Color Continues to Abound!

The color out in the gardens today is nothing short of amazing.  Our tulips (Tulipa) are really blooming strongly right now throughout the gardens and our assortment of 100 varieties in the entrance garden is showing some great color.  We are about 10 days ahead of whatever “normal” timing is nowadays!  At the top is ‘Fire of Love’ which has variegated leaves and directly above is ‘Miranda’.  Further below are some more “peony flowering” tulips which are a personal favorite.  The Earth Day festivities on Saturday combined with strong visitation on a beautiful Sunday likely saw 2,500 people enjoying the gardens on this gorgeous past weekend.  It was nice to see so many children enjoying the great outdoors and the gardens in general!

It was another very productive Monday with a strong volunteer turnout and significant contributions from our excellent grounds staff.  Cindy worked on tidying, weeding, watering, mulching and other tasks in multiple areas.  Larry H. continued with his composting projects as we’re trying to get to the bottom (literally) of a massive pile we’ll continue to spread.  He certainly has a knack for it!   Larry O. worked on removing two trees, watered and had a lot of other “odds and ends”.  Big John worked on a variety of projects including placing two large containers, filling containers with his custom soil mix, etc.  I was able to get out in the gardens to mark locations for new signs and take notes.  The busy season is upon us!

‘Brownie’ tulip (Tulipa)

‘Palmyra’ tulip (Tulipa)

‘Dream Touch’ tulip (Tulipa)

‘Sunningdale Variegated’ masterwort (Astrantia major) – perennial

‘Golden Eclipse’ variegated Japanese tree lilac (Syringa reticulata) – woody tree

We had a great crop of volunteers today like Bob (above) who is seen here digging up some unsavory shrubbery from the main parking lot.  Bob helped take down a tent first and was later joined by Alan M. for this project.  Ron R. also worked on the tent take down and shifted to hauling debris from two trees cut down by Larry O. and Dick H.  Bob C. tidied up paths while Kathy, Eva and Debbie weeded in three areas (plenty of early weeding action out there!).  Dave, Jim, Vern, Steve J. and Marv B. all had indoor carpentry projects to address.  Marv also helped Big John set some large containers in the sunken garden.  Dr. Gredler and Rollie were out mowing and Maury (with his child bride Kay) picked up our Garden Art Project (fish) for future installation out in the gardens.  Ron P. continues to repair lights for the Holiday Light Show (HLS) and makes significant progress every time he comes to the gardens.  Gary S. continues to work on some new labels.  Dennis J. resumed working on re-stacking / re-building our North path wall (see below).  Stan and Kristen were in later for tidying in the Japanese garden and we also saw Becky, Maryam, El, Gary A., Bill O., Terry N., Jackie R. and many more folks.

Marv, Big John and Terry (left to right)

Jim D. (above)

Dennis J. (above)

‘Elizabeth’ magnolia (Magnolia hybrida) – woody tree

redbud (Cercis canadensis) in bloom (above and below)

‘Venus’ coral bells (Heuchera) – perennial

barrenwort (Epimedium x rubrum) – perennial

‘Bloody Mary’ Rodger’s flower (Rodgersia pinnata) – perennial

‘Little Leo’ leopard’s bane (Doronicum orientale) – perennial

emerging ‘Burgundy Lace’ Japanese painted fern (Athyrium niponicum) – perennial

Winter Jewels® ‘Painted Doubles’ hellebore (Helleborus) – perennial

serviceberry (Amelanchier sp.) – woody tree