CMGA General Info

Apple blossoms. Photo by Cynthia Murray.

Welcome to the Coconino County Master Gardeners Association

The Coconino Master Gardener Association began in 2009 to create a corps of well-informed volunteers, and to deliver quality horticultural education programs adapted to our regional high elevation environment. The association provides support for Master Gardener graduates and volunteers as well as continuing education and opportunities to participate in community programs that increase the visibility and participation in the Master Gardener Program.


Monthly meetings are held on the 2nd Thursday from 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church
1601 N. San Francisco St. in Flagstaff, Arizona.

On this page you will find:
- How to become a member Membership form
- How to report volunteer and education hours Report your hours
- Upcoming events calendar
- Gardening columns and articles
- Links to other useful websites and resources
- Master Gardener Association documents and forms

Change in Contact Information

Make sure you are receiving the regular emails from Master Gardeners, which are filled with reminders about upcoming events and useful gardening information.Click here to update your contact information!

Event Calendar

Tuesday, May 9, 2023

 Coconino Master Gardener Meeting Agenda
Shepherd of the Hills/Benson Hall
1601 N San Francisco St., Flagstaff, AZ 86001


Thursday, May 11, 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—Gayle Gratop/Therapeutic Gardening/help with summer pollinators. Questions from Audience

7:40-7:55pm Refreshments, Social, Raffle, & Raffle Drawing
7:55-8:25pm Business Meeting

MG Coordinator - Hattie Braun
 The new Volunteer Reporting System has added an Education section.
 Seed Ball Workshop/Restoration talk 6/3/2023—East Valley Baptist Church @ 3pm.
 Other

President --Frank Branham
 End of year report
 Plant Give-away/East Valley Baptist Church/1 st Saturday in June/8:30-3p
 Garden Tours

Wednesday, May 3, 2023

ArtX and Volunteering

 From Wild Heart Farm

We are seeking gardeners, forest lovers and artists to create Blooming from the Ashes: Forest Fire and Community Resilience; an interdisciplinary and interactive performance  that addresses the social, ecological and emotional impact of increased wildfires as a result of forest management and climate change.  This will be part of ArtX, a free community art festival being held in downtown Flagstaff May 26 & 27.

BACKGROUND and MISSION
As lovers of the natural world, artists, gardeners, community members, and ecologists, we have both observed and experienced deep emotions of grief, wonder, frustration and joy surrounding wildfire and post-fire recovery. Our forests are in a state of change, destruction and regeneration brought upon largely by colonization, historic forest management, and climate change. Fire is the great revealer of truth, and truth can be difficult to hold.

In this experience, we will weave together floral arts, aerial dance, spoken word, fire ecology, and song to explore the life force—of fire, of growth, and dynamic change in our forest home. We will stand witness to one another as we turn towards these truths, feel the cracked surfaces and feel our resilience.

The hopeful outcome of this project is a deeper understanding of our beloved forest’s future and a collective opportunity to share in our grief and wonder of the tremendous ecosystem with which we are intertwined. We will honor our past, embrace the present, and re-imagine our future. 

VOLUNTEER NEEDS
We will be doing a large-scale floral design installation at the Orpheum, essentially creating a forest in various stages of recovery. We need home gardeners to bring cut flowers, master gardeners to tend the potted plants for a few days, people to help with set design and breakdown, as well as to attend the event dressed as forest beings.

Please email Kate Watters wildheartfarmaz@gmail.com if you would like to sign up for a role. 

Thank you for helping us spread the word!
Kate and co.
--
Kate Watters
928.221.0045
With every breath I plant the seeds of devotion, I am a farmer of the heart.
~Rumi

Monday, May 1, 2023

Native Plant Society Meeting

 


 The Brothers Boutelou and the Grass They Barely Knew: A Journey into Botany, History, Exploration, and Two Remarkable Men
 Speaker:  Debbie DeWolf Allen.
 
Botanical names can be challenging to pronounce and to spell, yet they hold a treasure trove of meaning. Latin plant names often describe a distinctive characteristic of the plant, but sometimes they honor a person: some mysterious unknown figure from the past who must have some importance in the botanical world.
 
In this talk by Debbie Allen, we delve into the origin of the name of Blue Grama Grass, Bouteloua gracilis. Blue Grama is native to the southwest, and is charming, distinctive, and easy to identify. The origin of the genus name, Bouteloua, takes us back to a tale that intertwines two Spanish gardeners from the late 1700’s, an enlightened king of Spain, an expedition to explore the New World, and some amazing botanical drawings that were lost for almost 200 years. Come take a fascinating journey that encompasses botany, history, exploration, and the tale of two remarkable men.
 
Debbie DeWolf Allen has always loved nature. She majored in geology in college and fell in love with the wide-open spaces of the west at geology field camp in Montana. She has been certified as a Master Gardener in Harris County, Texas, and Yavapai County, Arizona. She recently released a field guide to local grasses called Common Grasses of the Central Arizona Highlands, available at the Natural History Institute.
 
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/.../tZMuc...
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Wednesday, April 26, 2023

Food Forests and Rainwater Harvesting Resources

 Resources on Food Forests and Rainwater Harvesting

from Jim Allen talk 4/13


Resources on Food Forests and Rainwater Harvesting

What is a food forest?: https://projectfoodforest.org/what-is-a-food-forest/. This webpage provides helpful background information.

Central Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute: Site of high-elevation outdoor and indoor food forests, which are also the most mature and diverse that I’ve seen to date. Located at 7,250 feet near Basalt, CO.

Video interview with founder, Jerome Osentowski (6:39):  https://www.facebook.com/versaplanet/videos/3090101181030966/. This video has scenes of both his indoor and outdoor food forests, along with Jerome discussing his work.

The Forest Garden Greenhouse (Jerome’s book): https://www.chelseagreen.com/product/the-forest-garden-greenhouse/. This webpage also has links to other resources that may be of interest.

 

Brad Lancaster and Rainwater Harvesting:

Brad’s TED Talk, Planting the Rain to Grow Abundance (17:52): https://www.harvestingrainwater.com/video/planting-the-rain-to-grow-abundance/

Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond website: https://www.harvestingrainwater.com/

Dunbar/Spring Neighborhood Forester website: https://dunbarspringneighborhoodforesters.org/

 

Some Other Resources:

Linking Edible Arizona Forests website: https://leafnetworkaz.org/

Flagstaff Low Impact Development website: https://www.flagstaff.az.gov/3704/LID

USDA National Agroforestry Center: https://www.fs.usda.gov/nac/

Urban food forests in the American Southwest journal article: https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/uar2.20018

Jim’s webinar on food forests in the American Southwest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhHAuNITzsY

Root Camp at Warner's

 

Date               Topic                                                                   Speakers                                              

March 11      Pruning                                                               Mick Henry

March 18      Seed Starting                                                      Jackee & Steve Alston    

March 25      Crop and Garden Planning                              Tina Gustafson                  

April 1           Season Extenders                                               Jackee & Steve Alston 

April 8           Creative Landscaping for DIYers                    Chris Dixon                  

April 15         Veggie Gardening at High Elevation               Jim Mast

April 22         Drip Irrigation                                                   Linda Guarino

April 29         Composting for Better Soil & Health              Frank Branham

May 6            Raised Bed and Container Gardening             Janan Scott 

May 13         Native Perennials for the Garden                      Gayle Gratop                     

May 20         Water Conservation in Gardening                     Emily Melhorn

June 3            Organic Pest Control                                          Hattie Braun

 

 

There are 2 additional programs from Warners:

Chris Whitney on Rainwater Harvesting

Patrick Pynes in June or July on Pollinators in the Garden

Brave the Wild River - Publication and Talks


 

Publication Date: May 23, 2023

Dear friends & colleagues:

 

I’m writing to let you know about some upcoming events (in-person and virtual) where you can join me to celebrate the release of my new book, Brave the Wild River, one month from today.

 

For those of you in Flagstaff, my book launch celebration will be hosted by Bright Side Bookshop on Thursday, May 25. Tickets (via book purchase) are required (details here).

 

For those further afield, you can catch me on my Four Corners book tour in Durango and Paonia (Colorado), Moab and Vernal (Utah), Silver City (New Mexico), or during a virtual event. More info on my website, www.melissasevigny.com.

 

My heartfelt thanks to all of you who have preordered a copy. I’m proud to bring this story about two extraordinary botanists who ran the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon in 1938 to the world. If you haven’t yet ordered, please consider supporting your local independent bookstore. And if you’d like a sneak peek before ordering, look for an excerpt in High County News next week, or check out my 2019 Atavist article that grew into this book.

 

All the best,

 

Melissa Sevigny 

Beside appearing at Bright Side Bookshop:

Science writer Melissa Sevigny will join Grand
Canyon Trust members on Zoom to talk about
her new book on May 23,2023 at 5 p.m.
Contact Kimber at
kimber(a)grandcanyontrust.org or
928-286-3375 to reserve your spot.



Plant Sale and Garden Festival

 

 
 
If you have used tools or books to donate, the CMGA 2nd Chance table at the Plant Sale is looking for some. Funds raised for their sale go to the CMGA garden grants. Contact Mary Gaseau (MMGaseau@gmail.com or Cindy Wilson (wilson.cindy@gmail.com).
If you want to volunteer on the day of the Plant Sale contact Denbie Nash (granbie3@gmail.com).