HLS Set-Up Continues

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Today was another beautiful day with a chilly morning quickly warming to the lower 60 degrees F with some decent sunshine included in the mix!  While warming weather trends should be of concern, the reality is that this certainly makes our Holiday Light Show (HLS) set-up go more efficiently.  Morale on a warm, sunny day in November is very apparent and we all took advantage of the sunshine and fresh air.  Above is the brown and beautiful leaf of the Chinquapin oak (Quercus muehlenbergii).  There is still plenty of excellent fall color out in the gardens although I believe we removed most of our annuals and cut back the vast majority of our perennials.  Most of our leaves are down although there are still a couple of trees hanging on to them.  We had a great team of staff and volunteers today.

Cindy spent another day laying out our half gallon milk jug luminaries and she’s inserting the lights for all of these as well.  Larry O. worked on the Olsen Pavilion in the reception garden and it’s going to look pretty neat!  Larry H. put up lights in many different locations and rotated between using three different ladders.  Big John and Bobby K. hung out together (see below) and did a whole bunch of “two man” projects for the HLS as well.  I ran cords.  Plain and simple.

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Black Scallop bugleweed (Ajuga reptans ‘Binblasca’) – perennial

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fall color on ‘Heronswood Globe’ katsura tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum) seen above – woody tree (sweet fragrance of late leaves!)

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fall color on white fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus) – woody tree

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Bobby K. (left) and Big John also got up the sleigh and reindeer today

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Ron P. (above) was one of the few volunteers that didn’t get outside today!  Ron has been repairing lights for the HLS since this summer and has no shortage of work.  We greatly appreciate his efforts.  Our volunteers had a very productive day.  Kay and Eva removed annuals and cut back more perennials in select locations.  Kay was also in to tidy up her area which looks excellent right now although there are still a few leaves left to flutter downwards.  Lloyd tidied up paths while Dave E. continued tidying up the fern & moss garden.  Alan and Bob K. cleared out more containers and had some other jobs as well.  Vern, Dave, Jim, Dick H. and Steve J. all spent significant time in the carpentry shop although Dick H. also went on an errand with Maury and had some runs to the dump.  Maury ran some errands while Dr. Gredler went out to mow in various locations that have accumulated leaves.  We also saw Bill O., Mark S., Maryam and many others.  Our Home Garden Tour committee met tonight (Barb T., Jean S., Marsha M., Sue S., Carol K., Pam, Jean S. and myself) and are actively working on our 2017 event with all eight gardens already selected and confirmed!

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Dick H.

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intense fall color on three-flower maple (Acer triflorum) – woody tree

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fall color on bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) – deciduous conifer

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fall color on ‘Compactum’ Koreanspice viburnum (Viburnum carlesii) – woody shrub

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nice backlighting with ‘Bloodgood’ Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) above and oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) below

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late season fall color (above) still abounds

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‘Stairway to Heaven’ Jacob’s ladder (Polemonium reptans) – perennial

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‘Pearl Frost’ variegated orixa (Orixa japonica) – woody shrub

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cool shot to bridge with overhead fall color from swamp white oak (Quercus bicolor) – woody tree

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grape leaves (Vitis sp.) with fall color and great lighting – woody vine at my house