Hi All,
We LOVE mulch! Thanks to Ed Rinderspacher for two truck loads of beautiful mulch (yes, the good stuff!) to spread around the PGG. Cindy and Diane made numerous trips using Fern to fill the back end of the Gator, travel to needy mulch beds, and dump the mulch for volunteers to spread. Our memories of doing the same work with wheelbarrows was becoming a faint painful memory of the past. Yee-haw! After our week 19 two hours together, the mulch pile was markedly less than when we began the work. Joy!
Those in attendance for week 19 were: Diane Allen (3 hours), Pat Yeggy, Monica Hoherz, Jim Peters (4 hours), Sue Mullins, Rina Sjolund, Erin Buscher (2 1/2 hours), Hetty Hall (2 1/2 hours), Linda Bergquist (2 1/2 hours), Barb Schintler (2 1/2 hours), Lisa Haverkamp (3 hours), Cindy Parsons (3 hours). Between weeks 18 and 19 extra hours were added by Diane, Sue M, and Cindy. These three volunteers represented Project GREEN at the “Join and Thrive Iowa City Club Fair.” The documentary “Join or Die” was presented at Film Scene. Afterwards those who attended the film were invited to meet local clubs (like Project GREEN) to discover new hobbies, and connect with their Iowa City and beyond neighbors. This event was September 7 and was well attended. Project GREEN had seven Fair attendees interested in our 57 year old non-profit. I plan to share our week 19 summary with each and hope to get more volunteers for our Project GREEN activities. Diane, Sue M, and Cindy each gave 2 1/2 hours to add with our PGG hours.
We started with a long “to-do list” on September 8, Monday morning. At 9 am the temperature was 59 degrees and 11 a.m. 66 degrees. The humidity was 66% with air quality 25, considered “good.” Using Iowa State’s website our 820 Park Road received 0.17 inches of rain since last week which I consider “not enough.” Our work, of course, included mulching, watering, weeding. Containers were fertilized and watered well. Sidewalks and driveway were cleared. Beth Cody brought LOTS of hosta to share with our volunteers to take home or give to friends & neighbors. Thanks Beth! Larry Allen donated a tool box to keep in the garage for any PGG repairs. Thanks Larry! Cindy purchased 4 tools to use while mulching. Thanks Cindy! It was decided when a “to-do” item was completed to check it off our sign-in sheet. Thanks to volunteers who remembered to do this. It really helps me write my weekly summary. Volunteers were asked to check their calendars for extra time to water our many thirsty flowerbeds during the week. Cindy (twice), Jim, Monica, Lisa, and Diane agreed to drop by the Gardens to pull hoses and water during the week. Their extra time will be recorded with week 20’s volunteer times.
Enjoy pictures from week 19!
The left picture shows a shady spot we call Mary’s Tree. The berm is filled with daffodils and in 2024 Project GREEN volunteers planted two varieties of Walker’s Low Nepeta Catmint, pink and blue. This bed now requires watering and mulching only. Proven Winners when asked the difference between catmint and catnip states, “Both are part of the mint family and both belong to the Nepeta genus. But Catnip is Nepeta cataria and Catmint is Nepeta mussinii. Catnip has a weedier appearance and an insignificant white flower, while Catmint is often used as a pretty, lavender flowering perennial in beds.” Good to know! Thanks to Pat Yeggy for the labels telling of Project GREEN’s catmint. The beautiful garden bed on the right is the Quilt. This bed is found along the hiking/biking trail close to the Park Road sidewalk. The frame of the quilt is tangerine marigolds and the center many-colored Globe Amaranth, “Gomphrena globosa.” In the past the Quilt had gorgeous coleus in its center. Unfortunately the coleus needed “pinching” to control its height and make bushier. With so many bees amongst the marigolds and coleus it was too challenging for volunteers to care for the coleus. The amaranth needs no extra care except water and sun. Perfect for our Quilt!
This columnar tree is a special one and worth a view as the years pass by. Here’s information from Prairie Nursery explaining why our Bush Honeysuckle is safe to plant. “This drought tolerant native shrub adapts easily to poor, rocky soils. Bush Honeysuckle (Diervilla sp.) is not to be confused with invasive honeysuckles. Morrow’s honeysuckle, Tatarian honeysuckle, Amur honeysuckle, and Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.) are all invasive and non-native. Somewhat similar in appearance, native and invasive honeysuckles can be distinguished by looking at the stems – native honeysuckles have solid stems while invasive honeysuckles have hollow stems.”
Volunteers will continue mulching along the east side of the Ashton House.
Here are the numbers after 19 weeks working at the PGG. Weeks 1 – 18 + Week 19 = 793 hours + 38 1/2 hours
= 831 1/2 hours after 19 weeks working at the 2025 Gardens! Congratulations to all our Project GREEN volunteers for their hard work making the Project GREEN Gardens a special place for visitors to visit. You are special too!
Thanks to our Project GREEN donors for their financial support allowing trees and shrubs to be purchased and installed. We have purchased in 2025 new tools to use, Fern!, huge piles of mulch, gorgeous plants from Pleasant Valley Greenhouses, supplies for the Ashton House garage (Liquid Fence, bug spray, water in the basement refrigerator, and lots more), paying contracted work with Project GREEN’s project manager, replacing dead or dying trees/shrubs and LOTS more! It’s a generous group who financially support the Project GREEN Gardens. Many thanks to each of you.
Also thanks to Margery McCardell who grew Angel (or Dragon) Winged Begonias, then potted them beautifully and delivered during our week 19 work session. These plants are a “Thank You!” to volunteers who have worked at the 2025 Gardens. Next week I’ll have a thank you card for all to sign who received a plant.
On a personal note, I will not be able to be with volunteers for week 20, September 15th. Thankfully, Cindy will have our check in sheet and Jim will make sure the sign-in sheet is inside the garage and the door is closed with water off at the end of our time together. I am VERY confident all will go well. Unfortunately I have over-booked my day tomorrow. Please let me know if I miss anything big. I have noticed rain in this week’s forecast. We’ll see… Have a great day tomorrow! Happy gardening, Diane