Hi All,
We missed our usual Monday (July 20) morning session as a rain shower dropped 1.74 inches inches of rain for our Gardens! Up until this past Monday, it’d been a VERY hot and dry week since we last met. Therefore our Week 11 extra hours lasted from Monday, July 13 through Wednesday, July 22. Please look at your calendars to make sure you will be given credit for extra time in this long week. When we meet again it’ll be Week 13 and we will record extra time since Week 12, Thursday, July 23 through Sunday, July 26. Jeepers, it’s a challenge to keep this all organized!
There were 5 Project GREEN volunteers who met Thursday, July 23 from 9 – 11 a.m. This day was the beginning of Week 12 and included extra time since we last met July 13 through July 22. Those in attendance were: Diane Allen 6 hours, Larry Allen extra 2 hours, Jim Peters 10 1/2 hours (did you leave at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Jim?), Rina Sjolund, Susan Ahrens, and Mary Laughlin. Please remember volunteers meet from 9 – 11 a.m. unless other wise noted. Also extra time from Week 11 was included in this counting. Thursday was a very nice morning with 9 a.m. temp of 66 and 11 a.m. temp of 71. The air quality was between 40 – 55, considered “good.” Our goals were to water and fertilize all containers and wagons, plants were deadheaded and made pretty. The Triangle got attention by trimming Bald Cypress that were shading and resting on our annual plants. There was LOTS of weeding going on including the Triangle and the bridge area that leads to the Ashton House front door. The north side garage and surrounding patio plants were attended to by watering, deadheading, and weeding. Nancy Seiberling peony bed was weeded, but will need more attention Monday, Week 13. Many of our beds need mulch which is located near Evelyn’s Corner. Fingers crossed Ed Rinderspacher will be able to join us Monday to move mulch where needed. A new hose was purchased and Jim Peters got it in place next to the Ashton House patio. Volunteers were asked to assess where more hoses and sprinklers are needed. Our goal is to have water available everywhere by our new water system. A new shelving unit has been purchased and will need to be put together Monday and moved to a back wall garage location. This is where our power tools will be stored.
Pat Yeggy now has a new hip! She is resting and recovering at home.
Nick Goergen has arrived in Seattle. He enjoyed the car drive from Iowa City and especially enjoyed seeing wild flowers as he entered Washington state. One of his first adventures with his sister and brother-in-law was to watch the salmon run where there was a beautiful garden down by the docks. There were bee balm plants growing in their gardens which reminded Nick of the PGG. Nick has a different email address…. He promised pictures of PNW beautiful gardens. I had to think a bit to get PNW, Pacific North West, zone 9a.
A picture of Mary’s Tree: In the spring, this bed is filled with blooming daffodils. Now perennial catmint, white and pale blue, along with Tangerine marigolds make this a perfect spot for the rabbit sculpture at the base of the Kousa Regal Dogwood to greet visitors who stop by.
Here are the numbers after Week 12 began Thursday, July 23. Weeks 1 – 11 + Week 12 = 674 hours + 24 1/2 + 3 hours writing this essay…
a 2026 total of 701 1/2 hours for our Project GREEN volunteers!
Congratulations and MANY thanks to each and every one of you!
Just got a message from Duluth Trading, where many Project GREEN volunteers have purchased their awesome overalls and more. NO PRESSURE, but here is their address:https://www.duluthtrading.com/content/faqs#prom_1a According to their ad, everything is reduced by 20% including overalls.
Wishing every one a nice weekend! Hope to see lots of volunteers Monday, July 27 from 9 – 11 a.m.! Until then, happy gardening. Diane