Connie Hansen Garden Conservancy

TO PRESERVE AND MAINTAIN A SIGNIFICANT HORTICULTURAL SITE AS A DEMONSTRATION BOTANICAL GARDEN; PROPAGATE AND PROMOTE APPROPRIATE NATIVE AND ORNAMENTAL PLANTS; MAINTAIN AN INTERPRETIVE CENTER; NURTURE RELATED ARTS, COMPATIBLE NON PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND COMMUNITY EDUCATION.

THE GARDEN: THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC CONTINUED TO HAVE SOME NEGATIVE EFFECT ON GARDEN OPERATIONS DURING 2021-22. THE GARDEN IS ABOUT 1.25 ACRES IN A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD, WITH A PARKING AREA, AND IS OPEN TO VISITORS DURING ALL DAYLIGHT HOURS, FREE OF CHARGE. IT IS UNATTENDED A GOOD DEAL OF THE TIME, MUCH LIKE A PARK. VISITORS WERE NOT RESTRICTED FROM THE GARDEN, BUT WERE ASKED TO COMPLY WITH CURRENT COVID-19 RECOMMENDATIONS. AN ESTIMATED 7000-8000 PEOPLE VISITED THE GARDEN. ONE DAY A WEEK IS A DESIGNATED WORK DAY DURING WHICH SUPERVISED VOLUNTEERS PERFORM MOST OF THE GARDEN MAINTENANCE. A FEW EXPERIENCED VOLUNTEERS WORK AT OTHER TIMES AS THEIR SCHEDULE ALLOWS. SOME VOLUNTEERS, MOST OF WHOM ARE RETIRED OR SEMI-RETIRED, CHOSE TO REDUCE THEIR TIME IN THE GARDEN TO REDUCE THEIR RISK OF EXPOSURE TO OTHERS, INCLUDING VISITORS. HOWEVER, NECESSARY WORK AS DONE. A FEW TASKS, SUCH AS MOWING AND TRIMMING, GARDEN DEBRIS REMOVAL, AND STRUCTURAL WORK, ARE HIRED ACTIVITIES THAT ARE DONE AS NEEDED. APPROXIMATELY 40 YARDS OF NORMALLY GENERATED DEBRIS WAS REMOVED. A PLANNED EXTENXION OF AN ACCESSIBLE PATHWAY WAS DELAYED DUE TO THE CONTRACTOR BEING AFFLICTED WITH COVID-19 WITH LINGERING SYMPTOMS. THESE HIRED TASKS ACCOUNTED FOR 45% OF THE COST OF MAINTAINING THE GARDEN. VOLUNTEERS DONATED ABOUT 2,600 HOURS TOWARD GARDEN MAINTENANCE, ABOUT 10% LESS THAN NORMAL. THE GARDEN WAS ACCEPTABLY MAINTAINED IN SPITE OF THE PANDEMIC, ALTHOUGH MORE HELP WOULD HAVE BEEN BENEFICIAL.

THE GARDEN HOUSE: ORIGINALLY THE RESIDENCE OF A RETIRED BOTANIST WHO DEVELOPED THE GARDEN OVER A TWENTY YEAR PERIOD. THE GARDEN HOUSE WAS REMODELED EARLY ON TO CORRECT SOME DEFICIENCIES AND MAKE IT MORE SUITABLE TO THE MISSION OF THE CONSERVANCY. IT IS APPROXIMATELY 1440 SQUARE FEET. THE BUILDING DATES TO THE 1940'S AND IS LIKELY TO NEED MAJOR RENOVATION OR REPLACEMENT AT SOME POINT. THE CONSERVANCY IS ACCUMULATING FUNDS FOR THAT EVENTUALITY. SOME POSSIBLE STRUCTURAL ISSUES HAVE BEEEN DETECTED AND A CONTRACTOR HAS BEEN ENGAGED TO INVESTIGATE THEM AND CONDUCT REPAIRS. FINDING AN AVAILABLE CONTRACTOR PROVED PROBLEMATIC. THE REMODEL RESULTED IN A FIVE ROOM, PLUS RESTROOM, BUILDING. THE MAIN ROOM SERVES AS A MEETING ROOM, A GALLERY FOR LOCAL ARTISTS ON A ROTATING BASIS, A CLASS AND EVENT ROOM, AND A LUNCH ROOM FOR VOLUNTEERS. OTHER ROOMS INCLUDE A HORTICULTURAL REFERENCE LIBRARY, A KITCHEN, A SMALL GARDEN RELATED GIFT SHOP/HOST STATION, AND A SMALL OFFICE/STORE ROOM. THE HOUSE IS NORMALLY HOSTED FOUR DAYS A WEEK FROM MARCH THROUGH EARLY DECEMBER. BECAUSE THE SIZE AND CONFIGURATION OF THE HOUSE DO NOT ALLOW FOR PROPER SOCIAL DISTANCING, IT WAS CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC FOR MOST OF HE FALL, REOPENING IN MARCH 2022. THIS RESULTED IN A LOSS OF HOUSE USE INCOME OF ABOUT $1,000.00. IMPROVED SPRING GIFT SHOP SALES BROUGHT INCOME BACK TO PRE-PANDEMIC LEVELS. BECAUSE OF THE FALL HOUSE CLOSURE, ONLY ABOUT 50% OF VOLUNTEER HOURS WERE ACHIEVED, TOTALING ABOUT 350 HOURS.

ACTIVITIES: THE "GARDEN GAZETTE", A QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER, IS PRODUCED AND DISTRIBUTED TO DONOR MEMBERS, BY MAIL AND EMAIL, AND MADE AVAILABLE TO VISITORS, ABOUT 250 COPIES PER QUARTER. INFORMATION SHEETS ON LOCAL GARDENING AND PLANT CARE ARE GENERATED AND MADE AVAILABLE FREE OF CHARGE. THROUGH THE EFFORTS OF A PHOTOGRAPHER VOLUNTEER, A PICTORIAL RECORD OF THE GARDEN IS BEING DEVELOPED, WHICH INCLUDES DIGITIZED PICTURES FROM CONNIE HANSEN'S COLLECTIONS. VARIOUS GROUPINGS OF THESE PHOTOS ARE USED FOR PRESENTATIONS. SEVERAL CLASSES, PRESENTATIONS AND EVENTS THAT NORMALLY OCCUR DID NOT HAPPEN DUE TO COVID-19 RECOMMENDATIONS. PRODUCTION OF LOCALLY APPROPRIATE PLANT MATERIALS, PRODUCED BY VOLUNTEERS IN DONATED FACILITIES, FOR USE IN THE GARDEN AND FOR SALE TO THE PUBLIC, CONTINUED AT A SOMEWHAT NORMAL PACE. SALES TO THE PUBLIC ARE DONE BY AN HONOR SYSTEM OF PUTTING MONEY IN ENVELOPES THROUGH A MAIL SLOT. SALES WERE DOWN SLIGHTLY FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR, LIKELY DUE TO A WET SPRING. SPRING, SUMMER AND FALL ONE-DAY PLANT SALE EVENTS NORMALLY CONDUCTED DID NOT OCCUR DUE TO COVID-19 RECOMMENDATIONS. ABOUT 3,000 PLANTS WERE PRODUCED. ABOUT 800 VOLUNTEER HOURS WERE APPLIED TO THESE ACTIVITIES.