Fantastic Friday

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Today, while a bit cooler than previous days this week, was still mild and sunny with a temperature around 50 degrees F.  We had a small but efficient crew of grounds staff and volunteers today.  I was running cords out in the arboretum for the Holiday Light Show (HLS) and enjoyed seeing the leaves on the ground.  The silver backing seen on the leaves above is from the ‘Fialaspire’ white poplar (Populus alba).  We still saw quite a few visitors out in the gardens and will look back with appreciation on this prolonged warm spell as it looks like our hard frost (27 degrees F) tonight will take care of business.  We all enjoyed the day and look forward to putting some closure (we hope) on the garden and HLS preparations over the next week or two.

Cindy did some more work on shifting milk jug luminaries today and also put in some solid time on tidying which she is very good at accomplishing.  Big John put up more lights, primarily on the gazebo, and continues his momentum on HLS related tasks.  Bobby K. had a wide range of electrical projects today including putting in some permanent power in the Japanese garden.  Larry H. put lights on more arches and helped John J. install more icicle lights throughout the Japanese garden.

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Pacific Sunset® hybrid maple (Acer truncatum x A. platanoides ‘Warrenred’ ) – woody tree

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Harvest Gold® crabapple (Malus hybrida ‘Hargozam’) – woody tree (above and below)

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‘Fastigiata’ upright European beech (Fagus sylvatica) – woody tree

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peering upwards through the fall color on a ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) – woody tree

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fall color on ‘Popcorn’ doublefile viburnum (Viburnum plicatum f. plicatum) – woody shrub

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Santa’s reindeer are ready for the HLS and we will be soon as well!

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Our volunteers today included Kathy and Eva seen above.  I stumbled upon this scene and assumed Eva had shoved Kathy (again) but that was not the case.  Kathy said she was sunbathing.  The ladies did a great job as a “rogue tidying team”.  They collected leaves and debris in many locations.  Cheryl D. did a nice job tidying up in the Japanese garden.  John J. (helped by Larry H.) put up more icicle lights in the Japanese garden.  Alan M. went mobile and collected a whole lot of leaves while Marv B. tidied up both moss garden areas.  Bill O. worked on some odds and ends and we also saw Maury, Mark S. and many others today.

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‘Cheju-Do’ dwarf feather reed grass (Calamagrostis hybrida) – perennial

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colorful fruits on Korean mountain ash (Sorbus alnifolia) – woody tree

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fall color seen on the leaf of Celebration® maple (Acer x freemanii ‘Celzam’) – woody tree

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chartreuse fall color on ‘Saratoga’ ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) – woody tree

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interesting fall color on golden orixa (Orixa japonica ‘Aurea’) – woody shrub

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fall color on ‘Elizabeth’ magnolia (Magnolia hybrida) – woody tree

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fall color on ‘Rising Sun’ fullmoon maple (Acer japonicum) – woody tree

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was working by this bench and love the quote from Dr. Luis Owano – a great volunteer, man and poet!