Rotary Botanical Gardens

It was a cool, sunny day out in the gardens with more evidence of color here and there. The hellebores (Helleborus sp.) are opening up nicely as seen with the variety 'Mellow Yellow' above and some selections below. Spring bulbs continue to emerge although there is also evidence of significant deer and rabbit damage on particularly our tulips (Tulipa). We transition to admission based entry this Friday, April 1st so we are getting everything tidied up for our spring visitors. While we still have a few larger cords and elements from the Holiday Light Show (HLS) to collect, we are mostly done with that event until later this upcoming summer when we begin testing lights again and starting the set-up all over....Next week looks chilly but that's not unusual for April.

'Royal Heritage Strain' helleborus (Helleborus) - above and below

We had a huge crew of volunteers at the gardens today. Terry (above) worked with Marv on hauling back benches for Gene to sand and re-stain. Terry worked on trimming back roses as we assess our losses which were surprising after such a mild winter. We have a new rose donation coming in this spring which will infill this garden in a very colorful way. Kay helped process handouts and plant sale labels in the office while Jenny continued preparing and organizing labels for our incoming annuals. Gary worked on labels for our future Heirloom Garden. Lloyd, Bob C. and Kevin C. worked on mulching the main parking lot islands. Alan M. worked on tidying the sunken garden while Kathy and Eva (seen below, Eva to the right) bounced between a couple different areas for tidying. Vern and Ron Y. worked on carpentry projects while Dr. Gredler accomplished more painting. Maury and Dick H. hauled back our Santa houses (see below) and had some other projects as well. Jim H. worked on more clean-up in the Japanese garden. We also saw Rollie, Mary W., Maryam, Terri N., Kris K., Roman, Chuck S. and many others today. Larry H. worked on multiple gardening projects while Janice focused on the Spring Plant Sale.

Santa's workshop and the elf house have been loaded for storage

we're using more of the signs above to let people know what's going on

'Carsten's Wintergold' mugo pine (Pinus mugo)

reticulated irises (Iris reticulata)

'Goldheart' bleeding heart (Dicentra spectabilis) is emerging nicely

Today I was checking on our orders for the plantings in our Hummingbird Haven theme this year and am excited about the wide range of plants that will be featured. I included two of them here as I think they'll also be quite showy for our visitors too. Above is 'Red Neck Girl' forsythia sage (Salvia madrensis) which will get well over 5' tall! Below is lion's tail (Leonotus leonurus) which is a beautiful orange summer bloomer. Both of these will be annuals for us and we also have another 50-60 selections for that garden featuring trumpet shaped blooms for our area hummingbirds to enjoy.

lion's tail (Leonotus leonurus) - annual

We're excited about our caladium (Caladium sp.) collection this year! We hope to display over 50 varieties of this tropical aroid which is native to primarily South America. There are various species of caladiums but most breeding efforts have funneled them in to two broad categories; fancy-leaved and strap/lance-leaved. We've been growing more caladiums each year in our shadier gardens due to their extraordinary performance and color contributions. They also thrive in shady containers as the drainage is typically ideal in those situations. Decent soils, drainage and some degree of shade are all parts of the "recipe for success" with caladiums. With impatiens downy mildew affecting our impatiens plantings, we are focusing on more caladiums to offer color in those locations. With over 2,000 varieties being offered over the last 150 years, there is no shortage of selections available to the home gardener. Grown from a tuber, caladiums are best started in a warm spot inside in 6" pots in late March. They can be slow to emerge and unfurl their foliage at which time they should be given some degree of light. This allows some growth prior to planting in late May / early June when the soil temperatures have warmed adequately. We don't plant our caladiums until the first week of June. We'll be starting over 3,000 of these in pots this year (very shortly!). Enjoy just a "smattering" of the varieties that are out there; many of which will be in our collection this summer.

It was a gorgeous day outside with ample blue sky and sunshine after a chilly start. Larry H. headed out immediately for a wide range of gardening tasks which included plenty of Spring garden clean-up. Kathy, Eva and Kay were all out tidying the shade garden which still had leaves and twigs from last fall and winter. This tidying is imperative as there are so many bulbs and perennials emerging right now. Alan M. was also in to help tidy up and Dr. Gredler continued his painting projects. Maury F. ran some errands for us and I had a meeting with Marsha N., Jean B. and Sue this morning. We saw plenty of others today as well.

Caladium'Pink Splash'

Caladium'Angel Wings'

Caladium 'Florida Sweetheart'

Caladium'Kathleen'

Caladium 'White Queen'

Caladium'White Christmas'

Caladium'Red Flash'

Caladium'Celebration'

Caladium'Creamsickle'

Caladium'Raspberry Moon'

Caladiums in containers - Ball Seed Trial Garden (West Chicago, IL)

Caladium'Artful Fire & Ice'

Caladium'Artful Heartfire'

Caladium 'Bombshell'

Caladium'Fireworks'

Caladium 'Moonlight'

Caladium'Painted Dart Frog'

Caladium 'Red Bellied Tree Frog'

Caladium'Tie Dyed Tree Frog'

Caladium'Party Punch'

Caladium'Sweet Caroline'

Caladium'White Cap'

Caladium'White Majesty'

Today was a bit on the chilly side with some scattered rain in the afternoon. I think we have more rain tomorrow but after the sunshine yesterday, today was still a hint of late winter. We will need those "April showers" regardless. Above are (left to right), Nancy, Myrt, Gena and Patty. The ladies did a nice job painting on this rainy day and have been our reliable Wednesday painters. Jenny was in to work on labels while Kathy and Eva tidied in the gardens until the rain came down. Dick H. ran loads of debris to the dump and Maury ran some errands for us. Larry H. mulched a huge area and continued with tidying efforts. Janice was in as well. We also saw Cindy B., Tom M. and many others from our Horticulture Therapy Committee. I continue to prepare for spring which will explode on the scene very quickly here as evidenced by these photos from yesterday!

crocuses (Crocus sp.) - above and below

'Wate's Golden' Virginia pine (Pinus virginiana)

glory-of-the-snow (Chionodoxa sp.) - above and below

striped squill (Puschkinia libanotica) - above

Siberian squill (Scilla siberica) - above

double yellow hellebore (Helleborus) - perennial

Kay (above) and Alan (below) - photographed working hard yesterday!

Today had the full spectrum of driving rain to sunshine. The weather didn't stop Larry H. and Peg from heading out for garden clean-up and mulching. Lloyd was also out there to continue mulching the main parking lot islands. Marv and Terry did some work out in the gardens which became quite damp quickly this morning. Dr. Gredler, Alan and Gary all worked on painting while Ron Y. was priming some new Adirondack chairs. Bob C. and Gene sanded benches for re-staining while Dave and Vern continued assembling new Adirondack chairs (for sale at our Cottage Garden Gallery!). Dick H. had some projects. Gary worked on some new signs and Larry O. popped in for some consultation on repairs to our endloader. Kay worked on preparing plant sale labels and we also saw Barry B., Chuck S. and many others.

Above is the 'City Garden' black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida) which is one of the many excellent, mid-height selections of this impactful perennial. While there are many species of Rudbeckia in a wide range of heights, this focus is on the "knee and thigh high" selections. All of these will thrive in full sun or part sun and are quite drought tolerant once established. Excellent for pollinators, the perennial rudbeckias will expand to form colonies and aren't too picky about soils. Be warned that control and division may be in order when they are the "most happy"! Blooms will frequently start in July and last until late August. See further down for some nice combinations utilizing the flower power of these excellent species and varieties.

Deam's coneflower (Rudbeckia fulgida var. deamii)

Missouri coneflower (Rudbeckia missouriensis)

'Goldsturm' black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii) - above and two below

'Little Goldstar' black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii)

'Pot of Gold' black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida)

Viette's Little Suzy black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida 'Blovi')

the photo above and all below showcase the summer value of these long-blooming and tough black-eyed Susans

the garden of Cindy B. (above)

While none of these photos of the striped squill (Puschkinia scilloides var. libanotica) were taken this spring, I could have taken similar photos today though as this early bloomer is quite evident right now. This fall planted bulb is native to the Caucasus region and prefers moist but well-drained soils in full to part sun. Only 5"-6" in height, mass plantings of these can be very effective and are also strong growers under trees where they will get ample light right now before the overhead canopy fills in over the coming months. While our tulips (Tulipa) and crocuses (Crocus sp.) are being decimated by deer and rabbits, striped squill is left alone. It naturalizes well and forms colonies over time. This is also a good candidate for a "bulb lawn" where striped squill comes up now through mostly dormant turf and does "its thing" before you need to do some mowing. Regardless, striped squills are tough as nails and are great for early impact.

Today was fairly quiet at the gardens although we did have some visitors out there enjoying the gardens. Eva was out doing some clean-up near the sunken garden while Bill O. helped with some tasks at the Horticulture Center. Maury ran some errands and we also saw Jean S., Bev D. and a couple of others. Spring preparations are my order of business right now. Enjoy the photos of striped squill and look closely at the flower details.

note the early pollinator in action

It was a chilly start to the morning with temperatures never reaching 40 degrees F on this overcast day. The rest of the week looks wet and chilly too after a 70 degree day yesterday. There is plenty of color out in the gardens like the 'Grape Galaxy' hellebore (Helleborus) seen above. Many of our earliest spring blooming bulbs are peaking or past peak and we're seeing a transition to the daffodils (Narcissus) right now. Our grounds staff started back officially today and everyone hit the ground running. We have an aggressive spring planned and it was nice to accomplish so much today with both staff and volunteers. I'm back on track to include "photos of the day" in the majority of these blog postings over the next 5-6 months.

'Golden Lotus' hellebore (Helleborus) - perennial

hellebore (Helleborus purpurascens) - perennial

'Green Gambler' hellebore (Helleborus) - perennial

'Pink Surprise' grape hyacinth (Muscari) - perennial

'Katharine Hodgkin' reticulated iris hybrid (Iris hybrida) - perennial

It was a solid turnout of volunteers today. We had busy crews out in the gardens and inside at the Horticulture Center. The volunteer photos all have additional text. Peg (above) tidied in the Scottish garden while Cheryl D. focused on the sunken garden. Kathy and Eva tidied in the woodland walk garden and later moved on to the fern & moss garden. I got the message that they found two "broken trees" in that garden and later went down to see the remains of two trees that a beaver(s) found (see further below). Lloyd worked on more mulching in the main parking lot. Marv B. was handy with our end loader in removing former elements of the Jungle Garden theme. Dr. Gredler and Alan painted while Vern, Jim and Dave focused on more carpentry projects. Bob C. and Gene continued sanding and staining benches while Ron Y. worked on priming some new chairs. Dick H. ran to the dump, picked up fuel and helped here and there. Gary worked on sign/label production while Maury ran errands. We also saw Rollie, Marsha M. and many others today.

I neglected to take many photos of our photogenic grounds staff today but they continue to impress. Cindy and Larry H. processed some gardening items and later went out to work in different garden areas. Cindy continued clean-up efforts while Larry H. helped Marv with relocating our "Giant Rulers." Larry also worked on a lot of mulching. Big John and Terry brought our Abyssinian bananas (Ensete ventricosum'Maurellii) from the 'banana babysitter' (see further below) and moved on to getting chairs back in place and myriad other tasks. Bobby K. helped disconnect some of our last major cords from the Holiday Light Show (HLS). I was able to get out in the gardens quite a bit but my desk work regarding spring priorities calls me back often.

Maury and Bobby K. (right)

Marv B. pulling out a 10' tall ruler

Kathy (eyes shut) and Eva (right)

Cheryl D.

Gary S. - Master of Labels

Bob C.

Gene the Machine

Dave T.

Vern

Ron Y. (handy with a brush)

'Jetfire' daffodils (Narcissus)

Cornliancherry dogwood (Cornus mas) - woody tree

miniature daffodils (Narcissus) in the alpine garden

pasque flower (Pulsatilla vulgaris) emerging - perennial

beaver damage - two trees gone!

our grove of Abyssinian bananas (Ensete ventricosum'Maurelii') returned today

Hi All. Apologies for not being more consistent this week with my daily blog. This time of year is full of challenges and finding the time has been difficult with many hoops and hurdles to navigate. I lost internet access on Tuesday which made that day a little more challenging as well. Regardless, despite some rainy/snowy weather these last two days, we've had excellent volunteer help from Kay (above), Gena, Myrt, Patty, Nancy, Kathy, Eva, Dr. Gredler, Gary, Alan, Lloyd, Peg, Dave, Vern, Ron P., Gene, Bob C., Maury, Gary, Terri, Sandy and many others. Having most of our grounds staff in action this week (John, Terry, Cindy, Janice, Larry H. and Bob K.) has been nice as well. Lots of painting has occurred as seen in these photos although we're not neglecting the gardens as flowers continue to slowly emerge even on these colder days.

Terri and Sandy (right)

Myrt

Nancy

Gena and Patty (right)

Alan on the left and Gary on the right with our big chairs...or are these guys just really small?

Today I enjoyed travelling to three sites for the California Spring Trials (CAST). I'm in Salinas, CA which is centrally located to visit all of the Northern CA sites for CAST. There are many other locations further south but I wanted to do these justice. I was the first to arrive at American Takii this morning and met the guy who had been sending us samples all of these years. All of the sites today included representatives of other smaller nurseries, pot suppliers, etc. so I was able to see a wide range of product aside from plants. I took MANY photos with these just being a very small fraction of course. Today I saw American Takii, HMA Plants, Hilverdakooij (Dutch), Sakata Seed, Pacific Plug & Liner, Cohen Propagation Nursery, Hishtil (Israel), Jaldety, MPS and the Sunset Western Garden Collection. This was just the first day with much more to come! The weather here is in the 60s and has been rainy recently. Almost all of the trials I viewed today were in massive greenhouses. I'll blog over the coming days as well to share my adventures. Included at the bottom are some shots of the ocean which beckoned within sight many times today!

Today was rainy all day but it was no problem as the trials are all indoors right now. With temperatures in April in the 60 degrees F during the day, creating these displays inside with greenhouse-forced plants makes sense (Floricultura above). Regardless, I saw plenty of plants at three primary sites which ultimately featured over seven different nurseries. I took many more photos and met some very neat folks. "Green industry" people are very genuine and friendly and all of my experiences thus far confirm that theory. I'm gallivanting to many other sites over the next two days and will continue to look for more exciting plants to satiate my obsession.

Petunia Crazytunia 'Moonstruck'

Pixie grapes (very compact)

look how the containers are hung above

trailing Egyptian starcluster (Pentas lanceolata'Falling Star Pink Bicolor')

Danziger product above and below (displayed at Headstart Nursery)

I stopped by the John Steinbeck Center (museum) later this afternoon which was pretty cool

Today was another eventful one at the California Spring Trials (CAST). I hit three more sites with many featuring more than one grower/company. The weather was partly sunny and 70 degrees F and just beautiful. I had excitement on Highway 101 (70 mph) when the vehicle two ahead of me had the hood fold up and bash down on the windshield. Not sure how the seven or eight of us in the vicinity didn't get in to a crash with this car swerving off the road (safely stopped). I toured, photographed and chatted with folks at Benary, Volmary, ABZ Seeds, Speedling, Hem Genetics, Plant Source International, Thompson & Morgan, Vista Farms and Proven Winners today. The three sites weren't far apart but distance can't be measured as "a crow flies" as the rolling topography is a big factor. I was able to see more of the countryside and certainly had no shortage of seeing new and exciting plants! It was nice to chat with so many "green industry" folks who I'll continue to maintain are some of the nicest people around.

Benary created a "Museum of Plants" (above and below) and even had a Plant Fashion Show (second photo down)

trailing begonia display at Benary (above)

Speedling was set in the countryside you see below!

'Orchid Cream' nasturtium (Tropaeolum sp.) - annual

Chiba Series pinks (Dianthus sp.)

coleus galore!

'Fingerpaint' coleus (Solenostemon scutellarioides) - not new but cool

The Proven Winners display was set up at Kiligin Cellars Winery

'Dolce Appletini' coral bells (Heuchera) - perennial

'Invincibelle Ruby' smooth hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens)

I'm happy to be heading home tomorrow (flying out of San Jose) with a return to work on Thursday. This morning I toured a couple more sites of the California Spring Trials and took some additional photos. I then shot north of Santa Cruz and visited Big Basin Redwoods State Park which has the biggest coastal redwoods south of San Francisco. I lucked out and went on a hike with three volunteer guides at the park (Afa, Paul and Diane...seen below). They knew their plants so we did some botanizing, observed wildlife and enjoyed the hike. My return trip to Salinas included some coastal fresh air and scenery. I can see why so many folks want to live in this area which was also very evident with the rush hour traffic! Some of the plants further down I photographed along the coast and will try to ID them later. It was a very eventful trip to the California Spring Trials and I maximized my time by meeting lots of contacts and wasn't shy with the camera for 2017 ideas! I also think some sweet plant donations for the gardens might be in the offing.

the trunk diameter of this redwood above at the ground was over 12'!

we spotted the elusive Western rattlesnake!

I must have seen a thousand banana slugs (many over 7" long!)

above is a huge redwood which doesn't rival cousins further North

my hiking pals above (Afa, Paul and Diane..left to right)

lupines!

lupine? above

no doubt which way the breeze is blowing!

right near the coast...? cool looking

coast along Santa Cruz

I'm back to work today after my trip to the California Spring Trials (CAST) and barely got out of the office with all the piles and phone calls that needed attention. We had a productive group of volunteers today which included Lloyd and Bob C. out mulching and Alan A. edging. Kathy, Eva, Peg and Cheryl D. all worked on garden tidying and clean-up in a couple of different garden spaces. Dick worked on some vehicles while Maury ran errands. Ron P. continued repairing lights prior to storage and Gary B. finished painting multiple structures. Gary continued with sign and label production. Dr. Gredler was out mowing and pulling along a turf aerator. Hal R. spent time tidying up his assigned garden which is always looking good as it is front and center along Palmer Drive. Bev, Bob, Bev (and her crew) all helped sort out our surplus plastic pots so we know what we're up against. We also saw Bill O., Maryam, Linda B., Larry O., Big Jim and many others. Big John and Larry had a long day but also helped stage a whole lot of mulch for our student volunteers tomorrow from Oakhill Christian school.

This blog included 15 exciting plants I saw over the last five days at the California Pack Trials. There were so many neat things to look at out west and I appreciate being able to go on this trip. I'll likely feature some more in the future as these 15, while beautiful, are just the tip of the iceberg. I'm focusing my energies on looming events like the start of our Pansy Sale that joins the compost sale this Saturday (8 am - 12 noon). Our Spring Plant Sale is only a couple of weeks ago and is scheduled for Mother's Day weekend. See our website for details and you can also view or download listings of our vegetable and herb offerings. Enjoy the color seen below and above with the vivid 'Trilogy Rose' petunia (Petunia sp.)!

'Adore Dragoste' begonia (Begonia sp.) - annual

Arizona Series ('Sun', 'Sandstone', 'Sunset') hyssop (Agastache hybrida) - non-hardy

Armor Series cockscomb celosia (Celosia cristata) - in yellow, red, purple and orange

'Summer Jewel Lavender' salvia (Salvia coccinea) - annual

'Nagoya White' kale (Brassica oleracea) - annual

'Floral Showers Apricot Bicolor' snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus nanum pumilum) - annual

'Dragon's Breath' plume celosia (Celosia plumosa, 24") - annual

'Rosanne Black Pearl' tulip gentian (Lisianthus grandiflorum) - annual

'Blue Harmony' anemone (Anemone hybrida) - annual

'Meerlo' variegated lavender (Lavandula allardii) - not hardy

'Happy Yellow Orange Stripes' petunia (Petunia sp.) - annual

'Colissima Raspberry' coleus (Solentostemon scutellariodes) - annual

Nemesia Babycakes Little Orange

'Heureka Seasons King' coral bells (Heuchera sp.) - perennial

The weather was spectacular today with sunny skies and a high temperature around 73 degrees F. While the morning was a bit chilly, it warmed up nicely and it looks like the next week or so will be very similar. It was the perfect day to enjoy flowers like the fragrant garden hyacinths (Hyacinthus) seen above and to get some serious gardening accomplished. While I didn't garden much (I did spread some mulch!) today, our grounds staff and volunteers kept very busy. Tomorrow we'll be selling pansies as part of our Spring Compost Sale and we're not too far away from our Mother's Day Plant Sale (see our website for details).

'Northern Gold' forsythia (Forsythia x intermedia) in bloom - woody shrub

'Concerto' tulip (Tulipa) out front of the Parker Education Center

We had an excellent volunteer turnout today including students from Oakhill Christian School (seen above with their teacher, Kath). The students did a wonderful job mulching the woodland glen and moved on to a portion of the woodland walk. Students from this class have helped both in spring and fall for close to 9 years! A few of the giant piles of mulch they spread today can be seen directly below as can some of their activities. Kathy, Kay and Eva all did a great job tidying up in various locations out in the gardens. Lisa I. was out in the daylily collection which she manages so well. She's marking some specimens for division and/or relocation. Pat C. was back in action assessing our labels for repair or replacement out in a couple of garden areas. Dick H. finished repairs on a trailer which is our primary "hauler" for incoming plants. We also saw Marleen, Vern, Lynn Y. and many others today.

Big John and Terry had plenty of action today which ultimately included our first wave of push mowing (tis the season!). Cindy (third photo down) did a nice job weeding in multiple locations and also spread a large quantity of our pre-emergent weed control which we hope will help save some time later this spring. The weeds are already coming up quickly. Janice was a huge help with the students this morning and moved on to putting together the cutting display as well as details for our Pansy Sale and future Spring Plant Sale. I had a wide range of tasks today both inside and outside.

Kathy P.

Eva

Cindy B. (in the house)

mosses are thriving in this weather - here getting ready to release spores!

pasque flower (Pulsatilla vulgaris) - perennial

our raked gravel sea in the Japanese garden was striking today!

marsh marigolds (Caltha palustris) - perennial

Canadian ginger (Asarum canadense) is emerging and starting to bloom - perennial

daffodils (Narcissus) are peaking all over the gardens!

bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) - perennial

'Peppermint Ice' hellebore (Helleborus) - perennial

It was a hot day for April with temperatures reaching close to 83 degrees F. It was warm out there although it looks like the remainder of the week will be more characteristic of April. There are plenty signs of spring out in the gardens like the 'Leonard Messel' magnolia (Magnolia x loebneri) seen above near the sunken garden. Below is a nice reflection of our arched bridge this morning. We had a super duper day of volunteerism out in the gardens and our grounds staff did an excellent job as well. I feel we're at full speed right now and wont look back until July for a quick breath after everything is tidied, mulched, composted, planted, primped, primed and ready to rock and roll.

'Royal Star' magnolia (Magnolia stellata) - woody tree

Above are some of our tour guides (current and future) from our Saturday training

With 800 baby plant plugs and 2,000+ caladiums needing to be planted quickly, I had Kathy and Eva (above, Eva in red) start on plugs while Cindy was nearby planting the first of our caladiums for the big Caladium Collection. Kathy and Eva later went out to clean up leaves from our streams. Marv B. (below) always does a nice job primping the moss areas which he has tended for many years (and previously with his lovely wife Marianne). Ron R., Lloyd and Bob C. spread a lot of mulch today in the woodland walk and beyond. Alan and Rollie (second photo down), along with Dick H. and Vern, started putting together our tables for the plant sale which is no small task. Gene did more sanding and staining while Dr. Gredler mowed and painted. Bill O. had some tasks and Gary worked on more labels. Pat C. was out inventorying and repairing labels. Our daylily division team included three excellent RECAPPER ladies, Bob D., Bev D., Mary W., Ruth, Joan, Corky, Mary and Deb. Maury had plenty of errands and we saw many others as well.

Our grounds staff kept very busy. Cindy processed a whole bunch of incoming plants and started the flow of plants to our hoop houses. She also planted a lot of caladiums. She was then out in the gardens working her kung fu. Larry H. had some tidying, watering and moved on to significant mulching. John and Terry worked with our garden art projects (hummingbirds), composted, rototilled and had many other projects. Work started on our aquarium project today and we're excited to see the daily progress. I had myriad tasks and continue to prepare for a spring that is already here.

Marv B.

Alan (left) and Rollie

Corky and Joan

Corky, Joan, Bev, Mary, Ruth and Deb (left to right)

Ron R.

Lloyd (left) and Bob C.

wind anemone (Anemone blanda'Blue Shades') - perennial (fall planted corms)

golden weeping willow (Salix alba'Tristis') with a nice reflection on the pond

'Papageno' pasque flower (Pulsatilla vulgaris) - perennial

Dutchman's breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) - perennial

perennial periwinkle (Vinca major) in bloom

our containers are painted and ready to go!

Today was certainly cooler than yesterday and included overcast skies and some decent drizzle from time to time. Things are greening up nicely out there including the notorious garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) seen above which actually stays green all winter under the snow. We'll target these soon as the second year plants (biennial) will be flowering and producing seed within the next three weeks or so. There are still plenty of bulbs blooming out in the gardens and it's a perfect time to catch the brief overlap of daffodils (Narcissus) at peak along with early tulips and many other minor bulbs (grape hyacinths, Siberian squill, striped squill, etc.).

It was another busy Spring day around the gardens. Two fellas from Evergreen Irrigation came to start up our system today which includes checking all of our sprinkler heads throughout the gardens. Joel and Shawn were also here to install a new water mover and get the large fountain in place. They also helped clean the pond and added our first wave of organic treatments this year. We'll need some tweaks on both the fountain and some irrigation zones next week but should be in good order shortly. LP Tree Service was also on site for a tree removal. At one point, all of this was happening at once!

Above is Kathy who earned some extra credit by coming in early to start transplanting plugs in to larger pots for this year. She started by working on the new, variegated milkweed (Asclepias curassavica'Monarch Promise') seen below. I included some photos I took of this plant last summer which really show off the interesting foliage. Eva later came to help Kathy out and they also headed out in to the gardens for some tidying. Kay was in to tidy a tough area but she always does such an excellent job. Our daylily dividing crew today was led by Lisa I. and included Bev, Bob, 2 RECAPPERS, Ken, Peg, Deb and her granddaughter. They did an excellent job and accomplished what they set out to finish! Maury worked on lots of odd jobs and Dick H. was around to help as well. Our Garden Development & Maintenance Committee had a meeting (Christy M., Big John, Ron, Hal, Iza, Maury, Larry H. and me). We also saw Sue M. and many others today as well.

The rain didn't slow the grounds crew. Cindy helped process more caladiums and the plants that the ladies were transplanting. She also worked on tidying, preparing tools for the divide today and applying more pre-emergent weed control. Big John helped all our on site contractors today and kept everyone moving along. He also had a wide range of duties as well. Larry H. was also a big help this morning and continues to have a lead as our #1 mulch spreader (2016) - in terms of volume! I had meetings and caught up on some desk work as well.

'Monarch Promise' milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) - annual

Grandma Deb with little helper

daylily divisions (will be on sale April 29 and 30, 8 am - 4 pm) as will the pansies below!

We all came in expecting a rainy day with inside projects (of which there are many) but were rewarded with a nice, cool day with some sun and clouds. The gardens are literally springing to life with plenty of color in evidence. Above is the 'Golden Lotus' double hellebore (Helleborus sp.) which is always enchanting in the woodland walk garden. Below are many other shots of plants out in the gardens. We had a busy day of hustle and bustle around the gardens as we continue to mulch, weed, tidy, plant and ultimately prepare for a very busy spring (which is already here!). We had some rain overnight but not enough to make it too sloppy. Progress continued on the giant Aquarium which continues to look quite awesome (photo further down). Plant deliveries continue to arrive and we are processing orders as they come in almost daily. We had plenty of awesome volunteers around and our grounds staff continues to be pretty awesome as well. We've also had some very generous donations to the grounds department which is most appreciated.

'Stairway to Heaven' variegated Jacob's ladder (Polemonium reptans) - perennial

species tulipa (Tulipa tarda) - perennial

Our volunteers accomplished a wide range of activities today. Kay (above) tidied along the west road near the Parker Education Center and did an excellent job cleaning up this space which needed a lot of varied and intense TLC! It's looking great and Kay is "expanding her range" later in the week in that same area. Directly below are Eva (left) and Kathy who spent a second day in the Japanese garden collecting debris and making everything look nice. That garden requires the most care "per square foot" I would say, so we do have lots of focus on making it look nice. The second photo down shows (left to right) Gena, Myrt and Nancy. The ladies pulled a whole lot of thistle today near the Nancy Yahr Memorial Children's Garden and helped weed some adjacent areas. Bob, Bev and Deb were excellent today in leading the charge to divide another big load of daylilies. Along with help from two industrious RECAPPERS, these five accomplished a lot of work and continued well in to afternoon with additional tasks including rototilling. Janice had her Chestnut House volunteers on hand for a tour and some gardening as well. There are a few new volunteers in this group for 2016 so the orientation is important. We also saw Maury (errands), Bill O. (odds and ends) and many others today.

The grounds staff kept busy today with Cindy planting pansies, tidying, weeding and accomplishing many other tasks and duties. Larry H. continues to be "mulch boy" but also did some edging as well. Terry and Big John hauled more Hummingbird Garden Art Projects to Utzig Carstar in Janesville (the sponsor of this event) for seal coating. The project that have been returned are unbelievable and we look forward to putting them out in the gardens this spring (auction is in September for these unique art pieces). The guys also placed and filled many more containers, moved our giant chairs and are preparing the yard for the upcoming Spring Plant Sale (see our website for details). Janice worked with volunteers, prepared more information for our Heirloom Garden and processed a lot of labels for our daylily division sale which will be held in conjunction with the Golden Kiwanis Tree Sale on April 29th and 30th (8 am - 4 pm) at the Horticulture Center. We'll also be selling pansies and compost on both of those days. Daylily divisions will be $5 each or $4 each for 5 or more....! I keep treading water with daily tasks, preparations and catching up on some items. We are definitely in the busy season.

the giant Aquarium takes form...

one of the 100 varieties of tulips (Tulipa) just starting to bloom in front of the Parker Education Center (I'll catch up with the variety!)

grape hyacinths (Muscari armeniacum) - perennial

'Tropical Lady' variegated tulip (Tulipa)

one of our many hundreds of fragrant garden hyacinths (Hyacinthus)

Prairie Gem Ussurian pear (Pyrus ussuriensis 'MorDak')

some family time out on the pond

'Purple Star Power' magnolia (Magnolia hybrida) above

saucer magnolia (Magnolia soulangiana)

PJM rhododendron (Rhododendron sp.)

blooms of 'Silver Shimmers' lungwort (Pulmonaria) - perennial

It appears that we'll have rain later tonight and were rewarded with another partly sunny day! The Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica) above were very happy with the day and responded accordingly by starting to open up beautifully. We had an excellent day out in the gardens and also saw quite a few visitors as well. April isn't a bad month to enjoy early color which also is starting up in front of the Parker Education Center with our first 10 of 100 varieties of tulips (Tulipa) showing color. Each variety has 25 bulbs for a nice "bouquet effect." Further below are some exciting shots of some of these neat varieties. The warm weather will push all of these varieties to bloom sooner so I wouldn't mind some days around 60 degrees F to slow things down for our traditional Mother's Day timing! Don't forget to look at our website regarding the Earth Day activities this Saturday as well as details on the Compost & Pansy Sale!

daffodils (Narcissus) peaking (and peeking) around a 'Royal Star' magnolia (Magnolia stellata)

'Mt. Hood' grape hyacinths (Muscari armeniacum)

'Sunningdale Variegated' masterwort (Astrantia major) - perennial

Ron P. (seen above) is evidence that preparations for the 2016 Holiday Light Show (HLS) are under way already. While we've packed away the show from last year, Ron continues to repair/prepare lights for our late summer/early fall installation! No rest for the weary. Speaking of events...the guys below (Lloyd, Bob C., Alan and Gary B.) did a nice job getting tents up for the upcoming Golden Kiwanis Tree Sale (April 29 and 30, 8 am - 4 pm) and Spring Plant Sale (see our website for details). Kathy, Eva and Cheryl did a great job weeding in the Nancy Yahr Memorial Children's Garden today. This garden will feature a Hummingbird Haven theme this year and Cindy B. will keep it looking sharp I'm sure. The weeds gained a foothold early this year but are now losing the battle thankfully! Peg L. was out doing some serious sweeping. Maury worked on the fountain in the English cottage garden among other duties. Dr. Gredler was out for mowing and aerating of turf. Dave T. and Ron Y. had some carpentry projects and organized their space nicely. Gene was in for sanding and re-staining. Shirley B. came in later for some repotting duties. We also saw Bill O., Bev D., Gary S., Rollie M., Chuck S. and many others today.

We're a bit lighter on grounds staff on Thursdays but Larry H. and Big John accomplished a huge amount of work. Larry spread more mulch, edged, re-potted plants and had myriad other tasks. John did some rototilling, unpackaged and organized our half dozen deliveries today, watered and also had many odd jobs as well. A nice tool donation arrived today which will go in to immediate use! I was able to get out in the gardens for a bit and ultimately am finalizing spring orders and details for looming events.

Dr. Gredler

Cheryl, Kathy and Eva (left to right) in a weeding hot spot

Mark S. getting the terrace umbrellas up and ready (and/or looking for old chewing gum that still has flavor...)

Maury F. trying to gain forced entry in to the building (busted!)

Ron Y. (left) and Dave sorting hardware

Shirley B. and Larry H. potting up plugs

'Toronto' tulip (Tulipa)

'Candy Apple Delight' tulip (Tulipa)

'Sweetheart' tulip (Tulipa)

'Algarve' tulip (Tulipa)

'Orange Princess' tulip (Tulipa) - just opening

'Mystic Van Eijk' tulip (Tulipa)

our newly re-organized label storage system (courtesy of Pat C.)

Based on an idea from my pal Mike Maddox to do an "all purple" blog in memory of Prince, I have done just that. Incidentally, these are all plants I also viewed last week at the California Spring Trials (CAST). I was able to see Prince in concert twice and he was spectacular. The wife is a HUGE fan as well and will long be in mourning. Regardless, I like to think he'd appreciate this collection of wonderful flowers. RIP.

Today was overcast and cool but that didn't slow down our garden clean-up efforts on the day before our big Earth Day activities. Tomorrow we'll have vendors, booths, food, educational offerings and some live raptor shows too. See our website for details! Tidying up the garden was vital. Kathy, Eva and Kay were out there weeding and fine tuning various areas and always do a nice job. Bill O. came in to mow and we also saw Vern, Dawn and many others. Tomorrow morning (8 am - 12 noon) is also our Compost/Pansy Sale at the Horticulture Center.

Cindy did a lot of tidying out in the gardens and with so many visitors coming for Earth Day celebrations tomorrow, the timing couldn't be better. John and Terry also accomplished a lot out in the gardens including mowing, collecting debris, blower rounds and getting our newly stained benches back in their locations. Janice also tidied, prepared a display for the event tomorrow, refreshed the cutting display and prepared for our sale tomorrow which she gets going in the morning. I took a dent out of my desk pile and continue to prepare for the convergence of events, deliveries and many other inputs that will create our "Perfect Storm" in early May!

'Primavera Violet' cineraria (Pericallis hybrida)

'Passion Rose' African daisy (Osteospermum ecklonis)

'SuperCal Blue' million bells (Calibrachoa)

'Antique Blue' African daisy (Osteospermum ecklonis)

'Tiara Mickey Blue Lavender' verbena (Verbena hybrida)

'Amistad' friendship sage (Salvia hybrida)

'Roaring Raspberry' petunia (Petunia)

'Hot Dark Lavender' lobelia (Lobelia erinus)

'Tuscany Violet w/ Eye' verbena (Verbena hybrida)

'Axcent Deep Purple' rock cress (Aubrieta hybrida)

'Javelin Forte Purple' Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas)

'Sanguna Lavender Vein' petunia (Petunia)

'Colibri Purple Lace' million bells (Calibrachoa)

'Purple Haze' fan flower (Scaevola aemula)

'Littletunia Violet' petunia (Petunia)

'Samira Deep Blue' verbena (Verbena hybrida)

'Sparklers' petunia (Petunia)

'Hot Purple' lobelia (Lobelia erinus)

'Glow Fluor Rose' petunia (Petunia)

'Grape Punch Improved' million bells (Calibrachoa)

We had a bit of rain this morning but otherwise it was mostly sunny and quite warm. Plants continue to emerge and bloom (including weeds!) and we see more color each day. The framework of the "Giant Aquarium" (seen above) is complete but there are some other phases left until this structure is ready to be filled with water (just kidding). More to follow on this special garden space as news is available! We had another excellent turnout of volunteers today and the grounds staff was busy all day. This time of year, even before our big planting push, we have no shortage of gardening chores and activities out in the gardens.

Our volunteers included Eva, Kathy, Alan, Marv B., Lloyd, Ron P., Ron Y., Dave, Vern, Maury, Gary, Dick H., Dr. Gredler and many others. Bev, Bob, Deb, Joan and Corky, along with three RECAPPERS, focused on dividing the remainder of our daylilies (Hemerocallis) and moved on to some other projects. These daylilies will be for sale ($5 each or $4 each for 5+) as part of our Friday and Saturday sale (8 am - 4 pm) which also includes the Golden Kiwanis Tree Sale, compost sale and pansy sale. We also saw Janice, Hal, Marilyn H., Rollie and lots of others today as well.

The grounds staff all had excellent exercise today. Cindy watered, helped pot up caladiums and re-organized one of our greenhouses for maximum efficiency and use of space. She shifted to garden tidying and significant composting in the future Hummingbird Haven (Nancy Yahr Memorial Children's Garden). Larry H. watered, composted and spread a lot more mulch out in the gardens. Big John and Terry drained, cleaned and filled the sunken garden pool for the start of the season and moved on to filling more containers and lots of other projects. I'm getting ready for our sales coming up and orchestrating our deliveries for the Spring Plant Sale as well (see our website!). More color from the gardens (today) can be seen below...

'Grefsheim' white spirea (Spiraea x cinerea) - woody shrub

merrybells (Uvularia grandiflora) - perennial

'Gravetye Giant' summer snowflake (Leucojum aestivum) - perennial

variegated foliage of 'Shockwave' garden phlox (Phlox paniculata) - perennial

Koreanspice viburnum (Viburnum carlesii) - woody shrub

patch of pasque flowers (Pulsatilla vulgaris) - perennial

checkered fritillary (Fritillaria meleagris) - perennial

sea kale (Crambe maritima) emerging - perennial

golden bleeding heart (Dicentra spectabilis'Goldheart') - perennial

The Earth Day festivities at the garden this past Saturday went very well! I stopped by in the late morning and the main parking lot was entirely full which didn't surprise me. The food carts above were seeing some action and I hear that the bird shows also did well for attendance. The photos below were taken at the event. Kudos to RBG Staff (Maryam and Polly) for their major role in getting this event going as well as our wonderful education volunteers, organized by Bev F. Volunteers made this event happen and we were pleased to see so many families out in the gardens on a beautiful day.

Maryam P and Wes E.

Dennis and friend from the Ice Age Trail Alliance

the booths were even busy during the bird shows and there were lots of folks enjoying the gardens

Dawn (left) and Victoria as welcoming Greeters at our Earth Day event

the tulips (Tulipa) out front are blooming nicely with the heat

The yellow magnolias like 'Elizabeth' (Magnolia hybrida) seen above are starting to bloom now and their "duration of interest" will be extended with the recently cooler weather. Some evening temperatures will get close to 40 degrees F which at least isn't freezing! The gardens continue to explode with color and I can't believe how many more tulips (Tulipa) are blooming in front of the Parker Education Center. The early and mid-season selections are in full swing although the late season varieties have yet to show color. Mother's Day should be very nice out in front! Dandelions (Taraxum officinale) are blooming now too as is garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) so we're on the prowl. The grounds staff and volunteers had a very productive day on this chilly, overcast April 26th.

Kathy and Eva helped Cindy plant caladiums (for our Caladium Collection!) this morning while it was still chilly out. The ladies later went to the sunken garden for some weeding and tidying. Kay was in to continue her tidying efforts on the far West side of the property where bindweed runs rampant and unchecked. She continues to do battle and always does a nice job. Dick H. was in to work on cutting down some small evergreens and later had help from Bill O. with that task. The guys also worked on one of the vehicles. Dr. Gredler was in for mowing and Maury had many errands today. We also saw Sandy C., Maryam P., Karen B., Marleen and many others today. I believe Karen was in the Japanese garden today raking (maybe with Janice). Shawn was also on site getting water features prepped and ready for the season.

Cindy did some potting this morning and continues to do a nice job organizing the greenhouses. She moved on to watering, refreshing the cutting display and composting. Larry composted a large amount of space in two areas and helped with some watering duties. Big John finished getting the sunken pool in order and functional. He moved on to filling more containers, rototilling, watering, etc. The entire gang helped unload our first delivery for the Spring Plant Sale (see www.rotarybotanicalgardens.org for more information!) which included lots of tomato and pepper plants.

'Yellow Fever' magnolia (Magnolia hybrida)

clump of checkered fritillary (Fritillaria meleagris) looking good

redbuds (Cercis canadensis) are starting to bloom

'Little Leo' leopard's bane (Doronicum orientale) - perennial

'Hanky Panky' plantain lily (Hosta) - perennial

'Burgundy Lace' Japanese painted fern (Athyrium niponicum) - perennial

'Candy Apple Delight' tulip (Tulipa)

'Bright Parrot' tulip (Tulipa)

'Rem's Favorite' tulip (Tulipa)

'Aladdin' tulip (Tulipa)

'Queensland' tulip (Tulipa)

'Chansonette' tulip (Tulipa)

'Vanilla Cream' tulip (Tulipa)

'Brown Sugar' tulip (Tulipa)

'Beauty of Spring' tulip (Tulipa)

'Rubra' crown imperial (Fritillaria imperialis)

Shawn W. was on site to clean up the koi pond which will be up and running soon (after all this fish poop is removed!)

'Bandit' barrenwort (Epimedium grandiflorum var. higoense) - perennial

'Pearl Frost' variegated Japanese orixa (Orixa japonica) - woody shrub

This Friday and Saturday (8 am - 4 pm), the Golden Kiwanis Tree Sale will be occurring at the Horticulture Center and will feature 2-3 year old transplants (Colorado blue spruce, Eastern arborvitae, white pine, red maple and red oak) for $2 each. For 50+ trees, there is a 10% discount! During that same time (and same location), we'll be selling bagged compost (see above) for $6 per bag (1.5 cu. ft., 45 lbs), daylily (Hemerocallis) divisions from the gardens (see below) for $5 each or $4 each for 5 or more and pansies (second photo down). The pansies are $12 per basket, $7 per large pot or $2 per 4-pack ($24 per flat). RBG Membership discounts apply to everything but the trees.

600 daylily divisions representing 80+ varieties

pansies galore!

above are the blue plastic panels that will be used for the Giant Aquarium garden soon...

More Signs of Spring

Caladium Collection - 2016

Almost April Showers

Rudbeckias

Striped Squill (Puschkinia)

Start Of A Chilly Week

Blog Brevity

CAST - Day 1

CAST - Day 2

CAST - Day 3

CAST - Day 4

Fun Fifteen

Fantastic Friday

An April "Scorcher"

Dark & Damp

Rain Averted - Productivity Engaged

Another Nice Day

Princely Plants - In Memory of the Man

Spring Settles In With More Heat

Cool & Colorful