A Temperamental Day

We all came in today expecting sunshine and 70 degree temperatures. We heard about the slight chance of an isolated shower. Well, it was overcast, cold and occasionally sprinkling out there this morning. As I look outside, it's blue skies and sunny right now although still a bit chilly. Nice shot of grape hyacinths (Muscari armeniacum) starting up in the sunny hot spots. In some areas, they've just emerged but I have some at home that are blooming as well. This is definitely one of my favorite bulbs and we must have 50,000 of these around the gardens in small groupings. The blue of this bulb helps balance all the yellows we're seeing with daffodils (Narcissus). However, there are so many wonderful daffodils that are more subtle than the bright yellow or whites. Unfortunately the variety below is unknown but beautiful none the less. The renowned horticulturist Wayne Winterrowd has said that "not knowing the exact name of a plant has never diminished his appreciation of its merits" (or something like that!). He has authored some nice books by the way.
Another great Grumpy day with Dick P., Dick H., Rollie and crew hauling back all of our terrace furniture and umbrellas from storage. Gary and Charlie spread shredded bark in the rose garden while Del and Ron spread mushroom compost over some of our annual beds. Dave and Vern worked on carpentry while Bob T. worked his "air edge magic" by tidying up edges of beds along turf. Maury helped in many capacities and continued to prime some of our obelisks before painting. Jenny and Janice worked on weeding and tidying various areas and shifted to indoor projects when the weather turned ugly. Larry had been helping everybody out and is repairing some electrical junctions and conduit in the rose garden. Bob was in digging holes, mulching and is currently digging up rampant deadnettle (Lamium). See to the left for a nice picture of a functional groundcover with nice leaf pattern and showy flowers. There are different species and varieties but be warned that it does reseed and can become a nuisance. We are destroying a good portion of our population as it now covers about 100x more area than we ever wanted! Vigorous is not always a good asset for a plant!


The American Public Gardens Association (APGA), of which I'm a member, has declared May 8, 2009 to be National Public Gardens Day, "an annual celebration of America's gardens." The APGA created this event to promote the awareness of the important role that public gardens play. Dan Stark, executive director of the APGA, says "National Public Gardens Day will not only be a time for families and enthusiasts to enjoy the gardens, but will also showcase the achievements and expertise provided by public gardens as well as their commitment to education and outreach programs that are vital to people's appreciation and understanding of the irreplaceable value of plants." Amen. Why not celebrate this day by becoming a member at Rotary Gardens!? See www.rotarygardens.org/images/friendsfinal.pdf to download our membership brochure.