What's Blooming Now in the Ellipse Garden?

LATE SUMMER IN THE ELLIPSE GARDEN:

The Ellipse Garden is showing its fall colors! The goldenrods are popping out, looking splendid against great purple asters, white boltonia and red cardinal flowers. The soldier mallows have spread throughout the native woodlands and greet the visitor with white and pink blossoms near the entrance.

great purple aster EupaHyssop
Great purple aster Tiger swallowtail on Thoroughwort (EupaHyssop)

At the opposite end of the Garden, the grasses are forming their seedheads and create a different landscape with their blue, yellow and green spiky forms.

Donna Ware Geoff Suter
Donna WareGeoff Suter
Thirteen participants on a Walk and Talk Saturday Sept 1 viewed over 30 blooming plants, took notes, and even stayed to help weed – thanks, Marilyn Johnson!
Gary Driscoll Hibiscus militaris, soldier mallow
Gary DriscollHibiscus militaris, soldier mallow
Board members Terry and Jack Johnston recently adopted our Butterfly Garden, and will be using their expertise, gained from conferences and visits to butterfly gardens to enhance the plantings and add educational components.
JohnstonsKaren Jamison
Jack and Terry Johnston
Karen Jamison
butterfly on lantanabutterfly on lantana
Butterfly on lantana
Butterfly on lantana
MJMs Driscoll
Marilyn Johnson
Adrienne Driscoll

Passionflower
Green-headed Coneflower
Tom Jamison
Walk and Talk Event
Board Chairman Karen Jamison and new board member Geoff Suter completely weeded the native woodlands on a Saturday in August. Other WBG members have been weeding and grooming the garden: Karen Jamison’s husband Tom deadheaded the butterfly bushes, among other chores; Gary and Adrienne Driscoll have been caring for the Herb Garden, Donna Ware makes almost daily visits grooming and monitoring the wetlands and pinewoods/fernery areas. Thanks to all these folks, the Ellipse Garden is looking very attractive!
The Board is planning a spring fund-raiser for the purchase and installation of a fence to protect against deer and rabbit browse. Carolyn and Ralph Will, members of the Williamsburg Wildflower Rescue Team, recently planted several shrubs and surrounded them with deer-proof cages. Their previous donations were completely eliminated by deer browse. The cost of each cage is about $10; the shrubs were either rescued from a development site or propagated by the Wills from seeds or rooted twigs. Many, many thanks, Carolyn and Ralph – we hope to have a new fence in place by next summer!
Photos were taken in Freedom Park in early September by Helen Hamilton

 

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P.O. Box 1577, Williamsburg, Virginia 23187    e-mail: Williamsburg Botanical Garden