The Thermometer Descends!

We lucked out with some nice warm days in October for both gardening and Holiday Light Show (HLS) set-up duties. November hasn’t quite been as friendly and we’re headed in to some very cold temperatures with a chance of some snow this Friday!  Nice shot above of ‘Pink Lightning’ bugleweed (Ajuga reptans).  We had a lot of progress on continued HLS set-up with Larry H., Big John, Terry, Bobby K. and I all putting up a wide range of lights, displays and cords.  Kathy P., Eva and Steve also helped out with set-up for this event.  Dennis continued his improvements out on the North path and Bill O. was in to help as well.  We also saw Mary Kay and Ethan L. (see below) as well as some other folks popping in to the Horticulture Center.

with the Holiday Light Show (HLS) opening on November 23rd, more storage crates (formerly used to ship fall bulbs to the gardens) for our lights are empty than full!  These crates are awesome for many uses!

Green Bay Packers color on sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) – woody tree

witchhazel (Hamamelis virginiana) in full bloom – small woody tree

‘Single Korean Apricot’ perennial mum (Chrysanthemum hybrida) still going!

plantain-leaf sedge (Carex plantaginea) – perennial

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

Ethan (below left) and Mary Kay (below right) from the Janesville Urban Forestry Alliance (JUFA) were on hand this morning to dedicate a new Prairie Titan™ Kentucky coffeetree (Gymnocladus dioicus ‘J. C. McDaniel’) that the group donated for our parking lot island.  Terry and Big John planted this beautiful specimen.

seed head of morningstar sedge (Carex grayi) – perennial

‘Black Scallop’ bugleweed (Ajuga reptans) – perennial

fall color above on Japanese kerria (Kerria japonica) – woody shrub

nice fall coloration on bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) – deciduous conifer

‘Ford’s Freeway’ variegated forsythia (Forsythia x intermedia) – woody shrub

‘Silver Sceptre’ sedge (Carex morrowii) – perennial