Collections Ordering

I spent a good portion of the frigid morning ordering the seed version of the gloriosa daisy (Rudbeckia hirta 'Autumn Colors') seen above. One of our collections is of annual Rudbeckia this summer. We've located close to 50 varieties and will have a nice display. See 'Indian Summer' below to the left and 'Radiance' at the bottom of the posting. The challenge is finding seed sources, the best seed price, appropriate seed quantity and then getting the order placed and then dealing with coding them for the greenhouses. We distribute seeds to our growers in 4-6 weeks so need to have everything ready to go. I'm excited about this collection and while I'm mentally not ready for spring, it will be nice to see this collection planted and eventually "peak". I've enlisted the help of some of our Master Gardeners and volunteers to help with digital photography around the gardens this year. We'll target our collections, displays and of course, any cool shots that can be shared. I'm trying to build our "digital photo library" for future use in presentations and promotions.

Bitter cold today and throughout much of the Midwest and Northeast. The Grumpies worked on carpentry projects and other indoor activities today. We still have plenty of lights, cords, etc. to bring collect, bring back and process (see below to the right) but the snow, cold and the fact that we're burned out handling these items since October have created a short lapse in our motivation in that regard!


January really isn't a slow time around here despite the lack of visitation in the outdoor gardens. It takes months to prepare for spring and we're in the process of implementing admissions-based entry here at the gardens. There are quite a few hurdles to contend with and we're trying to be proactive and prepared for the spring onslaught of visitors. Spring will be here soon enough....