Illinois Arboretum

Yesterday, I visited the arboretum at The University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, IL.

http://arboretum.illinois.edu/

Fabulous gardens.

Compost demonstration.

Well worth the visit.

Rainfall: 1"

1" rain yesterday.

Compost

I attended the monthly brown bag at UW-Extension (Milwaukee County) yesterday.

The topic was "Composting: How to Make and Use" presented by Dr. Robert Tomesh (UW-Madison Dept. of Horticulture).

It was a good refresher course for what I had learned in Master Gardener class.

Well worth attending.

Rainfall: 1/4"

1/4" rain last night.

Elderberries

Very enthusiastic article from The Herb Companion praising the virtues of elderberries (link here).

Makes me want to grow more elderberries.

Rainfall: 3/4"

3/4" rainfall yesterday.

Bees thrive in Paris

http://www.denverpost.com/nationworld/ci_13383444?source=rss

If Paris can cope with beehives, why can't the crumbly little suburb of Hales Corners?

A beehive would look good in my garden.

Rainfall: 3/8"

3/8" rain overnight.

The rain barrels are full for the first time in weeks.

Recent plantings

(1) species unknown, grass-like plant, iris-like leaves (free gift at Monches Farm from the water garden lady)
(1) 'Golden Reed" grass
(1) Glyceria
(1) Rhododendron 'PJM Aglo' (from Steve at the New Berlin Farmers Market)
(1) Azalea 'Pearl Bradford'
(1) Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola' (Golden Variegated Japanese Forest Grass)
(1) Tricyrtis hirta 'Moonlight' (Toad Lily)
(3) Garden Mum 'Camina'
(1) Alcea rosea (Single Hollyhock)
(15) misc. bulbs replanted
(1) Sedum spurium 'Tricolor'

Spring Flowering Bulbs

Yesterday, we attended the "Spring Flowering Bulbs" workshop at Shady Acres Perennial Nursery.

The instructor was Rich Walsh of DeVroomen Holland Bulb Company.

Rich has a passion for bulbs that made the workshop fun and educational.

Well worth attending.

Honey Bees

Last evening, we attended the class "Overwintering Bees" at Boerner Botanical Gardens.

It was part of their Adult Education series.

The instructors were Harris Byers and Linda Reynolds.

Informative, entertaining, and well worth attending.

We particularly liked the enthusiasm Harris Byers showed for the subject.

DJH 398

Gorgeous variegated kiwi vine available from Heronswood (link here).

Recent plantings

(1) Lathyrus latifolium (Everlasting Pea)
(3) Lamb's Ear (transplanted from where the Lathyrus was planted)
(10) Daffodils (transplanted from where the Lamb's Ear was planted)
(1) Aloysia triphylla (Lemon Verbena, potted)
(1) Ivy (repotted)
(1) Dogwood (transplanted out of the evergreen hedge)
(1) Dryopteris erythrosora 'Autumn Brilliance'
(1) Aruncus aethusifolius (Dward Goat's Beard)
(1) Heuchera 'Palace Purple'
(1) Digitalis purpurea 'Excelsior' (Foxglove)
(2) Digitalis purpurea 'Camelot Rose'
(1) "Rose of Sharon" (New Berlin Farmers Market)
(1) Thuja occidentalis 'Teddy'
(1) Tsuga canadensis 'Greenwood Lakes'
(1) Pinus parviflora 'Yatsubura Pygmy'
(1) Chameacyparis obtusa 'Moonshine'
(1) Pinus mugo 'Slowmound'
(1) Cotoneaster 'Hessei'
(1) Yucca (Adam's Needle)
(1) Eryngium planum 'Blue Hobbit'
(1) Euphorbia myrsinites (Myrtle Spurge)
(1) Iris pallida 'Argentea-variegata' (Silver Variegated Dalmatian Iris)
(1) Euonymus fortunei 'Aurea-marginata' (Winter Creeper)
(1) Agastache 'Golden Jubilee'
(1) Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal Flower)
(1) Aristolochia durior (Dutchman's Pipe)
(4) Lamb's Ear (transplanted from around Baptisia)