Garden Activities: March 24, 2026

Tuesday we worked in separate groups to divide and conquer the tasks needed to be completed.

Bill Dobner stayed in the service area to manage the compost. Steve Davis, Katie Shank, Beverly Kemmerling and Dale Harshberger headed for the KAG to stake the newly planted flowering plum and plant a butterfly bush. Ann Wright and Daryl Stutley went to the Australian section to check on recent plantings and provide water for the newest ones. Susanna Mac, Nancy Taylor Walker, Julia Appelrouth and I stayed in the Chilean Garden where we weeded and planted some replacement calandrinia.

Steve also set out some plants to be donated to a homeless shelter property in Thousand Oaks. These were placed on the first table on the right as you walk into the shade house.

Katie with some of the items needed for the work in the KAG.

This introduces a minor theme that carries through some of the work: Plan Ahead! Though we were ingenious enough to get around some of the problems we found we couldn’t complete the work with the tools on hand. Rather than a post driver, we had a sledge hammer. However, the sinking of the stake was able to be started and will be completely installed next week with the optimal tools.

The butterfly bush was planted across from the pirate’s cave near the butterfly garden interpretive sign. A live oak seedling that was in the way was removed and saved do donate to Janet Wall’s native plant restoration area.

Katie digging out the oak.

Beverly, Dale and Katie returning from their KAG work.

Steve, Ann and Daryl discussing the work to be done in the Australian Garden

Next up was the work in the Chilean Garden which included weeding and planting replacement calandrinias along the margins of the planting beds adjacent to the service area. This was another lesson learned. I spent most of my time weeding and didn’t start planting until later.  It wasthen that I realized that the plants weren’t really established in their gallon pots, but almost all had already been planted.  First order of business should have been to look at the root ball of one or two prior to deciding they were ready to plant. However, luckily, calandrinias root readly so with the head start they already have, they should be fine. Though they may need some extra TLC for a few weeks.

Nancy and Susanna transporting the calandrinia from the shade house to the Chilean Garden.

Julia planting.

KMM weeding.

Finally just want to point out a couple of our wonderful natives: 2 penstemons: Penstemon spectabilis (showy penstemon) and Penstemon centranthifolius (scarlet bugler).

The two growing right next to each other next to the service area parking lot. There are several other places in the garden where they are close to each other.   

Many thanks to Nancy and Beverly for their images.

Enjoy the garden!   KMM