A View From Above

I don’t like heights or going up ladders at all.  However, I had to contend with my fear of heights yesterday and get on the roof of the Parker Education Center to run some cords for the Holiday Light Show (HLS).  We actually have roof outlets associated with our heating and cooling units that allows us to borrow power from a strategic location.  I figured I would enjoy the view and snap some photos of the terrace garden and the front of the Parker Education Center (top photo).  Only one of these blog photos is from today which was defined by a combination of rain and drizzle until about 3 pm when the sun finally came out.  It was a quiet day although Larry H., Alex and Kathy P. had a long morning of preparing lights for the HLS.  This was timely rain as this indoor preparation of new lights (both traditional and LED) has become more time sensitive.  Marleen and Kath M. were in to help peel labels, assist with a tour and also snuck out to clear some annuals.  It looks like light frost will arrive over a couple nights in the coming days.  We also saw Maury, Art (gave a cart tour), Urban, Laura B. and some others.  Alex and I delivered our “processed” Abyssinian bananas (Ensete ventricosum ‘Maurelii’) to Ahrens Acres (Brodhead, WI) where we chatted with Natalie and Audra (second photo down).  We appreciate their “banana babysitting”!  Note the spiraling growth from the center of these cut bananas…that is only a few days of growth!

the terrace garden (both photos above)

Alex, Natalie and Audra (left to right) with bananas!

Arenaria sp. ‘Wallowa Mountains’ – perennial

bright fall color of ‘Astra Blue’ balloon flower (Platycodon grandiflorus) – perennial

fall color on ‘Candy Ice’ red maple (Acer rubrum) – woody tree

‘Purple Prince’ calico plant (Alternanthera brasiliana) – annual

blooms of ‘Thailand Giant’ elephant ear (Colocasia gigantea) – annual

fall color on redbud (Cercis canadensis) in the Japanese garden – woody tree

foliage of Color Flash® ‘Beauty of Ernst’ false spirea ( Astilbe x arendsii) – perennial

late blooms of ‘Lambada’ lemon bergamot (Monarda hybrida) – annual

start of fall color on Eye Stopper™ cork tree (Phellodendron lavallei ‘Longenecker’) – woody tree

fall color on Firespire® American hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana ‘J.N. Upright’) – woody tree (above photo and two below)

love this view to the pagoda (In Memory of Tom McKaig) with redbud (Cercis canadensis) in the back…spring shot is cool to with that tree in bloom in late April!