MONDAYS AT THE CVG

 ​HELLO FLOWER FRIENDS!
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Wow! We had a fantastic time at the Annual CVG Planting Party on March 8, 2025 planting this year's garden! This Thursday is the first day of Spring so we have a head start for a fantastic growing season full of flowers and veggies! We had a really fun time and got everything in the garden planted! Everyone including the kiddos worked really hard! Bravo!!! The turn out was wonderful with over 40 people planting like busy beavers! It was super fun and planting a flower for a cancer patient is super rewarding!!!

Thank you very much for showing up for a cause! You are awesome supporters! We had lots of Survivors, Supporters, and Special gardening types even! Oh and kids planting!

Ken Ward, my husband extraordinaire, brought in two yards of soil bucket by bucket to refill the dahlia tanks this spring. We added my secret soil recipe OK! (I will share it with you! Just keep it a secret, OK. I add a whole bag of worm castings from Home Depot, a bag of chicken manure or organic if you have chickens, organic bone meal also from HD, Azomite which are trace minerals helping the plants to grow strong, flower fertilizer 4-4-4 - this is critical. Don’t get too high of Nitrogen or you will have all plants and few flowers. Dahlias love fertilizer when planted, and again a month later.) 

​I love Sluggo Plus, which has stuff to deter Earwigs, they love dahlias! The only challenge is don’t use it when it rains as I have found it turns into moldy lump! Uck! You can use organic products because they feed the soil which in turn feeds the plant. I don’t use Miracle Grow because it only feeds the plant and can actually starve the plant of valuable elements. We grow our flowers in galvanized steel tanks that have a hole in the bottom to allow for a drip water system. It keeps the gophers out from the field from across the street! LOL! Look at Sandy, Kathy, and Dana planting up the veggie garden with added sunflowers seeds, way to go ladies! We use double level cattle fencing to act as support for the dahlias which grow 5-6 feet!

The garden was planted with a TON of different seeds thanks to our gardeners and donors! I ordered many seeds to take us through the season. We also collect seeds to replant! Sunflowers, Dahlias, Snapdragons, Anemone, Ranunculus, Coneflowers in three colors!, Asters, and more! We planted seeds, dahlia tubers, and seedlings! WOWZA! 

We even had a successful Dahlia Tuber Sale!Along with planting instructions! I love this picture of Dana explaining to Nancy and Francine that each tuber must have an eye, like a potato to sprout a plant!

This is my fellow survivor Annie! She is one of our dedicated volunteer flower arrangers. She comes every week and creates beautiful arrangements! She also is a very talented author and wrote a book of prayer to support cancer patients going through treatment.

Anyhow, now we wait! Oh, waiting is hard! But I know under the warm ground the seeds are growing roots and the dahlias are starting to sprout. Resist giving your dahlias water until they sprout or they will rot. Make certain your seeds are moist so they can sprout. I sprinkle the seeds daily until they get a good start. I love it when I see their little heads poking up through the dirt so intentionally stating their purpose to grow tall and strong.

You are welcome to stop by for a visit any Monday to check out the garden, share a coffee, or just sit and relax! Or you can join us in creating beautiful arrangements Mondays during growing season 9-11am. Please text ahead to check availability, 805.440.3064 I look forward to seeing you tip-toeing through the flowers soon!

​Love, Linda & the CVG Team!