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PHONE CALL FROM GENEVIEVE REWARDS VOLUNTEER
Someone once told me that the word "volunteer" doesn't translate into the Russian language. The concept doesn't exist in that culture. That's a sad commentary, because volunteerism is one of the cornerstones that supports our U.S. culture. Perhaps, since the breakup of the Soviet Union, things are now changing in Russia.
Every time a volunteer act occurs, it benefits at least two people - the person(s) on the receiving end, and the person doing the volunteering. Too often, when we're searching for volunteers, we undervalue the benefit that accrues to the volunteer.
I volunteer time as a Master Gardener because it makes my life more interesting. I write this column and answer phone questions about trees and other gardening stuff on a volunteer basis.
What's the point? Well, if I didn't do these things, I wouldn't have received the phone call last week from Genevieve.
Genevieve called me for advice about what type of tree to plant to attract birds. We chatted for a while about choices and alternatives, and then she recalled that she had read one of my columns and enjoyed it. Also, she remarked, my name was somewhat familiar...what was my background?
I explained where I lived, that my name may be familiar because it's the same as my father's (a former county commissioner), and I explained how I came to be a Carver/Scott Master Gardener. Turns out my house was built on ground that is just a short walk from where Genevieve began her life more than eight decades ago. She recalls my home site in earlier years as a bucolic cow pasture.
I found her recollections quite interesting, since I've speculated that the soil on my lot has never been broken with a plow. A major clue is several big old bur oak trees that very likely predate the arrival of settlers to Carver County. That would mean, Genevieve reasoned, that the bur oaks were standing before 1862 - the year when recipients of U.S. land grants settled much of Carver County.
A little more conversation revealed that Genevieve attended Carver High School with my mother in the late 1920s. "Is your mother still alive and well?" she asked. "She sure is," I offered, and suggested she give mom a call. "I'd like that," Genevieve said. Genevieve said she continues to enjoy gardening. In fact, a friend used to tell her she had the nicest garden in Cologne. I could have predicted it, based on the fact that she's researching which trees to plant in her yard for enjoyment "in the years ahead."
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An article in last week's StarTribune offered sound advice about helping our landscape plants cope with the current drought as we approach winter. Water all perennials, shrubs and trees deeply and slowly until you can easily poke a metal stake several inches into the soil, advised the horticulturist. Then keep watering - at least an inch a week - until hard frost.
University of Minnesota horticulturist Deb Brown says evergreen trees, especially, need extra watering now - even big, tall pines and spruces, she says. Making sure these trees enter winter with "wet feet" will help them survive the cold months ahead with minimum winterkill. Also, 4-6 inches of mulch at the base of your trees and shrubs will held keep roots moist.
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Final pumpkin update: I harvested my pumpkins Saturday. The biggest weighed 83 pounds - far below my expectations last May! I simply didn't carry enough water during July and early August when my pumpkins were having their peak growth spurt.
If you want to see some of the local area's biggest pumpkins and sunflowers, stop by Chaska Farm and Garden or Bob's Country Garden Center during early afternoon Saturday, Sept. 28. Official weigh-in will be at 3 p.m. You can enter your own pumpkins and sunflower heads that day for a $2 entry fee. Winners will receive $25 cash prizes from Carver/Scott Master Gardeners.
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PUTTING DOWN ROOTS:
A Delightful Blend of
Gardening Wisdom, Wit
and Whimsy
$10 + $2 for shipping
by Cliff Johnson |
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