Eloise Butler began notations of her 1911 Garden activities on March 13th when she noted seeing red polls and crows and found the Rose Rhodobryum Moss (Bryum roseum - now classified as Rhodobryum roseum (Hedw.) Limpr.) growing in the Garden. She began planting early with Skunk Cabbages (Symplocarpus foetidus (L.) Salisb. ex Nutt.) Hepaticas, Wild Blue Phlox (Phlox divaricata L.) and Eastern False Rue Anemone (Enemion biternatum Raf. - old classification was Isopyrum biternatum), all from the source at Minnehaha Park and put in the ground on March 25th due to the mild weather. Early April was a period of much snow so not much was done until the end of April when a number of trees were planted. She specifically mentions Shagbark hickories, Butternuts, Buckeyes, Black spruce and Red Pines - all obtained from Strand’s nursery in Taylor's Falls, MN. [Shagbark Hickories were planted again 100 years later in 1911 by Curator Susan Wilkins.]

On April 15 Eloise noted Ranunculus fascicularis in bloom. (Photo at right) This is the Early Buttercup (M.C.). Curiously and while native to the state, it is not noted as present in Hennepin County in any later plant surveys. It has been found to exist only in scattered counties of the south half of the state but not Hennepin.

With the warmer weather of May, Eloise was busy with a large shipment of plants from Gillett’s Nurseries in Southwick MA, that she had arranged for over the winter.

Early Plantings not present today (Exceptions noted):

Eloise also brought into the Garden a number of plants that are not listed today on the Garden visitor guides. Many of these were native to Minnesota and a few were not. Here is a listing of most of those plants introduced this spring to the Garden for the first time - the common and botanical names listed first are names she used followed by other common names for the same plant and the newer botanical classifications, if any; then follows her source for the material. 1911 is the first year the following list of plants occur in her log. Most are shown in the photos.

Native to the State:

• Cranberry - large (M.C.), (Vaccinium macrocarpon -now- Vaccinium macrocarpon Aiton), Gillett's Nursery. Native to the NE and North Central counties, found in bogs. (Photo right.)
• Cuckoo flower (Cardamine pratensis L.), from Gillett's Nursery. This is a State “Special Concern” plant and is only found in cold, seeping calcareous swamps. Native of Asia and Europe, naturalized in parts of US and is only found in two Minnesota counties - St. Louis and Clearwater. (Photo right.)
• Fragrant Sumac (M.C.), (Rhus aromatica -now - Rhus aromatica Aiton), From Gillett's Nursery [This plant is present in the Garden today]
• Giant Tall Sunflower (M.C.), (Helianthus giganteus L.), From Gillett's Nursery. Native to most of the upper 2/3 rds of the State.
• Green Arrow Arum (Peltandra virginica -now- Peltandra virginica (L.) Schott). From Gillett's Nursery. Native to Cook County only. (Photo right.)
• Lesser Yellow Lady’s-slipper (M.C.), (Cypripedium parviflorum Salisb.), From Gillett's Nursery. This smaller of the State’s two yellow Lady’s-slippers was planted numerous times after this by Eloise and the later curators. None survive today in the Garden.
  
• Smooth Sumac (M.C.), (Rhus glabra L. ) From Gillett's Nursery. [This plant is present in the Garden today]
• Two-flower dwarf Dandelion (Krigia amplexicaulis now Krigia biflora) From Gillett's Nursery. Native in counties formerly of The Big Woods - a band running SE-NW. (Photo right.)
• White Wood Aster (Aster divaricatus -now- Eurybia divaricata (L.) G.L. Nesom), From Gillett's Nursery. [This plant is present in the Garden today]

The shipment from Gillett's included the following ferns that were planted for the first time in the Garden - all of which are native to the state.

• Glade Fern (Narrow-leaved Spleenwort), (Asplenium angustifolium -now- Diplazium pycnocarpon (Spreng.) M. Broun ). Native to the SE corner in five counties only. It is listed on the “Threatened” list in Minnesota and “special concern” list in Wisconsin.
• Northern Wood Fern (Spreading Wood Fern), (Aspidium spinulosum var. dilatatum -later- Dryopteris spinulosa (O.F.Müll.) Watt var. dilatata -now- Dryopteris expansa (C. Presl) Fraser-Jenk. & Jermy). Native to the Arrowhead region; Winona and Chisago counties. (Photo right.) [This plant is present in the Garden today]
• Spinulose Wood Fern (Toothed Wood Fern), (M.C.), (Aspidium spinulosum -now- Dryopteris carthusiana (Vill.) H.P.Fuchs). Native to all counties but those in the SW Quadrant. (Photo right.). [This plant is present in the Garden today]
  

Not Native:

• Coastal Sweet Pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia L.) From Gillett's Nursery. (Photo below.)
• Maryland Senna (Cassia marilandica -now- Senna marilandica (L.)), From Gillett's Nursery. (Photo right.)
• Winged Sumac (Rhus copallina -now- Rhus copallinum L.), From Gillett's Nursery.

Public Essays
As the new official curator of the Wild Botanic Garden (the name at that time), Eloise began a series of weekly essays that were published in the Sunday Minneapolis Tribune. These ran from April through September. A former student of hers, Mary Meeker, provided photographs for illustration. The column lead-ins and publication dates were:

• Pasque Flowers at Easter Time Proclaim Yearly Spring Miracle. April 16 (Read)
• Anemones, Hepaticas and Buttercups Prominent in Crowfoot Family. April 30 (Read)
• Bloodroots, Marsh Marigolds, Adder’s Tongues and Dutchman’s Breeches - May 7 (Read)
• Plum Blossoms, Skunk Cabbage, and Modest Jack-in-pulpit among May Arrivals That Please Lover of Life in the Woods. May 14 (Read)
• Beautiful Large-Flowered Trilliums Grace Minnetonka Wood in May; Violets, Forest, Hillside and Prairie Varieties Flourish near Minneapolis. May 21 (Read)
• Geum, Early Meadow Rue, Lousewort, Phlox and Hoary Puccoon Are Described as Wild Beauties in Miss Butler’s Weekly Article. May 28 (Read)

You can read the complete essays in Martha Hellander’s Book on Eloise Butler - The Wild Gardener.

In her fourth year as “temporary” curator, Martha Crone opened the Garden for the season on a cold April 1st and noted that there was deep snow everywhere, several feet deep on some paths and with six inches covering the area of the Snow Trilliums (Trillium nivale Riddell). And the Garden remained cold and frozen until the last snow storm of the season passed on April 6th, bringing 2-1/2” of new snow. After that things began to warm up. There was rain on the 8th and by the 10th visitors came to the Garden on the first good warm day when the temperatures reached 45 degrees.

Martha noted many birds arriving at the Garden even with the snow on the ground, including meadowlarks, which are not seen in the city any longer. By April 16th all the snow in the Garden had melted and the paths were drying out and the Snow Trilliums came into bloom. Many bird houses would be erected in the Garden in 1936 and the process began on April 19th and 20th with the help of a Mr. Yelick. Bloodroots and Hepaticas began to bloom on April 25th. Martha would note what birds were nesting in the various houses and boxes that were scattered around the Garden. Blue birds were nesting near the Office, a Crested Flycatcher was nesting in a box on a Large-toothed Aspen, Wood Thrushes in a Prickly Ash, and young Cardinals were noticed in several places.

On April 14th she gave an instructional tour to a group of 18 Scout leaders. These people would later bring their own groups to the Garden and apparently these visits took a lot of her time as she made mention in her annual report to the Park Board that “the instruction extended to Scout Troops and their leaders has increased to such a great extent as to require much of the Curator’s time.”

Martha began the year’s planting efforts in May by planting Pasque Flowers (Anemone patens - now Pulsatilla patens (L.) Mill. ssp. multifida (Pritz.)) Sharplobe Hepatica (Hepatica acutiloba - now Hepatica nobilis Schreb. var. acuta) [still extant], Dutchman’s Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria (L.) Bernh.) [still extant], Blue Cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides (L.) Michx.) [still extant] and Adam and Eve (Aplectrum hyemale (Muhl. ex Willd.) Torr.) which is a most unusual orchid, so named because it usually has two connecting bulbs. It is native to many counties in the SE Quadrant of MN. (Photo at right). It is no longer in the Garden. Martha had previously planted it in 1933 and 1935, as did Eloise Butler in 1907, 08, 09 and 10.

Many warblers came through the Garden on the 9th and 10th of May including the Chestnut sided, Cape-May, Pine, Wilson’s, Tennessee, Golden-winged, Blue-winged, Canada and Blackburnian. Martha had an eye for birds. Dr. Thomas Roberts (Author of Birds of Minnesota) and two colleagues were in the Garden on May 18th to conduct birding classes. He had been doing this for several years now.

Martha's May and June plantings included some plants she had not previously planted in the Garden:

• Moccasin Flowers (Stemless Lady's-slipper) (M.C.), (Cypripedium acaule Aiton) Native to the state, Eloise Butler planted many of these in the early years of the Garden beginning in 1907. (Photo right).
• Ostrich Fern (M.C.), (Matteuccia struthiopteris (L.) Todaro ) from her home garden. While this was the first time Martha planted the species, Eloise Butler planted it in the early years of the Garden. (Photo right). [Present in the Garden today]
• Ovate-leaved violet - (M.C.), (Viola fimbriatula) Three plants from Taylor’s Falls. This is the first time Martha used this name for a violet. It is actually the same as the Arrowleaf violet (Viola sagittata Aiton var. ovata (Nutt.) Torr. & A. Gray ) that she first planted in 1934 and 1935. Eloise Butler also planted in in 1909 and 1910. [Present in the Garden today]

Martha loved ferns and in May in addition to the Ostrich Fern, she set out five others of the nine species she would plant in 1936 - Rattlesnake, Common Polypody, Purple Cliff Brake, Rusty Woodsia and Hayscented. Other plants put in this month included Lesser and Greater Yellow Lady’s-slippers (Cypripedium parviflorum Salisb. and Cypripedium parviflorum Salisb. var. pubescens (Willd.) Knight); and Bitternut Hickory trees (Carya cordiformis).

June included more plantings with emphasis on bog plants including Pitcher plants (Sarracenia purpurea), Tamaracks (Larix laricina) and Showy-Lady’s-slipper. (Cypripedium hirsutum - now classified as Cypripedium reginae Walter). By mid-June the Blue Birds were nesting again in the same box.

There was adequate rainfall during the spring until the Summer Solstice. Then things would change. Temperatures started to rise above the normal averages in May and except for a few days of coolness in June, the summer would be utterly hot.

In the Garden, Curator Ken Avery reports that the spring flowers were not at their best due to the very cold spring weather. He was referring to April when daily temperature maximums were usually below the averages for those days. There was even a 5 inch snowfall around April 15th. Even in May and June the daily minimum temperatures were below average many days.

It was however, a very good year for spring birding with an unusually large number of varieties being seen. Ken reported that “These birds are just as important to the Garden as are the flowers since at least as much interest is shown in them as in the flowers.” He further noted in his annual report that “In light of this, I have enrolled in a course in Minnesota Birds at the University of Minnesota to increase my competence in this field.”

Martha Crone was not only secretary of the Friends but also editor of the Friends of the Wild Flower Garden newsletter The Fringed Gentian™. In the spring issue she writes about the Minnesota state bird - the common Loon and also about cliff swallows, home gardens and the hibernation of turtles. She writes "The trees in May offer many lovely sights, but none finer than when in bloom, especially the wild cherries, plum and hawthorn's.”

This poem by L. H. Bailey was offered:

Yesterday the twig was brown and bare,
Today the glint of green is there
Tomorrow will be leaflets spare
I know no thing so wondrous fair
No miracle so Strangely rare.

Spring did eventually arrive. The Friends of the Wild Flower Garden hosted an open house on May 20th and Ken Avery led a conducted tour of the Garden to great success. The Greater Yellow Lady’s-slipper (Cypripedium parviflorum Salisb. var. pubescens (Willd.) Knight) was in bloom along with many other spring flowers.

The spring 1961 issue of The Fringed Gentian™ can be viewed in this PDF File.

The Garden opened on April 1st.

There were actually two Spring issues of the Friends newsletter, The Fringed Gentian™; one was dated April and the other May; Betty Bridgman was editor. It was reported that there was a break-in to the Martha Crone Shelter during the first week of April. Glass was broken in the exhibits, several books were destroyed, some furniture damaged and the front door was broken. More information on the guidebook update was presented. There would be a new section on birds and mammals by Garden naturalists Laurie Hougen, David Rafferty and Stephanie Torbert; there would be drawings by Stephanie Torbert, Pete Ascher, Michael Ryan and Sandy Murphy, and a new map incorporating contours and the numbered guideposts by the Cartography Lab of the Department of Geography at the University of Minnesota. In the Garden, the new numbered guide posts were being installed to match the new guidebook. Friends President Patricia A. Thomesen expected to have the guidebook on hand at the Friends annual meeting in May. All was well in design but the actual guidebook would not show up in print until 1987. Once printed, it would go through 5 printings and revisions.

The May issue contained a book review of Common Wildflowers of Minnesota by Gerald Ownbey and with drawings by Wilma Monserud. The book was originally published by the University of Minnesota in 1971 and has had several reprintings including a paperback version. Many of the drawings were made in the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden.

The Annual Membership Meeting of the Friends of the Wild Flower Garden was held May 31st at the Martha Crone Shelter. Gloria Miller (Photo right) was elected President; Betty Bridgman would remain as editor of The Fringed Gentian™. Pat Thomesen became membership chair. Gardener Ken Avery made a report and The Park Board’s Foreman of Horticulture, Don Hasty was made an ex-officio member of the Board of Directors. He was Ken Avery's direct supervisor. Due to conflicts in the administration of it, the Friends Board also discontinued the small grants program that had begun in 1985.

Spring weather was fairly normal, with adequate rainfall. (More than adequate in April as the recorded 5.88 inches made it the wettest April in the weather records up to that date. (It was bested in 2001). There was a temperature spike at the end of March with several days above 80 degrees, but no other abnormalities.

The Garden re-opened for the season on April 1st and the weather was fairly average for the month except in regards to rain - it rained! April 2001 became the wettest April in weather history down to the present day (2011). At 7.0 inches, rainfall beat the previous record of 5.88 inches in April 1986. One rainfall alone was 2.25 inches. Wet weather continued into the early summer.

When the Garden opened, the new benches in the patio area in front of the Martha Crone Shelter had been installed and there were new timbers installed on the trail leading down to the Woodland Area. The Friends had provided $6,300 for these projects. (see photos in the Winter history section or in the 2001 History).

The 48th annual membership meeting of the Friends of the Wild Flower Garden was held in the Garden at the Martha Crone Shelter on May 12th. Steve Pundt was reelected President, Lyle Johnson was reelected Vice President, Juanita Lussenhop was reelected Secretary and Gary Bebeau was elected Treasurer. Lisa Locken continued as editor of the Friends newsletter, The Fringed Gentian™; Joy Davis as membership chair, Harriet Betzold and Shirley Schultz as volunteer coordinators, Marguerite Harbison as memorials chair, Stephen Benson on money management, and Gloria Miller as historian. Gardener Cary George continued as Ex-officio member and Jeff Lee represented the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board. New Board members were Gary Bebeau, Launa Ellison and Pam Weiner.

President Steve Pundt gave a brief history of the Garden, followed by Gardener Cary George who reviewed the state of the Garden, concentrating on the problem with invasive species. Jeff Lee added that the entire Park system has this problem. It was noted that there are currently 240 members of The Friends, of which 30 have been members for more than 25 years.

In The Spring issue of The Fringed Gentian™ Friends president Steve Pundt praised the new Guidebook which was now available (photo in the winter section.) The Friends had contributed $7,000 of the $28,000 total cost. People for Parks gave $4,000 and the remainder was funded by the Park Board. Cost per copy was $4.10 and the book was available for sale at the Martha Crone Shelter.

Naturalist Debbie Keyes (photo right above) wrote that a new seasonal checklist to document birds in the Garden area had been created and individual copies could be obtained at the Shelter. Birds were an important theme of this issue. Steve Pundt wrote of how Eloise Butler kept records of her bird sightings and that the words “and Bird Sanctuary” are part of the Garden’s name.

Gardener Cary George wrote an article about Wood Ducks and the job he has in off season months on maintaining and increasing the number of Wood Duck houses on Park Board properties (photo in 2001 winter section). He also listed this past Spring’s bloom dates for eight spring wildflowers and gave the comparison to last year (2000) and the historical record of earliest bloom date. None of the eight met a record in either 2000 or 2001.

Naturalist Sarah Gordon reviewed the many educational programs available for young people at the Garden (photo at right). The volunteer spotlight this issue was on longtime volunteer Marie Demler, who have volunteered at the Martha Crone Shelter since the 1970s (photo right).

During the Spring The Friends received their first support distribution or annual grant from the Mendon Schutt Family Fund, courtesy of long time Friends member Elizabeth Schutt.