Painted mural in the Veterans Garden
Bonnie Nowicki
Our local stores and garden centers are filled with colorful chrysanthemums (a plant of the daisy family), sunflowers, and stacks of pumpkins and unique gourds. You can indulge your creative nature and design a terrific table-top centerpiece using this selection, plus some tree leaves and greenery. Or for a change of pace, you can purchase several potted blooming cyclamen persicum. These attractive plants bloom profusely from autumn until mid-spring with pink-red flowers. They prefer bright, indirect light and cool room temperatures. Keep the soil slightly moist and fertilize monthly.
The succulent kalanchoe blossfeldiana also blooms nonstop for months. Masses of red or yellow flowers nearly cover the thick, waxy leaves. They do best with four hours of sunlight and cool temperatures. Allow the soil to become slightly dry between thorough waterings. In our mild winters both cyclamens and kalanchoes can be safely displayed on your outdoor patio table, but they do prefer some shade. Both are widely available in stores.
On another note, I wish to acknowledge Master Gardeners David Duffy and Larry Coffin and their team, plus the talented La Posada artists for creating the Veterans Garden’s beautiful mural. This long-term project is celebrating its dedication this November. This garden is free and open to veterans and Gold Star families with eight three-foot planting tanks available for wheelchair access. It’s a 10-minute drive from Quail Creek to the Pima County extension center located at 530 East Whitehouse Canyon Road. Call the office at 520-648-0808 to sign up for a soil-filled tank ready to plant a winter crop.
Thanksgiving blessings to all!