A Sweet Ride

Our new mower, above, came today and we can't wait to get it out there (in 4 months)! This mower replaces one of our 10+ year old models and will be a nice addition to our fleet. We weren't sad to see the old one go (as a trade in). There are probably about 7 acres of turf over our 20 acre property and we're fortunate to have Dr. Gredler and Little Jerry doing the bulk of the riding mowing with grounds staff doing the push mowing and weed whipping. We maintain larger turf areas for special events, outdoor weddings and such but try to minimize the chemical inputs (fertilizers, herbicides, etc.) involved in achieving "perfect" turf. We're proud of our lawns considering the foot traffic they receive! Below is a sneak peak at some of the obelisk colors for 2010 (much to the chagrin of Dr. Gredler who has been painting non-stop this month!).
Another small crew today with Dr. Gredler priming and painting, Maury priming and running out for more paint and Vern working on a revised drawing for an arbor/sitting structure. Dick H. came in to work on our utility carts and his tinkering skills are invaluable around here. We also saw Dr. Yahr today with Lynn and Sue, two of his daughters. He did a great acceptance speech yesterday for his award and received a standing ovation. Doug V. popped by as well. I've been working on spreadsheets and plant orders for spring. The cross-referencing and data entry are time consuming but well worth the time in the long run as all this advance work paves the way for Jenny to start cranking out labels in late winter. Below is our "obelisk preparation and conversion center" (Maury is way in the back)! See further below for a neat plant I can't wait to try this year.

Below is the new variegated variety of Northern sea oats (Chasmanthium latifolium). This variety, 'River Mist', has bold variegation and is a real eye-catcher. The seed heads (green aging to amber) of this species are quite showy and lend themselves to the common name of this perennial, ornamental grass. The seed heads stand out nicely in a dried arrangement and "rattle" a bit when dried thoroughly. See the bottom photo for the green version with the dangling, oat-like spikelets turning brown in late summer. This native grass can reseed and we've seen "babies" around parent plants that take a little elbow-grease to remove but I would not consider this grass invasive. Topping out around 36", this grass can get marginal fall color but is also quite adaptabile to a wide range of soils and will tolerate partial sun. Ask for 'River Mist' this year at your local garden center or do some independent snooping around. Consider the value and merit of the straight species as well.