101 Degree Mark In June...

To say today was hot would be an understatement. It was inferno-like and sticky and the transition from our air-conditioned break room in the Horticulture Center back out to the gardens was an uncomfortable 30 degree shift. Despite the start of the morning at 80 degrees F, we still had a great volunteer turnout this morning and tried to keep everyone in the shade as much as possible. The top photo is a shot of our gazebo in the distance which is the area I took care of watering today. I developed a greater appreciation for the nuances of shifting around sprinklers for good coverage over an entire area. The photo directly above shows (from left to right) Ron W, Ron B., Del and Bob C. I caught the guys taking a well-deserved break on this shady bench this morning. Ron W. hauled and spread shredded bark this morning near the Japanese garden. Ron B. edged out many of our beds and Del and Bob worked on skimming and replacing some gravel along our planting beds adjacent to the arboretum. All four guys worked up a sweat quickly as did the grounds staff. To the left is the foliage of the 'Envy' edamame (Glycine max). These short-season plants (located in our Ornamental Edible & Compact Vegetable Collection) will form edible green, tasty soybeans. Additionally, they are 40% protein and are also high in vitamins A, C, iron, calcium and fiber. We've never grown these so I'm looking forward to observing their progress.

Other Grumpies this morning included Jim, Bob A. and Vern who worked on repairing a bench and some other carpentry projects. Dick H. (seen below in the truck) ran to the dump a couple times and continued cutting strap aluminum in to our future perennial label stakes. We also saw Gary, Dr. Gredler (mowing & watering) and Rollie ran up to Madison to pick up some engraved bricks for the gardens. Karen and Stan did some nice work in the Japanese garden today. Our Grumpettes included Suzy, Karla, Mary, Shae, Karen, Nicole, Zoe, Renee, Mary and Sue. The ladies collectively did a great job weeding in the woodland walk garden and throughout the daylily (Hemerocallis) collection. To the right is Mary D. and directly below are Shae and Mary R.. Doris R. helped weed a bit and started watering the yard plants. Bill O. did some pruning and tidying this afternoon. I found myself near our daylily (Hemerocallis) collection today as I was also running hoses in that vicinity. The daylily variety above is 'Open Hearth' which is one I hadn't specifically noticed in the past. The daylilies are really starting to bloom now and I'm going to stop by more often to enjoy the show. While we have daylilies throughout the gardens, we have an area south of the arboretum that features over 300 varieties in the Potter Daylily Collection. We are a National Display Garden for the American Hemerocallis (Daylily) Society. The bulk of the Potter collection was donated by William Potter over 12 years ago and we continue to add and augment the collection. Thankfully, Lisa I. (one of our volunteers) took on the task of re-assessing, organizing, mapping and inventorying the collection over the past three years. To the right is one of our forty oak leaf garden art projects out in the gardens. To the left is the showy foliage of the variegated tricolor society garlic (Tulbaghia violacea 'Tricolor') which has edible leaves and flowers (lavender-pink), both of which taste garlicky.

The grounds staff had a sweaty day outside but everyone was smart with keeping hydrated. Larry worked on the sunken garden pond and also spent time with our irrigation contractor who was here making some repairs/adjustments. Larry also repaired an irrigation line, mowed and ran irrigation zones all day. Big John mowed, moved around sprinklers, watered containers and many other areas that were getting thirsty. Pat was in for a half day but managed to mow and accomplish plenty of watering. He also did a bit of painting early in the morning. Jenny did some major weeding/tidying along the orange wall and in the hosta hollow garden. She also helped water containers and the yard which was roasting in the sun. To the right is the 'Jack Frost' false forget-me-not (Brunnera macrophylla) in the distance. Coming out of the gap between the rocks is the variegated golden Hakone grass (Hakonechloa macra 'Stripe It Rich'). I took so many flower photos today that I just had to share more below. The top photo is the cigar flower (Cuphea ignea) which certainly lives up to it's name. That bloom is only about 1.5" in length and a 1/4 inch in diameter. There are lots of Cuphea hybrids and varieties that work as nice annuals and thrive in our summer heat. The next photo down shows the formation of the hazelnuts on our 'Rosita' European hazelnut (Corylus avellana) in the Scottish garden. I've never seen these form nuts in the past and was glad I noticed them this year. At the bottom is a close-up of the bloom of the annual black-eyed Susan vine (Thunbergia alata 'Susie Orange Clear'). This vine blooms solidly until frost and is featured on obelisks along the orange-themed wall border. Other varieties of this vine feature flower colors of deep orange, white and maroon. The flower centers can also be black. More of the same tomorrow although I'll be travelling to MI for a conference.