Hi All,
It was a happy morning when Project GREEN volunteers met for their week 10 work session at the Project GREEN Gardens (PGG). Our rain gauge showed 2.4 inches since we last met on June 30! No watering will be needed on our to-do list today. It was 76 degrees at 9 a.m. with air quality 26 described as, “fair.”
Two volunteers recorded extra time spent at PGG since last week. Jim Peters (2 1/2 hours watering July 3) and Monica Hoherz (Open Gardens Weekend 2 hours). Thanks to both of you!
Those in attendance for week 10 were: Diane Allen (4 hours), Rina Sjolund (2 1/2 hours), Linda Bergquist, Pat Yeggy, Mary Laughlin (1 hour), Monica Hoherz, Nick Goergen, Jim Peters (2 1/2 hours), Chris Ostrander (3 hours), Susan Ahrens, Linda Schreiber (master gardener hours), Lisa Haverkamp, Sue Mullins, Cindy (4 hours), Barb Schlintler (2 1/2 hours). Welcome to Barb for joining our Project GREEN volunteers! Thanks so much to our 15 volunteers!
Our goals for week 10 included: weeding, planting 6 Japanese Forest Grasses on the east side of the row of lilacs located at the end of the long driveway, filling the Little Free Library, and looking around for ideas and location of a new flower bed.
Here are the number of Project GREEN volunteer hours after 10 weeks working at the PGG. Weeks 1 – 9 + Week 10 = 513 hours + 36 hours
= 549 hours after 10 weeks volunteering at the Project GREEN Gardens!
Many, many thanks to all of you!
After everyone left our week 10 session, Cindy and I loaded a case of bottled water to be cooled inside a baby refrigerator. This refrigerator is located in the lower level of the Ashton House near the stairs leading to the outside patio. Please make sure to get a cold bottle of water as you pull weeds, etc at the PGG! Thanks to Malory Smysor for allowing Project GREEN the use of the refrigerator.
Since we met last week, Drugtown Hy-Vee (located at the corner of Rochester/1st Ave in Iowa City) put their plants on 1/2 price. We now have 7 Green Velvet boxwood bushes to plant and three ninebark bushes, all 1/2 priced. One of the planting locations is pictured below.
The boxwood will be planted around this area, outlining the space where hoses are kept connected to a faucet on the Ashton House. We need ideas for what to plant inside the boxwood border.
The ninebark will be located on the west side of the ramp leading to the Ashton House front door. I had a picture of this spot in last week’s summary. The ninebark will replace the Fragrant Sumac planted 12 years ago.
Sending a BIG thank-you to Parks and Recreation Steve Erickson and crew for clearing our piles of debris (weekly!) at the end of the long driveway and in front of the Ned Ashton Herky. Your efforts are greatly appreciated.
Cindy and I hope to have our 2026 plant order to Dawn Bouslog at Pleasant Valley Greenhouses by the end of August. I will be in touch with Dawn to get a couple plant catalogs for our orders. Start looking at your area(s) for 2026 ideas. For instance, Cindy and I are planning to order only red, white, and blue annual plants for the 2026 Triangle. Since our country will be celebrating 250 years as the United States we thought the Triangle would be a perfect spot to use our flag’s colors for plant choices.
Also, would someone be willing to make a sign like the one below with words, “Project GREEN celebrates 250 years as the United States!” or something like this?
We would locate the sign inside the Triangle bed.
Looking forward to our next volunteer (week 11) session on Monday, July 14 from 9 – 11 a.m.! Until then, happy gardening. Diane