Week 12, July 22, 2024 Project GREEN Gardens (PGG)

Hi All,

Our Week 12 at the PGG was another success story! We had a long list of to-do items, which all was checked “done!” by the end of our time together. Project GREEN has a remarkable group of volunteers.

The following tells the PGG story for the past two years.

On July 18, 2022 there were 13 volunteers in attendance. Our time together was spent watering and weeding. The Monday, July 17, Week 12 for 2023 was cancelled and rescheduled to Tuesday. The Air Quality Index, AQI, value was 160 and considered unhealthy with directions, “Everyone may begin to experience health effects.” We met Tuesday, July 18 instead when the AQI was normal. Fourteen volunteers worked Week 12, 2023. We planted 5 coreopsis in the north-end of a West Oval. Jim Peters was thanked for making our watering system easier and better organized. Our drought was getting started as the summary read, “We’ve had little rain so weeds are beginning to grow in earnest.” Sound familiar?

Back to 2024!

Our rain gauge showed 3/4 inch rain since Week 11. I forgot to note the 9 a.m. temperature, but it was a pleasant morning. There were 14 volunteers in attendance on Monday, July 22. They were: Nick Goergen, Evelyn Frey, Pat Yeggy, Susan Ahrens, Jim Peters, Rina Sjolund, Hetty Hall, Monica Hoherz, Mary Laughlin, Linda Bergquist, Sue Terveer-Mullins, Dhyana Kaufman, Kyle Hulscher, and moi. Our volunteer hours from 9 – 11 a.m. gives each 2 hours, but many stayed later totaling an extra 7 1/2 hours.

Our ambitious list of chores was: installing an arch and bird bath, watering (keeping two hoses busy), watering and fertilizing 6 containers and 2 wagons, looking for deer-eaten plants and spraying with Liquid Fence, continuing weeding, checking flowerbeds for weeds to remove, using the reciprocal saw to trim cranberry bushes behind the north end of ramp leading to house, & cleaning bird baths and refilling with water. Everyone scattered after our team meeting and got busy taking care of the Gardens. JOY!

Enjoy the pictures taken Monday, July 22:

The arch put together last week was installed. It can be easily seen from the hiking/biking trail to the sidewalk leading to the Ashton House. We will place a bird bath under the arch next week. **Does anyone have a deer resistant vine idea to plant in this semi-shady location?** Susan Ahrens was kept busy weeding Ligularia Dell where the Arch is now located.

So many pretty places to view at the Gardens: Mary’s Tree looking north, the Quilt, and three sides of the Triangle. Mary Laughlin made sure all the plants were watered!

Evelyn’s Corner has been a work-in-progress this year. Its location at the south-west corner of the parking lot is very large and partially filled with weeds. It has been a labor of love clearing this space and making room for beautiful annuals and perennials. Evelyn Frey and Dhyana Kaufman were busy digging to remove unwanted weeds. Volunteers use the app, Picture This, making sure to know the difference between wanted and unwanted plants. The red penta plants are very colorful, despite a difficult beginning with confused, hungry deer. When ordering our annual plants we only purchase deer resistant flowers. We are using Liquid Fence now to protect these plants that were *supposed* to be deer resistant.

ere are a few more locations getting Project GREEN attention. There are three Catalpa trees and LOTS of Canadian anemone in the picture of our newest bed to clear. Behind the Sycamore tree is Jim Peters who is hunting and finding Japanese Honeysuckle vines to remove. Sue Terveer-Mullins and Monica Hoherz are continuing to clear west oval 3. Lots of progress has been/will be accomplished!

Thanks to Sue Terveer-Mullins for noticing the fallen Aspen tree located along the east Normandy Drive area of the PGG. There have been high winds that may have caused this tree to fall. A message to Tyler Baird, Superintendent of Parks and Forestry, got a quick response to removing the tree. The stub was left as it had a bright green Spongy Moth monitoring trap attached. The Gypsy Moth is an invasive species and the USDA is collecting data with these traps. Volunteers will cut the broken peony stems next week.

Can you see the blooming, deep red hibiscus flower behind the Queen Anne’s lace plant? This “Picture of the Week” was taken on the Bridge looking north. Project GREEN did not plant the volunteer Queen Anne’s lace plant, but it is lovely.

Here are the numbers after twelve weeks at the PGG. Weeks 1 – 11 hours + Week 12 hours = 577 1/2 hours + 35 1/2 hours