Memorial Day Weekend and Weeding

Another Memorial Day is ending. Today's weather was perfect. I spent most of the long weekend working in the Gardens, including yesterday and today. I ended today and the holiday with customary brat and potato salad with a slight update: Kale and Apple salad. Babcock Union Utopia ice cream for dessert. Summer is here!
 
Saturday(the 28th) a crew of eight tackled the army of weeds. Pictured to the right are Loren, Susan, Ken.  Loren joined us this season and Ken has been volunteering since the
Gardens were developed nearly seven years ago. Thanks to both of you for your continued support.

Note Susan's knee guards. She highly recommends these from Ace Hardware. Well padded, comfortable, secure and flexible. Plus they compliment her blue sun hat.  Susan lives in the Regent neighborhood and this was her first time volunteering. Thanks Susan for joining the crew and for working so diligently.

Christian, a Regent resident, also joined us for the first time. Thanks for coming out and lending a helping hand. He and his family live about a block up the street. I often see Christian walking his two pugs. Christian and I are members of the First Unitarian Society. He and his wife were members of a parent group that I co-facilitated with our Community Life Minister, Kelly Crocker.  He looks too young to have a teenager, don't you think?

Here's Christian and Loren weeding the Peg Arnold Memorial Garden. Many plants in this small garden didn't survive the winter, even though the season was mild. Maybe this week I will buy replacements from perhaps the cathedral of greenhouses, the Flower Factory, near Oregon.  I love going out to the Flower Factory. Just going through all the different greenhouses is a joy. 







Here's Laura in action. You may recognize Laura since she is a long time volunteer. She did extra duty on Sunday joining Ann and I as we continued conquering the weeds.Thanks, Laura.

Oh yes, please note that Cosmo, Laura's friendly dog is taller than I said in my last blog. He's 11 inches tall and not five, as I stated. When I saw Cosmo on Friday, he didn't hold this egregious error against me. As usual, he joyfully trotted forward for pets and greetings. Apparently all is forgiven.



This year's crop of weeds, besides being abundant, are also tall with well developed roots. The recent warm weather and rain supported an explosion of weeds, including the fast spreading Bishops Weeds with their nasty root system that includes tubers. When the day started, for the first time since gardening at Prospect, I felt overwhelmed by the task that faced us. With tenacity, humor and Ann's homemade brownies, we prevailed.

Pictured is the pile of plant material, a testimony to the abundant weeds and the crew's diligent work.  The small pile in the background is the remains of a cherry tree. Unfortunately, our first planted cherry tree succumbed to a disease. I suspected this was a possibility last fall since the tree's leaves began dropping much earlier than usual. Also, the tree sustained an injury to its trunk leaving an open scar.

Bob, the Mulch King, and Ann are not in any of the pictures. Bob recently visited Italy and was still experiencing some jet lag. No problem for Bob as he did his favorite gardening activity.  Thanks Bob for joining us instead of retiring to a lounge chair on your great back porch. Nick, a nearby neighbor and his two children, also helped clear out portions of the Garden.  Thank you also!

The pile indeed is large. Yet many weeds still remain in the Gardens. If the body is willing, I may return later this week to continue the effort. If you are in the Madison area, please consider joining me.  

Weeding and Mulching Crew

Saturday, April 30th, with a possible threat of rain, I anticipated work in the Prospect Gardens. After a hearty breakfast of oatmeal, fruit and English Breakfast tea, checking email and a few news web sites, and scanning Facebook, I packed up the wheel barrel with necessary tools, and made the half block trip to the Gardens.

Three neighbors joined me: Laura, Joyce and Steve. These three are frequent volunteers. We worked for about two and half hours, accomplishing the goal of weeding and mulching a significant portion of the north side of the Gardens. Light rain began to fall as we accomplished the goal.

More of the Gardens need weeding and mulching.  So sometime soon we will be back tending the Gardens.  Here's a few pictures of the crew.

Laura is too busy to look up as she spread mulch. I so appreciate Laura taking time from her busy schedule to be on the crew.

Laura lives a half block from the gardens. Her home is in the Dudgeon-Monroe neighborhood.

Laura has the cutest little dog, Cosmo. I would guess he is just over a foot long and five inches tall and with a stubby tail. His friendliness makes up for his small stature.  Cosmo knows how to "meet and greet" and collect well deserved petting from his human neighbors.

 Joyce, appropriately dressed for the chilly day, pauses for a moment. Joyce willingly takes time from tending her own gardens and from her worldly travels to be part of the crew. I greatly appreciate her contributions to the Gardens. We always enjoy listening about her travel adventures.

 Joyce is from the Regent Neighborhood and is the link to the Regent Neighborhood Association.  The Gardens are supported by both the Regent and Dudgeon-Monroe Association.










Steve is also from the Regent Neighborhood.  He is one of the "founding fathers" of the Gardens, writing the grant nearly seven years ago that provided initial city funding. The $800 grant got us started. Dedicated volunteers, like Steve, have contributed so much during the expansion of the Gardens. The Gardens now cover more than 1500 square feet.  Thanks, Steve.

He shared news that his daughter, grandchild, and son-in-law are moving back to Wisconsin from Oregon. They were in Corvallis, Oregon while his son-in-law completed a post-doc. Northland College, an Environmental Liberal Arts college in Ashland,will be their new home.  










 Here's the crew. Don't we look stylish and fit!  According to my Fitbit, I consumed nearly 800 calories while gardening. (left to right: Joyce, Laura, Steve, and me)

We will gladly add you to the crew when you volunteer. We always have a good time while working to beautify our neighborhoods.

Not pictured is my wife Ann, who usually joins us. Workmen in our house took priority this morning. However, she delivered a healthy snack. Thanks, Ann,  for your contributions including working in the Gardens. She considers her specialty to be cleaning the bike ramps of leaves and debris, and weeding (with approval of what is a weed ).

May Day 2016 Flowers

Today is May Day. The sun that peeked out for about ten minutes has disappeared. We are back to overcast skies with temperatures rising.  On my morning walk I strolled through the Prospect Gardens and noticed the following blooming plants. They add cheer to this overcast and cool day.  Warmer weather is forecasted for tomorrow.

 Prairie Smoke, a low ground hugging plant, is one of the first to show its soft blossoms. I planted about six of these at least two years ago and now can find only two. One never knows which plants will survive the winter and be with us once again for a brief show.

On the other hand, you can bet that the hardy forsythia will survive most any winter. This one has the honor of being the first plant in the Gardens, showing its flashy yellow for the seventh year. It's blooms are beyond peek and already dropping leaving a soft yellow carpet. 

 I have no idea the name of this plant. I received it from a neighbor last year and forgot to ask for its name. Another ground hugging plant with small blue flowers and one that I think will spread.

 Virginia Bluebells are at their peak.  You can find these all along the Southwest Commuter Path. I transplanted these from an area east of the Gardens two years ago.

 One of the three cherry trees in the garden and in its third year. We will have some cherries this year; not too many given the limited number of cherry blossoms. 

 The Redbud tree (more like a shrub) has bloomed for the first time. Received the then scrawny tree about four years ago from Steve, a neighbor. Steve's advice was to plant the little tree and see what happens. Here we are on May Day 2016 enjoying the splendor of the Redbud.

Last, but not least, on a scale of beauty is the trillium. This one is a descendant of a plant that we uncovered when clearing out the upper area of the Gardens. The original trillium predates the bike path and perhaps witnessed the passing trains. As we go into May, other plants will emerge as spring unfolds adding to the beauty of the Gardens.