Moments of Solitude and Change

Today from about 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. I worked alone in the Prospect Gardens enjoying periods of solitude. Cut back more plants, weeded and transplanted a Blue False Indigo plant. False Indigo is a prairie plant with deep roots along with thick hard woody appendages that required an ax to break through. I received the original plant from Dianne, a neighbor.  Her front yard is a beautiful garden with Blue False Indigo.  An axe was also needed when digging up that original plant. I am somewhat optimistic that next spring Prospect Gardens will have two additional Blue Indigo plants with their deep blue flowers that appear during late spring.

My solitude was interpreted several times. Two women stopped to pick and enjoy a few of the remaining raspberries.  They continued their walk down the commuter path after expressing gratitude for the Gardens and the raspberries.  A father and his young daughter followed shortly after the women departed. I was working on the upper section on the Regent side of the Gardens.  I spotted several handfuls of raspberries waiting to be picked. I invited the girl to join me and told her how to find her way up to where I was working. She gently plucked the ripe raspberries into her cupped hands while I held the branches. Then she enjoyed her treat.

Four neighbors also stopped to chat. Richard and his wife were starting their walk along the path.  Ann was returning from the Edgewood College library with Ta-nehisi Coates' "Between the World and Me."   We agreed that the book was not a light read. While Ann and I were talking, Barb on her bike coasted to a stop. She was returning from visiting a friend and colleague whose husband is battling fourth stage brain cancer.  I mainly listened while Ann and Barb talked about the caretaking role and how to support Barb's friend.

After Ann and Barb left, I continued to work for about another hour enjoying the sunshine and the muted colors of the Gardens while being mindful of how life can suddenly change. Change, impermanence, and uncertainty are so part of our lives. The following five pictures capture the changes underway throughout the Gardens and the beauty of the final life cycle of the Garden's inhabitants.

Here's a seed head of a Purple Cone flower waiting to disperse or be a food source for birds. Note the muted colors in the background.

The light purple leaves are those of a miniature lilac bush. A neighbor donated the lilac. I really should move the lilac to a more sunny spot. This will take some effort and energy since the lilac is now bigger than when I first planted it several years ago.  Something to think about during early spring 2016.

The leaves of this hosta, once green, are turning a mellow yellow. I won't cut the hostas back because the leaves break down to a fine mesh. Less work for the gardeners. The Hosta Garden, under the trees on the Regent Side of the gardens has several different kinds of hostas, all donated by neighbors or friends of mine.

Can you guess this plant?  It's Bee Balm (Bergamot). I love the color and shape of the leaves. 

These Aguga, sprinkled with dried leaves, still have have their purple color.  They have turned into a deeper purple now that the growing season is ending. A final show of color before the deep frost and the arrival of cold winds followed by snow. Next spring they will appear once again for another season of life.

Winter Preparation and a Baby

Yesterday we began preparing the Prospect Gardens for winter and the next growing season. Since the Gardens are close to homes, prescribed burns in spring, as happens with other gardens along the Southwest Commuter Path, are impossible.  Instead we must cut down many of the plants and haul them up the ramp creating the large pile pictured to the right.
 
We leave some plants, such as the Purple Cones and the Rattle Snake Masters, intact hoping that their seeds will spread and they surely will. Intact plants also add texture to the winter garden while providing feed for birds.

As the pile indicates this year was a very good growth year for the Gardens. A few, such as Saw Tooth Daises and Asters, are still in bloom.  These will soon succumb to the inevitable frost and the cycles of nature will continue.

In early November we will remove more plants and end the season with putting up the plastic orange snow fences. These are unattractive but inform the snow plowing crews where not to push snow into the Gardens.  We worked all this out with representatives from the city department in charge of snow removal. City crews have been so responsive including picking up the pile of plant materials early this morning.  I learned that the supervisor starts work at 5 a.m. !

While we were working a man from the city water department arrived and removed the water mater and the connection to the hydrant through which we have access to city water. Another task indicating that the season is ending.

Among the work crew was Megan and her baby boy. A special thanks to both for joining the crew. Megan, and her husband Pat, recently moved into the neighborhood.  Such an enjoyable family and a wonderful addition to the neighborhood.

The baby slept blissfully as Megan worked for nearly an hour and half. A few whimpers indicated that he was ready for a mid-afternoon meal, prompting a return home.  Indeed a very laid-back and contented child. Perhaps a possible future volunteer.We will keep him on our list.

   Others volunteers included Bob. He is being a little shy (or silly) in this picture.  Bob has earned the title of "Mulch King" since he loves to spread mulch and is so good at it. Sorry,Bob, no mulching this time. You need to wait until spring for your reign to resume.

We enjoyed hearing about Bob's summer adventures of climbing Mt. Rainier during our break and while enjoying Ann's homemade Pumpkin Bread. A tasty treat shared with Joyce, another volunteer. Sorry no picture of Joyce.  My iPhone froze up, and later in the evening from querying the Web, I learned how simple it was to bring it back to life. Hold the power button and the home button for ten seconds or until the Apple icon returns. These phones still amaze me; forms of magic.

Joyce will be leaving at the end of the week for a tour of Patagonia. Joyce so enjoys traveling. Bob asked Joyce if she ever was to Antarctica. With a hearty laugh, Joyce replied "Been there, done that." Within the last year, she has also toured Iceland.

Steve stopped by after running some errands and pitched in before leaving early for another engagement. In a few days, Steve will be returning to Corvallis, Oregon to once again visit his daughter and grandson. Happy travels to Steve and Joyce.

The picture to the right shows one of the sections we cleared out on the breezy, warm and sunny fall day. The young cherry tree in the foreground, planted last year, still has many green leaves. It's one of three cherry trees in the upper Garden on the Regent side.

As I already reported, another work session will be needed before preparations are completed. Watch for the announcement of the specific date.  We always welcome new volunteers including babies !  Recruiting volunteers at a young age is my new strategy.

Fall Scenes and Learning

Autumnal splendor continues at the Prospect Gardens. Here are a few scenes as we proceed through October.

The Japanese Sumac has just about replaced summer green with a reddish golden color that soon will turn to yellow.  We planted this one nearly six years ago. Perhaps it's time for a pruning.

 Several Asters have already lost their color and gone to seed but not this one.  The pinkish/purple blooms will also soon turn brown. In the meantime, I enjoy its warm welcome and especially on a cloudy day like today.

 The Saw Tooth Daisies are at their prime. Bright yellow blooms greeted me on this quiet morning as I returned from the gym. My weekly routine, during the late fall and all winter, includes at least three days (sometimes more) at the Shell which is part of the Camp Randall complex.  A ten minute walk from home.   I look forward to those winter walks when the gardens and the path are covered with fresh snow.

A few raspberries from the autumn crop are still available.  With each passing day, the number decreases.  This year, I will wait until spring to prune and cut the plants back.  We usually prune in November.  On Sunday after a church (First Unitarian Society), I happened to talk with the former Director of the Olbrich Gardens  and I mention the upcoming task of pruning the raspberries.  She informed me that spring pruning is much better since sometimes November can have warm temperatures that result in the plants sending out shoots. So I learned something new, as is usually the case in gardening.