Another Late Blog!

It has been a crazy week as I prepare to go to the American Public Garden Association (APGA) Conference in Hamilton, Ontario next week.  It is a great networking opportunity with ample time to see area gardens.  I’ll be giving a presentation with the focus on how we are able to incorporate so many annuals on a “shoestring” budget.  Preparations for being gone for a week are significant and even more challenging as we continue to actively plant and garden.  All of these photos were taken Thursday and I lacked the steam to finish the blog.  Above is ‘Sunflower Ray’ petunia which is quite fetching to the eye.

 

This morning is our last spring planting Saturday for volunteers.  I’ll be heading east but Big John, Janice and Larry O. will have everything well in hand.  Despite the first work day being cancelled due to rain back in  May, we’ve had a good stretch with the last four and today should be no exception.  Our Wednesday evening planting events have gone well also.  We’ve been planting almost daily and did have some welcome rain last night (finally!).

Our grounds staff and volunteers have all worked at a frantic pace this spring with planting being almost 85% complete and our shift to weeding and tidying is really catching up out in the gardens.  Further below are some recent images of volunteers in action out in the gardens.  I didn’t take any photos yesterday (Friday) but we also had great help.

bright foliage of Sugar Tip® Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus ‘America Irene Scott’)

our giant ornamental onions (Allium giganteum) are still looking pretty good

the Coleus Collection (above) looks better every day as it fills in

‘Minnie Pearl’ hybrid phlox (Phlox hybrida) – perennial

‘Claude Shride’ Martagon lily (Lilium martagon) – perennial

unknown Martagon lily (Lilium martagon) above – perennial

Our Wednesday evening went well with five helpers (Dylan above and Garrett and Flannery below)

Firefighter Cathy on Thursday planting the fragrant wall

Suzy, Shirley, Marilyn, Eva and Kathy (left to right) planting the sunken garden Saturday

Kathy P. (above)

Ty (new volunteer) and Liz

Barb C. made these awesome crabs and baby sea turtles for our Story Walk program which includes the Giant Aquarium (see further below) while interpreting the book Commotion in the Ocean by Giles Andreae

‘Aureola’ golden Hakone grass (Hakonechloa macra) – perennial

‘Fubuki’ variegated Hakone grass (Hakonechloa macra) – perennial

‘Firefly’ tickseed (Coreopsis hybrida) – perennial

‘Magicien’ deutzia (Deutzia x hybrida) – woody shrub