Hi All,
It was a beautiful morning for Project GREEN volunteers to meet for our first week at the 2025 Project GREEN Gardens. The temperature was 62 degrees and rising, sunny, with air quality of 21, described as “good”. Perfect spring weather! Our rain gauges need to be put outside and will be soon.
There were twelve volunteers in attendance and they were: Jim Peters (with 1.5 hours extra and 2.5 hours today), Diane Allen, Sue Mullins (16 hours extra), Cindy Parsons + Gary Kleinfelter (5 hours extra “Fern work”), Mary Laughlin, Monica Hoherz, Nick Goergen, Susan Ahrens, Rina Sjolund, Evelyn Frey (2 hours extra), Hetty Hall, and Chris Ostrander. Everyone donated two hours for Week #1 with added hours in parenthesis. It was decided to individually keep track of weekly extra hours and record these during our Monday morning sign-in time. This will allow us to be more accurate as weeks go by.
Here are a few announcements. We now have two picnic tables available to use that are located on the Ashton House patio. Many thanks to Iowa City Parks and Rec for the tables! They will be a wonderful addition to the Gardens. So, would anyone be interested in meeting at the patio picnic tables Monday mornings, 8:30 to share a beverage and a chat before beginning our weekly 9 a.m. work session? I’ll be there with a hot cup of coffee and a smile! Anyone is welcome, past AND present volunteers. Please put a reminder on your calendar as we will meet weekly.
The Little Free Library needs books. Please ask family and friends to drop off book donations in plastic bags in front of the Ashton House garage. We will store these inside the garage until moving to its LFL location.
This past winter Project GREEN lost long time volunteer, Fern Allison. Fern had many “jobs” in her 57 years as a volunteer. When I met Fern, she was the Garden Fair chair along with Barb Gartner. As any Project GREEN volunteer remembers, this was a HUGE yearly challenge to prepare plants for our Garden Fair. It was held the first or second Saturday morning at Carver Hawkeye Arena filling 3/4 of the concourse with beautiful, Johnson County grown plants that were potted, transported, and sold by Project GREEN volunteers. In 2 1/2 hours the plants were (mostly) sold and Project GREEN had enough funds to care for the many projects around town until next year’s Fair. The Fair lasted for 50 years with the last one held in 2018. Fern was instrumental along with LOTS of Project GREEN volunteers keeping the Fair a yearly event. I have many more Project GREEN memories of Fern, all good ones. In Fern’s will she donated a percentage of her estate to Project GREEN. It’s with sincere gratitude Project GREEN is thankful to Fern for her donation.
Project GREEN appreciates all our donors!
A surprise for 2025’s volunteers is a John Deere Gator, which we have named “Fern”. We now have help transporting hoses, plants, mulch, compost, etc along with collecting our weekly debris to a couple of central locations. There it is collected by Iowa City Parks and Rec Steve Erickson and crew to the Johnson County Landfill. Our two hour work sessions will be physically less challenging. Thank you Fern! Fern will be stored inside the Ashton House garage. Thanks to Iowa City Parks and Rec for loaning Project GREEN the Ashton House garage.
(Right): left to right Erin Buscher, Hetty Hall, Cindy Parsons, Kate Ebinger, Rina Sjolund, Monica Hoherz, and Larry Allen
As usual, we had an ambitous list of “chores” to complete for Week #1. Volunteers were asked to clear branches, sticks, etc in flower beds. This is a big job for an 8+ acre park! Fortunately we have Fern to help us collect the debris! Next, volunteers were asked to choose from 49 jugs of plants that are ready to put into the ground from our winter seed stratification project. This project was Sue Mullin’s idea and it has turned into a big success. Our goal is to plant the new seedlings and keep them watered and alive. Keep your eyes wide open to see where the new plants are located.
Here are the numbers after Week #1 at the Project GREEN Gardens. Early 2025 Project GREEN work + Week #1 work = 62 hours + 49 hours
= 111 hours for 2025 Project GREEN volunteers!
Congratulations and many thanks to each of you.
The gardens are beautiful this spring! Here are Week #1’s two pictures of the week.
Next week (May 12) volunteers will plant canna lilies and elephant ears. These rhizomes and bulbs were over-wintered from last year’s blooms.
Would volunteers please mark your calendars for three hours (9 – noon) May 19 when we will plant the annual beds? This is always a big day. Shall we plan popsicles (or something else) to enjoy at our picnic tables when finished?
Wishing everyone a wonderful week and hope to see you May 12, Week #2. Until then happy gardening! Diane