GARDENING HELP WANTED or she promised photos

Subtitles: Weed for Seeds
Give a Hug for a Bug by Mia

nb: check out the VIP list to see who has made it to date

Help is needed in the gardens. While I am in the process of researching for and setting up the blog, I am in need of help with the gardens. Seed collecting, weeding, removing perennial seedlings from among mature plantings, deadheading, pulling vines, thinning ground covers, sprucing up plants, etc

Not much of this is getting done. Many have offered to help. I have set aside several mornings when I will be available to be in the gardens to work along side any who are willing to come and learn how to care for these gardens. You will be able to learn identification of plants, weeds, etc. This process will allow you the opportunity of learning valuable gardening skills from this crusty seasoned gardener!! You'll get to try out our tried and true favorite gardening tools. And you will be able to ask questions - Lord knows I love to talk!!

In this process you will earn points for the time you work, and you will be put on a list of preferential gardeners. As a preferred gardener, you will get preferred status as far as all offerings go. I am working out all the details.

I will be doing heavy thinning of many large plants starting in the fall and continuing in the spring. You all have been admiring my white bleeding Hearts - they need to be split next spring.

Wouldn't you like to be at the top of the list for one of those?? I have no place to put any of the plants I will be thinning - I want them to have new homes.

The following pictures are meant to whet your appetite for the plants that will be available first to VIP and Preferred Gardeners. These are some of the plants that are way too overgrown and need dividing this fall or next spring. And I stress the word some - there are so many I can't possibly do them all by myself.

There will be many wonderful Lupines available throughout the spring and maybe as early as fall after I get seeds planted. There are 2 variety of Clematis that I am collecting a limited amount of seed from.

When you come to the garden, if you are here for awhile, you may get to see the Goldfinch, or Cardinals or hear the Orioles sing to us.
These 2 giant hosta need to be moved, and may need to be split when I get them dug. There is a small wavy leaf one under the giant yellow that needs to be moved, and oh, by the way, there are a few around in the garden that could get adopted!!
We have lots of little Foxglove that will need to be moved in the fall for a spectacular spring showing!
And if you happen to like butterflies, you could get on the list for next years host plants and caterpillars in season!!
This blue Spiderwort is getting a permanent visit from it's sister, a magenta Spiderwort.
This pink Nora Barlow Columbine will be joined next year by the purple ones which will be planted in the new seed bed.
This is the Eastern Black Swallowtail, just like the ones that 2 families got to raise with the help of the host plants they got in the spring! This Pipevine bush is setting seeds that will be planted in the seed bed - It is the host plant for the Pipevine Swallowtail!
There are already Cranesbill Geranium that need to get moved!! There are several of these dwarf Iris that are squashed under larger plants and need to be moved ASAP.
Our retention basin is full of Fern that need to be thinned!!
Those 30 of you who received cuttings from this, my 50' Climbing Hydrangea know what it feels like to go home with a real gem.
And so far a few of you with the right growing conditions have gone home with Jack-in-the-Pulpit. Oh, and then there is my Wild Ginger! This poor baby has been growing and growing and needs to be thinned in the spring. There are 5 colors of violets which will be available and needing thinning in the spring! Then there is the thyme, both golden and regular.
This new visitor to the gardens is Smooth Rock Cress. Those of you who saw it in full bloom in the spring, waving in the breeze remember how beautiful it is.
This Pulmunaria has won the hearts of all - first to bloom in the spring, with pink and blue flowers on the same stem! Foliage stays all season! I have several colors of Astilbe - seedlings ready to go now! Black Eyed Susan always available. Candytuft seedlings will be in the seed bed in spring. I finally got this identified correctly as Cornflower!! This creeping Veronica is growing into my grass and needs to be weeded out!! Need homes!!! Money Plant dried stems ready to go!! (I can not get the right font on this!)

Okay, people, think of my gardens as your candy shop - so much to see , so much you want to have in your own gardens. And with a cooperative effort we can all make it happen. Email me at mnonorato@yahoo.com or mnonorato@gmail.com to get involved with the gardening. There is a list with the times I am looking to have people come and help. Let me know when you can make it. What a great feeling it will be to see your name on the preferred list, and you will get to put your name on a preselect list for fall and/or spring plants. Thanking you all in advance for your willingness to get involved in this effort. And my understanding goes out to those of you who would like to help, but are physically unable at this time. Your support is also important to me.