More Telltale Signs

What a great weekend. More signs of spring seem to appear each day. Above is the striped squill (Puschkinia libanotica) in full bloom this morning. This fall planted bulb, is only 6" tall and from a distance, looks like a white Siberian squill (Scilla siberica 'Alba'). However, if you look closely, each flower petal has a light blue stripe. These bulbs are "a dime a dozen" so plant them in large groupings and you only need to plant the 1" tall bulbs 3" down. This bulb usually blooms in early April but is a smidge early due to the weather. Native to the Caucasus region and Asia, this bulb has also been called Russian "snowdrops". Speaking of the weather, it looks like a warm week that will really get buds swelling and perennials emerging. See below for the start of Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica) emerging from the soil with purplish leaves. The blue flowers of this native ephemeral are still a couple weeks away though.It was nice to have Friday off and Saturday I was involved with Mike's annual symposium at RBG. Dr. R. Bruce Allison from Madison (www.allisontree.com/) started the day with an engaging discussion regarding some neat new tools being used to detect decay in trees. Dr. Allison mentioned some current research and some interesting case studies that seemed very well received. Dr. Allison has a national reputation and has authored many books as well as training materials. Guy Sternberg, owner and operator of Starhill Forest Arboretum (Petersburg, IL), then presented the group with a "reality check" regarding global warming issues, implications and consequences that were backed with scientific data. He then talked about some neat woody plants, most of which I had never heard of but will be looking for in the near future. Look up Guy on Wikepedia for more information about his extensive background which also included authoring some books. Look for more information on Starhill Forest Arboretum (www.starhillforest.com/) as it is an amazing place that I was fortunate to visit over 5 years ago. There is a neat section on the website with pictures of gigantic trees from around the world, although many from the Midwest too. Lunch was great and one of the few that I've been to on the lecture circuit this spring that accomodated vegetarians nicely. After lunch, Phil Pelliterri from the UW-Madison entomology department talked about various critters out in the garden and how various populations have changed over time. He is very concerned about Japanese beetles and the Emerald Ash borer (as are many of us) and his insights are always valuable. I finished the day with a talk on energy-efficient landscape design. Mike ran another nice event and Song Sparrow Nursery kindly supplied silent auction items and a free peony for everyone. Janice's biodegradable pot display was also quite popular and she was recognized for her significant efforts. See display below.