A Fun & Stormy Workday

Monica's keeping the garden
clean and tidy!

Rain may have loomed in the afternoon, but on Saturday morning the weather was perfect for being at the garden getting work done! On account of the rain, one priority today was to plant two olive trees. These olive trees were part of a generous donation from the event we did with the UCSF Medical Center Lights On Celebration. First thing Annie and Matt set about finding a good spot for the trees and getting them in the ground, and I got things ready for our other volunteers.

Will and Riley clearing the pathways

Next on the scene was Wil, a brand new volunteer that was eager to help out. Will and I got started weeding the pathways, and were soon joined by Riley and Monica. We worked our way around the top part of the garden, clearing mountains of grass from the pathways and carefully weeding between the very spiky plants in the middle bed. Eliot arrived soon after, and my mom Debbie showed up too, and both joined in the weeding party, adding to the speed at which we cleared huge swatches of weeds.

One of the two new olive trees
planted today at PRG by Annie & Matt

Now, with so many volunteers on hand we were able to diversify; Riley swept the two paths leading into the garden and the steps, Debbie cleaning out the Agapanthus, and Monica went about picking up trash. Monica deserves a big kudos from everyone, because she has been coming regularly, on her own (!) to pickup trash to keep the gardens looking great. Next time you see her walking her dog at the garden, be sure to tell her thank you!

Trees on the way

We have worked with Friends of the Urban Forest to select trees for this project, and it looks like we have candidates lined up with the help of Heidi L. our contact over there.

Our requirements were quite stringent, and we did a lot of research on the best species for the spot. Here's our wishlist:

1. Extremely drought tolerant, or xeric.
2. Evergreen, so they look good year 'round.
3. Not too tall (we have overhead wires.)
4. Low litter - less fruits, nuts and leaves falling all over the place.
5. A nice mix of 4-5 species.

These are the trees it looks like we're getting:

1. Olea europea (Olive tree)
2. Agonis flexuosa "Jervis Bay Afterdark" (Purple Peppermint Tree)
3. Acacia stenophylla (Shoestring Acacia)
4. Tristaniopsis laurina "Elegant" (Small-Leafed Tristania)
5. Acacia baileyana "Purpurea" (Purple Fernleaf Acacia)

We tried for a few other species but they weren't available - Psoralea pinnata, Cussonia species and the like - but we're happy with the one's we've got. They're sure to look fantastic on the street. Planting day is December 1st at 10am: join us!