November 2019
Established in 1980
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In this issue you will find:
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Mosaic by Stacie Meyer at the Barrio Garden-DMP |
- Message from the President
- Upcoming Events
- Seminars
- Nominating Committee
- Member Tours & Events
- Master Gardener Class
- Work Calendar
- Feature Articles
- "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
- Elementary Schools
- Committee Updates
- Member Photos
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MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
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ELECTION:
A reminder:
Board election time runs through Midnight, November 8, 2019. To date, a total of 428 ballots were sent by Email to members who had joined the Club by October 2019. The ballot contains 4 names of members who aspire to serve on the Board of Directors.
Of the four, we can fill three three seats. This is a wonderful opportunity for the Board to grow and become even more diverse. If you have not completed and returned your ballot, I urge you to do so asap. If you were a member by October 1, 2019 and did not receive a ballot or if there are two Club members at your address and one did not receive a ballot, please contact Craig Surprise (
craig.surprise@gmail.com
) and we will get the ballot to your Email address.
REQUEST:
A request:
I urge all Club members to communicate with Board members, including myself, about your interests, concerns and expectations for the upcoming 2020 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 found in an auditorium. Your suggestions and topic recommendation will be appreciated. Board member contact information can be found on the Club web site.
Thank you for your continued involvement.
Bill Berdine, President
Green Valley Gardeners
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Volunteers gathered to harvest and clean irises at the Memory Garden at LaPosada. The harvesters were:
Bill Berdine, Stacie Meyer, Craig and Cythia Surprise, Rod and Pat Simpson, Kristee West, Bill Carley, Gigi Weixler and Mike Jensen. Cleaners and Preparers were: Suzanne Nelson, Gigi Weixler, Ruth Tamminga, Judi Flannery, Shirley Roemer, Cynthia and Craig Surprise, Chuck Parsons, Kristee West, Bill Berdine and Stacie Meyer. Some 500 irises were harvested and Prepared for replanting or sale. Thanks to all who helped!
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SEMINARS AND NOMINATING COMMITTEE
by Bill Carley
SEMINAR COMMITTEE REPORT
Mr. Pack Rat is back. Nov. 7 seminar will feature Eric Bell from Mr. Pack Rat to speak on "Things To Know About Pack Rats". I recommend getting to seminar early to be assured of a seat. On Nov, 14 Dennis Mart from Green Valley Fire District will speak about snakes, lizards and bees. OH MY.
Seminar committee is finalizing the Winter/Spring 2020 schedule. November 1st is our expected completion date. Watch for eblast of schedule.
The seminars will be held at Green Valley Recreation Desert Hills auditorium,2980 South Camino del Sol. All seminars start at 9:30 and end at 10:30. Come as early as 9:00 to be assured of a seat and for coffee, goodies and socializing.
All Green Valley Gardener seminars are free and open to the public. Master Gardeners will be available before and after the seminar to answer your gardening questions.
NOMINATING COMMITTEE
MEMBER TOURS AND EVENTS
by Marita Ramsay
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We had 30 participants at the recent Civano field trip.
Next Field Trip:
GREEN THINGS NURSERY
A great place to do your holiday shopping! Our tour will include the holiday plant greenhouses and Zocalo pottery and gifts.
Green Things produces over 25,000 poinsettias annually as well as Christmas cactus, cyclamen, paper whites, and succulent gift bowls. With its acquision of Zócalo, a fine Mexican imports company, it has become a home and garden destination.
We will carpool from the El Rodeo (formerly La Placita Restaurant) parking lot in the Green Valley Village, departing at 8:15 a.m. The tour begins at 9:30.
Reservations for this activity can be made at the Thursday, November 7 and November 14 seminars, or by emailing Marita Ramsay at
maritasandpoint@yahoo.com.
Hope to see you there!
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OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME A MASTER GARDENER
Information on becoming a Pima County Master Gardener click below:
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Volunteer and Work Calendar
November 2019
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"IN YOUR PLOT"
by Lorna Mitchell
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Brassicas growing in my plot |
Harvests of the heat loving peppers and eggplants have been phenomenal the last two months but cool nights are putting an end to that. The shorter days bring a welcome dip in temperature and signal transition for the gardener.
November often brings frost by the end of the month. Frost does have some welcome benefits; it reduces the grasshopper population and the cabbage loopers, it gets rid of mosquitoes, it kills some of the weeds, and it makes our carrots sweet and tender. But frost also means dead summer plants; remove them before they rot to prevent disease and pests.
Anticipating frost means covering your water delivering uprights, faucet, and clocks to prevent freezing and breakage. Insulate all exposed pipes that retain water with pipe foam then wrap an old blanket or large towel around the faucet and clocks. Cover the entire unit with a bucket, bin, or something waterproof and tie or tape it in place, because if it gets wet it is no longer effective. The tubes that have openings which lead to the plants will not retain water so they will not break with a freeze. If you think this sounds like too much work, think about repairing a split metal upright to your faucet!
If nightly temperatures decline gradually below freezing, all the plants listed below will survive. If there is a sudden freeze there could be damage but larger ones should recover.
Seeds
of radishes, turnips, lettuce, peas, carrots, beets, kohlrabi, kale, chard, cilantro, fennel, collards, and parsley can still be put in; the sooner the better; covering with a white cloth may aid germination - remove it when seedlings push it up.
Plants
of broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cilantro, lettuce, Swiss chard, spinach, parsley, and kale can be put in; the sooner the better. Garlic cloves can still be put in for harvest next May or June.
Onion
plants go in this month through January. I prefer to plant them in November to allow plenty of time for foliage growth before they "bulb" in the spring. Onion plants of short day varieties are the only ones that will yield large bulbs in this latitude because it is day length which triggers the bulb to enlarge. Allow about six inches between plants within the row and eight inches between rows for bulbs to expand. Plant one plant in each hole, no deeper than one inch, and keep green tops above soil line. Harvest will come next May, though they may be pulled and eaten at any stage. The ideal onion has 13 leaves, but it only grows one at a time; the more leaves the bigger the onion. Prepare the soil with organic amendments and 10-20-10 granular fertilizer (or a mix designed for bulbs) and make sure each plant will receive adequate water supply. Visit www.dixondalefarms.com for complete information on onion growth and cultivation as well as choosing onion plants.
Those are my plot thoughts for now, Happy Gardening
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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
The garden has had a flurry of activity with gardeners planting and preparing their plots. This month we are trying something new. We took the large truck bed trailer, filled it with good planting soil and planted Strawberries. The trailer
is mobile so we will be able to move it around to the sun or the shade. We will see how that goes.
As we move into November, we are also preparing for our Dutch oven cooking demo on the 2nd, Kathy Stone's potting demonstration on the 14th and planting of our 2020 Onion fund raising project on Saturday the 16th.
Our budget for 2020 is complete and ready for submitting.
We need 1 person to help with our animal care. Takes about 10 minutes out of your day. Also need 1 person to help with feeding the hummingbirds. Please contact George Stone if you can help at 123gstone@gmail.com.
The garden is full, and we have 1 person waiting for an in ground plot.
Until next month I will see you in a garden
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Arid Garden
by Mary Kidnocker
Several members of the Ceramic Club at Desert Hills Social Center spent much of their summer working on an original art piece for The Arid Garden. With the help of garden volunteers, Ceramic Club member Barbara Haymond and husband John installed the colorful totem pole in the garden's "Old Cactus" area on a morning of heavy rainfall in late September.
The totem pole replicates nature's creatures that often enjoy the garden. A plaque for the base has been ordered to let visitors know who designed, produced, and donated the charming new addition. Our thanks go out to these special ceramists!
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New Arid Garden Totem Pole, thanks to
Desert Hills Ceramic Club
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Autumn brings out the blinding brightness of blooming Turpentine bush.
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Josephina Javelina in proper attire sneaks a snack on her way to
Trick or Treat in the Arid Garden. (outfit, courtesy of volunteer
Mary Beth Stevenson).
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Footnote:
You must be a gardener if you only watch television for the local weather reports.
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Desert Meadows Park
by Chuck Parsons
The park has received a lot of returning winter-residents checking it out after their summer absence. The volunteers get lots of kudos for the changes that have transpired this past summer. The volunteers have done an outstanding job for sure, but we also have to give Mother Nature her due. Plants have matured remarkably this past year ~ trees that we planted from 5-gal containers are beginning to look like trees, saguaro that we could physically move have put on so much growth that they are now permanent fixtures ~ very impressive currently are the lantana beds. They are very colorful.
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Be sure to bring your out of town Thanksgiving guests over to the park.
I am sure they will be impressed!
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GVG Gardens at Historic Canoa Ranch (HCR)
by Raydine Taber, Bill Carley, and Jack Davis (emeritus)
The fireplace planters have been restored and we are returning plants to their normal location. The window box may take a little longer since it needs a window pane replaced and frames painted. Once that is done, we will top off the new soil and return many of the plants.
We have planted our cool weather veggies along the Grijalva House north wall and the raised beds. We have also replaced the herbs in both raised beds.
Pomegranates are ready for harvesting and some of the Anza Day visitors helped themselves to our delicious, sweet fruit. Some of the bushes had so many fruits on them that they were bending over to the ground. This winter, we will continue with our pruning the plants along the front yard of Junior House. These plants have never been pruned and need to be thinned out allowing more sunlight to penetrate into the inner branches of the bushes.
Our weather is quickly changing into fall. Time to begin watching those night time temperatures and getting the frost cloth out ready to cover when the low temps move into the valley. Here are the last of our cactus blooms for this year. Soon to be just a memory.
If you have visited the Junior House Courtyard, you may have noticed the two large trees. The Texas Mountain Ash has been in for several years and has grown too large for the courtyard. Also, the limbs need to be continually trimmed in order to protect the stucco walls. The other tree is a Brown Mission Fig and it was donated several years ago. It has grown too large for the courtyard and will be moved. Not sure if it will be moved to the orchard or to the Tradesman's House courtyard.
We thought we had chased away the Sr. House, Herb Garden's, Cotton Rat. Tenacious little guy is back munching on a few of our herbs, chewing on the irrigation and digging a new home. A friend of his ate a couple of our Kale plants at Grijalva House.
Special events, at Canoa, for October:
The Country Market opened its season on October 24th 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The fees the vendors' pay, for their space, will go towards the future visitor center, gift shop and exhibit gallery. There will be artisans, vendors, food trucks, musicians and local produce. The Country Market will be open every Thursday until April 2020.
This year, Canoa Ranch will be having a Christmas event. This event is scheduled for Saturday, December 7. We know, so far, that they will have carolers, Christmas decorations and Christmas trees. More information will come in the December Sand n Seeds.
Are you interested in, want to learn about or are you an expert with vegetables, ornamental plants, indoor plants, herbs, cacti, succulents, plants for the pollinators, irrigation and/or fruit trees, then, for you, Historic Canoa Ranch is the right venue? We have a variety of plants to meet everyone's gardening preference. You can choose to volunteer working on all the gardens or just the ones you prefer. Want to be a part of our garden restoration projects,
join us, on Tuesday's, to play in the dirt, learn something new and have some gardening adventures. 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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ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
by Steve Curtis
The picture is of the blank wall we put up for the Special Ed kids at Copper View Elementary. They have decorated it nicely and it appears to be doing its purpose. We had a crew out to the same place taking out the weeds around the garden beds. Thanks to the folks who came out.
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Membership
by Mark Thompson
It was nice seeing so many members on Wednesday afternoon for the pre plant sale for the membership. One hundred seven members showed up and spent over $4500 on the finest assortment of plants around. It has been another busy month in the membership department. This month, we saw fifteen members. And, like you, they all came here to learn so please welcome them.
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Welcome to our club. |
Mary Franci
Debbie Segal
Sheridan Shimp
Carol Lambert
Dick and Linda Kilbride
Mike Kreger
Diana Stirling
Alexa and Stephen Davisdon
Susan Way
Steven Delisle
Terry Curran
Judi and Ron Campbell
Don't forget to order your GVG clothing and to sign up for the annual members barbecue at Canoa Ranch on November 9th. You can find information on both of these at out website.
Membership renewal for 2020 will begin on January 1, 2020. You will receive a reminder then. Thanks
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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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| Have you found a "Tucson Rock" yet? They are appearing around Desert Meadow Park |
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