Garden Activities: March 17,2026

As I pointed out to the Tuesday Crew, July is the new March — in terms of weather! So we elected to follow our protocol for summer gardening which calls for beginning work at 8am (rather than 9am) and ending at 10am. Even then, it was in the mid 80’s when we stopped working. Tuesday’s crew comprised: Julia Appelrouth, Steve Davis, Susanna Mac, Daryl Stutley, Nancy Taylor Walker, Anna Wiktor-Becker, Ann Wright and myself.

Steve was on site to place labels on the plants added to the garden the last couple of weeks. A couple of other jobs were on the docket Tuesday. We started out in the KAG where a flowering plum was sourced by Dale Harshberger to replace one that had succumbed to a lack of water due to an issue with the irrigation system that wasn’t discovered until it was too late. To make the job easier for the volunteers we employed the contract gardener who supports the KAG to dig the hole for a 15-gallon potted tree.

You’ll notice a white pipe deep in the hole. We surmised that because it was so deep, it must have been installed when the ground level was lower at that spot, and that soil had been added to the area to level out the KAG. Fortunately Poli didn’t break the pipe. However, since it was there on one side, Julia and Susanna volunteered to widen the hole on the opposite side so at least the final position wouldn’t be directly over the pipe should something ever happen to it.

Julia and Susanna.

The group setting the tree up and filling in the hole.

Anna, Julia, Susanna and yours truly with the finished product. The ground was very wet so not a lot of water was added at the end.

Meanwhile, on the way down to the KAG, we stopped to remove some of the rampant mustard — primarily black mustard  — growing amongst the matilija poppies. While the rest of us headed to the KAG, Ann and Daryl stayed behind to continue that work.

Daryl with a load of mustard headed for the green waste bin.

While in the thicket of poppies someone pointed out what must be the first matilija poppy to bloom this season.

Anna holding the blossom for the photo. Hopefully there'll be a flush of bloom for the Matilija Poppy festival in May.

Elsewhere, a whodunit presented itself. Below is an image of what is left of an acacia that had been planted in the Australian Garden last week. All that’s left of it is a hole and fragments of the flag used to ID the plant pending a permanent label. Another identical plant planted nearby wasn’t touched. Any ideas welcome to solve this mystery.

On a happier note, below is one of the Pacific Coast irises in the Native Garden.

Many thanks to Ann and Nancy for their images!

Enjoy the garden…KMM