A Literal Ghost Town

Above is the slight fall color on our 'Palace Purple' coral bells (Heuchera micrantha var. diversifolia) that I thought was nice to see. Developments in coral bells are quite impressive but not all of these new fangled varieties thrive in our hot summers or make it thru our March freezes and thaws. 'Palace Purple', the perennial plant of the year in 1991, is one of those "old standbys" that is a solid performer. I've stolen this adage and have used it many times over, "New plants aren't always good and good plants aren't always new." Coral bells are the perfect example of how that quote is very applicable. It was a ghost town today with some visitors to the Horticulture Center but very few volunteers. I've spent the day working on odds and ends and gave an interview about the history of our Holiday Lights Show for a local production company. Nice shot below of the dried seedhead of the tumbleweed ornamental onion (Allium schubertii). This specimen is from some that came up this year but we've had a difficult time perennializing them over the years as I think they are marginally winter hardy. We plant them next to warm rocks or structures that provide a slightly warmer micro-climate. That umbel (rounded cluster of flowers) below is over 15" in diameter!

I have to admit that I didn't come to work with the intent of stringing out cords. I was a bit "dressier" than usual as I wasn't sure if this interview included video footage and I wanted to look slightly less disheveled than normal! Robin came in and spent the entire day cutting back perennials and collecting leaves. She is a real trooper as it was cold and windy. Dr. Gredler was here to continue his evergreen bough cutting project and started repainting our bike rack for next year. Vern and a friend were in to do some carpentry in the afternoon and Maury popped by briefly to talk about some looming projects. Deb G. came in and we chatted about 2011 events/activities including a new art program (like our daisy project this year) and some Earth Day possibilities. We also saw Big John, who had worked the morning over at the other building, Little Jerry, Polly, Maggie, Dave G. and some others. The picture to the left is one of our "seasonal cherub" statues out in the formal perennial gardens. She/he? is trapped under one of our decorated obelisks but doesn't seem too concerned. It will be nice to see the show during our first "test night" next week when we identify our corrections and modifications. To the right is one of our remaining paper birches (Betula papyrifera) in the Japanese garden that is still doing well. Many have succumbed and died because of bronze birch borer and related leaf miner stresses. I love the bark of this tree but unfortunately, so do the kids that have peeled many layers off! Bark nuances become more evident as the eye seeks interest out in the winter garden. Below is a shot today in the Japanese garden. The pruned forms of conifers really become the anchor points of this garden in winter and make it visually appealing.

Directly above is the fall color of the Japanese kerria (Kerria japonica). This spreading shrub is extremely durable and not very well known. Covered in yellow blossoms in spring, this plant will tolerate full sun all the way to full shade. While the fall color is usually a nice clean yellow as seen above, the green stems can be an ornamental asset as well. I also like the variety 'Picta' that has creamy variegated foliage, the yellow blossoms but not the vigor of many of the other varieties. The form of this shrub, while a bit unkempt, creates a nice thicket as this shrub spreads moderately to fill a space. Kerria is also tolerant of a wide range of soil conditions.

To the left is our "pagoda" structure in the Japanese garden. This ornate piece was positioned in such a way that it is the focal point from four different paths in that garden. This pagoda was donated in memory of Tom McKaig, one our volunteers that worked faithfully in that space for many years with his wife Karen. Karen still helps garden there and continues to keep the McKaig contribution going. This garden is one of the most popular destinations at the gardens and is seen by thousands. The plant to the right is bugleweed (Ajuga), a vigorous groundcover that has blue flowers in early spring. This variety, 'Burgundy Glow' is one of my favorites for the pinks and maroons and solid coverage and minimal weed intrusion. While spreading to take up some space, I feel that bugleweeds are easy to keep in bounds with annual division and attention. Below are some of our rebar displays that Randy created years ago. Note the temporary white pines (Pinus strobus) in the backdrop with no lights. These are meant to help the lights "pop" out to the viewers because of the dark drop The bottom photo is of the vertical wall planter that the carpenters completed this week. Plants will be inserted thru the front face (black) of the wall and watered from overhead. I've seen planters like this fill out well in the past although we've not tried it ourselves yet. The carpenters will continue to build all-accessible planters over the coming weeks.