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April 2019
Established in 1980
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In this issue you will find:
- Message from the President
- Upcoming Events
- Seminars
- Nominating Committee
- Member Tours & Events
- Feature Articles
- GVG's "Plot to Plate" Cookbook
- "In Your Plot"
- Tidbits from Club Archives
- 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
- Committee Updates
- Membership
- Spring Garden Tour
- Art-in-the-Park/Spring Fair
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MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
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We have just concluded a very successful Spring plant sale with a combined tentative total of $20,828 paid for plants, cookbooks, garden tour tickets and new memberships. For the Wednesday "Members Only" sale, 90 members participated and paid in a total of $4,401. We will plan on continuing this kind of member's benefit in our future Spring and Fall plant sales.
A combination of 63 member volunteers involved in plant sales and accounting for the money from those sales, contributed a huge amount of time and energy making the plant sale possible, as well as successful at what appears will be a record financial profit. The Club is particularly indebted to the hard work for the plants sale by co-coordinators Christa Ryan and Kathy Stone as well as Mike Jensen and his crew of dedicated strong backs setting up the sale's tables, equipment and unloading arriving plants and returning everything to our locker. Thank you all!
I want to remind the membership that we are beginning the process of electing three 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 nominations should be directed to the Nominating Committee, chair, Bill Carley [custombill@att.net].
I urge all Club members to communicate with Board members, including myself, about your interests, concerns and expectations for the upcoming years. Board member contact information can found on the Club web site. Please, do not hesitate to contact any and all members of the Board.In my opinion, the Club can only be effective and proactive if the membership takes an active interest and involvement with its governance and policy determination. Thank you for your continued involvement and volunteerism.
Bill Berdine, President
Green Valley Gardeners
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The final 2 seminars before summer break are:
April 4 "Herbs" Debbie Mounce
April 11 "Roses" Deb North
Debbie Mounce will explain the best time to plant and how to care for herbs in the desert.
Deborah North will tell us the best varieties and how to plant and care for roses.
The seminar committee, Cynthia Surprise, David Duffy, and Bill Carley, wish to thank all members who attended the seminars during the 2018-2019 season. We would also like to thank Karen Rans of GVR for all her years of service and for all the help she has giving Green Valley Gardeners during that time. She will be missed.
The seminar will be held at Green Valley Recreation Desert Hills auditorium, 2980 South Camino del Sol. It starts at 9:30 and ends at 10:30. Come as early as 9:00 to be assured of a seat and for coffee, goodies and socializing. The club's new cook book and growing guide titled Plot To Plate: Growing Tips and Recipes from the Green Valley Gardeners will be available for purchase at all seminars while supplies last.
I always wondered why somebody didn't do something about that, then I realized I am somebody.
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 would 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 & Events
by Marita Ramsey
April 18 Tohono Chul Gardens Tour
April 27 Our farewell party for winter visitors will be a Pizza Party at the Historic Canoa Ranch. Tours will begin at 10am with lunch at noon.
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
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Green Valley Gardeners' "Plot to Plate Cookbook"
The time is running out to obtain our wonderful gardening/cookbook
Plot to Plate before they are all gone. Don't put it off any longer or you will miss out! There are very few left. The price is still only $15 with the proceeds going to our garden projects. They are for sale at seminars.
How to purchase:
- Members and non-members can purchase copies online for $15 per copy, as well as at our seminars and at member events. Copies purchased online can be picked up at club seminars, Desert Meadows Park on Wednesdays or the Arid Garden on Fridays. The books will not be mailed.
- Click here to purchase your cookbook from our online store and view details for pickup options.
Please support this important club fundraiser and help your garden thrive!
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
Spring has finally arrived! We are all welcoming warm temperatures and pleasant sunshine-what a change from even Southern Arizona winter. The soil is warming, our earthworms are active, and it's a great time to get our hands dirty and plant our summer vegetable garden.
Remember to plant what you eat, eat what grows, and enjoy health benefits. With a little effort you can eat something grown in your garden every day of the year.
Prepare your soil by digging in composted manure and/or peat along with granulated vegetable fertilizer in amounts directed on the label. Remove any of the grubs you see.
Seeds for squashes, green beans, leaf lettuce, cucumbers, radish, melons, okra, etc., can go in the ground now. Soaking the seeds in water 12-24 hours before putting in the ground can hasten germination. Keep the ground moist with a couple short watering cycles each day, not too wet, not too dry. Read the package as to depth and spacing of placing seeds. Consider successive plantings every three weeks or so if you want a continual harvest.
Transplants of pepper
s, eggplant, okra, and tomato can be set out anytime. Check the plants for any hitchhikers like aphids, insect eggs, etc., and remove before transplanting. Space to allow room for growth; indeterminate plants need support which can be added over the next few weeks. Remove the lower tiny leaves of tomato plants and bury the stem in the soil up to the growing leaves, new roots will grow from the stem and offer more support and nutrient intake. Water once with a nutrient solution such as Miracle Grow but mix it up at half the dose on the label (weaker is better). Set up automatic irrigation and test it. These new little babies will need TLC for a couple weeks; check often, a lot can go wrong.
Because of our cold winter, peas and Brussels sprouts are just starting to offer a good harvest. Work around them and hold back the peppers and eggplant to take their place in a few weeks - it will benefit all concerned. If you want to plant cucumbers but the peas are in the way - plant cucumbers in pots at home so they get a good start and wait a few weeks to rip out the peas. The Texas sweet onions will bulb this month for harvest in May and garlic needs to stay in the ground until June.
Those are my plot thoughts for now, Happy Gardening, Lorna Mitchell
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Tidbits from Club Archives
To assist with club projects, The Men's Garden Club of Green Valley in 1982 formed the "Women's Auxiliary". Dues for the ladies was 25 cents
per meeting, or $3.00 annually.
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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
When I talk to club members it is obvious everyone is looking forward to continuing an exciting year with the club and in the garden. We had our plant sale in March. Now we are gearing up for other fund raisers and the remainder of the seminar presentations. George Jr. (our educational ambassador Tortoise) will be taken to Kelly Strayers second grade class at Copper View Elementary on the 12th, then on to the beautiful Desert Meadows park for Art in The Park on the13th then to La Posada's memory care unit for an afternoon of show & tell on the 21st.
Thanks to Chris & Kelly Strayer for building the George transport box.
On May 2, 3 & 4we hold our annual onion sale and I will be looking for volunteers to man our tables at Desert Meadows Park. You will be able to sign up at our Thursday seminars in April, if this event is of interest to you.
Something to think about:
Here is one good reason we grow our own---when we can. This is the list of fruits & veggies found to have an unacceptable level of pesticides when sold in grocery stores. This report published by the environmental working group for 2019. Bottom line. Be sure to wash all that you buy at the grocery stores.
Hummingbird Café:
We have started the hummingbird feeder stations a little early this year with only 8 feeders rather than our normal 15. According to some reports we can expect a record number of birds to arrive early due to some weather changes.
Crops at the Ogden:
Some gardeners have their tomatoes in the ground and ready to start the summer. Be sure to read Lorna Mitchell's article in this issue to learn what to plant and when.
See you in the garden.
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First Holly Agave to set bud, at least since 2004,
at The Arid Garden ! |
Arid Garden
by Mary Kidnocker
As the Tucson area media has been telling us, the wildflower display is breathtaking! The garden has probably thousands of Lupine and lots & lots of Desert Bluebells in bloom... neither of which we have had before. With the many Parry's Penstemon also currently showing off, this small garden is filled with color. Don't miss the show; find time to stop by (camera in hand).
Blossoms Everywhere at Arid Garden!
We are still in the process of spring trimming but expect to finish all within a couple of weeks, when fertilizing of the garden will begin.
One of four Texas Mountain Laurel trees loaded with sweet-scented flowers in The Arid Garden
Hans Hohle has completed construction of the new sun-roof over the storage area, painted it a soft brown, gutter & downspout installed. It is admired by visitors and volunteers alike, and we again thank Hans for the professional job he did.
Pretty Desert Bluebells that showed up in container of Trichocereus at Arid Garden
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Desert Meadows Park
by Chuck Parsons
March was a busy month at the park! Good weather and bountiful wildflowers were the attraction ~ and the increasing use of the Anza Trail brings many into the park by foot or bike.
The picnic areas have been well used. This past month the GVR Camera Club held an iPhone camera class at the park ~ wildflowers were cooperating for the event, thus good pictures should have been the result. The park was used for 'A Rejuvenating Day' ~ 7 areas of the park had massage therapists providing information and/or treatment. On a Monday, Elissa Dearing reported that 2 tour buses carrying the Luther College concert band from Iowa stopped to use the park for a picnic. Elissa was working in the garden when 50 to 60 kids unloaded. They enjoyed walking the park ~ some had never seen a cactus growing in a natural environment ~ and their lunch. I guess the porta-potty was well received too. The band was performing at CPAC that night.
GVR Camera Club
Luther College concert band buses
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GVG Gardens at Historic Canoa Ranch (HCR)
by Raydine Taber, Bill Carley, and Jack Davis (emeritus)
We want to thank everyone who attended the Historic Canoa Ranch Heritage Fair and hope you enjoyed the day. The day was sunny and beautiful. According to Pima County management, approximately 600 people attended the fair.
The plum, peach, apple and pear trees are blooming. Quince and pomegranate are leafing out. One of the peach trees was a big hit with the visitors at Heritage
Fair. The blossoms were photographed by many of
the visitors.
We now have three Oro Blanco Figs in the orchard. The Oro Blanco figs, in the Tucson and Southern Arizona area, have been traced to the
small mining town of Oro Blanco located 75 miles SW of Tucson in the
Oro Blanco Mountains. Post Office established 1879 and
discontinued in 1915. As the story goes, there was a large fig tree growing there and many cuttings were taken from it and planted
in and around the Tucson area. One of our cuttings was taken from a tree at Mission Gardens in Tucson and the others were from Desert Survivor's and also from the
Mission Garden Oro Blanco fig trees.
Historic Canoa Ranch now offers a tour of the 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 of each month.
Did you know that "the ranch" has, as a pilot program, a Country Market, on site, every Thursday through May 30th? Starts at 9:00 a.m. and ends at 2:00 p.m.
Some of our new projects will be: Indoor plants for Junior House Sun Porch. Both all along the east window and across the south wall. East window will be climbing plants in colorful Mexican pottery and the South wall will be more of combination of various house plants. Another project will be several raised beds outside the wall of Grijalva House. Both of these projects were developed based on old photographs taken at the ranch.
Co-managers: Raydine Taber, Bill Carley and Jack Davis (Emeritus)
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COPPERVIEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
by Steve Curtis
Sahuarita Middle School teachers area. This is the mess that has been inadvertently created over a few years, We will be replacing this mess with a new look. Wednesday the 27th it comes down and Thursday the 28th we rebuild. When it is complete we will supply a finished product.
We bought and spread the gravel under this new shade at Copper View Elementary with the
help of parents, teachers and our members. We will be needing anyone wanting to help the teacher in creating several plots for summer produce for food bank.
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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Membership
by Mark Thompson
March was another strong month for membership as we welcomed 13 new members:
Penny Ackerman
Virginia and Ken Lopez
Norma Dycus
Linda Johnson
Mary and Jim Anderson
Mary Beth Stevenson
Suzanne Britsch
Carol Chapman
Chole Doyle
Rita and Bob Skora
Eight of the new members joined during our very successful plant sale. The pre plant sale for members only saw 91 members who purchased $4401 of the finest plants available. This membership benefit will be repeated again at the fall plant sale. Our membership now stands at 486. If you have any friends who may be interested in joining, just point them to our website where an application can be completed and membership fee paid. It could not be easier.
Don't forget to get your fresh herbs from the Desert Meadows Park Community Garden or pick up another plant at their greenhouse.
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Spring Garden Tour
by Stacie Meyer and Cynthia Surprise
Remember to buy your tickets for the Spring Garden Tour on April 13, 2019. Members may purchase tickets at the seminars for $10. Tickets will be available at Desert Meadows Park the day of the tour for $12. Tickets are currently available at the Chamber of Commerce, Desert Bloom, The Happy Quail, Nancy Pantz , and Native Gardens for $12. Please come and enjoy five unique gardens.
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| Items being donated for the Silent Auction |
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Art-in-the-Park
This event takes place at Desert Meadows Park in conjunction with the Spring Garden Tour. Same day,
Saturday, April 13th.
We will need several volunteers. Sign-up sheets will be at the March seminars and at the park on Wednesday morning.
SILENT AUCTION
Are you a member of a GVR club? Especially interested in Camera Club, Clay Studio, Ceramic Studio, art clubs, Gourd Club ~ would you be willing to donate a piece to the auction? Do you know another club member that would donate a piece to the auction? If so, please let Judy Christensen or Chuck Parsons know.
christensen
Do you have a piece of pottery, garden art, art piece, etc. that you no longer need. Perhaps it would make an excellent auction item. If so, please contact Judy Christensen or
Chuck Parsons.
GARDEN CLUB BOOTH
GVG will have its own booth at the Art-in-the-Park, selling donated plants and other garden related items. You can help us raise funds for the Club by donating any of the following items:
- Plants
- Decorative Pots
- Garden/yard art and decor
- Gardening tools, supplies and accessories
Donations can be left in the Desert Meadows Park greenhouse, starting now. Please contact Elissa Dearing if you have any questions. Elissa can be reached at 520-268-2725.
All items should be in usable condition and fit for sale. Unsold items (other than plants) will be donated to the White Elephant.
James Tyrer has begun propagating plants for the Club's booth. James would welcome your help. You are welcome to join him on Wednesday mornings at Desert Meadows Park. He can be found around the greenhouse and Orphan's Nursery. James can also meet with you at a specified time for you to learn the process. Once you learn the process, you can work at home or at the park on your own schedule. Contact James to volunteer.
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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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| Guitar made by Michael Dearing will be available for bid at the Silent Auction April 13th |
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