Our Volunteers Are Awesome!

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The title of this blog is a phrase that can’t be pronounced enough at RBG.  Our volunteers continue to be such a driving force here at the gardens.  While this horticulture blog shares the daily exploits of our gardening volunteers, we have excellent volunteers helping with a wide range of tasks related to education, the Cottage Garden Gallery, committees, our Board members, etc.  Volunteers have been and continue to be vital (and appreciated) here at the gardens.  We had another excellent turnout of volunteers today including some that were helping with interior preparations for the Holiday Light Show (HLS).  The day was a repeat of what we have seen over the last three weeks with sunshine and a cool morning warming up nicely throughout the day!  Beautiful fall color above on ‘White Tigress’ striped maple (Acer tegmentosum).

The grounds staff continued a strong focus on preparations for the HLS.  Cindy processed more lights this morning, did some decorating and luminary work and also was able to do some solid gardening.  Larry H. continued putting up lights in many locations and helped John J. later with getting icicle lights up in the Japanese garden.  Big John and Bobby K. were Siamese twins and did an excellent job hauling, placing and installing our animated displays in multiple locations.  Larry O. put up more arches and is now helping me run extension cords.  I ran a whole lot of cords today!  It was another uber-productive day out in the gardens.  Terry N. stopped by and it’s always good to see him!

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fall color tinting on Citrus Swizzle™ greenstem forsythia (Forsythia viridissima ‘McKCitrine’)

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fall color of dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) – deciduous conifer

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fall color on Gold Spire™ ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba ‘Blagon’) – woody tree

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

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fall color on Scarlet Beauty Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica ‘Morton’) – woody shrub

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We had a lot of great volunteers on hand like Maury seen above.  We also had Kathy, Eva, Marilyn, Suzie, Bob K., Alan, Dave E., Vicki, Steve S., Steve J., Dr. Gredler, Dave T. (with son Dan visiting), Vern, Jim, Ron Y., Liz K., Kay, Ron P., John J., Marsha M. and many others.  Suffice it to say that a wide range of tasks were accomplished in a timely and productive fashion.

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Larry O. above hauling arches

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Bobby K. above

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Larry H. doing more ladder work and lights set up

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Suzie (in purple) and Marilyn (disguised)

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Kathy (downslope) and Eva

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Vicki and Steve

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Kay (neat sweater!)

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John J. shooting an arrow (blunted) attached to fishing line (see below) to guide more icicle lights over some cottonwood (Populus deltoides) branches near the Japanese garden – he’s donating his time to help with the HLS

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interior HLS preparations by Sandi S., Carol and Jim (left to right) – Sandi P. not pictured

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‘La Veta’ white fir (Abies concolor) – compact conifer

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geranium still going above!

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color in the fern & moss garden above

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fall color on Red Fox katsura tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum ‘Red Fox’) – woody tree

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‘Ice Dance’ Japanese sedge (Carex morrowii) – perennial

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a view from underneath one of our obelisks

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intense late season color ‘Emperor I’ Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) – woody tree