Desert Messenger

10 www.DesertMessenger.com October 18, 2023 Gardening with Dennis Stay up to date with Town Hall Town of Quartzsite now offers text notifications on your phone through TextMyGov. iWorQ is excited to an- nounce a strategic partnership with @TextMyGov to expand citizen en- gagement with text messaging To opt in, text the word "QUARTZSITE" to 91896. What to expect: After the initial keyword is sent, you'll receive a confirmation message asking you to reply "YES" to verify opt-in. There will be 0-4 text messages per month with a notification from the Town regarding the categories you are opted-in for. Message and data rates may apply. Check with your mo- bile phone carrieer for more details. How to Opt-Out: Text "STOP" at any time to remove yourself from the notification list. Also are you looking for an- swers? Need to report an issue? Now you can Text the Town of Quartzsite directly. Introducing the new way to skip a phone call and use your mobile phone's text messaging to find answers to your questions. Text "hi" or one the words listed be- low, to 928-260-4442. "Trees, Sewer, Contact, Street, Wa- ter, Pothole, Weeds, Departments, FAQ." TextMyGov will help you to quick- ly find the answers your looking for or help you to report an issue to the Town. QUARTZSITE GARDEN CLUB By Alex Taft Part II - In the La Paz Master Gar- dener News published by the Uni- versity of Arizona La Paz County Cooperative Extension of 2011 was listed the Quartzsite Area Master Gardeners Community Projects. There were sixteen projects that the Quartzsite Garden Club car- ried out. 1) Booth at Tyson Wells pro- moting the Master Gardener Program. 2) Worked with el- ementary school to teach and plant vegetable gardens. 3) Master Gardener held at the Quartzsite Town Park. 4) De- signed and installed water- ing system for city grant for landscaping the new city com- munity center – also designed and planted the landscaping. 5) Planned and installed irri- gation at Celia's Gardens and planted various plants. 6) Club at- tended rose bush pruning work- shop in Salome. 7) Created a Free- dom Garden at the town park by the airplanes. 8) Planned and designed irrigation and waterfall at Freedom Garden. 9) Installed irrigation and planted landscaping at the Free- dom Garden. 10) Created waterfall and pools at freedom Garden. 11) Presentation to Scholars' Academy about horticulture. 12) Taped a ra- dio program about horticulture. 13) Planned landscape for LPRC Medical Clinic in Quartzsite. 14) Landscaped and installed the irri- gation system at the Clinic. 15) New plantings at Celia's Garden and the Freedom Garden. 16) Made 6 plant- ers for the Children's Library at City Hall for the children to plant veg- etables They were everywhere. The focus of the Garden Club was to teach and encourage oth- ers about gardening and landscap- ing, to make the community more welcoming and enjoyable through desert friendly landscaping and to involve the entire community from elementary and high school-aged children to retirees, local business owners, residents and snowbirds. They made gardening fun, and gratifying. They financed their own projects through dues and dona- tions. Jini Dill was part of the junior master gardeners' program with the Quartzsite Elementary School students. In 2008, the Lemon Tree Nursery moved from Parker to Quartzsite. The Quartzsite Garden Club made a plant and tree list for those plants that grew well in our area, work- ing with the Lemon Tree owners. The Lemon Tree was very success- ful here and many homes are land- scaped with their plants. In 2006, The Quartzsite Garden Club worked with Donna Pierce, Joan Chance, Coleen Gallus, Shirley Phillips, Dennis Wilskey and then Council Member, Carolyn Guthrie and the Assistant Town Manager to create a landscape area between Plymouth Road and the parking area in front of Town Hall. There were benches, signage for each plant and walking paths. The funding for the signage, benches and irrigation was from an Arizona Community Tree Council grant through the for- estry service. The trees and plants were all donated and the design was completed by master gardener and garden club member Stan Chance. Many of the garden club mem- bers wrote articles for the La Paz Master Gardener News. The list of achievements by club members is substantial. It is one of the unique facets of Quartzsite that volunteers in this community make a substantial dif- ference unlike any other commu- nity. Quartzsite has few resources so volunteers fill those gaps in creative and substantial ways. The Quartzsite Garden Club raised the bar of landscape awareness and the benefits of gardening through their efforts to educate and dem- onstrate the benefits of a landscaped yard and com- munity. For them it was fun! It gave them a sense of fulfillment and reasons for lots of potlucks and good treats at meetings. They ate well while working. Members often brought food from their gardens, treats they made to share. The garden club ended in March of 2018. Dennis passed away also, but he was part of the decision to end the club. Too many members had been unable to attend because of health issues, aging out and a need to stay in their northern homes. It is hoped that their work will be re- newed by fresh faces and their own desire to improve and educate the community. To end where I started, the Quartzsite Garden Club was a powerhouse and left a legacy of achievement. Note: for those who did not know Dennis, he was a part-time employ- ee of the town parks department, a Master Gardener since 1985 and instructor for the Master Gardener Class. He passed away in 2018. DEADLINE : WED. NOV. 8 TH for Nov 1 5 th edition Desert Messenger News Email: editor@DesertMessenger.com 928-916-4235 www.DesertMessenger.com

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