Report from the July workday at the Panhandle

At yesterday's Panhandle workday, volunteers from the community turned out to work with Rec and Park staff to take care of the park's gardens, focusing on the area near the playground.

A few of yesterday's accomplishments -

• Removing sand from the south pathway next to the playground 
• Tending the rain garden by removing trash, raking leaves, and pulling weeds, and
• Thoroughly removing weeds from the mound next to the restroom (planted this past winter, in part by volunteers in February and in part by city workers), and 
• Most impressively: installing a sturdier, and more attractive rope fence around the planting on the mound. 

See the pictures below for more - 

On the mound, clipping expired blooms from yarrow can result in new growth 

Installing the sturdy new posts required a stake pounder and a lot of work

The new fence was strung at the end of the morning

Since planting at the beginning of 2016, the sticky monkey, coyote brush, and other plants have grown and bloomed. Volunteers have fertilized the plants and also keep on top of the weeds that inevitably sprout. 

A large portion of the yarrow in the rain garden looked black and blighted. Yesterday's solution: remove to the ground level, watch for new growth, and replant the area if necessary. This coast buckwheat will enjoy the space to grow. 

The community volunteer program at the Panhandle continues on the second Saturday of each month, from 9 am - 12 noon.