If you have not been to the Ogden for awhile come pay us a visit and see what's new. Let's start with:
- The hummingbird feeder station: We have 10 feeders up and are averaging about 120 birds an hour. Babies are being born April & May adding to the excitement from our little friends.
- Our chickens: April 3rd we added 4 Plymouth Rock pullets and the kids are flocking (catch that?) to them. Our chicken care team does a great job in caring for them.
- George Jr. the club's educational ambassador: George Jr. had a busy April. He opened his 2019 tour with an April 12 visit to Copper View Elementary school where he visited the entire schools 2 grade classes. That's about 95 kids. Ogden gardener Virginia Danieu and her Grandson Linus Einum were the presenters. Linus did a great job in handling the presentation. On the 13 George went to Desert Meadows Art In the Park where we estimate 3-4 hundred people had the opportunity to photograph, feed, pet and just simply make over him. In our excitement I failed to take a photo of him at that event.
- On 4/22/19 George made a visit to Earth Day being held at Desert Meadows Park. Nice event which again proves that Desert Meadows is fast becoming a destination. A place that Jim says to Betty. What do you want to do today? Betty answer's-Oh! I don't care-what do you want to do? Jim answers-lets go over to DMP and see what's going on there. Now that's a destination. A place where something of interest is going on every single day.
- Onion Sales: By now you know we had to postpone the onion sale. It was not an easy decision, but it was the correct one as the onions simply did not bulb to where we want them. The sale dates are now scheduled for May 23, 24 & 25 from 8 am to 2 pm every day. We still plan on selling from Desert Meadows Park so put those dates on your calendar and drop buy to make your purchase of these great onions.
Until next month---See you in the garden.
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Arid Garden
by Mary Kidnocker
Volunteers have been busy removing spent wildflower plants. When stems turn brown we cut off (penstemon) or pull out (lupines, fleabane, bluebells) and if seed is dry, it is scattered around the garden. If seeds are still moist, we remove and stuff the seed heads loosely into paper bags & allow them to dry through the summer. Dried seeds will fall to the bottom of the bags & are then cleaned and made available to plant in early autumn. It is quite a job, but the beautiful springtime flowers make it worthwhile.
By the time this goes to print, we will have completed our early fertilizing of most of the garden plants. Cactus get ½ strength.
Speaking of cactus, the garden's large Trichocereus collection is now swelling with buds and will soon be alive with colorful (but short-lived) flowers. Our many camera fans are already checking the buds daily, anxious to photograph the beauty.
Welcome back to Betty Forrest recently returned from Virginia, and once again a valued Arid Garden volunteer!
Footnote:
You might be a gardener if the terms "deadheading" and "propogation" often come up in conversation
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Desert Meadows Park
by Chuck Parsons
I am the contact for folks or groups wanting to reserve space in the park. I received 14 reservation requests for the month of April. That's a record. Those using the park for their events appreciated the vast display of wildflowers this year. It was spectacular!
For the second year, high school students from Sahuarita planted a tree in the park. The students, from both Walden and Sahuarita HS, are members of Valle Verde Rotary Interact. Also, in recognition of Earth Day, a group used the park for multiple Earth Day displays and events. George Stone brought the tortoise over from Ogden Garden for the day, James Tyrer sold plants from the nursery and I served as cashier. We enjoyed lunch from a vendor selling fresh produce and baked goods. Our lunch was heated for us in a solar oven.
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Earth Day lunch heated in a solar oven
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Walden High School Rotary interact
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GVG Gardens at Historic Canoa Ranch (HCR)
by Raydine Taber, Bill Carley, and Jack Davis (emeritus)
The butterfly garden is now in full bloom. Everyone of those snap dragons grew from last year's dropped seeds. Several of our visitors have been using the garden for family photos. This must be a super bloom year for all plants; not just wild flowers. Take a look at one of our
Enchinocereus Bonkerae (Hedgehog Magenta) and Rosa Banksiae Luttea (Lady Banks/Tombstone Rose). Such a delight working among the many blooming plants. Also, In the Junior House Courtyard, the Germanders have almost completed their blooming but the penstemon, plumbago, Chihuahua orchid tree, globe mallow and golden dogbane are all showing their colors. Rhonda and Tim Rinn, Jeannie Greven, Dave Duffy and Barbara Martin have spent hours, trimming and fertilizing. Barbara and Jeannie also pay attention to the Junior House indoor planters.
Butterfly Garden
Thanking our "winter visitors" for all their help tending the gardens at Canoa Ranch. We appreciate every minute of your time and every effort you expended. Thanks to Jerry Sampson, Tim and Rhonda Rinn and Barbara Martin. We hope you all have an enjoyable and safe trip home. See you again next season.
Our Grijalva House tomatoes are beginning to set fruit and the vegetables and herbs are growing like weeds. Manning Sr. House Herb garden continues to produce enough herbs to share with the Pima County crew and the volunteers. Several of us harvest the herbs to be both used fresh and to dry them for future recipes. Jenica Hisko and James Martin have help encourage these herbs to continue their healthy growth.
If today is any sign of what is to come, the orchard will have produced more fruit, this year, than any previous year. A lot of tender, loving care has been bestowed on all the trees. The irrigation system, in the orchard, quit working. Pima County is still working on resolving this issue. With that in mind, give Bill Carley and his orchard volunteers (Jerry Sampson, Dave Duffy, Christa Ryan and the Rinns) a big hand for all their work watering each and every tree weekly and some trees twice a week.
We hope everyone who attends the Annual End of Year Pizza party will enjoy their visit to Canoa Ranch
- Historic Canoa Ranch now offers a tour of the Canoa gardens. This is a GVG, HCR volunteer docent led tour through all the various gardens on the ranch. Visitors on the tour will learn what plants are being grown and how they relate to the history of the ranch. Tour will be offered on the third Wednesday, 8:30 a.m.
- Country Market, every Thursday through May 30th, 9:00 am to 2:00 pm
- Historic Tours, Tuesday and Saturday
- Anza Trail Tours, May 8 and June 12
- Restoration Tours, May 22 and June 2
Want to be a part of our garden restoration,
join us, on Tuesday's, for our gardening adventures, at "the ranch"? We meet at 7 a.m., at the Sr. House Herb Garden. You are welcome, at any time, to join us
Co-managers: Raydine Taber, Bill Carley and Jack Davis (Emeritus)
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COPPERVIEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
by Steve Curtis
Copper View Elementary school planted flowers, tomatoes and squash. The students each got to plant seeds and were taught how to plant by Rachel and Robyn from the Green Valley Gardeners. The teachers involved in this demonstration are Denise Webb, 2nd grade; Sandra VanHarken, 3rd grade; Kelly Strayer, 3rd grade. Thanks to the volunteers, teachers and students.
The school is located at 350 W Sahuarita Road (West side of Sahaurita Road, just down from the McDonald's, Taco Bell and the US Post Office).
Contact Steve Curtis, if you would like to help.
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CALENDAR OF VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
by Christa Ryan
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Membership
by Mark Thompson
A new milestone was reached in April when we went over 500 members on our roster. Last year, we did not reach 500 members until mid November. But, right now, we are showing 507 members on our roster, and more will likely come in. Our new members this month were:
Sharon Perkins
Myra and Jeff McCune
Bob and Pat Gross
Barry Gillaspie
Paige Debussy
Bill Bucy
Mary and Robert Noel
We have had a busy spring and it was nice to see so many members contributing to the success of our Plant Sale, Garden Tour, and Art in the Park. Don't forget to check out the Art in the Park video on our website and remember to check out the herbs that our Sandra St Thomas is nurturing for you at the Desert Meadows Community Gardens. Happy Gardening!
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Spring Garden Tour
by Stacie Meyer and Cynthia Surprise
Strolling through a garden - what a wonderful way to spend a beautiful April day! Multiply that by 5 and you have the Spring Garden Tour. Over 760 people enjoyed the sights and sounds of the varied gardens during the April 13 Garden Tour. Smiling greeters welcomed visitors and checked their tickets while helpful hosts and homeowners answered gardening questions. Plants in each garden, labeled with the common name as well as the botanical name, provided a great way to identify plants! Local musicians added to the festive ambiance.
The gardens were varied in size and design. There were interesting examples of water harvesting and even a high-tech irrigation system controlled by the homeowners' iPhone.
This successful tour would not have been possible without the efforts of so many volunteers who did everything from greeting visitors, labeling plants, answering questions to selling tickets. We hope you had the opportunity to enjoy the tour and are looking forward to next year.
We have begun the search for next year's fabulous five gardens. Please be on the lookout and let us know if you spy an interesting one.
Just a note from me, Patricia Simpson, a host. Stacie and Cynthia did a wonderful job of coordinating the Garden Tour. Every detail was thought of and implemented. Thanks ladies! Here are a few pictures of the Tour:
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| Great day at Art-in-the-Park |
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Art-in-the-Park
It was a fun day for all!
April was a busy month at the park. Art-in-the-Park was blessed with fabulous weather, so attendance set a record. This year we had more artisan booths, more non-profit booths and more food trucks. All-in-all a very successful event ~ thanks to all that participated!
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Artist at work at Art-in-the-Park
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Artisans had a good day at Art-in-the-Park
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If you have some favorite photos you've taken at one of the club's projects, please submit them prior to the 28th of the month to be included in the newsletter for all to enjoy.
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