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 26, 2019

Picture Canyon Weed Pulls

Tuesday, June 11, 2019

CMGA Meeting Agends June 13, 2019

Coconino Master Gardener Meeting Agenda

Thursday, June 13, 2019 at 6:30pm

Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church—Benson Hall

1601 N. San Francisco, Flagstaff, AZ 86001

6:30-6:35pm Welcome-Sue Madden, President

6:35-6:40pm Introduction of Speakers—Sue Madden

6:40-7:45pm Education: Jeff Mielander/High Elevation Desert Gardening

(15 minute break with refreshments)

7:45-8:00pm Raffle Prize Drawing – $1 each or 6 for $5 - Must be present to win

8:00-8:25pm Business Meeting

Art-full Summer Garden Tours/July 20—Questions? Ask Colleen Tucker at (928) 853-0315 or Jennifer Quarterman at (720) 560-7575. Six gardens have been selected. One volunteer is still needed for the afternoon.

Gilli Thomas—Water Conservation for the City of Flagstaff. Gilli will continue to attend as the CMGA presence with other groups that have a stake in this issue. Nothing new to report.

MG Coordinator Happenings—Sue Madden

§ Summer Plant Sale, June 15. Vendors and plant sellers have been signing up. Volunteers still needed to assist. No food trucks, snacks will be available for sale. Sale starts at 8am for CMGA members and 9am for the general public.

§ Bus Stop Garden MG/Volunteer needed. Plants mostly in the ground now.

§ Master Gardener Hotline will begin when staff and volunteers are available. Help Desk Coordinator and other volunteers needed.

Financial Report—Jeff Best, Treasurer will report

Committee Progress Reports:

Continuing Education - Gilli Thomas would welcome suggestions for presenters

· June 13, 2019—High Elevation Desert Gardening/Jeff Mielander

· July 11, 2019—Vertical Gardening/Emily Melhorn

· August 8, 2019—Permaculture/Rosemary Logan

· September—TBD/Picnic and Recognition of New Master Gardeners

· October 10, 2019—Bokhasi Composting/Steve Alston

Volunteer Support—Tim Ellsworth-Bowers will report volunteer hours.

Social Chair – Liz George—Sign-ups for the rest of the year are complete.

Seed Library – Jackie Alston

Blog/Communication – Loni Shapiro—New calendar for the Blog

Historian—Tammy Valdovino

Fundraising Chair—Sherline Alexander. Sherline will be helping with logistics for the Artful Gardens Tour.

8:25-8:30 Gardening Questions? Can I volunteer even if I am not a Master Gardener?

Next meeting: July 11 with speaker Emily Melhorn/Vertical Gardening.

Sunday, June 9, 2019

3rd Annual Master Gardener Plant Sale and Garden Festival

June 15, 2019 - 9 am - 1 pm, Fort Tuthill County Park, Flagstaff, AZ

CMGA members only preview - 8 am - 9 am

The Coconino County Master Gardener Association (CMGA) and University of Arizona Coconino County Extension Office are pleased to present the third annual plant sale and garden festival. We'll have a master gardener table with experts to answer your gardening questions, gardening demonstrations and workshops, and children's activities. Runs with Scissors will be sharpening clippers, scissors, knives and other small items. Vendors will be selling vegetables, houseplants, ornamental and native plants as well as seeds and garden-related items including birding supplies, books and pottery. Our current list of vendors includes:

- Arboretum at Flagstaff

- Brightside Books

- Flagstaff Ecoranch

- Forestdale Farm Stewards

- Jay's Bird Barn

- Julie MacDonald

- NAU Clay Club

- Olivia White Hospice

- Peaks View 4-H Club

- Terroir Seeds

- Verde Valley School

- Willow Moon Nursery

Not all vendors will have the capability to run credit cards, so you are encouraged to bring cash.

Saturday, June 8, 2019

Plant Sale - Tomatoes Herbs & More

Flagstaff grown beautiful Tomato Plants, Herbs, and More
7905 N. Rain Valley Rd.
June 1 & 2, 8 & 9, 15, 22 & 23 - 830am-3pm

All plants grown from seed and Happy Frog container soil and organic fertilizers. She has 13 varieties of tomatoes, several chilies and peppers, and some herbs.

For more info call Erin Cunningham 928-699-3365

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