Intense Colors – Mild Day

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The weekend looks quite a bit colder with possible flurries!  That was far from our minds today with temperatures again near 60 degrees F.  Tomorrow should be near 70 degrees F!  Thank you Mother Nature.  Above is the South entrance to the Japanese garden.  The ‘Bloodgood’ Japanese maples (Acer palmatum) get very intense colors before they drop their leaves.  The weather allowed for more progress on gardening tasks out in the gardens as well as continued efforts on finishing up our Holiday Light Show (HLS) set-up.  This is my 18th November running cords for this HLS event and I can’t say I remember milder weather.  In fact, I can remember early snow and trying to get cords connected on days that were 40 degrees F colder than what we’ve had recently.  Our progress went well out in the gardens with Big John, Larry O., Larry H., Bobby K., Cindy and myself all working on HLS-related tasks.

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fall color on bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) at the Horticulture Center – deciduous conifer

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ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) leaves

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fall color on Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii, unknown cultivar) – woody shrub

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fall color on ‘Varied Directions’ larch (Larix × marschlinsii) – deciduous conifer

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fall color on ‘Riversii’ European beech (Fagus sylvatica) – woody tree

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Our volunteers were extremely helpful out in the gardens today with a wide range of gardening tasks accomplished.  Above (left to right) are Myrt, Nancy, Gena, Dr. Tom and Patti.  This quintet did a nice job tidying by the Heirloom Garden and gazebo garden.  Kathy and Eva (below) collected lots of debris and leaves in a couple of other areas as well.  Alan was in for leaf collection and finished heeling in some perennials for the winter as we’ll plant them next spring.  Ron P. repaired lights most of the day and Peg L. continues updating our plant records system.  Bev D. did some work at the Horticulture Center beds.  We also saw Art H. and a couple of others today.  It was a super day.

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Bobby K. doing is electrical kung fu

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this is the flagstone that is being placed in the English cottage garden

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the giant, floating obelisk is ready to go!

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fruits on Hamilton’s spindletree (Euonymus hamiltonianus) – woody shrub / small tree

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brilliant color on ‘Bloodgood’ Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) – woody tree

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fall color on Ironclad™ Siebold viburnum (Viburnum sieboldii ‘KLMfour’) – woody shrub

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fall color on Japanese kerria (Kerria japonica) – woody shrub (note the green stems)

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‘Hillside Winter Gold’ white pine (Pinus strobus) – woody tree

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fall color on ‘Royal Purple’ smokebush (Cotinus coggygria) – woody shrub/tree