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Green Valley Gardeners A Service Club Made Up of Gardeners

PRESIDENT’S REPORT – Chuck Parsons Typically we would not have a Sand ‘n’ Seeds during the summer, but stuff is happening that I think you will find of interest. And secondly, the board and I would like your response to a few questions prior to our meeting in early August. We have been presented an opportunity to develop a second community garden more centrally located to our membership. Should we do it? A question your board will be addressing in August. Please take a look at our questions and drop me an email to chuckp.dana@gmail.com by the end of July. George Stone, manager of our community garden, has good news to share. The Green Valley Community Foundation presented GVG with a $2000 grant for a new patio. And as if that wasn’t enough, the greenhouse project at the Continental School, which has been one of the club’s service projects for the children of our community, has resurfaced. You may not be in town, or have taken a break from the heat, but our projects continue to provide service for our community. So we’ll include a few statements about the Arid Garden and Canoa Ranch. I’ve included in this “special edition” the mission and objectives of our organization for your review. Be assured that the board will be keeping these in mind as we do strategic planning at the retreat in early August.

Mission Statement:

The mission of the Green Valley Gardeners shall be to promote gardening education and related environmental issues to its membership and the gardening public through educational and charitable means.

Objectives:

1. To develop and continue educational seminars, demonstrations and projects for the gardening public, including the promotion of the use of arid land plants and the conservation of water.

2. To develop and encourage friendship among partners.

3. To introduce children to the technique of Southwest gardening and the virtues of nature conservation.

4. To carry out projects of civic beautification for the benefit of all citizens.

5. To introduce the elderly and the handicapped to the therapeutic values of gardening.

Happy Gardening!

SAND ‘N’ SEEDS July 2013

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NEED YOUR INPUT ON A NEW COMMUNITY GARDEN – Chuck Parsons The board will be meeting Wednesday, August 7 – this is our annual retreat to do strategic planning for the coming year. We will be discussing one potential project that if undertaken will require both funding and time. Your input will be helpful in our discussions. Background: Desert Meadows I (located North of Continental and between Abrego and the Santa Cruz River) has a large common area. For years the HOA had a resident volunteer that kept the property maintained. He has passed and their board has not been able to solicit volunteers to properly keep it maintained for the past couple of years. In the past, the Green Valley Gardeners have expressed interest in having access to a portion of the property for a community garden – central location, accommodate more gardeners, etc. Discussions have occurred but nothing materialized. Desert Meadows I has a new board this year with Mike Strait as president. Mike has contacted us and offered the property to the club. They would expect the club to take over the entire piece of property – 4.2 acres. They are willing to sign a long term agreement much like we have with the two HOA’s at the Arid Garden. So the opportunity is now available to have a second, centrally located community garden – and more! To be successful, I perceive that we would need to manage this property with two chair people;

One managing the community garden portion much like George Stone does now at our existing community garden,

And one managing the remaining property similar to Mary Kidnocker’s leadership at the Arid Garden for demonstration gardens and nature habitats.

I also perceive that the club would need to establish one additional fund raiser a year to cover the expense of this project. Not sure what that would be, but we currently operate with a balanced budget

where existing fund raisers cover the cost of existing projects and club expenses. The property has flood restrictions. I have researched these with the county to determine feasibility of a community garden. Much of the property can be fenced, so would be suitable for garden plots. Approximately 1.8 acres along the river are restricted from fencing but are suitable for nature walkways. The property does have three ramada structures with picnic tables and a tool shed (grandfathered). No additional sheds nor a greenhouse could be built due to the restrictions, but an enclosed tool area like at the Arid Garden is permissible. I am confident that taking on this project is in alignment with both our club mission and objectives. I am also confident that we have the resources to provide the “seed money” to get the project going. I am confident that this venture would be a service to our community – making it “attractive” to solicit grant funding for continued development of the property and improvements. Questions for you: First question: Do you support the concept? What concerns do you have about the project? Second question: If the club were to create a second community garden at this location would you be interested in having a plot? Or, sharing a plot? Assume the same guidelines apply, i.e. plot holders are required to be club members, plot holders would pay for a water allocation, plot holders can share a plot, and plots have to have at least one full-time resident so that it is maintained year-around. Third question: Would you be willing to volunteer at the site? Volunteer to be a chair person or co-chair? Volunteer to organize an additional fund raiser?

Please email chuckp.dana@gmail.com with your responses by July 31. I will tally the results and share the information with the rest of the board prior to our retreat. Thanks!

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COMMUNITY GARDEN – George Stone

George Stone standing in the newly annexed section with a brick for the new patio. Early in the year on behalf of the Allen Ogden Community Garden, I applied for a Green Valley Community Foundation (GVCF) grant. With the help of B.J. Pries, a long standing garden club member, and Vicki Sullivan, one of our community gardeners, the grant was accepted for consideration. After several months of scrutiny by the Foundation we were awarded a check for $2,000. Those funds will finance a 20 x 15ft patio and wooden picnic table. On June 26, I had the honor of accepting the award. Chuck Parsons, Ron Sullivan, and my wife of 46 years Kathleen Stone were in attendance. Construction of the patio began July 7 and will take about 3-4 days for completion. The annexed portion, dubbed "the hummingbird café”, has 3 raised beds that were specially built for those with physical challenges. The patio will be an additional delight to use by all Ogden gardeners. Our little garden is becoming well known in garden circles as a golden award type garden. During the past year it has not been uncommon to pick up a newspaper or a publication and read about our endeavors. With our new members, we now have 19 men, 15 women, and 5 children for a total of 39 plotters.

CANOA RANCH PROJECT – Raydine Taber

During this time of year the public tours are ‘by request only’ but we continue to visit the garden and plantings at Canoa Ranch. Elissa Dearing, Sara Hein, Pat Pearson, Leslie Campbell, and Peggy Cederstrom have been taking turns visiting the ranch Mondays and Thursdays to maintain all of the plants we support.

Earlier this month with Byron Hinton’s help, we put up shade cloth to protect Manning Senior’s house herb / vegetable kitchen garden. We harvested tomatoes, bell peppers, jalapeño peppers, watermelons, thyme, oregano, chives, sweet basil, rosemary, and tarragon. The watermelons are very prolific and shortly we will have several more to be harvested.

Some of the plants in the Manning Junior house are being challenged to withstand extreme heat. The house is closed most of the time. With our high temperatures and no AC or air circulation some are struggling to adapt. We removed a few that could not adjust. They will be replaced at a cooler time of year.

Earlier this season, we noticed pack rat activity in the east cactus garden and reported it to our Canoa Ranch contacts. I am glad to report that we have not seen any activity since and plants are doing very well.

Manning Senior’s house herb / vegetable kitchen garden

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With Jack Davis, our Canoa Ranch project chairman, presently in Montana, we overwhelm him with photos of the plants and progress report emails. This has worked to our advantage by keeping Jack involved and up to date. In return he sends us timely suggestions and recommendations.

ARID GARDEN – Mary Kidnocker The summer was spent at the Arid Garden applying lots of water to keep the plants alive. Despite the heat, volunteers worked every Friday morning until the tasks were done.

Dwight Kidnocker installing irrigation system to new raised bed. Our many trichocereus cacti have been spectacular with loads of large, various-colored flowers. Photographers have been plentiful and the exchange of pictures a delight. If you missed the show, plan to stop by as the monsoon rains continue... there are lots of buds, so there will be a repeat of brilliant color!

Arid Garden with summer blooms. Photo courtesy of Linda Gregory.

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS Akati Kalugin Betty Jean & Peter Lee Josephine Rice Bill Voorhees

CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR o September 12 Seminar History and Evolution of

our Community Garden George Stone, Garden Manager, at Desert Hills from 9:30 – 10:30 am (Free)

o September 19 Members Event Tour of the Arivaca Community Garden

o September 26 Seminar Stopping Insects and Plant Disease at the Border Representative from the Border Patrol at Desert Hills from 9:30 – 10:30 am (Free)

o October 3 Seminar Tucson Mission Gardens Bill O’Malley at Desert Hills from 9:30 – 10:30 am (Free)

o October 10 Seminar Insects and Moths of Madera Canyon Jeff Babson at Desert Hills from 9:30 – 10:30 am (Free)

o October 17 Seminar Roadside Geology Richard Yetman at West Center from 9:30 – 10:30 am (Free)

o October 24 Seminar Description of Plants Being Sold at the GVG Fall Plant Sale Alex Shipley from Civano Nursery at Desert Hills from 9:30 – 10:30 am (Free)

o October 24 – 26 Fall Plant Sale o October 31 Seminar Orchids and Other Indoor

Plants Phil Mullarky, Tucson Master Gardener, at Desert Hills from 9:30 – 10:30 am (Free)

o November 7 Seminar Restoration of the Historic Canoa Ranch Gardens Robert Vaughn from Pima County Natural Resources, Parks & Recreation at Desert Hills from 9:30 – 10:30 am (Free)

o November 14 Seminar Trees for our Area and Winter Care Greg Doherty from Bartlett Tree at Desert Hills from 9:30 – 10:30 am (Free)

The mission of The Green Valley Gardeners shall be to

promote gardening education and related environmental issues to its membership and the gardening public through

educational and charitable means.