Additions to the lower, rear garden this year have been successful, I think. A raised planting bed was dug from a small area of weedy, damp lawn, so any change was likely to be an improvement. The recently added rock and gravel garden along the edge of the raised bed isn’t much to look at…

There are a surprising number of possible entry points for wildlife to get into the house. After years being oblivious to this potential, I am now very aware after several snake sightings in the basement by my wife. Certainly, these are not the first sightings, and in several cases I’ve managed to shoo snakes large…

It’s cold out there. It’s winter, or at least it’s cold like winter. So, who cares about flowers in the garden if it’s too cold to go out there? Well of course, I do. Unless the weather is unusually nasty, I’m in the garden every evening, and more on weekends. Some days this might be…

I did not get out into the garden yesterday, a rarity, but with a chilly rain throughout the afternoon there was good reason to stay warm and dry indoors. Today, my early evening stroll reminded that I must get out to spray the deer repellent. Of course, this can’t be done in the rain, but…

The garden’s transition to winter dormancy continues with only a few scattered shrubs and Japanese maples retaining leaves and below freezing nighttime temperatures expected over the next week. Today, after weeks of mild weather, the upper, rear garden is in glorious bloom, but with flowers of camellias (below) that could be damaged if the freeze…

Leaves of Japanese maples, held long after foliage of neighboring trees has fallen, have dropped overnight in welcomed rainfall from the remnants of Hurricane Nicole. Today, much of the garden is blanketed by leaves, but no area is so glorious as the front walk, covered in the red of the Bloodgood maple (Acer palmatum ‘Bloodgood’,…

I am surprised to see three purple leafed cranefly orchids (Tipularia discolor, below) emerging through the clutter of fallen leaves. Handfuls of more common green leafed craneflies and the few purples were dug by squirrels a year ago. I believe this trio has multiplied from a single cranefly left by the thieving squirrels that has…

I must protest. I hear from other area gardeners that they have not yet experienced frosts or several freezes that have called a halt to holdover flowers from late summer and earlier autumn in this garden. I assumed, incorrectly, that the freezes were widespread. Still, a single toad lily (Tricyrtis) protected by an overhanging mahonia…

Leaves of the splendidly yellow ginkgo fell a week ago. Without forewarning, leaves fell overnight and in a day the tree was bare. Three partially shaded dwarfs retain their leaves, with just the start of a show of color. Aside from the marvelous Japanese maples, the star of the autumn leaf drop is undoubtedly the…

I am barely enthused by autumn foliage colors, knowing the next step is that leaves drop for months until spring’s first growth. But, leaf colors do weigh in favoring one Japanese maple over another. Undoubtedly, the fern leaf full moon maple (Acer japonicum ‘Aconitifolium’, below) is the best of the lot. Today, after several frosts…