Olivia White Hospice Garden Volunteers in 2018

One of the many beautiful roses that Carol Chicci cares for at the Olivia White Hospice Garden.

Morden Sunshine Rose by Crys Wells

Work continues by the city on the circle drive on Turquise and Switzer Canyon on the south end of the garden property. The volunteers have worked around it and have had to move  a memorial garden (Michael Moore) and many plants and trees, but the rest of the garden remains beautiful. Here is a note from Crys Wells on the happenings this year.

What a busy, wonderful gardening season we’ve had!  We’ve survived drought, heat, rain, deer foraging, construction work, and mosquitoes!  Not exactly the 10 Plagues, but enough for one group of gardeners!

This week continued with dead-heading and weeding. We’ve purchased a maple tree to replace Dana’s tree that was damaged (killed?) in the move due to construction.  We are hoping to get it planted in the next couple of weeks.  The roses, once the deer found something else to nosh on, have been lovely!  Even the Harrison’s Yellow Rose that had to be moved (due to construction!) is doing well under Carol’s loving care.  We have been able to utilize LOTS of beautiful, rich mulch that Pam and Frank have nurtured so diligently.  Joe has been actively pruning trees to make them healthier AND more beautiful.  Becky keeps us stocked in hummingbird nectar and Jackie and Sirena tirelessly fill bird feeders most every week; Sirena also helped with seed collection this week. Judith worked on the Rock Garden this week, loving planting a few new items.  Kay’s work in the north gardens is worth an out-of-the way visit if you don’t get to that area much.  The apples are ripening (and some will be unscathed thanks to the sock that Ashley placed on them weeks ago!) and we’ve got LOADS of grapes (seedy but sweet and wonderful) this year.  We snacked on a few on Thursday, but are still waiting for some of the smaller ones to ripen a bit more.  We should be able to take quite a bit of fruit into the house for the residents as it looks like we’ll have some raspberries coming in a bit also.  Suzanna has kept the front of the house looking good, including the flower pots that brighten the entrance.  We’ve been taking turns loving on Linda’s Fairy Garden, which awaits her return.  In the coming weeks, we will need to be dead-heading lavender and cutting back iris (Katarina is away, so we’ll be tending to these this year.)  I haven’t seen Ashley, Judy, Cindy, or Ed in a while, although I’ve heard from Ed.  I hope all are doing well.  Also hoping that we’ll see Vic and Carol at the potluck and that Carol is healed and getting stronger!  It was great to have Loni in the garden in the early weeks…we’ll hope to see her at the potluck.

Just a note from me.....This garden was created by master gardeners and has been a project for about 15 years. They have received several grants from the CMGA. Thanks to all who have helped to make it beautiful for the residents and families.