This Week in the Garden

I weeded the front beds last Thursday and planted some Sweet Peas and a tall form of Verbena, transplanted the Spanish lavenders or French? can't remember inside the garden fence and moved around a few other things. In the entry beds, I was thinking of continuing with the blue green varying species border and then right behind it doing a border of a colorful annual, something like red or purple flowering petunias or vice versa.  I think with those two borders around the main planting area, the plantings within the bed will stand out a little more and the bed will seem a little more organized.  I've divided a bunch of perennials so I'm hopeful this year it is going to fill out nicely.  I've also started a Honey Bush plant with striking foliage and flowers, which I plan to plant in the main bed for some added interest.  I am considering planting two Star Magnolias on either side of the gate, but I'm not sure if the space to the left is sufficient.  We'll work it out somehow.  The Star Magnolias were donated by the Humboldt Botanical Garden and are quite mature but have been somewhat dwarfed having been grown in pots.  I pruned back all of the perennials in the main beds and divided one that had been trampled and the new divisions are all doing well. I fed the climbing roses and they are looking lush! I planted my own bed with onions, broccoli, cauliflower, nasturtiums and petunias, I have some potatoes too, but I need to cut them up, perhaps I'll put a few of those in there too. I weeded one of the inside beds with the artichokes today and then planted a few nasturtiums, the small mounding type. I love working in this garden and am really thankful to have such a sweet place in a public park where I can get my hands dirty.

Humboldt Botanical Gardens Plant Sale

Humboldt Botanical Gardens Plant Sales--Saturday, April 30th and Saturday, May 7th at the Humboldt Botanical Gardens, take 101 to CR, go up North Entrance at CR, turn left into upper parking lot.  These plants and more will be available for sale. 

• Assorted heuchera
• California Fuchsia Zauchneria californica/Epilobium canum

• Serbian Bellflower Campanula poscharskyana
• Jerusalem Sage Phlomis fruticosa

 

• Seep Monkeyflower Mimulus guttatus

• Scarlet Monkeyflower Mimulus cardinalis

• Western Columbine Aquilegia formosa

• Dwarf Tickseed Coreopsis ariculata 'Nana'

• Douglas Iris Iris douglasiana
• Red-flowering Currant Ribes sanguineum
• Ninebark Physocarpus capitatus
• Wood Rose Rosa gymnocarpa
• California Rose Rosa californica
• Western Spicebush Calycanthus occidentalis
• Wild Mock Orange Philadelphus lewisii
• Stinking Hellebore Helleborus foetidus
• Assorted Heathers
• 10" Hanging Baskets of colorful Petunia, Verbena and Lantana designed to feed butterflies and hummingbirds

Erosion Control Textile for Fencing Material

To protect the community garden from animals, we used a black mesh geo-textile used in erosion control.  Our roll was donated by Mercer-Fraser Company.  We drove metal fence posts every eight feet, unrolled the fencing and cut the fencing using box cutters and heavy duty scissors into two very long pieces about four feet high.  We then picked up the long cut pieces and zip-tied them to the fence posts.  This was a very quick and easy project and a year later the fence still functions wonderfully.  The black causes the fencing to fade away so it is really unnoticeable and not unattractive.

Garden Preparation Workshop

North Coast Community Garden Collaborative is putting on a FREE Garden Preparation Workshop on Saturday, March 12th from 10-11 a.m at the Bayside Park Community Garden at 930 Old Arcata Road.  Join Arcata Mayor Susan Ornelas for a short session on how to create a garden bed using a Permaculture method using worms.  Rain or shine. (North Coast Community Garden Collaborative)

Garden Mangers' Workshop

AmeriCorps VISTA Community Garden Project is putting on a FREE Garden Managers' Workshop.  The workshop will address many topics related to managing community gardens including outreach, sustainable models, accessing resources, etc.  The workshop is Friday, March 25th from 8:30-noon at the UCCE Agriculture Center, 5630 South Broadway.

Directions from Eureka: 

• Heading south on 101, take Humboldt Hill Exit
• Go over freeway
• Veer right when road splits
• Stay on South Broadway
• Soon after, veer off on right side of street
• Brown building with sign in front

RSVP to
Debbie Perticara
AmeriCorps VISTA Community Gardens Project
(707) 269-2071
debbiep@nrsrcaa.org
North Coast Community Garden Collaborative