Claire Kinley – Outdoor Landscape Maintenance

These days, the temperature creeps up to the tip-top of the 90’s, making everyone a little more thankful for trees and their gracious shade. Not only are we humans relieved by this shielding of summer sunlight, the numerous annuals dotted throughout Reiman Gardens are moreover found at the mercy of trees.

Daily work revolves around hydrating these small, luscious occupants fresh from pot in production. I tether long spans of hose to reach each of them. I quench their thirst to keep them shining up at visitors each day.

My favorite place to water is under the shade of the south patio’s gangly birch trees, with tender, swinging branches that tap me on the shoulder. I wield a guzzling showerhead that rains down on leaf and root. The soil is never uneager; I fill to the surface of its incredible volume. A lot of my love for this shade garden stems from its display of colors, a perfect blend of warm and cool. Succulent lime leaves of Hosta, twisted purple stripes of Coleus, banana yellow lily blooms. For the best displays, water heavy, even in the shade.

“Watering is an overlooked, and underrated task.” – Sarah Rummery, Manager of Horticulture