Week 7

Monday morning I went with Kerrick. We went and pulled weeds that had been missed around the Diervilla shrubs near the bison. We then continued to pull weeds in the beds with the Spiraea shrubs that are near the bison. Then, we finished with manure mulching in the giraffe perimeter. After that, we pulled weeds around the giraffe and ostrich perimeter as well as the zebra and kudu perimeter. We also had to grab wheelbarrows, pitchforks, and hard rakes so the STS people could wood chip mulch the areas once we finished weeding. After lunch, we went out front and helped Amanda and Scott weed around the White Pine trees near the frog pond.

Tuesday Kerrick and I mowed in Como Town and Amanda mowed zoo grounds. After that, all three interns went out front and mowed and blowed the paths off. Then, we did wolf lot and historic lily pond and started the service drive all before lunch break. With many weeks of practice, it appears that us interns are getting down everywhere that needs to be mowed and getting faster in the process. After lunch, we finished up the service drive. We ended our day by once again fixing the bamboo fencing around the gorilla exhibit by adding more stakes and pounding in the existing stakes.

Wednesday morning Amanda and I went out front and watered the intern bed, palm lot entrance bed, double sidewalk, welcome sign flowerbed, visitor center pots, pots by the historic entrance of the conservatory, and sections of annual in the excedra and enchanted garden. All of the annuals are growing and appear to be healthy. We also found some baby bunnies chowing down on the annuals in the intern bed. After watering, we weeded in the cracks around the tiger enclosure. Then, we went out by the statue of Johann Friedrich von Schiller and weeded under the pine trees for the rest of the day.

Thursday was the 4th of July. Therefore, the interns had off because we do not get paid holiday pay. I did however still come to Como to visit with my parents and took some pictures of the plantings that I helped with and their progress.

Gates Ajar is really filling out from what it was at the end of week 1.

The Japanese Garden is looking nice.

Intern Bed

Another view of the intern bed

Friday morning Amanda and I mowed in the Japanese Garden and blew the grass off of the path. While we were in the Japanese Garden, Adam put three koi fish into the pond. After mowing, Amanda and I went and weeded the beds on the backside of the visitor center. Then, we did some pruning of dead limbs on the purple shrubs with red flowers in a planting across from zebra enclosure near the Como Town entrance. I'm not sure exactly what these shrubs are but I think they are purple plum. Finally, we weeded the intern bed and bed between cars.

The plant of the week is Japanese tree lilac, Syringa reticulata.The leaves are opposite, simple leaves that are dark green in the summer and are 2-5.5" long and about half as wide. The stem is stout, shiny brown, and heavily lenticelled resembling cherry bark. Japanese tree lilacs grow to be 20-30' tall and 15-25' in spread with a medium growth rate (9-12' over a 6-8 year period) and are considered to be a large shrub or small tree with stiff, spreading branches developing a somewhat oval to rounded crown and with time the branches and leaves become somewhat arching. They are hardy to zones 3-7. Flowers appear in mid-late June and are creamy white, fragrant wide, showy panicles that are effective for two weeks and petals that turn brown with age. A warty, glabrous fruit that is a 3/4" long capsule appears after flowering. This is possibly the most trouble-free tree lilac that makes an excellent specimen tree, street tree, and is good in groups or near large buildings. (Information from Manual of Woody Landscape Plants by Michael A. Dirr)