Language of Flowers, continued from page 1
Introducing...SunPatiens!
arranged by type, number, and color. This practice allegedly
enabled two people to carry on a secret conversation.
Dictionaries were published to explain the flower meanings
(and we can only hope both parties in the conversation were
using the same dictionary!). Queen Victoria herself was a
big fan of floriography and was influential in spreading the
custom around the world.
Last summer a few diseased trees near the Herb
Garden had to be removed, causing the coleus plants
that had been enjoying the shade there to droop
alarmingly. So this year we’ve planted a new annual
flower in that spot. “SunPatiens” are hybrid impatiens
that reportedly thrive in the sun. The Green Team
nurtured them from purchased plugs in four colors:
white, pink, lavender, and dark magenta. These
mounding plants are said to bloom all summer and
spread to 24 inches. If you want to check them out,
you will find the SunPatiens bed at the end of the brick
path, just past the Herb Garden.
Nowadays, some people still honor the language of flowers.
Kate Middleton chose the all-white blooms in her bridal
bouquet based on their Victorian floral sentiments, including
lily of the valley (return of happiness), hyacinth (constancy of
love), and sweet william (gallantry).
This year’s theme is all in fun. After consulting multiple
sources, we learned that Victorian flower meanings are not
set in stone. Several different definitions may be ascribed
to the same flower, depending on the source, so we tried to
select the one that seemed most common. We send virtual
bouquets of dark pink roses (meaning “Thank You!”) to the
two volunteers who created our special signs: Gary Harris
for construction and painting and Dennis Frank for laser
engraving.
So, dust off your bowler or grab your parasol, and bustle out
to the DABG to find out what our flowers have to say!
Submitted by Kennie Harris.
NEW LOOK AT 32ND STREET
The intersection of West 32nd Street and Arboretum Drive is
considered to be the “gateway” of the DABG. As such, many DABG
leaders felt the sign and landscaping of that area had deteriorated to
the point where something needed to be done to revamp the area.
This has been an ongoing discussion for at least 10 years. Every year,
the Board requested funds for the project from the City of Dubuque,
but there never seemed to be enough money to go around and the
project would be shelved for another year. In 2014, we were finally
able to move forward on our own with the support of generous
donors. Planning then kicked into high gear and the sign concept
became a reality.
This spring the area around the new entrance sign was landscaped. Because the entrance sign design was light and artistic,
we wanted the landscaping around it to have flowing lines and curves so they would complement each other.
We planted five red oaks in a curve in the background. There are beautiful virburnums that will turn a rouge color in the
fall. Planted in waves you will also see spirea, hydrangeas and grasses, along with rudbeckia plants.
From a practical standpoint, water and electrical lines have been run underground for maintenance and lighting purposes.
It t ook a small army of people to complete the project. However, special thanks go out to Mary Reuland and Barb Bishop
for their tireless work day after day on the project (we thought perhaps they lived here) and to Wylie Bledsoe for project
management. The whole DABG community showed up (including many neighbors) to plant, water, spread mulch, amend
the soil, etc. What looked like a small project was really a huge effort day after day –rain or shine. It also seemed like the
windiest place to be! There were even a number of passersby who commented on the progress. It was a great way to
enjoy interaction with new people.
Thank you to all who were involved and will continue to be involved in this project. Our dream became a reality!
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