Roots & Shoots - University of Arizona · Marvelous Marionberry And many more!! Maricopa County...

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Roots & ShootsRoots & Shoots

August 2011August 2011

EDITOR: Vineetha Kartha ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Carlene Warner COPY EDITORS: Meg Paterson, Karen Sankman CALENDAR: Karen Sankman WEBSITE QUESTIONS: Kristen Wagner 602/827-8200 x311 USPS MAIL QUESTIONS: Debbie Mauldin 602/827-8200 x308

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 UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION MARICOPA COUNTY OFFICE

4341 E. BROADWAY RD. / PHOENIX, AZ 85040-8807 PHONE 602.827.8200 FAX 602.827.8292

HOURS: 8:00AM-5:00PM WEEKDAYShttp://extension.arizona.edu/maricopamg

STAFF: Kelly Young, Assistant Agent, ANR/Urban Horticulture

602-827-8200 x319, [email protected] Kristen Wagner, Program Coordinator, Sr.

602-827-8200 x311 / [email protected] Debbie Mauldin, Admin. Ass’t

602/827-8200 x308 / [email protected]

Roots & Shoots In this edition: RGRP MG Update Design Charrette Hidden Treasures Marvelous Marionberry And many more!!

Maricopa County Master Gardeners MG CONTACT LIST: For a complete listing, see the organizational chart under MG Business on the MG Central website East Valley Satellite: Jackie Rensel ------------------- 480-821-5226 Director at Large: Vacant Carl Rutherford ----------------- 480-325-1469 Educational Materials: Vacant NE Valley Satellite: Debbie Lyding ------------------- 602-789-7377 Demonstration Garden: Pam Perry 602-279-6250 Public Events: Vacant NW Valley Satellite: Marianna Hancin -----------------623-566-1737 Public Training: Jim Oravetz 623-584-6068 Kris Coates ------------------------623-915-3337 MG Support: Cherie Czaplicki 623-975-5397 Helen Zinn ------------------------ 623-271-7518 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 104 40 E Via Linda 13815 Camino del Sol Blvd Mesa, AZ 85207 Scottsdale, AZ 85258-6099 Sun City West, AZ 85375 Mon. & Thurs. 9:00a.m.-Noon Mon. 9 -12:30 p.m.; Thurs. 9 -4 p.m. Weekdays 9:00a.m.-Noon 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 reason-able accommodation, such as a sign language interpreter, by contacting Kristen Wagner, Program Coordinator, at [email protected] 602-470-8086x311. Requests should be made as early as possible to allow time to arrange the accommodation. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Ex-tension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Kirk A. Astroth, Interim Director, Cooperative Extension, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, The University of Arizona.

mailto:[email protected]�

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Maricopa County’s Master Gardener Newsletter

The 11th annual Master Gardener tour will take place March 31, 2012. Northeast Scottsdale is the set-ting for this years’ tour and will feature spectacular private gardens as well as a community garden. Garden owners are Mike Platta, Susan Noack, Michelle Anderson, Lisa Barrkman and Heidi Riggs. The popularity of this tour continues to grow across the Valley. The tour provides crucial financial support for the Master Gardener program and contributes greatly to the knowledge and enthusiasm for desert gardening. The 2011 tour held in the West Valley was highly successful and exceeded attendance ex-pectations with over 800 visitors.

2011 RGRP Garden Owner Vicki Woods of “Sonoran Tropical” says: “Tour day was absolutely unbeliev-able. I had such an amazing time sharing my garden with people.” Marlies Plaggenborg, who organized 2011 RGRP: “What can I say? I've managed a few garden tours in my life but never have I worked with a committee that was as professional, pleasant and willing to accommodate as the group who put on the 10th Annual Real Gardens for Real People Tour. Your spirits and smiles shine through the gardens.” The RGRP Tour requires a year of planning and volunteers are needed to fill key roles in the planning of this event. Jane Lucien-Scholle, 2012 RGRP Garden Tour Chair hopes that Master Gardeners will con-sider using their talents to make sure the RGRP is an event to remember. If you are interested in work-ing with this year’s tour team, please contact Jane via email at [email protected]

Announcing

2012 Real Gardens For Real People Tour

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WHO: Kevin F. Bronson

Kevin Bronson is a Soil Fertility Specialist. He got his Masters degree in the Philippines, his doctorate in Ala-bama and started his college education in Maryland. Since then he's researched and taught soil fertility and related issues in Australia, the Philippines, Colorado and Texas. He's been working on cotton experiments as a Supervisory Research Soil Scientist in the USDA-ARS program at the University of Arizona's Maricopa Agri-cultural Center (MAC) since 2010. His work at the MAC connects him to the University of Arizona so we can reasonably expect to see him again. The U.S. Arid-Land Agricultural Research Center consists of both a cot-ton research lab and a water conservation lab. It's located at the University of Arizona's Maricopa Agricultural Center. The research center stresses on sustainable agricultural systems, protection of natural resources, and support of rural communities in arid and semi-arid regions through interdisciplinary research.

Kevin Bronson is deeply interested in sustainable agriculture. His work concerns appropriate fertilization of crops, water and soil quality, and wastewater reuse. An important element of this scientific work is global warming in terms of agriculture and the environment. He analyzes particular locations and crops for specific management of fertilization and irrigation, and for reduction of water pollution resulting from fertilizer use. This goes beyond how much nitrogen a crop needs to the impact nitrogen has after it leaves the row crops. Kevin gets down to the details to serve farm production and the bigger picture, too. Bronson takes a global view. He maintains an active interest in international agriculture, especially that of central and south-western Asia.

WHAT: Fertilizer, Friend or Foe? The Role of Nutrients in Plant Growth

Kevin Bronson will discuss the role of NPK (Nitrogen, Potassium and Phosphorus) and micronutrients in plant growth and food production. He'll give us practical information for healthy soil in our own gardens, including information on soil testing, and appropriate use of fertilizer. We'll hear about larger scale impacts of fertilizer management that go well beyond our own yards, including current issues; like the value of organic fertilizers versus inorganic ones, and fertilizer's part in pollution and global warming.

There are important historical events that play a part in this, like the Green Revolution and the manufacture of nitrogen fertilizer. The Green Revolution relied heavily on fertilizer and certain plant varieties to increase food production for a hungry world. It's the plant's response to fertilizer that's important here. When fertil-ized, some varieties of rice and wheat grow taller and fall over without an increase in the production of grain. There are dwarf varieties that respond to fertilization by producing more grain, but they require fertil-izer for production. Nitrogen fertilizer production uses fossil fuels to turn the abundant nitrogen in the air into something plants can use. The manufacture of nitrogen fertilizer has resulted in more salts, nitrogen, and phosphate in the environment in general and pollution of lakes, streams and even the ocean. Mining rock phosphate leaves scarred landscapes, mine tailings and hazardous waste behind. Farmers and ranchers deal with these realities. They take the long term view and hope to pass the land on in good condition. It's a real challenge and scientists like Kevin Bronson and research facilities like the MAC provide the resources to make this possible.

SUGGESTION: If you have a bottle or bag of fertilizer or soil amendment that you are wondering about, you might want to bring it in or take a picture of the label with the ingredients. We just might have time to get Kevin's input on it.

WHEN: August 10, Wednesday morning, 9:00 am

WHERE: at the extension office, 4341 E. Broadway Rd., Phoenix

MG Update Fertilizer, Friend or Foe? By Deb Sparrow The Role of Nutrients in Plant Growth

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Diggings in the Garden by Pam Perry

June and July fly in a hot, humid, dusty blur! A mega sandstorm covered plants in fine dust. Four tenths of an inch of rain washed them off pretty well while filling rain barrels in the water harvesting project. Slips of sum-mer plants suddenly carpet the garden in green! Carrots, beets, and onions from fall or late spring plantings are still tasty. Eggplant produce; tomatoes are harvested. Okra begins to bloom and fruit. This plant is best harvested if not daily, every other day! Cucumbers struggle with the very high triple digit days, but any time they get a reprieve, set a couple more fruits. Summer gardeners need not leave the garden empty handed! Acoma, a Native Seed Search watermelon variety grows fruit the size of a 5 pound bag of flour. The plant is spreading, sprawling, and clambering over what had been potato towers filled with straw. The potato plants have died back , leaving almost no trace, and no new potatoes! Too bad, but the watermelon appreciate the real estate. As recommended for harvesting of watermelons, I have diligently waited and checked the little tendrils nearest the melon for crispy brown doneness, and harvested promptly. This works. The flesh is a very deep pink, but fibrous and seedy: so, so seedy. The flavor is mild, definitely not the ‘sticky sweet’ we associate with modern melons. However, consuming about half of one of these very juicy melons after a morning of mowing lawns was very satisfying. This little half-melon slaked my thirst! I understand why de-sert folks for centuries have grown this melon. Early this summer I adjusted the watering schedule to daily irrigation in the demo garden, to accommodate several plants seeded in late May. Temperatures spiked into high triple digits, while humidity remained low in June. I did not re-adjust the settings. The seeds germinated and grew, while to my surprise the cucurbits thrived. If our highs are to be so high and our humidity is so low in June this may be an option to keep the cucurbits alive. To determine how long to run the irrigation daily, I divided the thrice weekly watering total time by 7. Peppers ended up under 30% shade cloth. Other years they have shared 50% shade cloth with tomatoes or have been left out in full sun. This year plants are lush, growing, bearing: quite profitable. They are the best looking pepper plants yet. One pepper plant is exposed to full sun. New in the garden this year, “Apache” is a dwarf, hot pepper. It has bloomed through the worst of the heat, bearing slender, inch long, moderately hot peppers which turn a bright red. At about 12 inches big, round and tidy, pretty and produc-tive, this could make a great container specimen. Planted as part of the summer greens project, hybrid winter squash “Kobacha Green” is grown for its leaves not its fruit. It is surviving the onslaught of squash bugs. It blooms but has not pollinated. Purslane, both the indigenous weed and the two seeded varieties have been plentiful, juicy and successful. High in omega 3 fatty acids, a few leaves can be integrated into most summer salads without changing the flavor or texture. The hybrid varieties planted in labeled rows have tolerated being cut back hard a couple times, re-growing succulent new shoots. The Malabar spinach vine was slow to start, but has grown steadily. Leaves are tangy and succulent, almost juicy. It, too, thrives on the current irrigation plan. The seaweed grew to about 8 X 8 inches, resembled baby tumbleweeds, to which it is related, was salty, and wiry, and is dying. The New Zea-land spinach is small and slow to grow. Melokhia Chorchorus olitorius, sometimes known as jute, is a pleas-ant, tasty fresh green. It hasn’t grown rampantly, but so far it is quite happy in the garden. The jute germi-nated as a second planting done in late May. The summer amaranth germinated in early June, but was shaded by annuals. The annuals have been removed, and the amaranth is now beginning to grow. Leaves and growing tips of luffa gourds, sweet potatoes and hibiscus sabdariffa, all standards in a summer garden are edible as well. A quick look at the planting calendar reminded me that corn, beans, summer squash, mel-ons, and shallots, can all be planted during monsoon season. We fill one composter a week, but extra effort was needed to score some real estate to plant a monsoon crop of corn. The assistance of new interns is welcome, as is that of old friends! Summer hours continue on Tuesday mornings at 6:00 am, and folks stay until 10 am or so, or when their schedules call them elsewhere. All gar-deners are welcome to participate. Many hands make less labor of this project, and we have time to share recipes, and get to know one another as well!

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Design Charrette After a three month summer break Design Charrettes will begin in September and occur monthly until May. We are seeking Master Gardeners who would benefit from some design help in their gardens and would agree to host a Design Charrette. As a host you would identify a problem area or areas in your garden, give the team a tour of your garden describing said problems and provide seating, cups, silverware and dishes for our potluck lunch which immediately follows the design session. A typical design activity is composed of twelve people divided into four teams and you would receive four separate designs. John and Loretta Becker of Fountain Hills hosted a Design Charrette in November, 2009 and invited us back this spring to view the changes they made in their garden as a result of the suggestions they received. This is what they had to say before their Charrette: “There are two main areas that seriously need help and fresh ideas. Between the pool and lawn there is an area containing sandpaper verbena. No matter how many times we remove it, it returns. The other area is a throwback to a 1970 campsite. There is a very ugly fixed-in-place gas fire pit on a floor of undressed dirt, surrounded by crushed granite. There are several large rocks situated around the fire pit…” The “camp-site” area was redesigned, converting the fireplace into a fountain with an iron sculpture. Sand-stone pavers were added to surround the water feature, new plantings and yard art was installed, and the concrete block walls were painted in colors to compliment paint already on their patio. New seating was also added. This re-design greatly enhanced their view from the home office and the trickle of water from the fountain makes it an enjoyable place to spend time. In the pool area new succulents and cacti were planted, potted plants were added and the concrete walls were also painted. A new flower and herb gar-den with an interesting piece of garden art was added to the middle of a large grassy area to add interest. The Beckers are enjoying all the changes they made to their garden as a result of a little design help from their fellow master gardeners. If you are interested in hosting a Design Charrette please contact Sue Lanker at [email protected] or call 602-576-0051. If you would like to participate in a Charrette and help a garden owner, watch for our e-mail that will arrive in early September announcing our first Charrette of the season. We look forward to seeing you in the garden!

Your Design Charrette Team

Beth Kirkpatrick, Sue Lanker, and Matt Murman

Becker Camp-site Before Becker Camp-site After Photos Courtesy Design Charrette Team


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Traveling Gardener, wandering, wondering, noticing… Plant People by Linda Larson

Just before the killer cold snap last January I had managed to prune my torch bougainvillea into a heart shape topiary. It made me smile and I eagerly looked forward to it as part of the landscape for a Valentine celebration in February. Then nature changed my plans and the shape was lost in the freeze damage. A topiary is a fanciful thing, it isn’t a garden style that appeals to everyone. It is a living work of art that requires a vision, patience and an artist using the medium of plants. Descriptions of Roman gardens with cypress trees cut into shapes of sailing ships and hunting scenes as early as 75 AD establish topiary as an ancient art. The 17th century is considered the pinnacle of topiary art. Louis the XV hosted a “Ball of the Clipped Yew Trees” at Versailles in 1745 celebrat-ing his son’s wedding” (The Gardener’s Wise Words . . .R. Binney) For this fancy dress party the King dressed as a clipped yew (Lady Gaga take note). Topiary has long been done in shrubs, trees and vines, with yews, boxwood and ivy as favorite mediums for these shapes. As garden styles became less formal, topiary lost its popularity. Today amusement parks sculpt their greenery into geometric or fanciful shapes. Corporate logos are shaped in shrubbery in the entryways of company headquarters. At the San Diego Botanic Garden (SDBG), topiary is in fashion with succulents as the artist medium. During my recent visit there I met Margaret Jones, who describes herself as the “fashion maven of the well dressed topiaries of the succulent garden.” As a garden volunteer she works with her pallet of plants cre-ating “plant people” modeled on human form. A beautiful garden is always in transition and plant sculpture vividly demonstrates this. Working on steel forms covered with sphagnum moss, succulent starts are pushed into the frame to take root and grow to cover the entire structure. Margaret does this, working with a small plastic container hung around her neck. She works carefully with her long handled tweezers easing the pieces into place. The artist’s work requires patience as the beginnings can be a bit sparse. Unlike working with paint on a canvas where the artist com-pletes the work, here nature will control the final product.

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Traveling Gardener Continued...

Watering, warm weather and a bit of luck will in time create the master-piece. Each of the plant people has two garden volunteers working to keep them well dressed. Pat Hammer is director of Operations for SDBG and is responsible for bringing the topiaries to SDBG. Originally they were all covered with ivy. Now the clothing fashion is changing to suc-culents. The clay masks are modeled on the human faces of garden lu-minaries. The man with the vest is Don Walker who started the San Diego Horticultural Society. The hostess serving tea is his wife, Dorthea Walker. The three musicians are the faces of three of the nursery work-ers of Weidner’s Nursery, a well loved destination of local residents. The Don Walker topiary was recently replanted and has the appearance of a fresh haircut but his head will be full and curly as the little plants grow. One of the musicians sports sleeves of Dudleya in a spiky blue tone. During my visit the most beautiful plant person was a representation of Evelyn Cisneros, the captivating prima ballerina of the San Francisco Bal-let. This masterpiece of perfect succulents is the work of Margaret and has had a year to mature. The results are magical. Her skirt is a floral work of echeveria and will bloom in purple flowers. Her hair is sedum, as is the toe of her ballet slipper. Elfin Thyme is covering the bodice and her shoulders are ruffled with succulents. Creative use of many plants form her intricate detail: hair of sedum, a string of succulent pearls around her neck, she holds a nosegay in one hand, a ring and a bracelet of plants on the other. Now and then the clothing needs a trim, a patch and a reweaving as the plants naturally grow, bloom and die. This is a temporary splendor changing each day. But artistic volunteers will redesign and grow a new outfit for all of us to enjoy. There is no shortage of magnificent plant specimens to enjoy at the SDBG and those who enjoy a more natural garden style will find plenty to admire. But if you turn a corner and spy a well dressed topiary per-haps you will smile and enjoy this temporary art of ornamental garden-ing. Images by Rich Larson

SPECIAL EVENT after the Update: Summer Greens Taste Test

Did your chard survive the summer? Did you plant jute leaves or malabar spinach this year? If you have greens (salad or stir fry) in your summer garden ready for harvest, please consider bringing them to share for our summer greens taste testing immediately following the August MG update. Contact Kelly at [email protected] for more information.


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Glory in the Morning by Jeff Ross

I knew somehow this was going to be different. When I picked up the packet of seeds at the Master Gardener meeting there was a softness to the packet. Usually there is a smaller distribution of seeds per packet, but this time it was nearly bursting. Once I opened the envelope to look at the seeds, the surprise continued. These were some of the most hirsute (fuzzy) seeds I have seen and they were large. The seeds actually look like bugs. One thing about large seeds is that they are generally easy to pre-sprout. That is what I did with these. Well, one can imagine my surprise as this plant began to grow. I didn’t remember that the packet indicated it grew so big. It seemed like I had found the seeds from Jack and the Beanstalk somehow. The plant grew and grew. Although we have it in a raised planter, I am sure the plant itself is at least five feet tall and it is wide. We planted it next to a Palo Verde which it appears to like since it is sheltered from the very hot western sun. We have two other specimens growing in much sunnier and hot-ter locations and they have taken longer to bloom. There is also a difference in culture since they are both growing in the ground with a bit less water. As the common name of this plant implies, the flowers open early and close as the afternoon sun hits. Shel-tered somewhat among the trees, the blooms remain open a fairly long time. I clip the flower stalks once the bloom has fallen hoping to extend the bloom. Standard morning glory vines are not permitted in Arizona for fear of them becoming invasive so this was a nice alternative. Rather than a morning glory, the flower reminds me more in form, not size, of the hardy hibiscus (Hibiscus moscheutos) we grew in New Jersey. Although we used a wire mesh to support the plant, it became necessary to anchor the stalks to the mesh to provide added sup-port for our windy days and nights. I used pieces of nylon stock-ings as they support the plant without damaging it. An additional benefit is that the nylon stretches a bit and allows for some movement; helping the plant stay strong. It must be noted that this plant needs water. It is by no means a xeriscape plant. The size of the leaves alone indicate that it is going to respire a great deal. It can take the heat, but it drinks a lot! Images by Jeff Ross

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Orb Weaver Spider by Sue Hakala

The most famous orb weaver spider is undoubtedly Char-lotte, from the famous children’s story Charlotte’s Web. Unlike real orb weaver spiders, Charlotte was able to write names and messages in her web. Orb weavers are the undeniable masters of beautiful webs. There are about 2,800 species of orb weaver spiders. They range across America, Canada and parts of Mexico. They begin life in the spring, hatching from their egg sack with several hundred other siblings looking just like adults. They shed their skin as they grow to about one-half inch. They generally find a web location by produc-ing a single gossamer thread that catches the wind and floats them away. When they’ve landed and chosen their new home, they begin their web by anchoring a silken line produced by their spinnerets at what will be the center of the web, adding an inverted “Y” of threads to serve as the base. A basic non-sticky structure of silk is made first, and then filled in with sticky silk to create the rest of the orbital web. Most webs are vertical, but some species produce a horizontal web. As the spiders get older, by mid-summer, the webs will be bigger and more noticeable. The spider has a bulbous body with three claws on its feet, one specially adapted so that it can walk on the web without getting stuck itself. Once her engineering web feat is complete, the typically nocturnal female spider spends her day hanging upside down in her web or off to the side. When prey hits the web, the spi-der is alerted by a trip line that vibrates as the insect begins to struggle. The more it struggles, the more it becomes ensnared touching other sticky threads. If the spider likes her prospective meal, she bites it to in-ject an enzyme that will liquefy the contents so she can suck it up later and wraps it in a silken cocoon or, visa versa. If she doesn’t like it, she will ignore it, cutting it from her web later or, cutting it out right away. After she eats her prey, she will cut it from the web too. When darkness falls, the orb weaver spider becomes active repairing her web, and sitting in the middle of it. Some species will eat the web in the morning getting any dew that has settled on it, respinning a new web everyday. While walking in the desert in Baja one morning, I saw webs about every three feet laden with dew. The whole desert was sparkling in the morning light. Orb weaver spiders eat flies, mosquitoes, no-see-ums and other pest insects. Some species will tackle a hummingbird if it gets tangled in its web. They are beneficial spiders, but can give a painful bite like a bee sting if handled. They are not dangerous to humans or animals, and are great to have around keeping insect populations in check. Males may spin a web, but don’t stay in it long. They wander searching for females. At the end of fall, a fe-male lays hundreds of eggs carefully encased in a silken cocoon to protect the developing babies until the spring. To see an orb weaver life cycle with excellent close-up views, Google YouTube.com, then search for: orb weaver cycle of life. The filmmaker follows a spider throughout her life. To see this spider’s spiderlings search for: orb weaver and her spiderlings. It’s very educational and touching. Look around your yard, you’ll probably find some with dead insects in the web.

Image Courtesy University of Nebraska, Department of Entomology, accessed at http://entomology.unl.edu/images/spiders/araneus1.jpg, accessed on July 28, 2011

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Hidden Treasures by Jeanette Sletten

“Shoo! Shoo! All of you quails, out of my garden right this minute!” Yes, I had the soil perfectly amended, I knew where I would get the right amount of sun, and I knew exactly how far apart to place my young seedlings. I was ready to cultivate a sweet, juicy crop of cu-cumbers; Persian cucumbers (Cucumis sativus) to be exact. Now here was an entire family of quail eating every yellow blossom as soon as it opened. It wasn’t enough that I gave them a nice spread of Alyssum to feast on; they wanted all my garden flowers – except for those nasty Marigolds, of course. Fast forward a few months… I took a breather from the heat and dust of the valley and spent a little time in the mountains. I had asked friends and neighbors to take whatever they could from my garden. The tomatoes were abundant this year and as always, the zucchinis were ready to be harvested on a daily basis. I was getting reports of how much the bounty was enjoyed but alas, no one men-tioned my quail infested cucumbers. Upon returning to the valley and seeing the heat ravaged tomato vines and the sunburned zuc-chini, I assumed the garden was finished for another season. Then I noticed a wild vine creeping out of the bed and up the side of the wall. It was my cucumber and it was beautiful! The leaves were large and unblemished and there were bright yellow flowers everywhere. “Wow! I wonder if there are any cucumbers ready to pick?” I laid back the leaves and saw my hidden treasures. There were four large Armenian cucumbers (Cucumis melo) lying in my garden bed, not the small Persian variety (Cucumis sativus) I thought I had planted. The average weight was about three pounds and the length was nearer to two feet than the five to seven inch size of the shiny green Persian variety. The vines and flowers of both varieties look very much alike. The Armenian cucumber (Cucumis melo) is actually an immature melon that tastes very similar to the com-mon cucumber you’d buy at the grocer, but in fact, is more closely related to a muskmelon. The skin of the Armenian cucumber is light green, thin and ribbed. It has little bitterness, often associated with large cucum-bers, so there is no need to peel it. This variety prefers to grow in full sun so it is thriving in my south-facing garden bed. I was pleasantly surprised by my cultural mix up (Armenian instead of Persian) but I was still faced with the dilemma of what to do with twelve pounds of cucumbers; well actually immature melons, and more on the way! So, if life gives you cucumbers or melons … make soup! This is a recipe for a light summer soup that I have developed over the years. Originally the yogurt was sour cream but in the wisdom of my years, that has been replaced by yogurt and the minced Serrano pepper has been reduced to a few dashes of Tabasco. Enjoy!

White Gazpacho

Chop 2/3 of the cucumbers and coarsely process them in a food processor with 1 cup of the broth. Add the remaining broth, yogurt, vinegar, garlic, Tabasco and pepper and process until smooth. Finely chop the re-maining 1/3 of the cucumbers and add them to the soup along with the tomatoes and scallions. Chill the soup thoroughly before serving. About 8 servings

2 ½ Lbs. Cucumbers 2 cloves garlic, minced Cucumis melo/Cucumis sativus 3 dashes Tabasco 2 ½ C. chicken broth White pepper, to taste 1 ½ C. plain non-fat yogurt 1 C. finely diced tomatoes ¼ C. white wine vinegar ½ C. chopped scallions

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Umm...berry season again. Here I am in 70°F Seattle, WA in July, enjoying fresh raspberries while waiting eagerly for the Marionberries to ripen. You've never heard of the blackberry called the “Cabernet of berries”? They are a Pacific Northwest summer treat. Excellent fresh, they are also flavorful in jam, muffins and yogurt. Last week I drove through Marion County, Oregon, their namesake. It's just south of Portland and encom-passes the Willamette Valley from the coast to the Cascades – around 1,200 square miles. This area is Ore-gon's largest agricultural producer and the leading producer of blackberries in the world. Blackberries are in the Rosaceae family with most varieties are derived from Rubus species native to North America. Plants typically have biennial canes and perennial roots. The Marionberry is a blackberry cultivar se-lected from a cross between the Chehalem and Olallie blackberries. It was developed by USDA and Oregon State University, and introduced by George F. Waldo in 1956. The Chehalem blackberry is also an Oregon-developed cultivar, and the Olallie berry is another, genetically around two thirds blackberry and one third European red raspberry. Adapted for Western Oregon, the Marionberry was tested in Marion County and is the most widely planted blackberry variety in the world. They are also grown in Western Washington and northern coastal California where berries also thrive with mild winters, moisture, and warm summers. This spring has been a little too cool and long, delaying the season by a couple of weeks. The normal season is July into early August. Marionberries are large, dark maroon-black and have an earthy, complex flavor with a tart finish. Wonderful when fresh, they also make delicious jam and pies, and are used in pancakes, muffins and yogurt. They can also be used in wine making. They are high in potassium, vitamins A and C, carotene, and antioxidants due to their polyphenolic compounds. One cup has 75 calories, 7.6 grams of fiber, 1 gram fat and 1 gram protein. Locally, Marionberry products can be found at Whole Foods in Tempe and AJ's Fine Foods in Mesa. They can also be ordered at http://www.amazon.com. Sources: http://www.oregon-berries.com accessed at 10:15 PM on 7/17/11 http://www.oregon.gov accessed 9:55 PM on 7/18/11 http://www.onegreenworld.com accessed 9:59 PM on 7/17/11 htttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marionberry accessed 12:18 PM on 7/19/11

The Marvelous Marionberry by Sheryl Stradling

http://www.oregon-berries.com/�

http://www.oregon.gov/�

http://www.onegreenworld.com/�

Items in green denote an event sponsored by the Maricopa County Cooperative Extension Service,

and/or an opportunity for volunteer hours. Underlined words are links to websites or e-mail addresses.

August 2011 Events Calendar Submit events to Karen Sankman

Upcoming Event

Sat Oct. 22, 2011

Master Gardener Plant Sale

Save the date! More information and volunteer opportunities to follow.

August 2011

Mon 1 Valley of the Sun Gardeners Meeting

6:30 pm, Valley Garden Center, 1809 N. 15th Ave, Phoenix. Orvalita Hopkins, Valley of the Sun Gardeners

Mon 1 Orchid Society of AZ Meeting

7-9 pm, Arizona State Veteran Home, 4141 Herrera Way, Phoenix. Julie Rathbun (602) 843-0223. Orchid Society of Arizona

Tue 2 Tuesday in the Garden

6-10 am, Maricopa County Cooperative Extension, 4341 E. Broadway, Phoenix. Bring gloves and tools that you like to help with maintenance in the demo garden. Pam Perry (602) 279-6250

Tue 2 Down to Earth Toastmasters

6-7:15 pm, Maricopa County Cooperative Extension, 4341 E. Broadway, Phoenix. Olivette Aviso (480) 235-5989. Down to Earth Toastmasters

Tue 2 Master Gardener Training Class

6:30-9:30 pm, Maricopa County Cooperative Extension, 4341 E. Broadway, Phoenix. Topic: Plant pathology with Kelly Young, Asst. Horticulture Agent

Tue 2 Sun Country Iris Meeting

7 pm, Valley Garden Center, 1809 N. 15th Ave, Phoenix. Ardi Kary at (480) 949-0253, Sun Country Iris Society

Thu 4 NW Satellite Office Diagnostic Clinic

10 am-noon, 13815 Camino del Sol, Sun City West. MaryAnn Garewal (623) 546-1672. Bring plant or insect specimens for ID and advice.

Fri 5 Carraro Cactus Gardens Volunteer

6-9 am, Carraro Cactus Gardens at Tovrea Castle, 5041 E. Van Buren St, Phoenix. Info/Sign up

Fri 5 Main Office Diagnostic Clinic

8 am, Maricopa County Cooperative Extension, 4341 E. Broadway, Phoenix. Bring plant or insect specimens for ID and advice.

mailto:[email protected]


http://www.phoenixgardeners.org/about_us.htm


http://www.orchidsocietyaz.org/



http://www.dte-tm.com/


http://www.suncountryiris.org/



http://phoenix.gov/PARKS/tovolun.html



Fri 5, Sat 6, Sun 7

Maricopa County Home and Garden Show

10 am-7 pm Fri, 10 am-6 pm Sat, 10 am-5 pm Sun, University of Phoenix Stadium, 1 Cardinals Dr., Glendale. Info/Discount Passes

Sat 6 Arizona Herb Association Weed and Feed

7 am, Maricopa County Cooperative Extension, 4341 E. Broadway Rd., Phoenix. Everyone is welcome! Fun, hands-on experience. Carolyn Hills, AZ Herb Assoc

Sat 6 APS Shade Tree Workshop

8:30-10 am, Rio Vista Recreation Center, 8866 W. Thunderbird Rd., Peoria. Info/Register

Sat 6 Master Gardener Q&A Session

10 am-2 pm, Northwest Regional Library located in the Surprise Recreation Complex, 16089 N. Bullard Ave, Surprise, AZ. Marianna Hancin. Bring plant or insect specimens for ID and advice.

Mon 8 Carraro Cactus Gardens Volunteer


Aug 8-Aug 31

Smartscape: A Training Program for Landscape Professionals

3:30-6 pm on Mon and Wed, Goodyear Public Works Bldg, Training Room, 4980 S. 157th Ave., Goodyear. $60. Info/Register




6:30-9:30 pm, Maricopa County Cooperative Extension, 4341 E. Broadway, Phoenix. Topic: Selecting, Planting, Staking Trees, and Chemical Safety with Kelly Young

Wed 10 New River Gourd Patch Meeting

8:30 am-1 pm, Pioneer RV Park, 36408 N. Black Canyon Hwy, Phoenix. Karen Friend

Wed 10 Master Gardener Update

9 am-noon, Maricopa County Cooperative Extension, 4341 E. Broadway, Phoenix. Topic: Soil fertility with Kevin Bronson of the USDA. Deb Sparrow

Wed 10 Saguaro Garden Club Meeting

9:30 am, Pyle Adult Center, 655 E. Southern, Tempe. Mary Trick at (480) 829-7972.

Wed 10 Agave and Yucca in Your Landscape

6-9 pm, Desert Botanical Garden, $30 mem/$38 non-mem. Info/Register

Thu 11 Tolleson Gourd Patch Meeting

2:00-4:30 pm, Tolleson Senior Center, 9555 W. VanBuren, Tolleson, AZ. Lana Hinde (602) 843-9015

Thu 11 Spirit of the Desert Gourd Patch Meeting

4:30-6:30 pm, Sewing Room at the Sun Lakes Oakwood Arts & Crafts Center, 24201 S. Oakwood Blvd, Sun Lakes, AZ. Sally Kiste (480) 895-7638, Spirit of the Desert

http://www.maricopacountyhomeshows.com/attendees.htm


http://www.azherb.org/index.php

http://www.aps.com/main/green/choice/choice_129.html



http://extension.arizona.edu/maricopa/smartscape-program




http://www.dbg.org/

http://www.dbg.org/shop/courses/agave-and-yucca-in-your-landscape-8-10-11

mailto:%[email protected]


http://www.orgsites.com/az/spiritofthedesertgourds/



Thu 11 Mesa East Valley Rose Society Meeting

7-10 pm, Mesa Community College Library, 1833 W. Southern Ave, Mesa. (480) 807-3475. Mesa East Valley Rose Society

Thu 11

AZ Rare Fruit Growers Meeting

7:30 pm, Palo Verde Room at Maricopa County Cooperative Extension, 4341 E. Broadway, Phoenix. AZ Rare Fruit, Monte Palmer (480) 688-2087



Fri 12 Southwest Horticulture Annual Day of Education (SHADE)

8 am-5 pm, Renaissance Glendale, 9495 W. Coyotes Blvd., Glendale. $115. Info/Register

Sat 13 Carraro Cactus Gardens Volunteer


Sat 13 Xeriscape 9 am, Gardener's World, 3401 E. Baseline Rd., Phoenix. Free, Reservations at (602) 437-0700

Sat 13 Sunrise Garden Club Meeting

9:30 am, Member home in Tempe. Contact for address: Julie at (480) 838-2414.

Sat 13 Plant Question and Answer Session

10:30 am, Gardener's World, 3401 E. Baseline Rd., Phoenix. Free, Reservations at (602) 437-0700

Sat 13 Ask a Master Gardener

10:30 am-1:30 pm, White Tank Branch Library, 20304 W. White Tank Mountain Rd, Waddell. Bring plant or insect specimens for ID and advice. Angie Tatum (623) 882-7976

Sun 14 Prickly Pear Cactus Fruit Class

10:30 am, Boyce Thompson Arboretum, 37615 U.S. Highway 60, Superior, AZ. Free with admission. Info

Mon 15 Sustainable Edible Gardens




Tue 16 Down to Earth Toastmasters

6-7:15 pm, Maricopa County Cooperative Extension, 4341 E. Broadway, Phoenix. Olivette Aviso (480) 235-5989, Down to Earth Toastmasters


6:30-9:30 pm, Maricopa County Cooperative Extension, 4341 E. Broadway, Phoenix. Topic: Watering by the Numbers with Donna DeFrancesco, Water Conservation Program Manager, City of Mesa

http://www.roses4az-mevrs.org/

http://www.azrfg.com/



http://azna.org/shade/


http://www.gardenpro.net/?page=home%20



http://ag.arizona.edu/bta/events.html


http://www.dbg.org/

http://www.dbg.org/shop/courses/sustainable-edible-gardens-8-15-11



http://www.dte-tm.com/



Tue 16 Phoenix Rose Society Meeting

7:30 pm, Valley Garden Center, 1809 N. 15th Ave, Phoenix. Phoenix Rose Society, Jeannie Cochell (602) 363-6444

Wed 17 Pruning Trees and Shrubs


Wed 17 Southwest Gourd Society Meeting

7-9 pm, Maricopa County Cooperative Extension, 4341 E. Broadway Rd., Phoenix. Lana Hinde (602) 843-9015, SW Gourd

Thu 18 Desert Valley Orchid Society Meeting

6:30 pm, Scottsdale Senior Center, 10440 E. Via Linda, Scottsdale. Steve Grass (602) 508-1808, Desert Valley Orchid Society




8:30-10 am, Sunnyslope School, 245 E. Mountain View Rd., Phoenix. Info/Register

Sat 20 Plants of the Bible Guided Tour

8:30 am, Boyce Thompson Arboretum, 37615 U.S. Highway 60, Superior, AZ. Learn about botany, history, and scripture on this slow-paced walk. Info

Sat 20 Mesa East Valley Rose Society Deadheaders

8 am- noon, Mesa Community College Rose Garden, 1833 W. Southern Ave, Mesa. Bring gloves and pruners/shears. Training provided. Mickey Kundrat, Deadheaders

Sat 20 Desert Garden Institute: Weeds

9 am-noon, Maricopa County Cooperative Extension, 4341 E. Broadway, Phoenix. $25. Info/Register


9:30 am-12:30 pm, Sunrise Mountain Library, 21109 N. 98th Ave., Peoria. Bring plant or insect specimens for ID and advice. David Haase (623) 889-5585.

Sat 20 Desert Sun African Violet Society Meeting

10 am, for location contact: Ann Stoetzer (623) 872-9020. Desert Sun African Violet Society

Sat 20 Tomatoes, Peppers, Chilies Sale

10 am-1 pm, Southwest Gardener, 2809 N. 15th Ave., Phoenix. Local Grower Gregory Ware will sell plants for your garden. Info

Sat 20 Gourd Art Class 10 am-2 pm, Boyce Thompson Arboretum, 37615 U.S. Highway 60, Superior, AZ. $30 mem/$39 non-mem. Info/Register


10:30-1:30 pm, Civic Center Library, 11350 W. Civic Center Drive, Avondale. Bring plant or insect specimens for ID and advice. George Salamunec

Sun 21 Tree Tour 8:30 am, Boyce Thompson Arboretum, 37615 U.S. Highway 60, Superior, AZ. Info

http://www.phoenixrose.org/


http://www.dbg.org/

http://www.dbg.org/shop/courses/pruning-trees-and-shrubs-8-17-11


http://swgourdpatch.com/


http://www.dvos-az.net/

http://www.dvos-az.net/





http://www.rosegarden.mesacc.edu/dhrosegardenatmcc/

http://cals.arizona.edu/maricopa/garden/dgi.htm



http://www.avsa.org/LocalClubs2.asp?RegionID=14

http://www.avsa.org/LocalClubs2.asp?RegionID=14

http://www.southwestgardener.com/

http://www.southwestgardener.com/event-calendar/








Sun 21 Phoenix Chrysanthemum Society Meeting

2-4:30 pm, member home. Contact for address: George Chi (480) 248-7685. Phoenix Chrysanthemum




6:30-9:30 pm, Maricopa County Cooperative Extension, 4341 E. Broadway, Phoenix. Topic: Pruning with Rick Robinson of Stillwater Landscape Management, and Board Member of AZ Community Tree Council

Wed 24 Fall and Winter Color Splashes


Thu 25 Butterfly Gardens 5:30-7:30 pm, Peoria City Hall, Pine Room, 8401 W. Monroe St., Peoria. Free. Instructor: Kirti Mathura. Info/Register




8:30-10 am, Anthem Community Center, 41130 N. Freedom Way, Anthem. Info/Register

Sat 27 Houseplants and Indoor Gardening

9 am, Gardener's World, 3401 E. Baseline Rd., Phoenix. Free, Reservations at (602) 437-0700

Sat 27 Prickly Pear Cactus Fruit Class


Sun 28 Central Arizona Cactus and Succulent Society Meeting

2 pm, Dorrance Hall at Desert Botanical Garden. Central Arizona Cactus and Succulent Society . Judy Braun-Brody (480) 481-8129



Tue 30 Basic Yard Makeovers 6:30-8:45 pm, Chandler City Hall, 175 S. Arizona Ave., 2nd Floor, Chandler. Free to Chandler residents. Instructor: Cathy Rymer. Info/Register


6:30-9:30 pm, Maricopa County Cooperative Extension, 4341 E. Broadway, Phoenix. Topic: Citrus and Deciduous Fruit with Glenn Wright, Associate Professor and Specialist, Citrus and Date Palms, UA Yuma Agriculture Research Center.


http://www.mums.org/chapters/az.htm


http://www.dbg.org/

http://www.dbg.org/shop/courses/fall-and-winter-color-splashes-8-24-11

http://www.peoriaaz.gov/content2.asp?ID=27364





http://www.dbg.org/

http://www.centralarizonacactus.org/

http://www.centralarizonacactus.org/


http://www.chandleraz.gov/default.aspx?pageid=580%20



September 2011

Thu 1 Wildflowers for Your Desert Garden

5:30-7:30 pm, Peoria City Hall, Pine Room, 8401 W. Monroe St., Peoria. Free. Instructor: Kirti Mathura. Info/Register

Mon 5 Prickly Pear Cactus Fruit Class


Wed 7 Landscaping in the Arizona Desert

5:30-7:30 pm, Peoria City Hall, Pine Room, 8401 W. Monroe St., Peoria. Free. Instructor: Leeann Spahos. Info/Register

Thu 8 Landscaping in the Arizona Desert

5:30-7:30 pm, Peoria City Hall, Pine Room, 8401 W. Monroe St., Peoria. Free. Instructor: Andy Lombardo. Info/Register

Sat 10 and 17

“Chandler Smart” Landscaping

9 am-noon, Chandler City Hall, 175 S. Arizona Ave., 2nd Floor, Chandler. Free to Chandler residents. Instructor: Ron Dinchak. Info/Register

Sun 11 Soil Prep for Your Garden

Noon, Southwest Gardener, 2809 N. 15th Ave., Phoenix. $32. Info/Register






http://www.chandleraz.gov/default.aspx?pageid=580%20

http://www.southwestgardener.com/

http://www.southwestgardener.com/event-calendar/

Roots & Shoots - University of Arizona · Marvelous Marionberry And many more!! Maricopa County...

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