The photo directly above and two below were shared by Al Utzig of Utzig Carstar Collision Service (Janesville, WI).  Mr Utzig and his business have been a proud sponsor of our Garden Art Project for the past seven years that we’ve had this event.  These photos show some of the fish (30 total) in the spray booth getting a nice sealant applied which will help with garden longevity out at Rotary Botanical Gardens this year (all placed prior to Mother’s Day) and beyond after they are sold at auction (September 8th) and find new homes!  The artwork on these is amazing and we’re excited to host this event and thank Al and his team profusely for their support of the gardens and local art!

Despite the dreary, cloudy and cool day, we had a great turnout of volunteers and Thursdays continue to be one of our most productive days out in the gardens.  Our grounds staff of Cindy, Larry O., Larry H. and Bobby K. all had a wide variety of tasks ranging from weeding to mulching, seed starting, watering, composting, mowing, water feature work, etc.  There is no shortage of tasks this time of year.  I focused on more preparations for our busy May that includes our Spring Plant Sale and the start of our huge planting season.

Dream Catcher™ beautybush (Kolkwitzia amabilis ‘Maradco’) – woody shrub

saucer magnolia (Magnolia x soulangiana) – woody tree

flowers of ‘Bowles Golden’ sedge (Carex elata) – perennial

‘Miranda’ variegated climbing hydrangea (Hydrangea anomola subsp. petiolaris) – woody vine

primrose (Primula sp.) – perhaps P. auricula – unknown ID (but pretty!)

Volunteers like Bob K. (above) had a busy day out in the gardens and at the Horticulture Center.  Bob joined Ron R., Alan, Lloyd and Bob C. to put up a tent right away this morning which will be used for our Earth Day Event this Saturday (10 am – 3 pm).  Bob then removed some stumps and tidied up paths while Lloyd and Bob C. continued mulching near the rose garden.  Ron R. hauled back sections of a cottonwood (Populus deltoides) and Alan shifted to painting and staining in the Horticulture Center.  Kathy and Eva potted up some new plugs in to larger pots and did a nice job mulching near the woodland walk garden.  Dr. Gredler did some mowing and Maury and his wife made a road trip out to a local nursery to pick up our order and bring back some plants for the Spring Plant Sale (see our website).  Jenny was in to mark some hostas and stick more labels for our incoming annuals.  Ron P. continued on his mission of lights repair for the Holiday Light Show (HLS).  Marv, Jim, Vern and Steve J. all had carpentry related projects.  Dick H. ran to the dump and had some other odds and ends as well.  Gary produced more labels for our Heirloom Garden and we also saw Dave G., Ron Y., Maryam, Janice, Fergus and many others today!  It was another excellent day of progress all around!

Dick H. (left…that’s his smile by the way) and Larry O.

Grandma with Fergus

Jenny (above) in her “Labeling Lair”

the beginnings of our “Gothic Theme”…..

‘Mt. Hood’ grape hyacinth (Muscari armeniacum)

fuzzy new growth on oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) – woody shrub

Celandine poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum) – perennial

It was another nice day outside and despite the periodic threat of rain and the occasional rain drop, the weather stayed pretty clear and we had a productive day.  The Janesville Fire Department had a busy day as well and were situated next to the Horticulture Center all day burning down an old house adjacent to RBG property.  The fire department used it as training for some new firefighters and had quite a set up with lots of firefighters and interested passersby checking out the action.  After lunch, they burnt the house and old garage down to the ground.  The garden had a haze over it most of the day but it looked like a great training operation and we chatted with the firefighters throughout the day (one of whom is also a grounds volunteer!).  Out in the gardens though, there is still plenty of color like that of the ‘Grefsheim’ spirea (Spiraea x cinerea) seen above.  I had no shortage of subjects to photograph today.

Our grounds staff today included Larry O., Larry H., Bobby K. and myself.  Larry O. worked on getting our mowers ready for action and helped with a wide range of other projects.  Larry H. was the “Compost King” again and composted a multitude of additional areas today.  Bobby K. drained, cleaned, filled and prepped our water feature in the Nancy Yahr Memorial Children’s Garden.  He had some other tasks as well and is trying to clean up our “everflowing urn” which needs the attention.  I was able to check on some projects, had meetings and am continuing to finish the last of our orders as well as final details for our Spring Plant Sale which is coming up soon on Mother’s Day weekend (see our website!).

new leaves on ‘Pearl Frost’ orixa (Orixa japonica) – woody shrub (variegation fades to white)

early blooms of ‘Jack Frost’ false forget-me-not (Brunnera macrophylla) – perennial

white grape hyacinths (Muscari botryoides ‘Album’) – perennial

flowering quince (Chaenomeles speciosa) – woody shrub

‘Pinot Gris’ coral bells (Heuchera) – perennial

daffodils (Narcissus) are at peak – unknown variety

Despite the re-routing of our carts from the Horticulture Center to avoid the fire department (and fire!) activities, we had a very productive day.  Everyone parked over in the adjacent field as the Horticulture Center parking lot was effectively off limits.  Above is Dennis (right) and Marv B.  Dennis is rebuilding our stacked field stone wall along the North path which will be no small feat.  Marv checked over his moss garden areas and also has a good idea for placing stone which I’m sure he was sharing with Dennis.  Kathy P. and Eva had a full morning of targeting our earliest weeds in the entrance garden while Gena, Myrt, Sue, Nancy and Patty all did a nice job tidying around the observation pier.  Hal and Doris tidied up their area yesterday and Hal stopped by today for a meeting. Terri and Sandi were also in as a duo and did a nice job weeding around the gazebo garden. Stan and Kristen were in to tend to the Japanese garden and Jim had 4-5 RECAPPERS to help him in that same garden space.  Marsha M. was over near the house all day taking photos of the action.  Alan was at the Horticulture Center getting items ready for painting and staining and did quite a bit of those two tasks as well.  I gave an orientation to new garden volunteer, Cathy, this morning and we think she’ll be a great fit.  Dr. Gredler continued his painting efforts in the Giant Aquarium and Bill O. helped with myriad projects including mowing around the Horticulture Center.  We also saw Mark S., Becky, Maury, Polly, Gary, Lynn Y., Dr. Yahr and many others today.

Bobby K. (above) rigged up a nice way to drain off this pool in a timely fashion

Eva (left) and Kathy P.

Dr. Gredler

Patty, Gena and Sue M.(above)

Nancy (left) and Myrt sizing up some work

Marsha M. (above with her official firefighter hat) did a great job photographing the efforts of our excellent Janesville Fire Department

Alan M. (above) staining our rolling benches

Claim Jumper™ katsura tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum ‘HSI1’) – woody tree

pasque flower (Pulsatilla vulgaris) – perennial

grape hyacinths (Muscari armeniacum) – perennial

‘Green Star’ tulip (Tulipa)

‘Cool Crystal’ tulip (Tulipa)

‘Albert Heijn’ tulip (Tulipa)

‘Cash’ tulip (Tulipa)

corn-leaf iris (Iris bucharica) – perennial

daffodils (Narcissus) galore! – unknown variety

‘Gold Heart’ bleeding heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis) – perennial

‘King’s Ransom’ false forget-me-not (Brunnera macrophyllla) – perennial

the light haze of smoke of the garden didn’t ruin this nice shot of the arched bridge with this redbud (Cercis canadensis) in the foreground just starting to flower!

Above is a wonderful shot by Marsha Mood of our saucer magnolias (Magnolia x soulangiana) in the foreground and both the fern & moss garden and Japanese garden in the background.  What a great perspective!  The rest of the photos feature some of our earliest tulip (Tulipa) varieties blooming in front of the Parker Education Center.  I’d estimate that about 20 of the 100 or so varieties that we planted last fall out front are in bloom.  Don’t miss seeing them!

As is typical in April, we had a chilly start to the day but it warmed up beautifully to 73 degrees F with both sun and clouds.  It sure was a breezy day though.  The grounds staff kept busy.  Janice worked in the Heirloom Garden and is already planting early vegetables.  She also continues progress with Spring Plant Sale preparations and other tasks like the cutting display preparation.  Cindy potted up some new perennials, planted pansies in our entry containers, tidied and weeded and was bouncing around to many areas.  Big John continues to prepare and fill our containers with his custom soil mix (1/3 compost to 1/3 potting soil) and situated four new containers (huge) in the sunken garden.  He also put out more of our colorful obelisks.  Larry H. was a composting machine and with rain on the way, opted to sling as much as possible today before it gets damp and heavy tomorrow (very likely).  He composted many areas.  I overseeded some lawns, had meetings and worked on plant records (out in the gardens) with Peg.

Our volunteers included Kathy P., Eva and Cheryl D. gardening primarily in the Japanese garden.  Steve E. continued mulching in the woodland walk garden.  Dr. Gredler and his son Phil continued painting in the inside of the Giant Aquarium.  Peg was in to work on our plant records and she and I checked over almost the entire woodland walk to confirm our woody plant inventory.  We also saw Marsha, Alan, Mark S. and many others.

‘Marianne’ tulip (Tulipa)

‘Beau Monde’ tulip (Tulipa)

‘Concerto’ tulip (Tulipa)

‘Sprying’ tulip (Tulipa)

‘Salmon Impression’ tulip (Tulipa)

‘Fostery King’ tulip (Tulipa)

‘Orange Emperor’ tulip (Tulipa)

‘Algarve’ tulip (Tulipa)

‘Orca’ tulip (Tulipa)

‘Flaming Coquette’ tulip (Tulipa)

‘Montreux’ tulip (Tulipa)

‘Candy Prince’ tulip (Tulipa)

‘Yellow Purissima’ tulip (Tulipa)

‘Exotic Emperor’ tulip (Tulipa)

neat foliage of ‘Fire of Love’ tulip (Tulipa) which will bloom red soon!

Today was a repeat from yesterday with perfect weather and sunny skies.  The morning had a chilly start but it warmed up nicely to 72 degrees F.  I was at the gardens on Saturday morning and with all the rain we’ve had recently and a warm weekend, plants are budding out, flowering and in general, exploding around the gardens.  The difference that a couple of warm days in April makes out in the garden is amazing.  I love this time of year and the transformation daily is noticeable.  We continue to focus on our spring tidying efforts and plenty of composting and mulching in select areas.  John R., Larry H., Larry O., Bobby K. and I were all on staff with plenty of tasks to accomplish.  Our volunteer turnout was stellar today with a very productive morning ensuing quickly.  Nice shot directly above of ‘Gold Heart’ bleeding heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis) just starting to bloom…

Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica) – perennial

Dutchman’s breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) – perennial

Spring Wonder™ Sargent cherry (Prunus sargentii ‘Hokkaido Normandale’) – woody tree

new needle growth on weeping European larch (Larix decidua) – deciduous conifer

saucer magnolia (Magnolia x soulangiana) – woody tree

PJM rhododendron (Rhododendron sp.) – woody shrub

Our volunteer efforts out in the gardens today were remarkable.  Above is a new volunteer Debbie (left) with Barb S.  Barb and Debbie worked with Kathy P. and Eva on composting in a couple of different areas including in front of the Parker Education Center. Ron R. worked on sweeping up and tidying multiple garden spaces while Bob C. and Lloyd worked on mulching near the French formal garden.  Dennis J. is starting to repair our boulder wall along the north path which really needs his skill and attention.  Dick H. and Steve J. helped Bobby K. get our ‘Dancing Waters’ fountain out of storage, cleaned up and out in place in the pond.  The guys all had other projects as well.  Ron P. was in for more repairs on our Holiday Light Show (HLS) “problem strands” and he likely has enough work for the entire summer!  Marv B., Jim and Vern continued work on carpentry projects and Bill O. came in later for a host of additional projects.  Bob K. helped Larry shift plants out to the greenhouses and worked on clearing brush.  Gary had some work with plant records and we also saw Rollie, Mark S., Maryam and many others today.  At the time of my typing, I know our new volunteers Dylan and Flannery will be finishing mulching in their new assigned garden near the gazebo this evening. We’ve had five new gardening volunteers start at the gardens recently and we’re excited to have their energy and enthusiasm.

Dennis (forward) and Larry O.

Dr. Gredler (above) is in full mowing mode now!

Larry “The Composter”

Lloyd

Bob C.

Dick H., Steve J. and Bobby K. (left to right)

Maury painting the Lady Fountain pool this morning

Kathy P. (left) and Eva

Ron R.

variegated sweet iris (Iris pallida ‘Albo Variegata’) – perennial

garden hyacinth (Hyacinthus orientalis, unknown variety)

‘Silver Parrot’ tulip (Tulipa)

‘Candy Prince’ tulip (Tulipa)

Prairie Gem® Ussurian pear (Pyrus ussuriensis `Mordak’) – woody tree

wind anemone (Anemone blanda ‘Blue Shades’) – perennial

creeping phlox (Phlox subulata, unknown variety) – perennial

wind anemone (Anemone blanda ‘White Splendor’) – perennial

lots of our garden art fish are coming back to the gardens from artists….we literally have a school of fish!

I neglected to post a Friday blog although I had downloaded all of these photos for that purpose!  Nice shot above of ‘Golden Lotus’ hellebore (Helleborus) looking good in the woodland walk garden.  Friday was another very productive day with plenty of activity.  Larry H., Janice and myself had a wide range of duties and our volunteers included Kathy P., Eva, Steve, Ron P., Phil G., Richard G., Terri N., Maury and many others.

Winter Jewels® Peppermint Ice hellebore (Helleborus sp.) – perennial (above and below)

Ivory Prince hellebore (Helleborus x hybridus ‘Walhelivor’) – perennial

‘Mango Magic’ hellebore (Helleborus sp.) – perennial

the photo above is from Thursday showing (left to right), Liz, Kathy and Eva all planting caladiums

‘Designer Genes’ plantain lily (Hosta) emerging – perennial

emerging ‘Jack Frost’ false forget-me-not (Brunnera macrophylla) – perennial

broad-leaved grape hyacinth (Muscari latifolium) – perennial

many of our bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) have filled out nicely – perennial

blooms of the Snow Fountains® weeping cherry (Prunus x ‘Snowfozam’) – woody tree

nice fragrance from this white garden hyacinth (Hyacinthus orientalis)

interesting early flower (ground level) of wild ginger (Asarum canadense) – perennial

Neat shot above of the south entrance to the Japanese garden.  As you go through that entrance, the moss garden below can be seen to the left.  We’ll be incorporating more moss in to the Japanese garden this year and many other improvements are planned for this garden space which continues to look beautiful.  As the first garden initiated back in 1989 at the inception of RBG, it’s important to give this garden (and all spaces!) a “tune up” when necessary.