CMGA General Info

Roadrunner: Although typically desert dwellers, roadrunners may also thrive in cold climates by fluffing feathers for insulation and by exposing their black back feathers to the sun.
Photo by Cindy Murray.

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

Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Seeds from China

Unsolicited Seeds from China

USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is aware that people across the county have received unsolicited packages of seed from China in recent days including many in Arizona.
APHIS is working closely with the Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection and State departments of agriculture including the Arizona Department of Agriculture to prevent the unlawful entry of prohibited seeds and protect U.S. agriculture from invasive pests and noxious weeds. Please do not discard the unsolicited package of seeds received in the mail. Anyone in Arizona who receives an unsolicited package of seeds from China should immediately send or drop off the package to one of the following locations:

Arizona Department of Agriculture
ATTN: PLANT SERVICES DIVISION
1688 W. Adams
Phoenix, AZ 85007
(P) 602-542-0992
(F) 602-542-1004

Tucson Operations
Arizona Department of Agriculture
Plant Services Division
400 W Congress Ste. 124
Tucson, Az. 85701
(P) 520-628-6314
(F) 520-628-6961

Yuma Operations
Arizona Department of Agriculture
Plant Services Division
1931 S. Arizona Avenue Suite 4
Yuma, AZ 85364
(P) 928-341-1758

www.agriculture.az.gov

(F) 928-341-1750

Tuesday, July 28, 2020

Flagstaff Community Market

Flagstaff Community Farmers Market's Public Re-Opening
Flagstaff High School 400 W Elm Ave
Sundays 8-1

Online Store Hours: Monday 12pm- Thursday 5pm
Pick up Sundays 8-12

ONLINE SHOPPING
Shop online Monday 12PM-Thursday 5PM under "SHOP NOW" and pick up your purchase Sundays between 8-noon at the Flag High lot *Please Note: The "SHOP NOW" button and link is only visible from Monday 12PM-Thursday 5PM. This gives us time to communicate with farmers and gives them time to harvest for Sunday!
​Enjoy nourishing yourself and your loved ones with healthy food!!!
🌱Thank you for your support🌱

We will still be offering a pre-purchase drive through produce, local meat & honey, tamales, salmon, bread & more!

Volunteer Pollinator Garden at Kachina Wetlands

Help Establish a Pollinator Garden at Kachina Wetlands

Tuesday, August 7, beginning at 8 am

Volunteers are needed to plant 400 milkweed plugs and 30 shrubs in gallon containers.
You will need either a garden trowel or a shovel to participate in this event.
Also, bring a hat, sunscreen, water, and gloves

Directions: Drive 6 miles south of Flagstaff on I-17 and take the Kachina Blvd exit. 
At the bottom of the off ramp, turn right onto Tovar Trail and follow it one mile to the end, then turn right into a dirt parking area.
If using a cell phone for directions, enter 2375 Utility Road, Flagstaff, AZ

The pollinator garden is being funded through a Partnership Grant with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
For questions:  Christina.Vojta@nau.edu

Saturday, July 11, 2020

Arboretum Plant Sale

Annual Plant Sale
 Link for plant selection and purchase:
https://thearb.org/plant-sale/?dlv-emuid=67e15c89-6dd8-428f-b0d1-bc9c476ebcf9&dlv-mlid=2289923

Plants for the People

page01-5.jpg

Hi Friends,
With this heat, even our established plants are wilting a bit in the midday sun, our new plants are definitely wilting, and we are wilting as well. We've been protecting our new plantings with coverings of straw and leaves, giving them a brief hose and wetting the ground to increase the humidity directly around them, and in some cases, covering them with row cover (or even a sheet would work, just be sure it is vented). These measures relieve the pressures of dry air and drying direct sun, allowing plants to photosynthesize without losing as much moisture to the air (which causes them to wilt). Also, be sure to water the plants regularly with long deep waterings so they aren't also struggling with dry soils.  We've posted pictures of our protection measures at the bottom of the email if you prefer a visual. Until the rains come, we're holding our breath, tasting the air in sweet anticipation for the full start of the daily monsoon parade, and standing watch in the garden. Fortunately, this is a nice way to pass the time these days.

PLANT OFFERINGS THIS WEEK

Shrubs and Perennials
We have a few extra plants from our recent 300 plant order. Most of these plants were pre-sold, and this is what is still available. These plants were grown in New Mexico. 

We have small quantities of plants right now, orders are filled on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Mountain Mahogany - #5 pot (similar to 5 gallon) - only 1 left - $35
Fernbush - #1 pot (similar to 1 gallon) - only 1 left - $12
Apache Plume - #1 pot - 4 left - $12
Lemonade berry/3-leaf sumac - #5 pot - 3 left - $35
Caradonna sage - #1 pot - 3 left - $12
Desert 4-O'clock - #1 pot - 8 left - $12

Locally Grown Plants

Clary sage - 4" pot - $6
  • These will likely bloom next year. Clary sage gets these beautiful lavendar stalks around 3 feet tall, makes an excellent cut-flower, leaves can be dried and used for cooking, attractive to many types of pollinators, and smells incredible. 
Alpine strawberry (white soul & pineapple mix) - Pack of 4 plants - 3" pots - $15
  • White strawberries that taste like roses & pineapple. Makes an excellent ground cover and is fun for foraging kids (and the young at heart). 

Seeds
Native Turf Lawn - low water green lawn.
Mountain Prairie Mix - mix of grasses & flowers for low-maintenance beauty
Flagstaff Wildflower Mix - get the right blend of drought-tolerant flowers
Seed packets of native grasses & wildflowers - choose your own!

Landscape Design
Jeff is available again for ecologically-based landscape designs. He collects information on various aspects of your property, what you are hoping to create, and thoughtfully develops a design that is low-resource emphasizing on-site and locally-sourced materials, low-maintenance, great habitat for pollinators & song birds, and is most importantly, beautiful. Find out more here.

Photos of protection measures for plants - waiting for the Monsoon!
Ways to create shade for your new plants.

fullsizeoutput_1433.jpeg

Wednesday, July 8, 2020

CMGA Monthly Meeting


Coconino Master Gardener Meeting Agenda
Thursday, July 9, 2020 at 6:30pm
Zoom Meeting

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

6:35-6:40pm   Introduction of Speaker—Hattie Braun

6:40-7:45pm   Education: Cindy Murray “Getting to Know Our Pollinators”

7:45-8:25pm   Business Meeting:
                       
MG Coordinator Happenings—Hattie Braun
·         Updates on Meetings, Events, Seed Library, Garden Resources
·         Other
Summer CGMA Meetings – Sue Madden
·         August 13, 2020

Financial Report – Jeff Best

Next meeting:              August 13, 2020

Tuesday, July 7, 2020

MNA Tuesday Plant Talks

I thought Master Gardeners might be interested in the upcoming topics for the Tuesday plant talks that we record at noon from the Museum of Northern Arizona. These can be watched live or later on the MNA Facebook page. (https://www.facebook.com/musnaz/)
Stay safe,

Kristan Hutchison, Director of Marketing
Office phone: 928-774-5211, ext. 273 Cell/Text: 360-265-8357
See attached file for details or follow the classes on the calendar.