Monroe County Master Gardener Association

Jennie sent in these beautiful photos with autumn colors.

Stella and I were fortunate to have a chance to visit Hidden Lake Gardens on Oct 10, when early fall colors and a sunny day made the bonsai spectacular! An added treat was seeing Jack Wikle there and having him show us a photo scrapbook of some of the specimens in their earlier lives. (Google this charming retired education director of HLG for expert articles on growing bonsai and on the conifer collection. Better yet, sign up for classes/tours he still teaches.) Hard to believe some were nearly the same size and not looking much younger in 1985! The next couple of weeks will be fantastic for an afternoon drive through the arboretum as well as seeing the bonsai collection before it is stowed away for winter. At the entrance to the conservatory we loved the parsley and coleus border as such a fine textured contrast to the huge hardy banana leaves behind them, and the jewel red tones of dangling Jap maple seeds as we approached the door.