The day started out rainy which unfortunately kept most of our Grumpies and Grumpettes away for the day. The rain finally abated around 9 am and we did have a productive day both inside and out. It looks like we're not done with the rain yet as there is a chance of precipitation both tomorrow and Saturday as well. Above are the beautiful, "orchid-like" blooms of the Northern catalpa (Catalpa speciosa) which I always admire every June. With my attendance at the American Public Garden Association (APGA) Conference in Denver, CO next week, it was the perfect day for me to put together task lists and priorities for grounds staff and volunteers next week. I do plan on blogging from Denver as I'll see some neat gardens that I'll be excited to share. The 3,000 plants that I placed out in the gardens on Tuesday for planting this week will have to carry over until we can get in to those muddy beds. We'll certainly catch up with that and finalize our seasonal planting when I return. There are no shortage of weeds however and we'll continue to work on that vital task as well. Below are some more recent photos from out in the garden.
caterpillar for the white-lined sphinx moth found at the gardens last night!
'Cinnamon Cupcake' coneflower (Echinacea hybrida)
bloodleaf (Iresine hybrida 'Blazin' Lime') - annual
bloodleaf (Iresine hybrida 'Blazin' Rose') - annual
While we didn't have our usual 20+ volunteers today, we did have some very good help! Above are Jenny (left) and Kay weeding in the Jungle Garden. The ladies did some great work out there and Shirley also came in after the rains to work on some weeding as well. Our Grumpies included Pat M., Dave T., Jim D., Vern and Ron Y. The guys worked on various carpentry projects and Pat bounced between multiple projects including some efforts related to the Holiday Lights Show (HLS)! Dr. Gredler came in for some mowing and we also saw Karen M., Dr. Yahr, Gene C. and many others. Vern came back for round 2 of volunteering this afternoon. It was a quiet day overall but at least we weren't slinging hoses. Jenny weeded all day while Big John worked on indoor projects followed by a significant edging project in the Nancy Yahr Memorial Children's Garden. Janice (below) had plenty of indoor work to accomplish and spent time out in the Thomas Jefferson Collection as well. That garden is really looking sharp! I was deskbound most of the day, had a meeting and am getting ready for the trip. The second photo down shows members of the Wisconsin Hosta Society (WHS) at the gardens last night for a tour from me. It was great to see members of this friendly group who have been so supportive of the gardens. Further below are more photos from this morning.
Wisconsin Hosta Society members touring the gardens last night
popcorn plant (Cassia didymobotrya) in the Jungle Garden - annual
golden marguerite (Anthemis tinctoria 'Pale Moon') - perennial
Peach Drift rose (Rosa 'Meiggili')
ripening fruits of the serviceberry (Amelanchier sp.)
mullein (Verbascum nigrum 'Album') - perennial
one of twenty-five awesome Adirondack chairs out in the gardens featured as part of the 2014 Garden Art Project (they will all be auctioned on September 7th!)
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