Winterthur Garden Blog » Sundial Garden

He’s Everywhere!

Karen — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:53:01 +0000

Frank Quinnette continues his introduce-the-horticulturist project:

Most places I’ve worked there is always that one person who nearly everybody looks to for answers. Jim is that guy.

To be fair I’d guess he doesn’t have all the answers. He shouldn’t have to. That can be a lot of pressure for anybody. But as smoothly and efficiently as Jim works both the Pinetum and Sundial garden, you can’t help but believe that he knows everything there is about Winterthur, horticulture, weather, soils, current events, a few “B” science fiction movies, and heck, probably quantum mechanics too. The man just plain knows stuff.

That being said, I must admit that even though I’ve got several years on him age-wise I see him as one of my mentors, with good reason. He was one of the guys who hired me and “showed me the ropes” while we worked on the same team.

Jim helped me understand the way we maintain Winterthur’s garden so that the hard work he’s put into revitalizing it was not in vain. The truth is Jim has participated in several garden restoration projects dating back to 1989 when he started working in the Garden Department. His well-rounded horticulture experience (not to mention a desert-dry wit) qualifies Jim to have a voice in almost every garden project. That same experience, coupled with a strong work ethic also makes him a favorite instructor for our summer interns.

Now…it’s been a while since Jim and I worked together directly but my teammates will often relay tales reminiscent of campfire ghost stories where Jim will appear out of thin air and just be lending a hand on a project they are working on, like he knew they needed the help. Yup. That’s Jim. He’s everywhere. (Hey, maybe he does have all the answers.)

Filed under: Garden

Cherries and Magnolias Float Above the Winterthur Garden

Karen — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 13:28:07 +0000

Today, color and fragrance weave their magic throughout the Winterthur Garden. Golden daffodils blanket the hills and line the streams.

The Sundial Garden peaks with billowing clouds of pink and white accented by the purple of emerging lilacs and redbuds. Explore the March Bank to discover the delicate flowers of thousands of small bulbs and early wildflowers, including trillium, trout lily and Virginia Bluebells.

Follow a trail of pink and white magnolias, flowering quince, cherries, and rhododendrons from Azalea Woods to the Sundial Garden. These pave the way for lilacs and azaleas which typically bloom in early to mid-May.

Enjoy the benefits of membership – walk in paradise all year.

Posted in Garden

April in the Sundial Garden

Chris Strand — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 21:19:39 +0000

The blossoms of flowering quince are a sure sign that Winterthur’s Sundial Garden is about to come into its own. In the Sundial Garden, April is like a fireworks show—light the fuse and stand back. This part of the Winterthur Garden was not designed to offer multiple seasons of interest; instead, it was created to look its best in April. With the warmth of the last couple of days, magnolia, quince, and spiraea have begun their display. Presiding over this colorful performance is one of Winterthur’s finest specimen trees, a large, cloud-like Magnolia called ’Wada’s Memory.’