Cart Dedication

This morning I was invited to a wonderful dedication at the Janesville Morning Rotary Club meeting at the gardens.  The group dedicated a cart that they donated to the gardens (seen above and below) in memory of Jim Ryan, longtime Rotary member and RBG supporter!  Many of Jim’s family came to the dedication and I had the privilege to talk about the importance of the cart and recognize Jim as well as this generous donation from the always supportive Janesville Morning Rotary Club.  This cart is a sweet ride and has already been in service out in the gardens since it arrived over a month ago.  I’m sure Jim would have wanted us to use it right away and we sure did!

The weather was gorgeous again today and the gardens are still nicely damp from the rain on Monday.  Looks like more showers tomorrow. Our grounds staff of Larry H., Janice, Ibhar, Alex and I all had wide ranging duties. Janice and I will be working more on the Fall Plant Sale which opens in two short weeks for our Members Only Pre-Sale (see our website for details).  Larry H. continued putting up lights for the Holiday Light Show (HLS) and Alex and Ibhar had mowing, watering and raking duties.  Our volunteers had a busy day as well.  I’m sure I’ll forget to mention some but I do recall seeing Kathy P., Eva, Kay, Bonnie, Winifred, Marilyn, Marleen, Firefighter Cathy, Ron R., Kody, Larry O., Dick H., Ron Y., Jim, Dave, Vern, Steve, Alan, Bob K., Dr. Gredler, Dr. Yahr, Lynn Y., Maury, Gary and many others!

‘Limelight’ four o’clock (Mirabilis jalapa) – annual

Rockin’® Playin’ the Blues® hybrid salvia (Salvia longispicata x farinacea ‘Balsalmispim’) – annual

‘Southern Cross’ hybrid ironweed (Vernonia hybrida) – perennial

‘Pink Frost’ Japanese Joe-pye weed (Eupatorium fortunei) – perennial

‘Little Henry’ compact sweet coneflower (Rudbeckia subtomentosa) – perennial

‘Torch’ Mexican sunflower (Tithonia rotundifolia) with heavy dew! – annual

‘Benary Giant Wine’ zinnia (Zinnia elegans) – annual

showy spider flowers (Cleome hassleriana) above and below – annual

unknown double cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus) variety – annual

variegated giant reed (Arundo donax ‘Versicolor’) – not hardy (has come back over mild winters though!)