1948
History of the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden

The first Garden Log entry for the season is on April 1st, opening day:

Not a trace of snow, altho ice on lakes and pools, no plant life anywhere. Paths in good condition except center swamp path.

The Snow Trilliums were in bloom on April 6 and on the 14th the Pasque Flowers, Bloodroot, Hepaticas and Skunk Cabbage were likewise in bloom. Her first planting of the year was on April 13 with 12 Wild Roses, Rosa blanda.

On April 18: “Thousands of Hepaticas are in bloom, most gorgeous sight. Bloodroots everywhere.” [based on her planting thousands of Hepaticas, no wonder.]

That was also the date that the Minneapolis Tribune ran a column titled "Springtime in the Wild Flower Garden," written by Martha Crone, discussing the spring flowers. In the article she states
You would scarcely believe that within view of the towering buildings of a busy metropolis there lies a bit of wilderness, the Wild Flower garden at Theodore Wirth Park. This 13 acre fence-enclosed area is a place apart where days are filled with planting and developing the endless possibilities that arise.

She also wrote "The narrow trails have been widened into graveled paths that wind gracefully through the glen, swamp and hills." This is different from the trails described in the 1943 Tribune article where there were "no formal paths in the Garden, only leafy trails that seem to carry no mark of passing feet." This change occurred with the Upland Garden development in 1944.(PDF of article)

On May 24 a second article appeared, this time in the Minneapolis Star titled "Sapling Now a Tree in Wild Flower Garden," which recounts the visit of Mrs. J. I. Layman of Hector MN who visited the Garden to inspect a tree she had planted as a sapling with Eloise Butler back in 1907. The article points out what’s blooming, says Martha worked for 20 years for Miss Butler, gives directions to the Garden and as to the poison Ivy, Martha says “we have to keep it, we get hundreds of visitors who want to see what it looks like." This was about the same language she later used in a June 10, 1951 newspaper article. The "20 years" working for Miss Butler is incorrect as Martha herself noted several times that it was 15 years. (1) (PDF of article.)

A large number of plants new to the Garden were introduced in the spring. "Native" refers to a plant found in the wild in Minnesota, at settlement time. "Introduced" means the plant is found here but not native. "Not native" means the plant is native to North America but not to Minnesota. If the species survived until the 1951 census it is noted in the list. Updated scientific names are given in [ ].

• Anemone globosa [Anemone multifida], Pacific Anemone, not native, no source given, not extant in 1951.
• Aquilegia flavescens, Yellow Columbine, Seeds, not native, from Frank Rose in Montana, not extant in 1951.
• Azalea calendulacea [Rhododendron calendulaceum] Flame Azalea, not native, from Robbins Blue Ridge Nursery, Ashford NC, extant in 1951.
• Azalea canescens [Rhododendron canescens] Mountain Azalea, not native, from Robbins Blue Ridge Nursery, extant in 1951.
• Azalea vaseyi [Rhododendron vaseyi] Pinkshell Azalea, not native, from Robbins Blue Ridge Nursery, extant in 1951.
• Azalea viscosa [Rhododendron viscosum] Swamp or White Azalea, not native, from Robbins Blue Ridge Nursery, extant in 1951.
• Erigeron concinnus, Navajo Fleabane, seeds, not native, no source given, not extant in 1951.
• Gilia aggregata [Ipomopsis aggregata, subsp aggregata], Scarlet Gilia, not native, seeds, no source given, not extant in 1951.
• Ginkgo biloba, Maidenhair tree, not native, 2 near south entrance, no source given, not extant in 1951.
• Iris prismatica - Slender Blue Iris, from Hendersons Nursery Greenburg Indiana, not native, not extant in 1951.
• Iris pseudacorus, Yellow Flag Iris, not native, from Robbins Blue Ridge Nursery, extant in 1951.
• Mitella staruopetala, Smallflower Miterwort, not native, from Frank Rose in Montana, not extant in 1951.
• Penstemon caelestinus [Penstemon albertinus] Alberta Beardtongue, Blue Western Penstemon. not native, from Frank Rose in Montana, extant in 1951.
• Penstemon ovatus var pinetorum [Penstemon wilcoxii] Wilcox’s Penstemon, not native, from Frank Rose in Montana, not extant in 1951.
• Ranunculus glaberrimius, Sagebrush buttercup, not native, from Frank Rose in Montana, not extant in 1951.
• Rhodora canadensis [Rhodora canadense] Rhodora, not native, from Robbins Blue Ridge Nursery, extant in 1951.
• Sphagnum moss

Next is a series of plants from Askov MN via Mr. & Mrs. Odell, which must have come from a garden or nursery as none are native and many are herb or ornamental garden plants. The source may have been Ferndale Nurseries which was located in Askov and was a source of plants for Eloise Butler and sometimes by Martha Crone. Some of these plants were still in the Garden at the time of her 1951 census.

• Astilbe biternata, Snowplume, extant in 1951. [Note: The name 'Snowplume' is usually assigned to another species of Astilbe, but in her 1951 census Martha Crone lists Snowplume as Astilbe biternata, which is normally named False Goat's-beard; the plant does show up in later census lists of the Garden and I have a photo of it from 2012.]
• Draba aizoides, Yellow Whitlow Grass, not native, not extant in 1951.
• Origanum vulgare, Oregano or Wild Marjoram, not native, extant in 1951.
• Thalictrum glauca - Yellow meadow Rue, not native, extant in 1951.
• Thymus alba, [Thymnus serpyllum], Creeping Thyme Mother of Thyme, introduced, extant in 1951.
• Trollius laxus, American Globe flower, not native, not extant in 1951.
• Trollius ledebourii, Globe Flower, not native, extant in 1951.

The first Hummingbird and Oriole arrived on May 17th. By the time June arrived 2,300 plants, including all the above, had been set out.