CMGA General Info

Species tulips planted in fall. These appear in early spring. Olivia White Hospice Garden.
Photo by Loni Shapiro.

Welcome to the Coconino County Master Gardeners Association blog. The mission of the Master Gardener Program is to create a corps of well-informed volunteers, and to deliver quality horticultural education programs adapted to our regional high elevation environment. The purpose of the association is to provide support for those volunteers and Master Gardener graduates, continuing education, and opportunities to participate in community programs that increase the visibility and participation in the Master Gardener Program.

The Coconino Master Gardener Association (2009) began in 2009. This blog contains information on:

-How to become a member

-Volunteer and Education hours reporting

-Calendar of Events

-General gardening information articles

-Master Gardener Association Documents and forms

-References and Resources

-Interesting Websites and Blogs

-Old Gardening Etcetera columns

-Recipes

-Book Reviews

-How to contact Board or Committee Members

Meetings are held monthly on the 2nd Thursday from 600pm - 8;30pm. We meet at the Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church at 1601 N. San Francisco. This includes continuing education and a business meeting.

Reporting Master Gardener Hours

All master gardener trainees and certified master gardeners need to report their hours.
Beginning in 2010 certified master gardeners need to have 6 Education hours and 12 Volunteer hours in order to maintain certification.The on line reporting system allows you to report Education or Volunteer hours. You can sign in to record hours in the right hand column under Recording Volunteer and Education Hours. Just click on the U. of A.
If you have any questions or concerns about the new reporting system, please contact Brenda Smith (A - M) or Sue Madden (N - Z). Their contacts are listed at the bottom of the blog under Contacts.

Ideas for hours------
--Attend monthly meetings
--Work on an association committee
--Work at an informational booth for the Master Gardeners
--Be a speaker about gardening topics at a variety of venues
--Host a garden tour
--Work at a fundraising event (Plant Sale - Garden Tour).
--Work at a MG site (Olivia White Hospice, the Arboretum, Riordan Mansion, or school gardens (many others)). Check out the Assoc. Doc. & Forms under Volunteer Sites.
--Work in the Extension office
--Write an article for the newspaper column -Gardening Etcetera
-Volunteer with the Seed Library
Be creative! There are many ways to fulfill your hours. Just remember for volunteering it needs to be a non-profit endeavor or an approved for profit site.

Wednesday, June 14, 2023

Start sale - Forestdale Farms

Self-serve seedling sale this week! Monday-Saturday 9a-3p

Come grab any last minute starts for your garden!

When: Monday-Saturday, June 12th-17th, 9a-3p
Where: Forestdale Farm (455 S Beech Drive) in Flagstaff
Who: Open to the public
What: Seedling and garden starts! Over the years, we have experimented with and grow varieties that do well in our short growing season.

Other Notes:
-We have set up a self serve area for purchasing seedlings in our large greenhouse. All plants are for sale and there are signs and prices on them. Bring cash and grab what you need!
- We can accept credit cards but prefer cash
- Bring boxes/carry trays for transporting starts home
- Please do not use our neighbor’s driveway to turn around (you can use our driveway or continue around the block to get out by continuing on Beech; right on Cottonwood; right on Ash which takes you back to Herold Ranch Rd)

Tuesday, June 6, 2023

CMGA Meeting Agenda

Coconino Master Gardener Meeting Agenda

Shepherd of the Hills/Benson Hall

1601 N San Francisco St., Flagstaff, AZ 86001

Thursday, June 8, 2023

6:15-6:30pm Social Time/Newcomers Welcome/Sign In

6:30-6:35pm Welcome -Frank Branham

6:35-7:40pm Introduction of Speaker—Summer White and Tanya Groel/Flagstaff Green School Yard Project. Questions from Audience

7:40-7:55pm Refreshments, Social, Raffle, & Raffle Drawing

7:55-8:25pm Business Meeting

MG Coordinator - Hattie Braun is out of town.

President --Frank Branham

· Hospice Run/Volunteers/June 17

· Plant Give-away/June 3/East Valley Baptist Church/recap

· Garden Tours/Eight Garden

Treasurer’s Report – Andrea Guerrette

Balance 2/1/2023 $4819.06

Debits $3159.72

Credits $1125.69

Balance 2/28/2023 $6853.09

Pollinator Fest at the Arboretum

Native Herb Festival

Native Herb Festival

June 17, 9am-3pm

Willow Bend Environmental Education Center, in collaboration with the Forager’s Path School of Botanical Studies, is hosting a Native Herb Festival that you don’t want to miss! This all day event will be full of expert-led workshops, including hands-on opportunities and informative plant walks.

Participants sign up for a day-pass, which grants attendance for three sessions during the event. Cost is $65 for members and $80 for nonmembers.

For more information on the presenters, workshops and where to register, click here

Thursday, June 1, 2023

Volunteers Needed

Olivia White Hospice Garden is one of our many master gardener projects. They are looking for some volunteers for their Annual Walk/Run this year which happens on June 17. Contact them if you are interested. This does not qualify for master gardener hours but is a fun event for an organization supported by our volunteers

Remembering Beverly 1928-2016

On Monday, Aug. 8, 2016, Beverly Jean MacAllister passed away fully lucid and comfortably in Santa Cruz, CA, at home and in the presence of her daughters, just three days after her 88th birthday. For many months she sought a way out of or around a severe lung infection. She was a Master Gardener and tended 12 vegetable and flower beds at her home in Timberline. She supported the master gardener program in many ways - providing consult to a local fire department to grow vegetables for food, assisting with regional conferences, and helping each year with the Coconino County Fair in the agriculture building. In addition for several years she worked as a Senior Companion with 5 clients that she helped with aging issues. A celebration of Bev’s life will be held at 11 am on Saturday, Sept. 17, at Beacon Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 510 N. Leroux St. Memorial gifts in her name may be made to Poore Medical Clinic, 120 W. Fine Ave., Flagstaff, AZ 86001; or Bonny Doon Fire Safe Council, 150 McGivern Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95060.
I will personally miss her guidance on aging well. The photo above is from a Christmas card I received from her. On the back it says "Kindness is a language we can all understand. The blind can see it and the deaf can hear it. Thank someone who has touched your life today. Thank you for being part of my life. Bev." Loni Shapiro

Dana Prom Smith 1927-2015

On Sunday, Jun 28th, Dana Prom Smith passed away from a
heart attack at the age of 88. Dana was a long time supporter of the Master Gardener program and association . He was certified as a master gardener in 2007. He worked on his own garden at home, and since then has shared his wealth of knowledge and creative writing skills to write and edit weekly columns for the AZ Daily Sun -Gardening Etcetera. We will miss learning more about life and gardening and the humor with which he presented it.

On August 24th, a Blaze Maple was planted at Olivia White Hospice Garden by his gardening friends in rememberance.

“If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.” ― Marcus Tullius Cicero

Coconino Master Gardener Association