A Fulfilling Friday

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There was nothing casual about today!  We had a cool, windy day but the temperature was fairly comfortable.  LP Tree Service came with two bucket trucks for the second day in a row and finished hanging lights for our HLS.  The guys are excellent and have done this for many years….I now have to run cords to everything but we’re glad more lights are up!  We also had a group of young volunteers from Oakhill Christian School that came to help with various gardening tasks.  This group has come every spring and fall for well over 10 years I’m sure!  We appreciate their help (see below)!  Nice shot above of ‘Honorine Jobert’ Japanese anemone (Anemone hybrida) still in bloom!

Janice was a huge help with the Oakhill Christian School volunteers this morning and continues to put in quite a bit of time preparing for the Fall Symposium on November 5th.  Cindy had some watering duties but spent most of her day on HLS tasks including continuing to lay out and prepare our half gallon, milk jug luminaries.  Larry H. helped Bobby K. put lights on a giant obelisk and had some other duties (as did Bobby K.).  I had some meetings, helped with the volunteers and continue to juggle a couple different priorities; not the least of which is my personal involvement in running extension cords!

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glowing fall color on American smokebush (Cotinus obovatus) – large woody shrub

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interesting fall color pattern on oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) – woody shrub

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fall color on Golden Peep forsythia (Forsythia x intermedia ‘Courdic’) – woody shrub

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above are just some of the lights LP Tree Service hung both today and yesterday

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Above are the volunteers from Oakhill Christian School this morning.  The crew did an awesome job in three different areas with raking and debris collection.  This group has historically come every spring and fall and does a superb job.  Some of their activities can also be seen below.  Eva helped with this group and hauled back many loads of debris.  She then went on to help Kathy straighten and mark our new “icicle lights” that were hung by LP Tree Service.  We put a bit of florescent tape on each strand to make them visible and hopefully keep deer from blindly running in to them and getting tangled up (this has happened before!).  Don and Pearl removed annuals from their garden space and ran many loads back to the compost pile.  Kay was in to tidy her area (plenty of leaves) and Kristin touched up the upper Japanese garden.  Cheryl D. was in the Japanese garden as well and brought back many loads of debris.  Bill O. did his mowing rounds and Ron P. was in most of the day to repair lights.  It was a busy day at the gardens and a lot was accomplished!

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Cheryl D. (above)

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Pearl and Don

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Kathy P.

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Kristin (above)

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Kay (with witchhazel)

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Paul (above) from LP Tree Service seen helping attach lights for us on the building!

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Rob Ferrett from Wisconsin Public Radio stopped by for a visit and tour today

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intensifying fall color on Boston ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata) – woody vine

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tatting fern (Athyrium filix-femina ‘Frizelliae’) – perennial

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‘Green Envy’ purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) still flaunting some blooms – perennial

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‘October Skies’ aromatic aster (Aster oblongifolius) – perennial

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‘Royal Flush’ monkshood (Aconitum carmichaelii) is still going strong! – perennial (poisonous!)