Color Abounds!

Today was another beauty with sunshine, fluffy clouds and blue skies. Although the weekend was perfect weather for a Fall Plant Sale, we still had enough plants left to warrant an extension of the sale (15% off everything) today until 4 pm but also from tomorrow until Saturday (September 13th) from 9 am until 2 pm daily. We had some steady traffic throughout the day and had great volunteer assistance from Tina, Mary W., Pat R. and Alice to run the sale. However, the bulk of our volunteers and grounds staff headed in to the gardens for various tasks including plenty of garden clean-up. As seen in the photo above of the shade garden, we're not shy on color right now despite the cooler nights and leaves starting to flutter down. Below are some additional images from today.

'Black Coral' elephant ears (Colocasia esculenta) with 'Sedona' coleus (Solenostemon scutellarioides) - tropicals

'NuMex Easter' ornamental hot pepper (Capsicum annuum) - annual

'Saturn' coleus (Solenostemon scutellarioides) in the gazebo garden in this colorful border

'Blazin' Rose' bloodleaf (Iresine hybrida) with 'Blazin' Lime' surrounding it (same species) - tropicals

We had a great turnout for volunteers today. Above are Gary (left) and Bob C. collecting leaves near the gazebo garden and Shirley (directly below) was in the vicinity cleaning up her garden space. We're starting to remove spent/unsightly annuals here and there but do our best to maintain color through September. The second photo down shows Shirley (left) and Patrea near the archway (from the original Parker Pen Company world headquarters) leading from the reception garden to the sunken garden. The ladies did a nice job tidying that space and continued down in to the sunken garden where Kathy (third photo down) and Eva were working. This quartet shifted to other areas as well. Our carpenters (Dave, Vern, Jim) kept busy with carpentry and new Grumpy Ken did some nice chair painting and helped the guys out. Bob K. had various tasks including significant preparations for some looming work in the Nancy Yahr Memorial Children's Garden. The fourth photo down shows Ron P. who worked with Lloyd on additional leaf collection around the gardens. Del did some watering for us as did Ron and Bev W. in the afternoon when they watered our plant sale mums (still available at 15% off!). Gary S. and Dick H. delivered some of the Adirondack chairs that were auctioned off yesterday to bring closure to our 2014 Garden Art Project with all 25 chairs going to good homes. Gary also collected leaves and Dick had a run to the dump. Dr. Gredler did his mowing and we also saw Bill O., Rollie and many others today.

The grounds staff had a busy day out in the gardens. Above is Big John converting containers to the fall display of mums. John also worked on watering and other tasks throughout the day. Terry (directly below) also planted quite a few mums as seen here but seemed a bit put out when I told him that they should all be orange.... Terry also worked on watering, shearing and other tasks. Cindy had a full day of garden clean-up in three different garden areas (entrance garden, larch wall border and Nancy Yahr Memorial Children's Garden). Larry (second photo down) ran irrigation, mowed and did quite a bit of weed whipping. Janice was in to get the plant sale in motion and came back later to close it down. I helped with the sale but was able to get out in the gardens briefly (see additional photos below). It was a good day and we hope to sell plenty of more plants yet this week (9 am - 2 pm, Tuesday thru Saturday).