The rhythms of the Arboretum are in tune with the cycles of the growing season and are old friends to those of us who have the privilege of being associated with this place. We can’t wait to once again watch as this 40-acre oasis of peace and tranquility changes before our eyes. The gardens slumber and wait, but we plot and scheme!
JANURARY
It is Winter and the gardens are resting
But our army of volunteers and our great staff are hard at work preparing for this year at our annual retreat
As has become our custom we gathered in January.
We enjoyed a brief report by Rob Pruitt our Executive Director
This year we concentrated on the Fall Harvest Festival and broke up into small groups to brainstorm ideas to improve this important event. We discussed four main topics seeking to improve on what we do.
· Children’s Activities
· How to better draw the public to the event
· Small Scale Entertainment
· How to improve visitor help
The breakout sessions produced much valuable input.
Another part of what we always do at CVABG is have fun (which a lot of times involves food)
FEBRUARY
Revved up by our recent planning session and encouraged because the weather is not bad, we become optimistic about an early Spring
MARCH
Our rosy plans are coming unraveled
The gnomes are bundled up and frosty has invaded the gardens
A Mink chewed through our screen on the pond and ate all the fish
There is a small event planned for the 25th and though the weather is not cooperating, meaning the attendance is small: we have it anyway
We are required to have an annual open board meeting and get a decent turnout.
We have an educational program followed by an overview from Rob our director on what is planned for this year.
APRIL
Time to get started, the landscape is changing, things are happening, early risers are peeking at us, the Prairie has been burned so let’s go!
Let’s wake up the gardens. The call goes out and here come our usual suspects, the wonderful group of volunteers.
Paul; you thought all I do is write this stuff
I am always excited to see new volunteers, just sorry that I don’t always get a name
Jan Guthrie and Janet Ludolph
Kathy Sadler
Yvonne Duggan
Bonnie Wetzel
Rob helps too, Tim Spengler in the background
Sara Jansen and Yvonne
These two folks from Khole’s come out to help every year (I apologize for not knowing your names)
Al Hays and Vaugh Griffith
Warren George
Maurine Crisp
We love all the volunteers and want to honor you even if I don’t get your names
Beth was here and fed us when we finished
Later in April we also had some help from a group from Valley Lutheran School
MAY
This is when our garden interns for the year usually start
Laura on the left and Kira on the right
For the past couple of years, we have had a plant sale but this year we decided to combine our sale with our longtime friend and partner.
The sale was held at the Cattle Congress grounds
There were events in May
This particular event is to present our tree collection to our visitors in order to showcase how different types of trees enhance the landscape. In the Spring our ornamental trees move front and center
Here are some of our ornamentals
Frost Free Day is May 15 and that is when we plant trees and our annual display. It is also this time of year when we often get help from local businesses when they send some folks our way for a work day. WE REALLLY APPRECIATE THIS!!!
This is the group from Agra Pro
We had a group from Viking Pump
The Master Gardens planted trees in the orchard this month
I met this gentleman this year and promptly forgot his name (sorry) the lady is Judy Griffith
Karen Acton and Tom Pounds
Vaughn Griffith Randy Robison and Time Spengler
Kathy Sadler Warren George Pat Hoeppner Robin Darling
The whole gang
The gardens are off to another great start
JUNE
School is out and we get to start
Story Time
Once again, this year we had an outstanding line-up with some great individual readers
Fun in the gardens all summer long with an old favorite
And another old friend
June is a good time to watch things mature, how beautiful it all is:
JULY
Those lazy hazy days of Summer
Fun at the Arboretum
One of our great volunteers-Penny Popp taught a series of events this month about how to create yard art from concrete
A MAJOR NEW EVENT FOR THE SUMMER WAS A GOOD OLD-FASHIONED PICNIC
AUGUST
The dog days of Summer are here and it just keeps getting better
WHAT COULD BE MORE COMPATABLE THAN GARDENING AND ART?
September
That means it’s time for the Fall Harvest Festival
The unusual weather continued to provide challenges, IT RAINED, AND IT RAINED, AND IT RAINED, as a result, we had extremely soggy grounds well into the Autumn. This caused us to adjust for the festival, we had to re-direct the path from the parking lot to the Arboretum.
We also had to move some of the venues to other spots, however the more compact grouping got some favorable comments. The skies cleared and turned blue, the rain held off and the festival was a huge success.
This month saw the beginning of a project that will carry over into next year.
We were contacted by a local resident, Greg Boom, who had constructed a cairn for his yard. He indicated that since he was moving, he would like to donate it to us.
According to the dictionary:
“In simple terms, a rock cairn is just a pile of stones or rocks. Cairns have been used for thousands of years. In ancient times, they served as an intricate form of art, as small rocks were precariously balanced on top of smaller rocks, artfully constructed with no tools or mortar to hold them together.”
An intrepid group of our volunteers: Vaughn Griffith, Howard Craven, Steve Buckles, Randy Robinson, and Gary Blonigan took on the project of dismantling the cairn, cataloging how it goes together and transporting it to the Arboretum. It is resting here in the barn until next growing season when these guys will re-assemble it in a location designated for it.
These next photos are of the cairn on Mr. Boom’s property:
As we move toward the last few months of the year, the gardens give one last display.
OCTOBER-NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER
Another year has come and gone, my love for this place increases as the years roll by.
My desire is to help you understand what a precious resource we have right here in the Cedar Valley. In order to keep getting better we need to raise funds, so when the growing season winds down we send out our annual appeal literature. Won’t you help us ensure the continuation of this most wonderful place?
The year ends and the Arboretum rests and it looks very much like it did when we started this year
Until next season, dream on
319-226-4966
info@cedarvalleyarboretum.org
1927 E. Orange Rd.
Waterloo, IA, 50701