Our bagged compost sale starts tomorrow although I wish it had started a week ago as this was a nice week to get compost out in the gardens with the warmth and impending showers tomorrow. We've had lots of enquiries about this product and its availability. This is good stuff and has proven to be a nice little fundraiser for us as well. We're looking (literally) at the bulk version of this material
with a 40 cubic yard pile awaiting dispersal next week (hopefully). We definitely need the rain this weekend as March was extremely dry. However, rain does put a "damper" on our compost sale. Oh well. It was overcast all day but still quite warm (and windy). We had lots of action out in the gardens, including some blooms. See a beautiful primrose (Primula pubescens, variety unknown) in bloom near our Japanese garden. This plant is less than 12" in h
eight and that flower is about 2" in diameter (multiple blooms per plant). Pretty neat though and in a nice rich, damp soil. This is the first to bloom among another dozen or so neighbors that will continue the show thru the next two weeks or so with many other primulas poised to bloom around the gardens. Kay was here to work her "weeding kung fu" on some quack grass and other early offenders. Big John came in and continued to remove brick from our 'Dialogue' sculpture sitting area. This demo has gone fairly smoothly and we hope to formulate our rebuilding plan early next week. Ron, Dick H., Dick P. and John have taken on this project and we expect some masons to help in the coming weeks as we determine final scale, materials and most importantly, budget! See the shot to the left for some of the progress. LP Tree Service (Janesville) came today to level some soil for us in a space that will accomodate a new seating structure that the Grumpies are building (remember the big arches in previous posts?). Chris also did some stump grinding for us (below) and it's always impressive to see that machine in use. It sure made quick work of the large Siberian elm (Ulmus pumila) stump and is always impressive to watch. 
Small crew today but high productivity. Marianne came in and worked on getting things ready for the compost sale and spent some time on her alpine labels. Janice came in with her new dog and we touched base on upcoming events of interest. Vern took some of the new daisy art pieces to be sealed and we'll continue that process thru the month as they arrive and we start placing the finished/returned pieces out in the garden. I'll post more pictures next week of these unique and beautiful works of art. See the bottom photo for a neat daisy from Molly and Emily, both art students at Craig H.S. (Janesville). Rose was here to put some touch up paint on a steel arbor and Dr. Gredler continued his lawn aeration program after a quick run to the dump. Warming soils continue to provide some emerging interest. I certainly love the early spring blooms but the nice, clean, crisp, colorful foliage is neat as well and can rival flowers for color. Below is golden comfrey (Symphytum officinale 'Belsay Gold') which looks dynamite until mid-summer where it then becomes quite large and a sickly chartreuse. This clean gold is nice in spring though. Beneath the golden comfrey is golden tansy (Tanacetum vulgare 'Isla Gold') which looks like a yellow fern when emerging. This perennial keeps it's gold coloration (yellow flowers in summer) and isn't as invasive as its green counterpart. The last plant emerging below is the variegated false-forget-me-not (Brunnera macrophylla 'Variegata') which should have small blue flowers very shortly and is a nice foliage plant in part shade (15" tall). Sometimes we'll see green reversions on this cultivar and have moved on to 'Jack Frost' and 'Looking Glass' for stable leaf "silvering". 
Small crew today but high productivity. Marianne came in and worked on getting things ready for the compost sale and spent some time on her alpine labels. Janice came in with her new dog and we touched base on upcoming events of interest. Vern took some of the new daisy art pieces to be sealed and we'll continue that process thru the month as they arrive and we start placing the finished/returned pieces out in the garden. I'll post more pictures next week of these unique and beautiful works of art. See the bottom photo for a neat daisy from Molly and Emily, both art students at Craig H.S. (Janesville). Rose was here to put some touch up paint on a steel arbor and Dr. Gredler continued his lawn aeration program after a quick run to the dump. Warming soils continue to provide some emerging interest. I certainly love the early spring blooms but the nice, clean, crisp, colorful foliage is neat as well and can rival flowers for color. Below is golden comfrey (Symphytum officinale 'Belsay Gold') which looks dynamite until mid-summer where it then becomes quite large and a sickly chartreuse. This clean gold is nice in spring though. Beneath the golden comfrey is golden tansy (Tanacetum vulgare 'Isla Gold') which looks like a yellow fern when emerging. This perennial keeps it's gold coloration (yellow flowers in summer) and isn't as invasive as its green counterpart. The last plant emerging below is the variegated false-forget-me-not (Brunnera macrophylla 'Variegata') which should have small blue flowers very shortly and is a nice foliage plant in part shade (15" tall). Sometimes we'll see green reversions on this cultivar and have moved on to 'Jack Frost' and 'Looking Glass' for stable leaf "silvering". 
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