Tis The Season

As a kid, I remember the "Christmas momentum" starting the day after Thanksgiving ("Black Friday"). I can't believe how early stores are focusing on holiday sales and it gets earlier every year! When you can buy Christmas decorations next to Halloween candy, you know capitalism is still doing well. Our Holiday Lights Show preparations fall in to that early time frame as well with preparations actually starting back in September with the testing of lights. We'll set up over 50% of the show before Halloween and should be done by mid-November. The time frame is tight as we then have to test, modify and finalize the show and tweak it before the premiere at the Taste of Chocolate event (December 2nd, check it out on the RBG website). Directly above is Shirley who was helping test lights this morning which was a warmer (and more dry) alternative to dealing with high winds, chilly temperatures and sporadic drizzle out in the gardens. Despite the weather, we had a solid volunteer turnout of over 21 volunteers, including Shirley. To the left is Janice who I think finally went "bonkers" as she played with these "leaf grabbers" for a couple hours. Imagine her doing robotic, rigid movements in this scenario and you have an inkling of the horror (and permanent mental scarring) I experienced. Janice and her volunteer committee have done a great job preparing for our big volunteer appreciation dinner tonight which will be fun (and well attended). It's nice to gather like this and is at least a small way to thank our RBG volunteers for such a great year.

To the right are just some of the hundreds of thousands of lights that are going through our rigorous testing and repair gauntlet. To the left are some of the antlers (plywood deer cutouts) getting touched up before placement out in the gardens. Big John started the day working on lights and went out with the Grumpies to finish clearing annuals out of the entrance garden. He eventually helped in the sunken garden too and brought back more obelisks for decoration. Larry worked on water features this morning and kept up with loading the truck for Dick H. to run to the dump. I was "desk bound" again but was out in the gardens briefly to review some current projects and activities. I finished my presentation for tonight and will finish my presentation for the Bulbs lecture next Wednesday (6 pm - 8 pm). Above are Bob A. (left) and Vern (right) who, along with Jim (out of picture) and Dave (MIA), have been developing a wheelchair accessible planting table that will be used in the gardens next year. This solid table will have inserted planters (note the white cardboard cutouts) and is designed to be accessible with everything in easy reach. Last year the guys built six different accessible planter styles and this is a new one. They've all generated interest and we hope to also include them in a future "wellness" garden at RBG. To the right are the flower plumes (inflorescences) of the 'Border Bandit' Japanese silver grass (Miscanthus sinensis). These plumes will turn cream soon enough but are very striking in a breeze and from a distance. This is one of the "banded" silver grasses with creamy, horizontal bands. I didn't feel this one is showy as many of the others but is a sturdy specimen. Untouched by frost, the ornamental shamrock (Oxalis vulcanicola 'Molten Lava') to the left still looks good and is always showy with orange/pink highlights on the youngest leaves (tiny yellow flowers thru the summer too). This annual is used heavily in the partly shaded areas around RBG. The overnight low of 30 degrees F may finish this one off or make the leaflets curl and turn deep orange. We'll see what Mother Nature throws at us tonight.

Aside from our carpenters, most of the Grumpies (Steve, Dennis, Larry, Bob C., Dave, Rollie, Dick H., Gary, Dick P. and Ron W.) were out pulling plants with Big John in both the entrance and sunken gardens. The guys brought back lots of debris and Dick H. made many dump runs. Pat worked on winterizing some of the perennials and woodies that we'll plant next spring while Maury shut down, cleaned and winterized some of our smaller water features. Bill O. was in around lunch time and spent the afternoon collecting leaves from the areas where they are the thickest. Dr. Gredler was on the mower collecting leaves as he mowed the grass. Bob and Chris G. were in the sunken garden removing plants from their area and we also had Suzy "clearcutting" in that garden. Marilyn H. popped by and helped Janice with some label work and we also saw Rhonda, Kris K. and some others at the Horticulture Center this morning. Next week will involve an aggressive shift to lights show set-up, continued plant removals and lots of odd jobs that are vital before winter (hauling our terrace furniture off site, pulling in our fountain, winterizing water features, putting up deer barriers, etc.). We do try to balance gardening and the lights show set-up obligations. To the right is the yellowing fall color of the native royal fern (Osmunda regalis var. spectabilis) in our fern & moss garden. This fern can get quite large (5'+ tall) when it is happy and will tolerate quite a bit of sun if kept in damp soils. Below is Bob C., caught with an odd expression or the start of a sneeze!