Perfect Weather Again

Today was another nice sunny day with temperatures around 85 degrees F. I took the top photo yesterday on my way over to Jenka Blossoms. I had taken this route years ago and saw the truck back then, wishing I had my camera. Well, I had the camera yesterday and caught this unique "container planting." Neat-O and glad they continued planting it for my second pass by yesterday morn. Last night, I had 42 members of the Wisconsin Hardy Plant Society (WHPS) come to RBG for a tour and presentation. We had a delightful walk/tour thru the garden and everyone seemed to enjoy the overall experience. That group has lots of plant nerds and while our tour was fairly rapid to see the gardens (90 minutes) and leave time for the presentation (45 minutes), I think we've inspired some repeat visits for these people to go a bit slower and check out the plant material more closely. I've been a member of the WHPS for the past 12 years and have enjoyed attending meetings, programs and of course, have met many fellow gardeners and supporters of RBG. The presentation on the history of RBG (with supporting visuals) seemed well received as well as did the yummy snacks. It was a great evening and I hope we can host at least one WHPS meeting each summer with the same format. To the right are the just emerging blooms of the late blooming turtlehead (Chelone obliqua) in the English cottage garden. There are a couple different species and varieties of this neat perennial that include varieties with a brighter pink flower, white flower and even green/black foliage. We probably have 50+ varied specimens out in the gardens. Turtleheads universally like rich, moist soil and really fill a color void late in the summer with their welcome flowers, characteristic of the shape of a turtle's head. We had another great batch of Grumpies, Grumpettes and other volunteers today. Bob C. and Ron B. worked on sweeping up various paths and patios which is becoming more necessary as the cottonwoods (Populus deltoides) drop their leaves notoriously early. Pat (above left) did a nice job regraveling the road near the terrace while Rollie was out laying memorial bricks again. Dennis, Ron and Del set up two tents for the Smelly Garden program this Sunday afternoon (family drop-in activity, see our website!). The guys moved on to some other projects later on including hauling and spreading more gravel. Dick H. helped Pat later with regravelling and Dave, Jim, Vern and Bob continued to put up the new Japanese garden fence. Suzy, Marilyn, Karen and Glenna did a great job weeding and purging (removing spent annuals) the flower beds east of the visitors center. Above is Marilyn (blue shirt) amongst the jungle. Hal and Doris were also in to primp their garden and Dr. Gredler worked on myriad projects. We also saw Kelli, Kris, Mike M., Mary Kay, Laura, Joanne, Karen and many others. To the right is Sudan grass (Sorghum sp.) in our Ornamental Edible & Compact Vegetable garden that is topping out around 9' tall right now. This old world grain plant is also used for forage and to make syrup. Directly below is one of three begonia hanging baskets under the back porch in the English cottage garden. These baskets have really flushed out the past couple of weeks and are getting plenty of attention in this shady location. Further below is a close-up of the 'Indian Summer' gloriosa daisy (Rudbeckia hirta) that is also called an annual black-eyed Susan. Larry helped facilitate the Grumpies this morning and was running irrigation as he finished up his weedwhipping project. He also watered, pruned and did some push mowing as well. Big John worked on digging out some invasive seedlings, fertilized, weeded and watered containers. John and Larry also picked up some items for the Garden Festival (hosted by the Rock Prairie Master Gardener Association) this weekend. Janice worked with the Grumpettes and continued installing our new labels out in the gazebo garden and woodland walk. She developed a good sytem for creating "starter holes" to get these labels securely installed in tougher soils. I met briefly with Kelli and Kris and the three of us had a good meeting with Mike, Laura and Mary Kay regarding some exciting educational offerings for 2012. I also worked on some plant sale details. To the right is the 'Millenium' hybrid ornamental onion (Allium hybrida) in the woodland walk. I really like spherical flower clusters in the garden as they add both color and interesting, simple form. To the left is the Jim Crockett dwarf boltonia (Boltonia asteroides var. latisquama 'Masbolimket') blooming in the formal perennial gardens. This variety is named after Jim Crockett of Victory Garden fame. I think I've photographed these very pale violet daisies with yellow centers (24" plant) many times over the past 4-5 weeks meaning this workhorse has a long bloom period. I'm already scheduled to do presentations this fall and next year on late blooming perennials. This topic will not only include those perennials that truly don't bloom until later but will also include those (like Jim Crockett boltonia) that bloom for a long period of time in to the late summer/early fall. To the right are the ripening fruits of the 'Chilly Chili' ornamental hot pepper (Capsicum annuum). You can see the youngest, cream-colored fruits that age thru yellow, orange and finally red. The color only gets better thru this month and this All-America Selections variety (2002) is known for having very little "heat" and has potential for those like me that can't stand the "fire" of the hotter varieties. The year we planted 232 varieties of hot peppers (Capsicum sp.) was so much fun for both the culinary fans and those that also enjoy the ornamental fruits. Directly below is the gold-leaved variety of the Asian spikenard (Aralia racemosa 'Sun King'). This species, native to Japan, Korea and parts of China, will do well in the understory in part shade and will offer nice "illumination". The foliage contribution of this perennial will grow with it as it matures at close to 72" high!. The bottom photo is the always attractive bloom (to butterflies too) of the annual, Mexican sunflower (Tithonia rotundifolia 'Torch'). This variety gets 72"+ tall but look for the variety 'Fiesta Del Sol' for a shorter, 36" tall version. Both of these varieties are All-America Selections winners and if you like this bloom in a yellow, look for 'Yellow Torch' which, incidentally, is featured in our blue/yellow them in the front entrance garden (also 72" tall).

Back To Sun & Heat

The temperature approached 90 degrees F this afternoon but the morning was foggy and pleasant. The top image shows a project that Marv and Terry tackled this morning. That Siberian elm (Ulmus pumila) near the brick path keeps heaving the bricks up and creating a dangereous walking path. The guys did an awesome job of repairing that section and releveling everything. They've done this exact spot in the past and while we don't want to cut down trees unnecessarily, that one has created some issues (including lots of seedlings) and isn't the showiest of trees. It lives for now though. The image directly above was taken at a local restaurant where they have perfected the "mulch volcano". That ash tree (Fraxinus sp.) was planted at grade with the turf and now has 12" of mounded mulch around the base. This type of mulching is totally wrong and more common than many realize. When a tree trunk comes out of the mulch like a telephone pole, the mulch is too thick as it's covering the root flares at the base of the tree and can contribute to a host of other problems. To the right is a dwarf Joe-pye weed (Eupatorium dubium 'Little Joe') that is in close proximity to feather reed grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster'). 'Little Joe' stays only 3-4' tall while many other Joe-pye weeds get taller and are prone to flopping. I like this one a lot and that grass can never be overused when a nice, medium-sized, upright grass for full sun is needed. To the left is one of our blazing stars (Liatris ligulistylis) in full bloom near the formal gardens. I like the flower power on these tall columns and this variety tops out at over 3' tall and really attracts the pollinators.

Aside from their brick path replacement project, Marv and Terry worked on more shearing and many other projects. Big John was in for a half day of fertilizing, weeding, watering and some path repair where we had some minor washouts from yesterday's rain (1.4"). Marianne did a nice job weeding thru most of the formal gardens, out front and also did her cutting display. Marianne also fertilized our roses for the last time this year. Pat continued weeding in the gazebo garden, planted perennials and shrubs near the North point garden and watered all the containers. I spent some time today with Kathy and Tom of Jenka Blossoms (Lima Center, WI) and talked about our order for next year which includes all our hanging baskets. They are good people and run a nice nursery. This is truly an industry of friends and plant lovers alike! To the above right is a dwarf redbud (Cercis canadensis) called 'Little Woody' which is known for short "internodes" between leaves. This creates a tighter looking plant and this variety, with bluish green leaves, should top out around 10' many years from now. To the left is another shot of the border along the east end of the shade garden. Don and Pearl C. have done such a nice job here and the chartreuse/lavender combo seems to work well.

Kay was in today to continue her weeding focus on the shade garden and did a nice job as usual. Her repeated return to these areas (and many others) has really made a difference and while we'll never be weed free, I feel the gardens are the least weedy they've ever been. There's little glory in weeding but I do appreciate the volunteers and staff that really sink their teeth in to an area and take care of business. Mary H. and her daughter were also here today weeding. Dr. Gredler was here to do more mowing and some other projects and we also saw Dick H. and some others. To the right is Tiger Eyes sumac (Rhus typhina 'Bailtiger') and dwarf black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida var. speciosa 'Viette's Little Suzy') in the foreground. To the left is the dwarf porcupine grass (Miscanthus sinensis 'Goldbar') with such nice, creamy horizontal banding on the leaf blades. I like the size of this grass as the standard porcupine grass (Miscanthus sinensis 'Strictus') can get 7'+.

I hope we have a good turnout for the Wisconsin Hardy Plant Society (WHPS) meeting this evening at the gardens. The weather should be nice for a tour and I'm happy with the final version of my presentation regarding the history of RBG. We again saw many visitors today and hope to see solid traffic throughout the rest of the season. The various collections are looking good and even the marigold (Tagetes) collection is rebounding after the severe shearing and fertilizer treatment we provided. To the right is the airy flower plume of the 'Young Lady' European smokebush (Cotinus coggygria) which is a smaller variety from the Netherlands. Some catalogs list its mature height at 6' tall but ours is already around 9' tall. The creamy pink flower plumes last well in to fall and this dark green-leaved variety will get a nice yellow fall color as well. I like this large shrub a lot and have recommended it often. Directly below are the ornamental fruits of the European cranberrybush viburnum (Viburnum opulus). Fruits become more ornamental in the late season garden in many instances and can become invaluable as winter food for native wildlife. At the bottom is a sweet shot in the fog this morning of the North Point garden.

Soggy

The day started out with dark clouds moving in and we knew rain was likely. It ended up raining solidly from about 7:45 am this morning until just before lunch time. I am very thankful for the moisture and over the four hours of drizzle, we had a good 1" or so soaking rain with the chance of some more later this afternoon. It's nice to take a day or two off from our laborious watering schedule of sprinklers and irrigation zones. Mother Nature is the best way to go for natural irrigation (obviously!). The shot at the top shows Pat and John potting up some elephant ears (Colocasia sp.) that never really grew much in their pots and we'll nurture them thru the winter for spring planting next year. The bloom cluster (umbel) directly above is from the garlic chives (Allium tuberosum) which has long culinary usage and is a stalwart perennial. Be wary of the "seedy" nature of this plant as it will "move" around your garden and you'll have a colony in short order.

To the right is the 'Candy Roaster' squash (Cucurbita) in our collection starting to turn orange. Our squash collection is doing well and the soaking rain today will give everything a boost. I'm sure Janice will be picking many of these to display at the 6th Annual Garden Festival ("Take it to the Grill!") which is occuring this Saturday, August 27th at the east end of the gardens (11 am - 4 pm, FREE admission). Organized by the Rock Prairie Master Gardener Association (RPMGA) and UW-Extension, this event will feature all sorts of tasting, activities, vendors, food, pie baking competition, music, etc. Mercy Health System has sponsored this event and allowed for a free admission day to the gardens for everyone. I've always been impressed with how well this event is run and how much fun the participants (and volunteers) are having out there! Speaking of veggies, to the upper left is the haul that Janice picked out of our Ornamental Edible and Compact Vegetable display this morning before the rains. She took these directly to one of the local food banks. To the lower right is Jackie R.'s cool butterfly. If you haven't seen the 34 neat butterfly "works-of-art" out in the gardens, get to RBG and check them out. We'll be auctioning these butterflies off on Sunday, September 11th (details on the website soon).

Big John and Pat went out to immediately do their pushmowing and were dodging rain drops as they finished and sought shelter. The guys then shifted to indoor projects and did a nice job cleaning up vehicles and tidying up around the hort center. Larry was finishing his weedwhipping and also got a nice soaking this morning. He commented that he couldn't even see because it was so dark with the storm clouds! After the sun emerged this afternoon, he finished up that weedwhipping task. His indoor project involved cleaning up and servicing one of our riding mowers. Janice was out in the gardens briefly then moved in for myriad indoor projects including preparing for our reference library expansion. I finished getting together one of our big orders for next year and am done with my presentation for tomorrow night (for the Wisconsin Hardy Plant Society). We also saw Dr. Gredler and Little Jerry briefly and Bill O. was in to mow later and help tidy up after the rain. Directly below is the fine detail on a crested male fern (Dryopteris filix-mas 'Grandiceps') in our fern & moss garden. At the bottom is the exquisitely shaped, and brightly colored, 'Prestige Scarlet' cockscomb celosia (Celosia argentea var. cristata 'Prestige Scarlet'). As an All-American Selections winner, this showy annual is tough and has a long bloom period. We used lots of these in our red/maroon theme last year. Visitors like touching this one too and how could you resist!

Another Packed Volunteer Breakroom

So what exactly is going on in that top photo? From right to left are Big John, Mark S., me, Tony F. and Ron W. all modeling our footwear for the YWCA "Walk A Mile In Her Shoes" event held this Friday, August 26th. The five of us form the RBG team and while we do look good in alternate footwear, we are honored to support the worthy cause to help end domestic violence. See www.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=488650 for more event information or to give a pledge to our team! The image directly above is a close-up of the blooms on one of the shrubby St. Johns worts (Hypericum kalmianum 'Blue Velvet'). While the flowers are 3/4' wide or so, the bluish leaves on this hardy shrub (4' wide and 4' tall) are showy too and will get a purple/red fall color. To the right is the very sweet-smelling bloom of the fragrant tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa 'Mexican Single'). We have a clump of 50 or so of these plants in the Smelly Garden that were started as bulbs in pots back in April. I wish more of these had opened for our Smelly Garden event this past Friday night but at least our later season visitors will be able to enjoy them. To the left are the chartreuse plumes of the 'Sylphid' celosia (Celosia argentea var. plumosa 'Sylphid'). We used this annual en masse years ago when we had a pink/chartreuse theme and it looked good then too!

This was one of the busiest Mondays that I can remember (ever!). We had lots of staff and volunteers on hand and accomplished many gardening tasks out in the gardens. Nature's Touch was here too and we talked about the next two projects to complete. It was nice to see quite a few visitors out in the gardens and we hope that trend continues. Our Smelly Garden was mentioned in the Sunday, August 21st edition of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and we've received some other recent positive comments in the press that may spur more visitors to come visit. Big John was here for a half day of running out for gas, watering all the containers and doing some spot watering as well. John has been working Sundays too and it's nice to have someone here on that day. Marianne was weeding and tidying up all over the place and did her cutting display as well. She has impressive attention to detail and finishes what she starts. Larry spent the entire day attached to his weedwhipper after being on vacation last week. With some recent rains and cooler evening temperatures, the grass is green and growing well. Larry's first task was unloading 10 pallets of bagged mushroom compost for our upcoming fall plant sale (see www.rotarybotanicalgardens.org for more information). This can be tricky as the weight of the pallets is at the top end of our capacity to unload them, which is a delicate "dance" that Larry knows all too well (see Larry unloading below)... Marv and Terry spent the morning loading and hauling large rocks for a new project that will occur later this week down near the alpine garden. The guys then moved to shearing our vigorous boxwood (Buxus sp.) hedges in the formal annual gardens. See Marv working his shearing "kung fu" below. Terry was just out of the picture but the guys do a nice job and make quick work of a tough project. I did many odds and ends today and that's the best way to sum it up. I'm still finishing my presentation for the Wisconsin Hardy Plant Society that will be visiting the gardens this Wednesday evening for a tour and presentation. To the right are the large (3" diameter) daisy blooms on the dark-leaved golden-ray (Ligularia dentata 'Britt Marie Crawford'). This perennial has almost black foliage as it emerges in spring but then becomes a green/maroon later in the summer. Some have observed this plant reseeding prolifically in wet soils but we've not had issues here (yet...). Our volunteer turn out today was superior! Above are Ron W., Dick C., Dick H. and new Grumpy, Larry H. (second from right) assembling our plant sale tables which is an annual task that happens both in spring and fall. The guys all moved on to other projects after the project above was quickly and expertly completed. Ron B., Dennis and Bob C. did a great job renovating our primary formal garden path that was a bit rough after all the construction in the adjacent Japanese garden. The guys skimmed and replaced gravel and finished by leveling and tamping in the new material. Gary and Bill S. hauled soil down to the project area near the alpine garden that will be used to create a new berm. Del and Dr. Yahr worked on cutting back and removing some overzealous Boston ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata) in the English cottage garden. Dave T., Vern, Bob A. and Jim worked on replacing the Japanese garden fence panels that they reconstructed after the original ones were found to be rotted when removed for the waterfall work. Tom C. worked with Larry on some electrical issues and Rollie was out on his tractor placing more memorial bricks. Maury ran some errands and also moved our "still to be planted" plants out of the yard in preparation for the fall sale. Dr. Gredler was in to mow and also spread some gravel. Bill O. was in to tidy up as needed. Mary Q. priced some items for our looming plant sale and when out for some weeding near the gazebo garden. We also saw Tony and Londa who were roaming the gardens keeping an eye on things and welcoming our visitors. We also ran across Mary W., Mark S., Geesje, Bev D., Deb G., Kelli and many others. To the right is the Quickfire panicled hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata 'Bulk') which already went thru the white stage of bloom (the earliest variety to do so) a month ago and now is going thru the gradations of pink. To the left is the interesting foliage of the variegated fiveleaf aralia (Eleutherococcus sieboldianus 'Variegatus) which is a tough shrub that will tolerate sun or shade and a wide range of soil conditions. To the right is a balloon flower (Playtcodon grandiflora 'Sentimental Blue') opened up and showing such nice veination. I like balloon flowers but they do benefit by being cut back severely in mid-June to keep them a little shorter and less prone to flopping. However, there are dwarf forms and double forms that may be of interest. Below is a shot this morning of the Ma Chii' in the fern/moss garden. When sitting (or napping) in this structure, the combined sound from the small waterfall in that garden and the new waterfall in the Japanese garden (40' away) creates a nice amount of sound (not too much and not too little). Come experience the gardens and enjoy the view from our Adirondack chairs in the North Point garden like the four ladies in the bottom photo (taken this morning).

Olfaction Satisfaction

The Smelly Garden event last night went very well and I think set a nice precedent for future events like this in the garden. Above is a shot before dusk (around 7:45 pm) as our volunteers arrived. Kris K. (in red above) did a great job organizing this and thanks to Joy and Dawn for helping out with admission and gift shop duties. Kelli was also there earlier in the evening. Our volunteer docents included Hal, Doris and Art although we also saw many of our own volunteers and staff coming as attendees (Ron W., Bev W., Marv, Marianne, Janice, Dr. Yahr, etc.). We probably had a good 30 or so attendees and while the mosquitoes were voracious, the wonderful scents were enjoyed by everyone. Kris provided flashlights to supplement some of the lighting we already had out there and I heard nothing but raves about this garden space. I would have liked to have seen more attendees but we'll continue to refine and promote this garden more thru the rest of year and certainly next summer as well. Thanks to Yuri Rashkin for "tickling the ivories" and providing wonderful background music from the terrace garden. As I was leaving around 9 pm, I caught a strong, sweet smell (probably from flowering tobacco, Nicotiana sp.) and was glad that we developed this Smelly Garden. Although it is in the Nancy Yahr Memorial Children's Garden, children of all ages have certainly enjoyed this space and next year will be even more exciting as we wont replicate the same garden (we never do!). Next Wednesday night, members of the Wisconsin Hardy Plant Society will be coming to the gardens for a tour (from me) and a talk on the history of RBG. It will be nice to expose the garden (and the scents) to another group of visitors. Kudos to all the volunteers that make RBG such a nice destination. Sweet shot below from last night.

Blue Skies

"If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has the power to move you, if the simple things in nature have a message you understand, Rejoice, for your soul is alive." Eleanora Duse.

We had mostly clear, blue skies today although there is a chance for rain late tonight and in to tomorrow. We hope the precipitation holds off for our Smelly Garden evening event (8 pm - 10 pm) and then it can become a soaking rain after that's over. The top image is a close-up of a small, hybrid ornamental onion (Allium hybrida) called 'Pink Pepper'. The number of blooms was impressive and this was a new one that we planted last year. The image directly above was taken this morning with the early sun shining thru these dark, ornamental millets (Pennisetum glaucum 'Purple Majesty') in our Ornamental Edible & Compact Vegetable Display. I don't think I'll get tired of planting this annual grass and I like all the varieties that are out there right now. The birds, particularly finches, are working the seedheads on these grasses as I type. To the right is one of the neat hyssops (Agastache cana 'Purple Pygmy') blooming in our Smelly Garden. The foliage is quite scented and while the blooms are not, they sure attract the hummingbirds. Most hyssops are marginally hardy here and we've had many overwinter as perennials when we've had ample winter snow cover. To the left is one of our "most asked about" plants in the garden. This annual is actually an old-fashioned cottage garden annual called summer poinsettia or fountain plant (Amaranthus tricolor). Many know this as Joseph's Coat as well. I've featured other varieties of this amaranth in previous blogs. This variety is in our Ornamental Edible & Compact Vegetable Collection although it is certainly not compact at 3-4' tall! However, this amaranth (as with all amaranths) has edible foliage that has long been used fresh and in stir fry dishes (tastes like spinach). The light caught the colorful leaves perfectly this morning and it's the newest growth that has the best coloration. Unfortunately, the color is lost when cooking but is is a nice ornamental. I should mention that this plant looks good in to August but usually not much later than that.

We had some great volunteers here today. Kay did a nice job weeding in both the reception and sunken gardens. She is good at not only addressing weeds but deadheading, thinning and general "garden primping". Little Jerry came in for most of the morning and worked on pruning/shaping evergreens in the Japanese garden. This is the job he did for many years as an employee and it's nice to see his quality work continue as a volunteer. Alfredo was in to help John with some of his tasks (second picture down from this text) and we've appreciated his help over the past couple of months on work days and other days that he has off. He's a strong worker and we gave him some excercise today. Bill O. was in to mow the arboretum and he then shifted to emptying garbage cans and recycling. He also did a nice job tidying up the wedding sites for tomorrow. To the above right is the Western sunflower (Helianthus occidentalis) in the terrace garden border. This perennial sunflower is one of the shortest native sunflowers at only 48" tall. The many blooms are roughly 3" in diameter. Also called fewleaf sunflower for the fact that it has very few leaves along the flowering stems, this Western U.S. native is drought tolerant and will bloom well in to fall. We'll be keeping an eye on it as it can spread to form larger colonies. Speaking of the terrace, the shot below was taken today as I was in the vicinity helping get set-up for the Smelly Garden activity tonight. The blue/yellow theme looks great in this area as well! Fridays are always our busiest days and today was not exception. Big John (above with Alfredo) did a nice job cleaning up, leveling and ultimately composting the newly defined area behind the Japanese garden waterfall. John also worked on a graveling project, ran irrigation, hand watered and accomplished some other duties. Janice push mowed, watered, weeded and started putting in more of our new signs in the gazebo garden. Marv and Terry ran irrigation and set-up their sophisticated sprinkler network to catch some of the dry areas. The guys also prepared an area for regraveling, watered all the containers and worked on some other projects. Marianne weeded (with a focus near the Smelly Garden), watered, tidied and put together another nice cutting display. I worked on setting up some luminaries and lighting for the event tonight and continue to finalize plant sale details so we're ready to go in a few short weeks. To the above right is one of our scented plants in the Smelly Garden. This is the 'Skeleton Rose' scented geranium (Pelargonium radans) which also goes by the name of 'Dr. Livingston'. The finely cut and ornamental foliage has a strong, lemon-rose fragrance when rubbed. I think the leaf architecture is cool. We have over 15 "flavors" of scented geraniums in the Smelly Garden. To the left is Little Jerry pruning a juniper just outside the primary Japanese garden entrance.

I have to say the the gardens are looking the best they ever have and we're still hovering at peak color although the cooler nights will have an effect on our annuals and we're seeing the start of leaf drop from the cottonwoods (Populus deltoides). To the right are the colorful blooms of an award-winning stonecrop (Sedum telephium 'Red Cauli') which I've been smitten with for years because of the nice blooms but also blue foliage. This tough perennial for full sun is top notch. A special thanks to all the wonderful staff and volunteers that continue to make RBG not only a top notch destination but an organization that pursues the mission of horticultural education and appreciation diligently. Below is the 'Prince' elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum) in the formal annual beds looking good. When we yank this out (annual) in October after frost, it will be significantly taller! At the bottom are those blue skies above the showy and popular North Point garden.