Desert Botanical Garden

Looking for way to satisfy your lack of gardening in the winter or just warming up a bit. Check out some of the offerings at the Desert Botanical Garden. Or just visit and enjoy the garden before it gets to hot.

Sonoran Light - Bruce Munro
Jan. & Feb. Wed.- Sat., from 5-10pm and Jan. 17 and Feb. 14
March thru May nightly 6-11pm
Purchase tickets (dbg.org)

Return to the Desert with 25 years of painting by Dyana Hesson, botanical artist.
Jan. 29-May 22, 10am-5pm
Free with admission or your Arboretum membership

Spring Music in the Garden
Fridays, Feb. 4-May 6, 7-9pm
Purchase tickets (dbg.org)

The Seasonal Table
Food, Drink, and Music
Thurs. Feb. 13, March 3 and April 7, 6-9pm
Purchase tickets (dbg.or)

Rock the Presidents
Musical Review in the garden of 223 years of the American Presidency
Monday, Feb. 15, 11am-2pm
Purchase tickets (dbg.org)

Speakers for the January CMGA Meeting

Olivia White Hospice Home - new shed

For our first meeting of 2016 we had 5 presenters from projects that we had funded last year. Last year we funded over $2700 to 10 different projects. 5 that were not able to join us are:   Riordan Mansion, Colton Community Garden/MNA, Pinyon Community Garden, Lowell Observatory, and St. Francis de Assisi.

 For the evening the 1st presenter was Sheila Murray, a researcher from the Arboretum at Flagstaff. They were funded for their Milkweed for Monarch Project. It is a large project that we provided funding for signage that began in 2015. 

Milkweed for monarchs

To collect local varieties of milkweed and then propagate in seed production beds here at the Arboretum, from which the seeds generated will be available to the public and landowners for their restoration and gardening needs.

The goal is to increase the amounts of native milkweed around Flagstaff to make a more hospitable place for the Monarch.   (from the Arboretum)

They will also have a new Butterfly House - local species that will be available at opening day.

Master Gardener Meeting Agenda

Master Gardener Meeting Agenda

Wednesday, January 14, 2016 – 6:30pm

Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church

1601 N. San Francisco

 

6:30pm – 6:50pm             Welcome – Jim Mast

·         President Annual Report

·         Introduce 2014 Officers -  Jim Mast-President, Ed Skiba-VP, Sue Madden-Treasurer, Jackie Clark-Secretary

6:50pm – 6:55pm           Introduction of speakers – Loni Shapiro

 

6:55pm-7:45pm              Continuing Education  Grant Recipients: 1) Arboretum at Flagstaff –Sheila Murray; 2) Sunshine Rescue Mission – Jeff Best; 3) Olivia White Hospice Home – Linda Guarino; 4) Grow Flagstaff Seed Library – Jackee Alston; 5) Michael Moore Native Medicinal Garden – Judy Springer

15 minute break

7:45pm-8:00pm               Refreshments provided by Sherline Alexander and Jackie Clark

                                            Raffle Prize Drawing – $1 each or 6 for $5 - Must be present to win

Coconino Master Gardener Training Begins

Apply now for the spring Master Gardener class

Applications are now being accepted for the Coconino County Master Gardener Training Course. This course is part of a nationwide certification program that provides horticulture training to volunteers for the purpose of enabling them to help their communities through horticulture education.

This course is designed for those who are interested in learning more about high elevation gardening and who are willing to share this knowledge with others. Participants will learn the keys to successful gardening in high elevation environments. The 15-week course covers basic botany, soils, plant propagation, plant problem diagnosis, insect management, pruning, fruit tree care, vegetable gardening, ornamental plants, composting and urban forestry.

The Master Gardener course will meet Tuesdays from 1:00-4:30 p.m. starting February 2 at the Coconino Public Health Bldg. 2625 N. King St., Flagstaff. Registration for the program is $200.

Class participants become Coconino Master Gardeners by volunteering 50 hours of community service providing horticultural information, advice and support. Possible projects include: answering garden questions, staffing a table at the community market, writing articles for the newspaper, giving presentations on gardening, assisting local schools and non-profit organizations with gardening expertise, or volunteering at an arboretum. The Master Gardener Program is offered through the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension.

Contact Coconino Cooperative Extension at 774-1868, ext. 110, to request an application or for more information, or e-mail bgobble@email.arizona.edu. Class size is limited.

Classes will also begin in Page on Feb. 1. Contact the Extension for details.

Greetings From TerraBirds

Ponderosa High School Greenhouses/Garden
Terra Birds Hone

Terra BIRDS wishes to thank and recognize the partners and supporters who help us in our mission.

Since 2012, Terra BIRDS grew from a part-time staff of two and just a few school garden projects, to a staff of five and a rotating crew of paid youth interns, with thousands of youth and community members in garden and stewardship projects all over Flagstaff.  The goal of these projects is to promote health and wellness, work and life skills, and hands-on education for young people; to create and sustain beautiful, ecologically healthy, accessible natural environments in our urban setting; and to collaborate in Northern Arizona's community-wide vision of sustainability (environmental, economic, and social).  Please read through the following Partners and Supporters list, and know that there is a story connected to each of these names.  Special acknowledgement goes out to the Coconino County Accommodation School District, providing Terra BIRDS with a home at Ponderosa High School.  Please seek information about these entities, support them, and know that they are partners in improving lives and making Flagstaff a better community.

Seed Plant and Tool Catalogs 2016

Each year I update the list of Seed Plant & Tool Catalogs. I finished it during this slow week between holidays. The changes are minor. but it has become six pages long if you are interested in printing. Some of the changes are phone numbers, a few companies have dropped out, and two merged.  I am including a LINK with this article but after January it will appear on the blog under References and Resources in the right hand column called Pages . Please take a look at the list and send me any additions or changes you are aware of. I will revise by Jan. 15 but you can send new information at any time.

Here are two that I found interesting that you might not be aware of:
1.   Lily Garden - some of the most beautiful lilies I have seen are in their new catalog. I love lilies! They are so easy to care for. I grew some Asiatic lilies at Olivia Whtie Hospice in one of our sensory pots (aroma). They came back year after year and were so admired by residents and staff (smell and beauty). You can find them on the list under Bulb, Tuber and Rhizomes.
2.   Grononics - they have some of the most clever containers I have seen. They are a bit pricy, but you may get some ideas about making your own from just looking at them. They can be found under Tool Resources.

Don't forget you can ignore this list completely, save your own seeds, or come to the Grow Flagstaff Seed Library at the Coconino County Extension. At the seed library you can get free seeds and next year bring back some of your own. The best part is that each packet has the growers story and they are local. Thanks go to master gardener Jackee Alston and other volunteers for making this happen in Flagstaff. Check out several articles on the blog for more details, including a link to an article that appeared in the AZ Daily Sun. If you are interested in helping you can volunteer each month (4th Thur.) beginning in January. At the extension from 10am-2pm you can help stuff seed packets.

Email me with any questions or comments (cnslds@q.com).

Volunteering Saguaro National Park

Subject: Saguaro NP events!

From Dorothy Lamm, Native Plant Society

 

I have a couple events happening at Saguaro National Park this spring that I thought you all would be interested in:  

 

January 16, from 10am-1pm we will be giving away our mule manure to anyone who would like it for their gardens! Help us keep this manure out of landfills and reduce our environmental footprint. Contact Bella Furr for more information at bella_furr@nps.gov (Flyer attached). 

 

We are partnering up with REI to host three saguaro surveys that will be open to everyone! There will be 15-20 slots for each survey and the surveys will be on February 6(east district), March 19(west district), and April 16(west district). Open to anyone with any hiking experience and a love for saguaros and the sonoran desert. Please RSVP either on the REI website when the schedule is posted or sending an email to me, carolyn_harper@partner.nps.gov. 

 

Looking forward to working with your organization and all of the lovely native plant enthusiasts. 

Have a festive week!

Carolyn Harper 

Find Your Saguaro: Centennial Saguaro Survey

Next Generation Ranger

Saguaro National Park 

3693 S. Old Spanish Trail 

Tucson, AZ 85730

520-733-5178

AZ Native Plant Society Planning Meeting

Greetings, All on this lovely, snowy day!!

 

Please join us for the first AZNPS (Flagstaff Chapter) get-together and planning meeting of 2016!!

Which speakers would you like to hear at our monthly meetings?

Where would you like to go on our monthly hikes?

The planning group will meet Tuesday, January 5, 2016 at 6:30pm. Please join us.

 

Contact Sue Holiday at naris123@cs.com for all the details, including the location. 

Posted for the

Planning Group

by D. Lamm

CMGA Officers for 2016

 

The annual election of officers was presided over by Cry Wells at the November 7th meeting. She presented a slate of officers that was developed in committee. There were no new additions to the slate and those elected include:

Jim Mast, President
Ed Skiba, Vice President
Sue Madden, Treasurer
Jackie Clark , Secretary

Committee chairs will be surveyed in December to see who needs to be replaced.

What is Healthy Soil?

Want to test your knowledge about soils? Check out this online site that Joe Harte sent.
http://www.fao.org/soils-2015/news/news-detail/en/c/317128/