Week 10: Animal Kingdom

Monday morning Vanvisa and I went into dinosaur land with Bridgette and big Judy (there are two Judy's one is tall and the other is short hence big Judy and little Judi) and looked for snails that were on the plants, picked them off, and threw them on the ground. Then, we helped Bridgette trim for a couple of mad calls in her area. She used the pole pruners while we picked up the debris and put it in in the Toro. After that, we did some trimming by rafiki's planet watch. Around 10am there was a safety meeting until break. After break, we watered the holding area

Tuesday morning we worked with Bridgette. While Bridgette watered, we planted liriope. Then, we went back to the yard to grab bags of cow manure which we then put down in some of the beds to raise the height. Next, we trimmed with Bridgette and once again picked up the debris. After that, Bridgette showed us around Asia pointing out plants such as Chinese top hat, golden dewdrop, crinum lily, and red silk floss tree. Bridgette and Judy came in early so they had break at 9 during which time we pulled pumpkin vine on the back area of the pollinator bed where visitors can't see us. Then, we walked the path behind the tiger exhibit which leads to a bird holding area to see if any trimming needed to be done. Following the walk through we had a short meeting to talk about the safety tip of the week. To end the day, we trimmed bamboo along the tiger path as well as some branches and weeds that were hanging over thus making the path smaller.

Wednesday morning Bridgette and Judy came in early and dug out a white crinum lily. Then, after meeting up with Vanvisa and I we helped them dig a hole and plant the crinum lily. After that, we went with Bridgette and cut back Bohenia over by the Yak and Yeti restaurant. After that, we put down pine nugget bagged mulch under the Bohenia tree and covered it with bamboo leaves to create a more natural look. After that we did some more cutting back of the path behind the tiger exhibit. To end the day Vanvisa and I watered in the holding area.

Thursday morning Bridgette, Vanvisa and I walked Kali River Rapids to see what we needed to trim the next day. Then, we continued working behind the tiger exhibit cutting off branches that were blocking the path and using an edger to cut the roots of Wedelia trilobata Wedelia. Then, we left as today was presentation day. Ten judges (some from Animal Kingdom region, some from the nursery, a landscape architect, a Disney imagineer, and guest judges one of which was from the horticulture department at Seaworld). We were judged on how good our projects were and the judges asked questions applicable to the project and how it might be integrated at Disney. Overall, I think all of the projects were well done and I look forward to getting our grades.

Friday morning the habitat crew trimmed Kali River Rapids below the huge drop using a hedge trimmer while Vanvisa, Bridgette, and I cleaned up the debris. Then, Vanvisa, Bridgette, big Judy and I finished trimming Wedelia trilobata behind the tiger exhibit. The picture to the left is Vanvisa, me, and Judy on the path we have cleared. The entire path was covered with weeds and branches hanging over the path, but is now clear so the bird keepers that need to walk along the path to get to the new building where the birds are housed can easily access it. Finally, we had the opportunity to go on the Kilimenjaro safari with Karen, Cindy, Rob, and a surprise visit from our fellow interns Jordan and Julia. While on the ride, the driver kept telling us about the grasses and trees that needed to be trimmed back for a better view of the animals however we saw no issue trying to see the animals and want to keep the area natural. To end the day, we had the opportunity to get a backstage tour of the elephant holding area as well as see them out on the safari from a backstage viewing area.

Plant of the week: 
The plant of the week is Crinum lily. It is a perennial bulb found in the Amaryllidaceae family. Crinum lily is native to zones 8-10 and grows to be 2-4' tall and 1-3' wide. The bloom time is from July-August with the flower up to 4" wide and long blooming in clusters of color that are white, pink, red and white/red bicolor. Flowers are showy and fragrant. Their light requirement is full sun to part shade. Bulbs like rich, moist, well-drained soils. For zones north of zone 8 crinum lilies can be grown in large containers and brought inside in the winter. When planted in pots/containers they should be at least 2" larger in diameter than the bulbs. The bulb should be planted with the neck exposed. Soil should be kept moist and fertilized regularly during the growing season. After bloom watering should be reduced so that soils dry out between waterings. Containers should be brought inside in the fall before the first frost for overwintering in a cool, dry, frost-free location. Crinum lily can be propagated by bulblets in the spring. Watering should be increased as the plant shows signs of new growth. When crinum lily is grown in the ground year-round as occurs in southern gardens it will spread by rhizomes to form large colonies. Common pests for crinum lilies include mealybugs, nematodes, and occasionally slugs and snails. Bulb rot and leaf scorch are common diseases that affect crinum lily. Typical garden uses for crinum lily includes borders, containers, houseplants, pond or water garden peripheries, as a good accent, and a good cut flower.
Information taken from: http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=a443