Deep Sea Diver
Imperial Masterpiece
Busy days coming!
Our trees are starting to awaken. The days are getting longer and our trees, especially those under cover, have buds that are beginning to swell.
Previous to this I’ve really only mentioned jobs I’ve been doing, but I know folks realize that we have a good number of volunteers coming in and out to help. Today we had four volunteers, so people were spread out doing a number of jobs. I’m going to try to highlight some of the other jobs besides those I’m doing.
But first things first. Usually the first thing we do is check all the trees on display to ensure these are looking good. That means we get to work needle picking, plucking and weed pulling, especially after any kind of wind. Here’s one of our volunteers at work on a frosty day working on one of my very most favorite Japanese Black Pines.
After that, it’s split up and turn to on whatever is on the top of the work list.
Today one of us went into the tropical exhibit in the upper display to trim the trops, while the rest of us went down to the work area.
Two volunteers then turned to on spring trimming four trees. After that was finished they got ready and repotted a goodly sized Liquidamber. In the background Francesca is finishing up the last tropical, while Marie is getting started on working the edges of the repot. Social distancing and masked up!
When a volunteer hasn’t done a task enough times to feel really confident Aarin works with them, ensuring that each has “got it” before doing his work. Today Aarin was running up and down the property working with 3 different groups of volunteers, beside working with Scarlet and trying to make a dent in his administrative work and returning phone calls. Busy man...
While they were busy I was tasked with building a couple grow boxes, one larger one for the Torrengo Crabapple grove Bill Valvanis created and a Japanese Maple. The only issue is that there was only some odds and ends of scrap lumber kicking about, so it was a matter of mixing and matching to get things together. its all about getting the job done well, but not to overkill!
Here’s the forest:
So I began to create the boxes, while everyone else in working... As you can see I liked playing Tinker Toys as a kid!
Back in the hothouse the Liquidamber is out of the pot, roots inspected, new mesh and wires ready and back into the pot. I caught this crew ready to finish adding the media on the sides etc and top dress. It’s a “say Cheese” photo while masked up!
I’m just about done screwing everything together and then boring drainage holes.
The other crew is done with the repot except for the Big Rinse!
...and here’s the new home for the Torrengo Crabapple Grove!
And that’s a day‘s work well done!
cheers
DSD sends
Our trees are starting to awaken. The days are getting longer and our trees, especially those under cover, have buds that are beginning to swell.
Previous to this I’ve really only mentioned jobs I’ve been doing, but I know folks realize that we have a good number of volunteers coming in and out to help. Today we had four volunteers, so people were spread out doing a number of jobs. I’m going to try to highlight some of the other jobs besides those I’m doing.
But first things first. Usually the first thing we do is check all the trees on display to ensure these are looking good. That means we get to work needle picking, plucking and weed pulling, especially after any kind of wind. Here’s one of our volunteers at work on a frosty day working on one of my very most favorite Japanese Black Pines.
After that, it’s split up and turn to on whatever is on the top of the work list.
Today one of us went into the tropical exhibit in the upper display to trim the trops, while the rest of us went down to the work area.
Two volunteers then turned to on spring trimming four trees. After that was finished they got ready and repotted a goodly sized Liquidamber. In the background Francesca is finishing up the last tropical, while Marie is getting started on working the edges of the repot. Social distancing and masked up!
When a volunteer hasn’t done a task enough times to feel really confident Aarin works with them, ensuring that each has “got it” before doing his work. Today Aarin was running up and down the property working with 3 different groups of volunteers, beside working with Scarlet and trying to make a dent in his administrative work and returning phone calls. Busy man...
While they were busy I was tasked with building a couple grow boxes, one larger one for the Torrengo Crabapple grove Bill Valvanis created and a Japanese Maple. The only issue is that there was only some odds and ends of scrap lumber kicking about, so it was a matter of mixing and matching to get things together. its all about getting the job done well, but not to overkill!
Here’s the forest:
So I began to create the boxes, while everyone else in working... As you can see I liked playing Tinker Toys as a kid!
Back in the hothouse the Liquidamber is out of the pot, roots inspected, new mesh and wires ready and back into the pot. I caught this crew ready to finish adding the media on the sides etc and top dress. It’s a “say Cheese” photo while masked up!
I’m just about done screwing everything together and then boring drainage holes.
The other crew is done with the repot except for the Big Rinse!
...and here’s the new home for the Torrengo Crabapple Grove!
And that’s a day‘s work well done!
cheers
DSD sends
