Nell Joslin and I do our best, and with 4+ acres, you can imagine, we welcome volunteers. Recently, Art and Ailene, The ‘A’-team, helped us in the garden with two different goal-center tasks. They made such a difference! Then Beth joined us. She too is part of the ‘A’ team…there are no “B” workers ever. Volunteers get an automatic A.
If you have time, we’d love to have you volunteer with us at The Joslin Garden. If interested, please sign up HERE! We can work with any skill level, and I promise you will learn something during each visit. We love sharing plant information and tales.
Art tackled ridding the Bear-claw, Helleborus foetidus. There is still plenty more if you want to join us next Thursday. As it happens, Beth is able to use them for another volunteer projects she is involved with.
Volunteer Art giving The Joslin Garden a helping hand.
Volunteer Aliene spreading dwarf mondo grass..
Since I first started working in The Joslin Garden on January 7, 2021, I wanted to move part of a patch of dwarf mondo grass, Ophiopogon japonicus from one side of the path to fill in the opposite side. Ailene made it happen! Looks good, right? Ailene said it was like digging in concrete, the clay was so bad there. But Ailene got it and now were can focus on other tasks.
A job well-done by Volunteer Ailene!
Nell Joslin, always ready to pitch in, turned compost Bin 1, the one we cleared first, and discovered what was underneath last week. Turning it will help to break down the organic matter quicker, and we wanted to see what we’d be working with.
We plan to spread a good bit of this compost in Bin 1 into the veggie garden, the entrance beds to the main garden, and the rose garden. I did self-sowed bread poppies, Papaver somniferum, in the rose garden so I want to wait until they are clearly visible. Did you know poppies need sunlight to germinate?
Once we see some size to our poppies, we will then cover the bed with compost. This is black gold. In other words, good stuff! Chris, our Executive Director starter moving over compost today!
Volunteer Nell turning Bin 1 Compost pile!
Compost Bin 2 has had a clearing start.
Cleaning out Compost Bin 2.
Compost Bin 2 cleared out…I think. there is more digging to do, but I got out a lot of big stuff!
What NOT to put in the compost pile. Bin 2 was filled with debris like this.
What a haul we do each week!!!
There were two Ilex x 'Nellie R. Stevens' at each end of the front of the house. Or at least there were. ‘Nellie R. Stevens’ always seems to be in a state of needed something cut, and they are fast growers. About a month ago, I sawed down the one closest to the front door. Today, Volunteer Beth, took down the other. Her remark was, “That was very satisfying!” I know the feeling. Nothing feels better than the feeling of accomplishment!
No doubt they will sprout back, and when they do, we plan to manage the size.
Removing this other holly was on our list. Volunteer Beth mades short work of this!
Volunteer Beth making short work of removing the holly.
Volunteer Beth next took on the Carolina jessamine, Gelsemium sempervirens tangled up in the tree. Even though I like vines trellising trees, it was clear the intent of this vine, it was meant to vine along the fence.
This Carolina jessamine, Gelsemium sempervirens, was trellising the tree. Volunteer Beth untangled it and draped it around the fence. I had a great picture of her as she finished, but I accidentally erased it. Bummer! I’ll get another!
Too many sticks are throughout. While the volunteers were busy at work, I picked up sticks!
“Oh look!”, I exclaimed, There is a fire. Perhaps these sticks can go in there!
With just enough time during my day, I managed to plant Japanese roof iris, Iris tectorum from Nell’s home garden, and Iris japonica ‘Eco Easter’ from my friend Abby’s garden. Abby shared some with me too!
The Raleigh Parks gardeners, Drew and Lauren, stopped by since they worked with their own volunteer group at the Park across the street. These gals were from the Raleigh Garden Club. After they toured the property, the comments were glowing, but I realized that I’d not ventured much beyond areas around the house since January. So what did I do? I identified a task that would allow me to do a walk-around. With a wheelbarrow, I walked; I admired all the early bloomers and picked up sticks.
Oh, and by the way, I walked across the street to cut back the ivy on my break time. I’ve done five trees so far. Little by little, I will have the ivy cut. It is another satisfying task.
There are around 60 camellias on the property, and it seemed like all were in bloom. Please visit. We work just like a park. Just come and enjoy. We are open from 9 to 5. Here are some of the blooms I found along the way:
Prettiest Pink Camellia Never, or at least I think so!
Camellia japonica still waiting to be identified.
Thanks for visiting.
Until, soon!
Helen Yoest
Horticiulist Specialist
Environmental Scientist M.S.