Condensed Week

Today was interesting in that it was overcast for a couple hours, then we received about three hours of rain, then sunshine arrived.  We made the most of the day though with staff and volunteers as it is vital to catch up after the long holiday weekend.  Thankfully rain on Sunday helped keep things moist and additional showers today will help us avoid running irrigation most of the week.  The gardens are still very colorful although we need to get our annuals planted over the coming weeks while we also keep up with the weeds.  Above is the perennial false indigo (Baptisia australis) beginning to bloom.

We had a nice turnout of volunteers today and staff was involved with projects both inside and outside.  Our Assigned Garden volunteers continue to return for weeding and planting and we have a couple new ones as well.  This Saturday (May 30th) will be the last day of our Bagged Compost Sale (8 am - 12 noon at the Horticulture Center) so come get some great amendments for the garden or container.  This Saturday is also the third in a sequence of five straight Saturday Volunteer Work Days (8 am until 12 noon, meet at the Parker Education Center).  We'll be planting many more plants during this fun work morning.  This Thursday, May 28th, I'll be giving a lecture at the gardens on "Ornamental Edibles" (6:30 pm - 8 pm) if you're interested.  Check out the remainder of our lecture series on our website (www.rotarybotanicalgardens.org) which includes information on many other opportunities.  All the photos in the blog today capture color seen this morning before the rains arrived.

 Dreamcatcher beautybush (Kolkwitzia amabilis 'Maradco')

 red buckeye (Aesculus pavia)

 tricolor European beech (Fagus sylvatica 'Roseo-Marginata')

 'Carnival Peach Parfait' coral bells (Heuchera)

Our volunteers came in and did a great job before the rain caught up to us around 11 am.  Above are Eva (left) and Kathy continuing to do battle with the weeds in the sunken garden.  The ladies have advanced over 75% of this space and are headed towards victory soon.  We'll plant up these openings soon and hope the next wave of weeds isn't as tough to remove.  Kay was also in for weeding and did a nice job out front in the entrance garden before getting saturated.  We had Alan, Larry H., Lloyd and Pat M. out front this morning "lifting" our spring tulips (Tulipa).  We do this every year as we put in a new color each fall.  The boys almost finished before it became too muddy.  Dr. Gredler and Bill O. did some mowing while Del continued his painting project.  Dick H. had some repairs while Bob K., Dave, Jim and Vern continued on a multitude of carpentry projects.  Gary S. came in for label work while we also saw Rollie, Dr. Yahr, Art H. and many others.

Big John and Terry both had plant pick-up jobs today while both also worked on myriad garden tasks.  Lots more plants came back to the yard today and we only have a couple trips left.  Cindy worked on weeding, inventorying the elephant ear collection, planting and many other tasks.  Cheryl had some planting and tidying duties and spent some time inside today.  Janice spent time checking over our anticipated delivery items, matched labels, put together the cutting display and had other duties as well.  Further below are some additional photographs from today.

Alan M.

Larry H.

Lloyd

Pat M.

 columbine (Aquilegia sp.)

 'Toba' hawthorn (Crataegus x mordenensis)

 umbrella-leaf magnolia (Magnolia tripetala) bloom

 Gold Bullion pagoda dogwood (Cornus alternifolia 'Bachone') in bloom

tree peony (Paeonia 'Kokumon')

Successful Work Day

The weather was perfect for a successful Volunteer Work Day this morning which included planting in two distinct areas.   We planted most of the "Alphabet Jungle Garden" and the majority of the reception garden.  A big thanks to Dejanique, Carol S., Jim S., Barb, Mandy, Carol #2, Andrea, Mary W., Shirley, Aubrey, Gary, Gena, Dennis, Chuck, Vera, Eva, Margaret, Karen M., John (with his sons Zack &Taylor) and Bill O.  Alan M. and Pat C. ran the Compost Sale at the Horticulture Center with some set-up help from Janice. Rose and Urban were at the gardens for more sanding and priming on the observation pier and Karen M. was also in the Japanese garden tidying up.  There was an early wedding in that garden space (before noon) with three more to follow out in the gardens that day.  We also saw Dr. Gredler, Dr. Yahr, Lynn Y. and many others today.  A big thank you to Terry, Gary, Larry and Bill for helping orchestrate this successful day.

Weekend Preparations

The weather was perfect today with sunshine and temperatures reaching the mid 70 degrees F. The nice weather brought plenty of visitors in to the gardens today too and there was plenty to enjoy like the hybrid magnolia (Magnolia tripetala x sieboldii) seen above which is always quite striking.  The grounds staff (Big John, Janice, Terry and I) had lots of duties related to getting ready for the weekend.  Grounds duties included mowing, planting, watering and lots of work getting ready for some help tomorrow.  With five weddings over the weekend and a Volunteer Work Day tomorrow (8 am - 12 noon!), we'll see a lot of people around the gardens and visitation should be strong as well. Below is some additional color from today.

 creeping double buttercup (Ranunculus repens 'Pleniflorus') - perennial

 wood hyacinth (Hyacinthoides hispanica - blue form)

 'Concordia' golden English oak (Quercus robur)

 meadow rue (Thalictrum aquilegifolium 'Alba') - perennial

 'Purple Sensation' ornamental onion (Allium sp.)

 'Popcorn' doublefile viburnum (Viburnum plicatum f. plicatum) above and below

We again had some great volunteer help today.  I was busy running plants around and had a trip to pick up plants so was remiss in my daily volunteer photography.  I did catch Kay (above) who was working in her assigned garden area in the shade garden which looks dynamite!  Kathy and Eva spent their time tidying around the gazebo garden for the weddings this weekend.  Rollie and Bill O. were out mowing before the busy weekend.  Dr. Gredler came in for painting and Mary H. stopped by to size up plants for her area.  Mary W. and Shirley C. did a nice job working on some of our trial garden beds which received some edging and significant weeding as well.  Cookie and Resa tidied up the North point garden which is their assigned garden.  We also saw Marsha M. and many others.  More color below!

 'Princeton Gold' Norway maple (Acer platanoides)

 'Purple Fountain' European beech (Fagus sylvatica)

Rock's tree peony (Paeonia rockii)

unknown tree peony (Paeonia suffruticosa)

The Japanese garden looks splendid

A Gorgeous Day

Today started out cool but became warm with ample sunshine.  The temperature increased 30 degrees from 43 degrees F at 7 am to 73 degrees F by this afternoon.  We had another monumental volunteer turnout throughout the day and it was nice to see many visitors and many young students enjoying our youth education program.  The cool evenings have been of concern for our many tropical plants in the yard but everything seems to be ok and a warm up will be most welcome.  We're heading in to a holiday weekend with five weddings, a volunteer workday (Saturday! 8 am until 12 noon!) and many other functions.  The season is upon us for sure!  Below are some plants photographed this morning on my "reconnection tour" of the gardens as I've been way too desk bound these past couple of days.

  sweetshrub (Calycanthus raulstonii 'Hartlage Wine')

wild hyacinth (Camassia leichtlinii 'Blue Danube')

hybrid false indigo (Baptisia x bicolor 'Starlite' Prairieblues)

tree peony (Paeonia lactiflora) - unknown variety

'Moon Frost' Canadian hemlock (Tsuga canadensis)

We had some great volunteer assistance from our veterans like Kathy and Eva above (Eva driving).  Suffice it to say that our volunteers did a wonderful job on a diverse amount of projects including weeding, planting, carpentry, composting, edging, etc.  I've included some names under the photos below but as the hour is getting late as I type, I wont go in to too much detail.  I do offer a big thank you to Kathy, Eva, Mary R., Suzy, Bonnie, Sandi, Larry H., Alan, Ron P., Gary B., Dr. Gredler, Bob K., Jim D., Dave, Vern, Ron Y., Del, Mary W., Betty H., Shirley C., Mary Ann G., Jumbo Jim, four RECAPPERS, Stan, Urban, Rose, Maury, Gary, Sue, Kelley, Mary H., Myrt, Cheryl D. and many others.  The Youth Education Volunteers did a fabulous job as well and I saw Mary D., Barb C., Shirley S. and others helping out with this important program.  Janice, Big John, Larry and I all had our share of tasks as well.

The Three Amigos (Mary R., Suzy and Bonnie from left to right)

Jim D. sizing up some carpentry projects

Dave T. (left) and Ron Y.

Kelley (left) and Sue M. working in their section of the shade garden

Ron P. working on some edging

Mary Ann G. (left) and Janice in the Thomas Jefferson Collection

Alan (left) and Larry H. slinging compost

Dr. Gredler

Shirley C. (left) and Betty H. (you should see them when they act silly!)

Myrt (left) and Mary H.

Urban sanding with Rose just off camera starting to apply primer to the observation pier

Mary D. (above) leads a group of young visitors

Barb. C. had her group of children on the bridge in the distance

hybrid false indigo (Baptisia hybrida 'Carolina Moonlight')

painted maple (Acer pictum subsp. mono 'Hoshi yadori')

ornamental onion (Allium karataviense 'Ivory Queen')

crested iris (Iris cristata 'Edgar Anderson')

 milky iris (Iris lactea)

Larry pulled the short straw and had to get in to this smelly muck to retrieve this branch which was creating a "sludge dam" near the gazebo

the Japanese garden is still very beautiful right now