Back To Work

The flight back (9 hours) from London yesterday went well although as much as I tried to deny the jet lag, it has taken a toll for sure since my return!  The photo above is the plane shadow on clouds below us (somewhere over Greenland).  Nice to be back home and back to work playing some catch up.  The grounds staff and volunteers did an excellent job with progress out in the gardens. There was still plenty of color out there but the work in tidying up beds and starting the Holiday Light Show (HLS) set up was impressive!  It looks like potential frost at the end of the week which will prompt significant clean-up in many areas as we remove annuals and cut back perennials.  The leaves are coming down in droves as well although there is still plenty more fall color to come over this month and in to early November.  It was nice seeing visitors out in the gardens today too!  Next week promises to be beautiful as well.

Japanese garden with fall color courtesy of Amur maples (Acer ginnala)

'October Skies' aromatic aster (Aster oblongifolius) - perennial

the arched bridge is beautiful any time of year! - note the colorful sumac (Rhus sp.) in the distance too!

'Ozawa' ornamental onion (Allium thunbergii) - perennial

fall color on 'Red Bull' big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) - perennial

colorful calyces (white flowers have dropped) of seven-sons-flower (Heptacodium miconioides) - large shrub

late season color out in the terrace (above) and outside the reception garden (below)

We had some veteran volunteer assistance today.  Above are Eva (left) and Kathy as they were clearing tomato plants from the Horticulture Center border.  The ladies also tidied up the gazebo garden for a small wedding today and moved on to removing seasonal plants from the terrace garden.  Pat (directly below) put up more arches for the HLS this morning in the woodland walk garden.  He is a HUGE help with this event.  Bill O. was in for mowing and other odd jobs and Dr. Gredler stopped in as well.  The second photo down shows Kay as she did an excellent job clearing annuals from a long border near the larch area.  Gary also stopped in and we saw Mary W. and some others as well.  Some of these plants required some major digging and I think Kay will sleep well tonight!

The grounds staff dove right in to many of the tasks they had been doing while I was gone.  Big John continued with putting up lights for the HLS while Cindy did a nice job continuing her tidying in the Nancy Yahr Memorial Children's Garden.  Cheryl also worked on garden tidying near the azalea/rhododendron garden and beyond.  Bob K. had some inside duties and later joined Larry H. for putting protective netting (against deer) around tasty specimens.  The guys also did some work setting up lights in select areas.  Janice was in for some tasks related to our work day this Saturday and other duties.  I was able to tour the gardens (looked great) and was drawn back to the massive pile on my desk.  Full speed ahead as I consider this our busiest time of year second only to the crazy spring planting window.  Lots to do!

'Solar Eclipse' foamy bells (xHeucherella) - perennial

'Velvet Elvis' lavender spurflower (Plectranthus sp.) - annual

intensifying fall color of black tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica) above

 the gazebo garden still looks great (one more wedding this weekend)