Back In Action

It was nice to be in action after three days of relative inactivity! The day was perfect with blue skies, sunshine and highs near 80 degrees F. With every month this year acting like the following month (April like May, May like June, etc.), our August sure seems a lot like September with cooler mornings and moderate daytime temperatures. Regardless, it was a nice day to be out in the gardens as staff, a volunteer or a visitor. The top photo shows our formal annual sections with lots of the dark-leaved dahlia (Dahlia 'Mystic Spirit') which also had nice orange blooms. The centerpieces of these eight sections didn't fill in as well as I had hoped. We had three 'Diamond Head' elephant ears (Colocasia esculenta) in each section and while they thrived in other locations in the gardens, they never really "caught stride" in this locale. Odd and unexpected! The photo directly above shows a view through our colorful English cottage garden to the formal gardens beyond. To the right is the 'Blonde Ambition' blue grama grass (Bouteloua gracilis) which has interesting inflorescences that are attached to the stems at 90 degrees F. These structures look like they're floating in the air (like minnows) and this selection is from David Salman of High Country Gardens and is a 2011 Plant Select Winner. This hardy grass is also used as a turf substitute, particularly in more arid climates. To the left is a colorful shot of a portion of the shade garden maintained by Kelley and Sue. We use lots of colorful annuals in our shady areas for "punch".

We had another nice turnout of volunteers today with Mary H. and her daughter doing a nice job in their assigned area. Kay came in to weed and I asked her to "weed and wander." Well, she made it just inside our east gate and collected a nice cartload of weeds from our Fleuroselect Collection. Kay was able to trapse thru that area with her superior balance. There isn't much room between the plants for access but she is the perfect combination of a ninja and ballet master with her ability to negotiate these types of garden beds. Dr. Gredler was out mowing/aerating again and we also saw Urban, Gary, Rose, Bill F. and Bill O. Bill O. worked on a couple of projects around the Horticulture Center and then went out to re-shear some of the boxwoods (Buxus hybrida 'Green Velvet') that he's been "meatballing" all summer long near the pergola. Bev I. was weeding and watering in the veggie beds at the Horticulture Center. To the right is 'Defiance' coleus (Solenostemon scutellarioides) with elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum 'Princess') in a container (1 of 4) in the sunken garden. Directly below is our large urn planter in the middle of the pergola in the French formal garden. That maroon plant coming off the edges is the trailing copperleaf (Alternanthera reinickii) which is one of my favorites for containers and/or as a groundcover. The grass in the center is the 'Fireworks' variegated purple fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum). The next photo down shows the hanging baskets on that pergola. The original pergola, which had carved Indiana limestone pillars, blew down in a wind shear over 10 years ago. The entire pergola (columns and overhead arbor) was then rebuilt and those columns that you see here are hollow with steel supports on the inside.Directly above are some of the trailing tomatoes coming out of our horizontal, elevated PVC planters. Janice was out in this garden Sunday and interacted with many visitors (including the young lady in the bottom photo). The Ornamental Edible & Compact Vegetable Collection has been so very popular this year. We will continue to expand and diversify this collection next year as well. To the right is some variegated hot pepper (Capsicum annuum 'Jigsaw') growing around one of our informational sign logos (English cottage garden). Note the variable foliage on this neat ornamental pepper that will soon have a vast array of colorful fruits as well.

The grounds staff had a busy day too. Larry ran irrigation all day but also spent time replacing four irrigation heads out in the gardens. We are constantly observing and evaluating our irrigation system and try to keep up with upgrades and repairs as needed. Larry does a nice job fixing not only irrigation heads but it seems that we end up damaging or slicing a water line every other week. He's quick with the repairs though. Larry also set up some sprinklers for some dry areas and did some push mowing in select areas. Janice worked on some indoor projects, was out tidying in the gardens and took care of some watering later in the day. Big John worked on push mowing, watering, fertilizing and mulching. He had a diverse list today and made quick work of his tasks. Pat sheared boxwoods (Buxus) and barberries (Berberis) and also helped with push mowing. He and John took care of container watering and Pat also hand watered some other areas. Pat also planted another 30+ hosta varieties (new to the gardens!) throughout the shade garden. To the left is one of four containers on the North Point patio that feature the 'King Tut' giant papyrus (Cyperus papyrus) as the centerpiece. I love this plant for the interesting texture and its durability in a container, garden bed or water garden. We usually trim any of the errant stems and new ones are always coming up weekly. Although not hardy, this sedge-relative is always welcome in our garden and is replanted each year. To the right are the showy stems (petioles) of the 'Bright Lights' Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris) which is one of over 127 All-America Selections varieties in our display garden this year. I think Swiss chard is as beautiful as any plant in that collection and the added benefit of edibility/nutrition should not be overlooked. Directly below is some of our many groupings of dinosaur kale (Brassica oleracea 'Lacinato') in the entrance garden. This is one of the plants offering the subtle blue compliment to our primarily white and silver theme. This kale (also edible) is a nice textural plant and will continue to put on some size this month. At the bottom is one of our visitors with pretzel bean (Vigna unguiculata) glasses.

Sick Day

I couldn't quite make it in to work today although I was almost out the door early this morning. Something has swept thru the other RBG employees last week and it sounds similar to what I've had the last four days. I hope no one else experiences this sickness. I hope to be back in action tomorrow. I've been going thru my photos from the Michigan trip and have been enjoying seeing some of the very interesting coleus' (Solenostemon scutellarioides) in the trials. Above is the variety 'Gnash Rambler' which I thought was awesome with all those rustic tones. I'm definitely looking for this one for next year. I've seen many trailing coleus in the past and thought that 'Shocker' (below) looked dynamite as well. Lots going on this weekend and thanks to the grounds staff (Larry, Marv, Marianne, Terry and Big John) as well as all the volunteers for holding down the fort today. They are all self-sufficient as it is and probably didn't mind a day off from me!

Petunia Power

When I attended the All-America Selections Summer Summit Conference over a week ago in Michigan, I took over 4,000 photos during the course of all of our visits to various gardens and trial gardens. I saw an amazing variety of new plant material displayed at most of the sites; primarily the display trials at Michigan State University, Raker Nursery and Mast Young Nursery. I was intrigued by many of the newest developments in petunias and saw some new colors for the first time. I've included many in this blog as eye candy for what the future portends for the durable petunia. I also saw a wide range of coleus (Solenostemon scutellerioides) that I'll share in the near future as well.

Petunia 'Black Ray' below...
Petunia 'Sunflower Ray' below...
Petunia 'Potunia Plus Papaya' below...
Petunia 'Sweetunia Blueberry Ice' below...
Petunia 'Queen Bee' below...
Petunia 'Cherry Cheesecake' below...
Petunia 'Debonair Black Cherry' below... Petunia 'Marvel Beauty Blueberry' below...
Petunia 'Marvel Beauty Raspberry' below...
Petunia 'Surfinia Sky Blue' below...
Petunia 'Sophistica Lime Green' below...
Petunia 'Trilogy Salmon Morn' below...

Plenty Of Visitors

The morning started out at 48 degrees F which was a bit brisk and reminiscent of a late September morning. However, it turned out to be a nice sunny day with the high temperature around 75 degrees F. This was great weather for visitors and we saw many of them out in the gardens today. There were also some events happening at the Parker Education Center which brought more people out in to the gardens. To the left is one of our 'Skyscraper' sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) which has topped out around 12' tall in the Ornamental Edible & Compact Vegetable Display. That garden continues to look great and elicits plenty of compliments from our visitors. Tom K. has done a nice job maintaining the space as has Janice, other staff and volunteers. To the right is the backlit underside of the 'Diamond Head' elephant ear (Colocasia esculenta). Look at the pink and lime that can be seen in the veins. The upper surface of the leaf though is a maroon/brown and very dark.

The grounds staff had a busy day and we had a good crew here today. Marv and Terry worked on a wide range of activities which included installing edging, pruning, hauling back a broken bench, watering, etc. Terry also did some blower rounds to tidy the paths and Marv is consolidating some of our piles in the yard prior to the influx of plants for our Fall Plant Sale (see www.rotarybotanicalgardens.org for more information). Big John was here for a half day and push mowed, fertilized, worked on graveling some paths and accomplished many tasks before he left. Pat was in all day and worked on edging tasks, push mowing, weeding and he did a nice job cleaning up the everflowing urn (one of our water features). We normally don't have Pat on Fridays but he was a huge asset today. Janice worked in the vegetable displays, tidied the moss areas, planted and bounced between some other projects as well. Marianne was in as a volunteer and she spruced up the cutting display for the weekend. To the left are the showy blooms of the purple hyacinth bean (Dolichos lablab) which is a nice vine with dark leaves and these showy blooms. Normally, Japanese beetles would have decimated the leaves but we've all noticed the lack of beetle activity at the gardens and around town. The beetles are around but I would say I haven't seen this little damage in over 10 years. Maybe the hot and dry summer had some implications on their population? Yay!!! I spent the day working on many tasks. I placed plants for installation, installed tree signs and worked on some details for upcoming events like the fall plant sale and the auction of our Garden Art Projects (oak leaves). Directly below are the small, but colorful blooms of the 'China Purple' bush clematis (Clematis heracleifolia). I featured this yesterday and this is another specimen in our woodland walk garden. The next photo down shows the emerging inflorescence (flower/seed head) of the 'Jade Princess' dwarf ornamental millet (Pennisetum glaucum). This annual grass only gets about 30" tall and had not only showy golden foliage but interesting flower structures. This flower will get a darker brown and will be more upright. The finches will nibble on the seeds later this summer.

We usually have a nice volunteer turnout on Fridays and today was no exception. Shirley came in early and was here for most of the morning weeding in the color rooms garden, sunken garden and Smelly Garden. She is a very thorough weeder and few weeds escape her notice. Ron K. (upper right photo) came in to plant over 60 new hostas in the woodland walk garden. He was here the entire morning and did a great job installing so many perennials in this nice space. Ron, as a new volunteer, had really stepped up and improved the woodland walk immensely with his attention. I told him it's a 10 year volunteer commitment! Bob T. worked on some significant air edging projects today and is our veteran "air edger" out in the gardens. He did a nice job and really enhanced some areas with his attention. Stan came in to do some pruning in the Japanese garden and he definitely has a real talent for this type of work. He, Karen and Jumbo Jim (with RECAPPERS) are keeping the gardens looking nice. I neglected to mention Jim and the RECAPPERS were working in the Japanese garden yesterday with some clean-up duties. Rose N. was out working in the veggie beds and Dr. Gredler did a great job mowing for the weekend. We also saw Dr. Yahr and Ellie K. was out in the herb garden doing a nice job of tidying up. The Janesville Area Herb Society had always taking care of the three herb sections (there used to be four) and we appreciate all their efforts, including the educational offerings they provide.

To the above left is our summer intern Sarah (student at St. Norbert College in DePere) who has been a huge help for Kris with education programs. She collected the samples from our fragrant garden walk last night and we'll sure miss her when she's gone. To the right is one of our hanging baskets in front of the Parker Education Center which certainly echoes our theme of white and silver. The dangling plant is the 'Silver Falls' aluminum plant (Dichondra argentea). Directly below is some produce I picked from my home container vegetables yesterday. Talk about "ornamental edibles"! At the bottom is one of our fabric containers that we're trialing. We've learned that sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) in fabric containers are no match for a hungry woodchuck!!!

Welcome Rain & Drizzle

After waking up and seeing my driveway, I was concerned that the rain would miss us. By the time I left for work, it was a deluge. We ended up with about 1" of rain (see gauge to the right) and it was a nice, invigorating rain. It rained until 10 am or so and then some drizzle returned in the afternoon. The top picture shows the McHenry County (IL) Master Gardeners that came in for a tour. They were a fun group and most had not been to the gardens. Their tour was mostly dry and we spent some significant time out in the gardens. They mentioned their favorite gardens which included the Ornamenental Edible & Compact Vegetable Collection, sunken garden and Japanese garden. The photo to the left is the 'Fireworks' purple fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum) which has a reliable pink variegation and nice inflorescences later in the season.

With all the morning rain, the grounds staff stayed inside for some projects. Big John worked on peeling labels, cleaning up a bit and went for a gas run after fueling up all our vehicles. John also worked on myriad other small jobs including edging and mulching once the weather cleared. Larry spent most of his day pouring concrete in 16 oz. cup forms to make our new woody plant label stands. He also went out to clean-up some washouts on our gravel paths that occur when we have a significant rain. Pat was in to work on edging as well and did a great job yesterday tidying up the vines that were overpowering the Parker Pen archway (between the reception garden and sunken garden). Janice spent some time out in the yard later today but worked on many indoor projects that were awaiting her attention. To the right is a bloom close-up for the black-eyed Susan vine (Thunbergia alata). This is the variety 'Susie Orange Clear' that is along our orange wall planting and doing well climbing up the orange obelisks.

Despite the rain, we did have a nice turnout of volunteers. Dave, Vern, Jim and Bob came in to work on their shed project and stayed fairly dry during their work morning. Gary came in to work on producing more labels and Maury was in to run some errands and pick up supplies. We also saw Dr. Yahr and many others. Directly below are Ron Y. (left) and Ron W. who came in later this morning to put up tents in the Smelly Garden for some upcoming programs in that space. We appreciate their expertise as they have mastered the set-up of these frustrating tents. To the left is a shot of our yard-long beans (Vigna unguiculata) looking yummy. This bean species is also called the asparagus bean or Chinese red noodle bean. They aren't quite a "yard long" but there are some well over 24" in length. This is one of the 20 or so different beans we have growing in our Ornamental Edible & Compact Vegetable Garden. Later this evening, I gave a walking tour with a focus on Fragrant Plants. We had about 20 people attend and we had lots of fun in the Smelly Garden. We enjoyed the scents of lemon, lime, licorice, pineapple, vanilla, chocolate, pine, rose and many others. To the right is our most compact growing tomato called 'Micro-Tom'. This entire plant is the size of a fist. Granted, it's not high in productivity but sure looks cute. Since I hadn't photographed the arched bridge in awhile, I took the shot further below during my tour today.
My talk on Vertical Gardening went well at Olbrich Botanical Gardens (Madison, WI) last night. I arrived early and was able to explore and photograph the gardens for about an hour. Ironically, the Wisconsin Hardy Plant Society (check it out at www.wisconsinhardyplantsociety.com/) was having their potluck meeting at the gardens so I popped over to say 'hi' to some of the members that I knew. Below are just some of the many images I took at the gardens which were looking good.