Gloomy Monday

Today was damp and overcast all day although the sun did peak out a couple of times. I had to put a "sunny day" picture up though! Above is the 'Varied Directions' larch (Larix x marschlinsii) near our entrance road. This form is a real eye catcher and as a deciduous conifer, the needles on this tree turn golden (happening as I type) and they'll drop only to be replaced next year. We like using woody plants with interesting forms in areas where they will catch the eye. Another nice woody for arching, irregular form is the weeping white pine (Pinus strobus 'Pendula'). I took this picture last weekend at the Longenecker Gardens in Madison. You can find this plant at garden centers and nurseries but be sure to leave it space to "explore" it's intended dimensions (quite variable!).
We had a decent Grumpy turnout but the weather was pretty sour. Larry started taking down a lot of the Halloween remnants and Jerry helped haul back pumpkins and piles of debris. Janice worked on organizing our cluttered office and storage areas. Marianne worked on myriad tasks and has been trying to finalize our iris collection information. Marv and Terry brought in all sorts of obelisks for decoration and started working our Holiday lights show. Rick and Tony worked on preparing holiday lights and removing three large trees between sprinkles. I worked on presentations and deskwork which had piled up over the past weeks. Below is a nice shot of kale (Brassica sp.) that we plant in Sept. for late color that extends well thru November. Kale can take the frost and will sometimes overwinter with a nice blanket of insulating snow.