I prefer plants that require little thinking, ones that do what’s expected without a fuss. There’s more than enough to think about with sunlight exposures and drainage. If I have to consider who’s a male or female, or where a pollinator will come from (if a separate one is needed), I’m in trouble. While most…
Month: November 2017
Autumn fading
Flowering of camellias was exceptional through earlier parts of autumn, and though twenty degree nights brought ruin, many buds assure continued flowering for weeks. With nightly freezes common, even with mild afternoons in the forecast, white and pink blooms will frequently be bordered with brown. Still, there is no complaint. While the foliage of many…
Flowers after the freeze
Despite repeated pleas by my wife, we will not be heading south for the winter. Not that I enjoy the Virginia winter, but her plan sounds costly. I’m not a fan of the cold, so I’ll be overjoyed if the winter is mild (again), though unusually warm temperatures through the winter did not improve productivity…
Too close to winter
I’ve just returned from a delightful week along the Gulf Coast with daytime temperatures around eighty and few signs of autumn anywhere, much less of winter. I have nothing against winter, except that I’d rather it not be winter, though the cold is clearly necessary to grow the plants I treasure. I stepped off the…
After the freeze
A single twenty degree night changes the garden. A day before, coneflowers (below), azaleas, camellias (2nd photo, below), and toad lilies were flowering despite repeated frosts and a light freeze a few weeks ago. After this freeze, flowers remain, but in an altered state that shows effects of the cold. While some extol the beauties…
Foliage and flowers of early November
After a lengthy delay through an unusually mild October, leaves of swamp maples (Acer rubrum, below) in the forest that borders the garden have turned to their typical yellow. Selections of this same tree, then called red maple, are preferred by local homeowners for red autumn foliage, but leaf color of most native trees is…
Coneflower magic
After mediocre, or worse, results with coneflowers in prior years, it suddenly seems I’ve gained a magical touch. In recent years, only a lone white flowered ‘Coconut Lime’ has survived, which is remarkable since it must peek out for sunlight from beneath an ever spreading cypress. A year ago, after repeated failures with purple coneflowers…
Treasures of the November garden
There are wonders to be seen any day in the garden, not only this garden, but in many, no matter the season. Certainly, there are a few to be excited about in early November, and not only colorful leaves. At the start of the month there are many more flowers than expected or typical, and…
Autumn’s Encore
I must begin today by stating that I am far from an azalea fanatic. Once, I declared that I would never grow another besides a grouping of three old Delaware Valley White’s that seemed indestructible. There were problems, lacebugs, clay soil, and diminishing health the longer azaleas were in the ground. Why bother? But, then…
Ramblin' through Dave's Garden 