Maricopa County’s Master Gardener Newsletter … · Maricopa County’s Master Gardener Newsletter University of Arizona Cooperative Extension November 2006 Roots & Shoots November

Maricopa County’s Master Gardener Newsletter University of Arizona Cooperative Extension

November 2006

Roots & Shoots

November MG Update: Field Trip to Crooked Sky Farms WHO: Farmer Frank Martin owns and operates Crooked Sky Farms based in Glendale, Arizona. Crooked Sky Farms grows and supplies fresh produce for several Arizona Farmer's Markets, restaurants and CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) in Phoenix, Flagstaff, Tucson, and Prescott. Frank’s produce feeds 800 families weekly through the CSAs alone. Frank Martin began gardening as a child and grew up with farming right here in Arizona. After taking the Master Gardening class in 1993, Frank not only began growing native crops but also appeared before many groups and on local television with his presentations on the subject. WHAT: CROOKED SKY FARM TOUR Crooked Sky Farms consists of several small fields in Glendale, Waddell, Duncan, Phoenix, Chandler, and Young, Arizona. These fields are located in different climate zones, allowing for year round farming and great produce diversity (over 70 different crops each season). Frank is committed to sustainable farming using organic methods without chemical pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers. At Crooked Sky, organic and heirloom seeds are used to grow regionally appropriate crops that make the most of the restricted flood irrigation water supply. Frank and his team will show us what crops are being planted, how they’re tended and what’s being har-vested this season. Current crops include a variety of greens, beets, basil, squash and more. We’ll have a good look at the irrigation system and sustainable field management practices such as providing a balance of weeds, compost and mulch, crop rotation, crop diversity and naturally occurring predators. There will be an opportunity to learn more about CSAs and what the word ‘organic’ means in current agriculture. Frank Martin is an experienced speaker as well as a truly knowledgeable gardener. Bring your questions and enjoy. SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS: Fresh produce will be available for purchase, including seasonal decora-tive materials like pumpkins, gourds, corn stalks and hay bales. Crooked Sky Farm will treat us to a tasting of some current specialties. Tastings at the farm often include roasted corn, potatoes, chilies and squash blos-som quesadillas. WHAT TO BRING: We’re welcome to bring folding chairs and lunches and visit for a bit after the tour. There will be hay bales to sit on. Areas of the farm are often muddy and sturdy shoes are a plus. It is a good idea to bring water and a hat. WHEN: November 8, Wednesday morning, 10:00 am WHERE: Crooked Sky Farm, 5835 N. 83rd Ave, Glendale AZ 85303, S.E. corner of 83rd Ave. and Bethany Home Rd. Directions are on page 2. TO CARPOOL: Please meet between 8:45 am and 9:00 am at the Extension office, 4341 E. Broad-way Rd., Phoenix. Carpoolers will leave the Extension by 9:00 am. Deb Sparrow, Speaker Coordinator for Updates

Roots & Shoots page 2

ROOTS & SHOOTS

EDITOR: Tracy Gorelick [email protected] COPY EDITORS: Meg Paterson, Jo Cook, Patsy Hansel, Carolyn Chard WEBSITE QUESTIONS: Cathy Munger 602/470-8086 USPS MAIL QUESTIONS: Debbie Mauldin 602/470-8086

Deadline is the 18th of the month prior.

Roots & Shoots, published monthly by & for Maricopa Co. Master Gardeners, is printed under the direction of:

THE MARICOPA CO. COOPERATIVE EXTENSION OFFICE 4341 E. BROADWAY RD. / PHOENIX, AZ 85040-8807 PHONE 602/470-8086 FAX 602/470-8092

HOURS: 8:00AM-5:00PM WEEKDAYS maricopamastergardeners.org

STAFF: Jo Cook, Program Coordinator, Sr. 602/470-8086 x311

[email protected]

Debbie Mauldin, Admin. Ass’t 602/470-8086 x308 Hours: M-T 8am-5pm; Wed. 10am-2pm

[email protected]

Diggings in the Garden Our work with Arborist Claude Cluff Sept 30th kicked off with a review of pruning tools. He discussed and demonstrated the difference between forged blades and those cut from sheet steel, the general life of pruning saws, and what to look for when purchasing new ones. We discussed the importance of the Disabilities Act in reference to determining how high off sidewalks to prune trees and overhanging shrubs: 8 feet, by law. Discussion covered the crown ratio, thinning principles for very thorny mesquites and considerations for tree selection. Then we practiced our new pruning skills on several trees on site.. Two of the mesquites on the south side are not healthy and he recommended they be removed, as the re-maining trees will grow in to provide the necessary screen from encroaching developments. We also did some work on the Desert Museum Palo Verde to balance the trimming it received this summer as it invaded the parking/loading zone. Not only did Claude share what he has learned of desert trees, he also shared his mini muffin recipe. Those who have attended our arborist trail days with Claude have all enjoyed the mini muffins he brings. Since he shared it with us, I’ll share it with you, however, it should be preceeded by Claude’s disclaimer: “I do not use a recipe or measure accurately, so you may have to adjust dry or wet ingredients to get the consistency you like". Claude's Mini muffins Mix Dry ingredients: Wet ingredients: about 3/4 cup fruit and nuts 2 C. flour Egg 1/2 - 1 tsp spices 3/4 C. sugar Oil 1/2 C. dry milk Water 1 Tbl baking powder 1 t. salt Beat egg, oil and water and add to dry ingredients. Add fruit and nuts. Add spices. Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees for mini muffins, 30 minutes for regular size.

Update Directions 5835 N. 83rd Ave, Glendale AZ 85303 From I-10 heading west:

Take the exit for 83rd Avenue heading north. The farm’s entrance is the last drive-way on the right before the light at Bethany Home Road.

From the Loop 101 west side outer loop: Take Glendale exit 7 heading east. Turn right onto N. 83rd Avenue. Pass Ocotillo and Maryland Avenue. Cross through Beth-any Home Road. At the first house on the left, turn into the driveways into the farm.

page 3 Roots & Shoots

Butternut Squash Soup...as sampled at the Update! from Carolyn Hills 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 medium yellow onion, chopped 2 tablespoons crystallized ginger 2 medium butternut squash (3-1/2 to 4 lbs. total) 2 cups applesauce 2 cups plain yogurt 1-2 cups half-and-half or heavy cream 4 cans (14 oz) chicken broth Salt and white pepper Chopped fresh chives (optional) Cut squash lengthwise, remove seeds, and place cut-side down in a shallow baking pan. Add water to pan to about ½ inch deep. Bake squash at 375 degrees until very tender, 30 to 45 minutes. Set aside to cool. Sauté chopped onion in oil until soft. Puree the onion and crystallized ginger in a blender or food processor, along with some of the chicken broth, until smooth. Add pureed onion mixture to a large soup pot, along with applesauce and yogurt. Set burner to medium heat. Scrape squash from skins and puree in batches, along with more of the chicken stock. Add pureed squash mixture to soup pot. Add any remaining chicken stock and half-and-half or cream to taste. Add salt and pep-per to taste. Garnish with chopped fresh chives, if desired.

Design Charrette November 18th 9am-12pm Design Charrette 911 Emergency! Carolyn Hill needs our help. Carolyn's garden is on the 2007 Real Gardens for Real People Tour and she's in a panic. She's got two problems. The front lacks the WOW factor and part of the backyard is undeveloped. She envisions it as a wildlife area. Start thinking water feature/pond, no or low maintenance plants providing shelter and food for birds, butterflies or other desert creatures. It would be a crime to stand by and do nothing. Join us at the Design Charrette and help save a fellow Master Gardener. [email protected]

AHA Weed and Feed Join in the fun with a few of the Arizona Herb Association members on their first Saturday of the month work day ‘Weed & Feed’ November 4 at 8:00 am. We will pull weeds, plant a few herbs, perform a little light prun-ing and otherwise enjoy the perimeter garden that surrounds the MG vegetable garden, which is part of the greater Interpretive Trail. These ten herb gardens could use your help, so if you are interested in putting in a little volunteer time and learning about how herbs grow here in this sub-tropical desert, please contact Sandra Jefferies at 480-893-3569 or Lizbeth Hayden at 480-874-9711. These ladies are in charge of the AZ herb garden and are always looking for helpers. Bring your own hand tools, garden gloves, drinking water, and a willing attitude for a few fun filled gardening hours dedicated to the maintenance of this herb garden that has grown at the Cooperative Extension since 1989.


NE Satellite News Welcome back to our seasonal office staff! What is Citrus Greening? Join us on Friday, November 3 at the Via Linda Senior Center as Dr. Glen Wright, Citrus Specialist at the U of A Yuma Ag Center, discusses this disease that is po-tentially devastating to the Arizona Citrus Industry. All MGs should be informed about this disease since the Arizona De-partment of Agriculture will be referring the public to us for infor-mation. Time is 10 a.m. Also, please join us Thursday, November 9 at 10 a.m. for the NE Satellite Office diagnostic (Via Linda Senior Center). We are fortunate to have Roberta Gibson presenting a talk on pollinators with wonderful pictures, interesting facts and an amazing film about these beneficial insects. Both of these programs are open to all MGs, not just those working the NE Office. Please let Carol or me know if you plan to attend either/both so we can make sure space is available. Hope to see you there. Marion Adams ([email protected]) & Carol Stuttard ([email protected])

Garden Tour Update The Garden Tour Team is meeting monthly to stay on top of all the details that will make this a smooth, won-derful event. The October meeting discussed 5 Master Gardener Gardens and 2 Elementary School Gar-dens. Confirmation of the Final Six will be announced at the next Garden Tour meeting. Many of the Chair positions for the event have been filled; however, there are still a few opportunities if you are looking for a rewarding way to earn volunteer hours. The following positions are available:

Distribution - get 'stuff' to their respective gardens around the date of the event. Historian - pull all the Kodak moments together to show future generations of Master Gardeners how

cool Garden Tours were ‘back in the day’. Sponsors - work with local businesses and corporations that want to support the Master Gardener

Program by sponsoring the Tour. Vendors - recruit and assist local businesses with their

booths on the day of the event. Signs - visit all the gardens in advance of the event to

determine where signage would best serve traffic flow. Place signage the day of the event.

Garden Captain Co-Chairs are needed for several gar-dens

The next meeting of the Real Gardens for Real People Garden Tour will be November 15 at 12pm at Jo Cook's home in (lovely) Chandler. Please RSVP to Jo([email protected]) if you plan on attending so she can determine if she needs to fill in her pool to make room for eve-ryone!

MG Appreciation Luncheon Nov. 11 We are changing seasons for a most important Master Gardener event, recognizing and appreciating all our Master Gardener Volunteers and the work we do. Formerly called "award" program or "recognition" program and held in February, we would like to meet and greet everyone of you at the Palo Verde Room and gardens of the Extension Office 1:00 pm to 3:30 pm, Saturday, November 11. Lunch will be provided. Plan to bring a guest to join in the fun. RSVP by 11/3 online at cals.arizona.edu/maricopa/garden/mgcentral/rsvp.php or call Jo Cook 602-470-8086 x311 to reserve a spot (and lunch).


House Plants: Aucubas by Pauline Marx The Aucubas are evergreen shrubs belonging to the Dogwood family and are native to Japan and the Hima-layas. The name comes from the Japanese Aokiba. They grow from 6 to 10 feet high in the landscape but can be successfully grown as houseplants with judicious pruning every spring. Aucuba japonica is an outdoor shrub with leathery, glossy foliage. Only the variegated types are used in-doors. Indoors they require average warmth, perhaps a little cooler in winter. Green Aucubas can grow in full shade but look their best if they receive some indirect light. Variegated varie-ties need more light but even they cannot tolerate direct sunlight. If placed in a hot and dry spot, serious leaf fall may occur. Brown edges in summer means that you are not watering frequently enough. Water regularly from spring to autumn. Water sparingly in winter. The soil must never be allowed to dry out. Fertilize with half-strength houseplant fertilizer each time they are watered in the summer. Mist frequently in winter. Variegated varieties lose their spotting if they don’t get enough light. Variegated plants always need more light than the plain varieties. Aucuba japonica variegata with spotted leaves is the most common houseplant variety and the easiest to find and grow as a houseplant. When conditions are ideal, your Aucuba may flower, but you must have a male and a female plant. The small Aucuba flowers grow on umbrella-like pink stems on the female plants. They are followed by long-lasting decorative berries ½ inch in diameter. The flowers have no scent. Aucuba Aureo maculata has bright green leaves covered with a multitude of yellow spots. Poor drainage, too frequent watering, or standing in water will cause root rot. Dry soil or high soluble salts may damage roots, causing plant to die back.

Editor’s Note Greetings and Happy Harvest to you all. Well, wasn’t October a busy month! What with all of the plant sales and festivals, there wasn’t an empty weekend! And November is shaping up to be quite busy too. Here in Arizona, as we all know, winter just means a great growing season. So, looking forward to December, I would like to fill the December issue with holiday recipes and other ideas of ways to use our gardens’ bounty for the holidays. Please, share your ideas with us. I am also still looking for someone to

help with the calendar. If you are interested, please let me know. I want to thank everyone who contributed to this issue. I would especially like to thank my husband, Noel Gorelick, for all of the wonderful pictures you see here. Except for one photo from the Fall Festival, taken by Jim Oravetz, ALL of the photos in this issue were taken by Noel. He even took the one on page one! The lovely flowers are all from the Demonstration Garden. Have a Happy Thanksgiving, and Keep Gardening! Tracy


Plants and Thanks Galore! Fall Festival 2006 By Bill Jaeger Fall Festival 2006 is now just a memory, but what a very memorable day it was for those who managed to visit the Festi-val Grounds at Metro Tech High School. Plants abounded everywhere. Many long-time Master Gardeners commented about the abundance and great varieties on hand for the Plant Exchange. Well-deserved kudos are showered upon all of those gardeners who brought in their treasures to share with everyone. What we lacked at the Exchange tables was beautifully sup-plied by the many other vendors who participated with their va-riety of unusual plants. We had many of our old favorites (I hate to mention one while failing to mention the others, so I wont!) as well as some wonderful new additions like Rare Fruits and Outgardening. Of course, the Metro Tech students supplied not only their own plants and crafts, but all sorts of delicious and tempting treats to comfort the

palate. As usual, the Rummage Sale held additional temptations for the shopper in us all. A large selection of items is always provided yearly and this event held new surprises for the shoppers! No one walked away empty-handed. A great big thank you to Mountain States Nurseries is extended for their donations to our Drawing this year! Mountain States provided us with over 150 plants for our Festival. They certainly support our program! The Master Gardeners are grateful. Lastly, a tremendous amount of gratitude goes to all of the chairs for their hard work and determination in making this Festival a success. Certainly without all of our volunteers the Festival would never have happened! Thanks to all of them for making this Festival a memorable event!


Memories of Fall Festival 2006 By Julie Rodolico I didn't know what to expect, since I had never attended the Fall Festival before. I found it to be a great day of fall sun-shine, great friends, great buys, and great plants for sale. The Fall Festival was held at Metro Tech on Saturday, Oc-tober 21 with 588 in attendance. I understand it was in competition with a few other major events, so the atten-dance was a bit low compared to previous years. The Metro Tech students featured their creative and colorful woodworking projects as well as their

great selection of plants which were for sale. A special "thank you" to the culinary students for providing food for us on Friday night; they also sold BBQ brats, hotdogs and baked goods to the hungry crowd on Saturday.

The Valley of the Sun Plumeria club featured a myriad of different plumerias. Cards by Carol, Sun Country Iris, Arizona Herbs, Dos Arbolitos, Three Dog Glass and Crooked Sky Farms were just a few of the wonderful vendors sharing their wares. Storyteller Wendy Miller entertained approximately 12 children with her creative presentation of Fall planting stories. The children also had fun making corn-husk dolls. Many people won terrific prizes from our donated drawing items. Thank you to all the vendors who so kindly donated items for the drawing. A special thank you goes to Mountain States Nursery, who donated many, many plants for the occasion. The Perennial

Divide plant sale had great leadership and a wonder-ful selection of plants. We had so many plants left over; we donated what was left over to the Metro Tech students. Thank you to all the Master Garden-ers who took time to cultivate and nurture plants for the event. It was a really fun day.


Wednesday, Nov. 1

How to program timers and re-pair drip/sprinkler lines

City of Avondale. Free. Sonoran Room at City Hall 11465 W Civic Center Dr., Avondale, AZ. Pre-registration (623)478-3373. 6-8:30pm

Wednesday, Nov. 1

MG/ Mountain States Plant Sale Pickup

Cooperative Extension 9 am - 10 am

Wednesday, Nov. 1

Computer How-To Class Palo Verde Room Cooperative Extension 10 am—12 pm

Wednesdays, Nov. 1, 8 & 15

Irrigation Workshops 1-3 Drip Irrigation System Installa-tion – 11/1 Yard Watering – 11/8 Irrigation System Maintenance – 11/15

City of Chandler. Chandler Senior Center. To register and for further information, please call the Water Conservation Office at (480) 782-3580. 6 to 8:45 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 1

Vegetable Gardening Through The Seasons w/Kirti Mathura

City of Peoria. Location: Peoria Main Library, Willow Room. 8463 W. Monroe St. (West of Peo-ria City Hall). For more information call (623) 773-7286. 6 – 8 p.m.

MG MANAGEMENT TEAM: East Valley Satellite: Wayne Hall 480/507-5422 Demonstration Garden: Pam Perry 602/279-6250 NE Valley Satellite: Carol Stuttard 480/551-7291 MG Enrichment: Bobbi Reid 480/437-1244 Marion Adams 480/767-8353 MG Support: Cheri Czaplicki 623/975-5397 NW Valley Satellite: Rose Parker 623/214-9068 Public Events: Marvene Walker 623/546-1023 Public Training: Jim Oravetz 623/584-6068 Ed. Materials: Dottie Tucker 480/595-9329 Fund Development: Nancy Watkins 480/215-2158 Youth Gardening Mary Allen 602/266-2555 Communications: Marianna Hancin 623/566-1737 Main Office: Charlie Stephens 602/957-9865 Julie Rodolico 623/582-8422 SATELLITE OFFICES: EAST VALLEY: 480/985-0338 NORTHEAST VALLEY: 480/312-5810 NORTHWEST VALLEY: 623/546-1672 Red Mtn. Multi-Generational Center Via Linda Senior Center PORA Office 7550 E. Adobe 10440 E Via Linda 13815 Camino del Sol Blvd Mesa, AZ 85207 Scottsdale, AZ 85258-6099 Sun City West, AZ 85375 Mon. & Thurs. 9:00am-Noon Mon. 9:00am-12:30pm Weekdays 9:00am-1:00pm Thurs. 9:00am-4:00pm

Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, James A. Christenson, Director, Cooperative Extension, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, The University of Arizona. The University of Arizona is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution. The University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation in its programs and activities. Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation, such as a sign language interpreter, by contacting Jo Cook, Program Coordinator, at [email protected] 602/470-8086 x311. Requests should be made as early as possible to allow time to arrange the accommodation.

Maricopa County Master Gardeners Calendar continued on page 9 Denotes a Master Gardener Event


Thursday, Nov. 2

Citrus Greening Talk with Dr. Glenn Wright

Northwest Valley Satellite Office, 13815 Camino del Sol, Sun City West

Thursday, Nov. 2

Landscaping for Small Spaces w/Kirti Mathura

City of Peoria. Location: Peoria Main Library, Willow Room. 8463 W. Monroe St. (West of Peo-ria City Hall). For more information call (623) 773-7286. 6 – 8 p.m

Friday, Nov. 3

Citrus Greening Talk with Dr. Glenn Wright

Northeast Valley Satellite Office, Via Liinda Sen-ior Center, 10440 E. Via Linda, Scottsdale

Sunday, Nov. 5 Plants-of-the-Bible Guided Tour w/David Oberpriller

Boyce Thompson Arboretum. Included with adult admission of $7.50, or $3 for ages 5-12. http://ag.arizona.edu/bta/events.html. 1:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 7

Living Water Gardens City of Glendale. Glendale Main Library, 5959 W. Brown St. 6:30-8:30 p.m. Register by call-ing 623-930-3760.

Wednesday, Nov. 8

Master Gardener Update Crooked Sky Farms, 5835 N. 83rd Ave., Glendale

Wednesday, Nov. 8

Pruning Basics City of Avondale. Free. Mojave Room at City Hall 11465 W Civic Center Dr., Avondale, AZ. Pre-registration (623)478-3373. 6-8:30pm

Thursday, Nov. 9

Diagnostic Clinic; Pollinators with Roberta Gibson

Northeast Valley Satellite Office, Via Liinda Sen-ior Center, 10440 E. Via Linda, Scottsdale

Saturday, Nov. 11

Master Gardener Appreciation Luncheon

Palo Verde Room Cooperative Extension 12:30-3:30 pm RSVP by Nov. 3

Saturday, Nov. 11

Edible / Medicinal Desert Plants Guided Walk


Monday, Nov. 13

Veterans Day Holiday Cooperative Extension Office closed.

Tuesdays, Nov. 14 & 21

Landscape Design History Desert Botanical Garden (DBG). Advance regis-tration required, (480) 941-1225. Member: $36/Non-Member: $45. 6-9 p.m.

Wednesday Nov. 15

2007 Real Gardens Real People Tour meeting

Jo Cook's house 12pm

Thursday, Nov. 16

Diagnostic Clinic Cooperative Extension Office, Ocotillo Room 10 – 11:30 am

Saturday, Nov. 18

Plants-of-the-Bible Guided Tour w/David Oberpriller


Calendar continued on page 10


Master Gardener Program The University of Arizona

Cooperative Extension Office 4341 E. Broadway Road Phoenix, AZ 85040-8807

Tuesday, Nov. 21

Down to Earth Toastmasters Speech-craft Seminar

Cooperative Extension Office, Palo Verde. More information: http://www.DTE-TM.com. 5:45 pm

Wednesday, Nov. 22

Executive Team Meeting Cooperative Extension Office, Ocotillo Room 9:30 – noon. All Master Gardeners are welcome to attend.

Thursday, Nov. 23-24

Thanksgiving Holiday Cooperative Extension Office closed.

Sat. & Sun., Nov. 25-26

Fall Color Festival Boyce Thompson Arboretum. Included with adult admission of $7.50, or $3 for ages 5-12. http://ag.arizona.edu/bta/events.html. 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. each day

Sunday, Nov. 26 Edible / Medicinal Desert Plants Guided Walk


Tuesday, Nov. 28

Down to Earth Toastmasters Speech-craft Seminar

Cooperative Extension Office, Palo Verde. More information: http://www.DTE-TM.com. 5:45 pm

Thursday, Nov. 30

Diagnostic Clinic Cooperative Extension Office, Ocotillo Room 10 – 11:30 am

Documents

Maricopa County’s Master Gardener Newsletter … · Maricopa County’s Master Gardener Newsletter University of Arizona Cooperative Extension November 2006 Roots & Shoots November