Cloudy, Cool and Productive

While it was still chilly today, at least we didn't have more rain! Everyone was able to get outside and really tackle some projects. Marianne (above) potted up our sweet pea (Lathyrus odoratus) seeds which will be utilized in our Smelly Garden this year. We didn't have many volunteers today but were able to catch up with some of our outdoor projects. We did spend quite a bit of time getting ready for the presentation on Perennial Division by Becky Nickel this evening. We have plants, tools and other supplies all ready for her presentation. John and Janice had previously divided up and potted some perennials that will be freebies for the attendees. I anticipate this will be a popular topic and I hope to report about a big crowd in the blog tomorrow! The butterflies have landed! Marv and Terry put up three of our 34 butterflies out in the gardens and did a nice job figuring out the best way to anchor them. The daisies last year taught us about the issues of wind and proper anchoring. Each butterfly will have three stakes which will certainly be vital for those butterflies that are heavier because of stained glass, beads, etc. We'll have the rest of them out next week with signs so they're ready to be enjoyed by the visiting public in May.

Marv and Terry also set-up and secured obelisks, worked on container inserts and finished the day by replacing the gravel in one of our "weedier" paths that has a lot of soil and weeds already starting. Big John dug out and divided some grasses early today and helped prepare for the event this evening. He also spread plenty of shredded bark mulch and continued some of his digging projects. Marianne, aside from her seed starting, helped me with all sorts of handout preparations, tree sale tasks, her cutting display and a sign inventory that will be converted shortly to the new, "fancy" labels. Larry ran some errands for me, checked over our valve system for the irrigation (leaking...) and spent this morning unloading 900 bags of blended compost that will supplement our current supply for our upcoming tree sale and spring plant sale. We also saw Maury, Little Jerry and some others over here as well. Below are the swelling buds of yellow buckeye (Aesculus octandra) which is a darn nice tree. We have one near the horticulture center and we should see blooms within the next three weeks. Further below is the ground level bloom of the American (or Canadian) ginger (Asarum canadense). I spent a good portion of the morning producing a wide assortment of handouts promoting upcoming lectures, Earth Day activities, the Spring Plant Sale, Home Garden Tour, etc. Marianne was very helpful in keeping everything processed and organized. I was also able to order some more plants and have to search for alternate sources for some items that weren't available and are essentials. We have some plant deliveries coming in later this week that will necessitate keeping them indoors until we get some sun and warmth. This annual "spring dance" involves moving literally thousands of plants outside and back in almost every day in late April and early May. We keep an eye on the weather and our intent is to give our new plants some light and fresh air but not to torment them with potentially freezing temperatures at night (or day!). Nice shot to the right of Japanese pachysandra (Pachysandra terminalis) blooms which are prevalent right now on this durable groundcover. We have about 3,000 sq. ft. of this groundcover around the gardens although primarily in the Japanese garden. To the left are the blooms of one of our grape hyacinth (Muscari latifolium) species in the woodland walk. I read that this species is native to the pine forests in Turkey. I love this species and it's not shy on a significant contribution of blue. There is actually quite a bit of color out in the gardens including the vivid yellow of the marsh marigold (Caltha palustris) seen to the right. When our shoreline flooded back in 2008, this was one of the few plants that didn't "bat an eye" (or die) and it's common name certainly lends credence to its ability to withstand significantly damp soils. The weather doesn't look the best over the next couple of days and I hope it doesn't affect the enthusiasm for our Earth Day activities or tree sale. Details for both events are on our website. Progress in the Japanese garden is at a halt because of all the rains. Below is the new, lower Japanese garden pool that is currently unworkable at this point. Oh well.