CMGA General Info

Christmas Amaryllis with Orchid to the right. Below Ruth Benson's holiday bears.
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.

Change in Contact Information

Have you moved or changed your e-mail address, but would still like to be contacted about high elevation gardening information from the Extension? The Coconino County Extension Master Gardener Program has a site that will let you change your information on-line.

Click here to change your contact information!

Event Calendar

Tuesday, September 19, 2017

Master Gardener Recognition Picnic

 

Master Gardener Recognition Picnic

  • Host:
    Hattie Braun
  • 928-774-1868
  • Sunday, October 1 from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM
  • Viola's Flower Garden 610 Arizona 89A Flagstaff, AZ

    Preceding the picnic there is a walk:

    Pre-Picnic Native Plant Walk at Griffin Springs

    • Host:
      Susan Holiday & Melissa Amberson
    • Sunday, October 1 from 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM
    • Griffith Springs Trail Head 89A 2 miles south of Fort Tuthill
       
      Contact Hattie Braun at the extension office for more info.

Wednesday, September 6, 2017

AZ Native Plant Society - Flagstaff Chapter



Monthly Meetings
Third Tuesdays at 7pm

Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church


 September 19: "The Ancient, the Ugly, and the Nearly Invisible" Dr. Paul Minnis 
The long history of the complex relationships between people and plants in U.S. Southwest and northern Mexico is more than fascinating; it also can be useful! Plant remains recovered from archaeological sites help piece together this story, despite the fact that the remains are often exceptionally small and sometimes seem just plain ugly. Dr. Paul Minnis, Professor of Anthropology Emeritus, University of Oklahoma. Paul Minnis' research focuses on archaeology, prehistoric ethnobotany, cultural ecology and sociocultural evolution, and the prehistoric biodiversity of the southwest US and northern Mexico. 

October 17: "The Plant Communities of Springs" Lawrence E. Stevens, Ph.D.
Larry Stevens is an evolutionary ecologist and the Coordinator of the Museum of Northern Arizona’s Springs Stewardship Institute, which is dedicated to improving understanding and stewardship of springs ecosystems. He also serves MNA as the Curator of Ecology, and is the Senior Ecologist for Grand Canyon Wildlands Council, a conservation organization in Flagstaff. He is a long-time Colorado River whitewater guide, and served as Ecologist for Grand Canyon National Park (1988-1994). He has conducted extensive research on southwestern biogeography, conservation ecology, endangered and non-native species biology, as well as springs, riverine, wetlands, and dam ecology and management. 

Saturday, October 21: Larry Stevens will lead a field trip to Montezuma Well, to explore the great contrasts between vegetation types as we move from springs, to riparian, and then into xeric ecosystems.
To carpool, meet at the OneAZ Credit Union at the corner of Beaver and Butler at 8:30 am. Bring the usual sun protection, water, and your lunch.

Friday, September 1, 2017

Seed to Table

Our Seed to Table program is back and looks to be better than ever!

AmeriCorps member Emily Melhorn has been working on recipes, Derek Bowerman is back to assist, Rebekah Glassy is our extern for the summer, and Brian Moody is on hand to make sure we take care of the Bus Stop Garden. Liz George and Lynn Schiek have helped with the planning and planting. Loren and Joyce Cunningham will join us in August for more salsa making and tasting. Trish and I are just sitting back and relaxing!

The first Seed to Table is Tuesday, June 13th from 5-7pm at the Coconino County Extension (2304 North Third Street). 
We’ll cover growing greens, composting, kale smoothie tasting, washing of greens and a micro-perforated bags demo.

June 27: Radishes and Onions and Rainwater Harvesting
July 11: Pesto and Herbs and Growing Herbs and Produce in Containers
July 25: Green Beans, Soil Amendments and Planting for Fall Crops

I’ve attached the flyer for the 1st four classes.

The final four dates are:
August 8: Cucumbers
August 15: Berries
August 22: Tomatoes and tomatillos
September 26: Harvest Party!

Hattie

Hattie Braun
County Director/Horticulture, Coconino County
University of Arizona Cooperative Extension
2304 N. 3rd St.
Flagstaff, AZ  86004
Phone: 928-773-6118
FAX: 928-774-1860