Long stems of nandinas (Nandina domestica) arch under the weight of the wet and heavy late November snow. Leaves remain on several Japanese maples (Acer palmatum ‘Okushimo’, below) so that these catch more snow than others with bare branches, though this snow will melt quickly and no damage is expected. A well prepared gardener will…
Sick of sycamores
Autumn is most noted for foliage that turns to marvelous reds and yellows before falling to carpet the ground. In this garden at the forest’s edge, perennials and small shrubs (as well as garden tools) can be lost forever (or just for months) if deep piles of leaves are left for long. So, a few…
Turning cold
After several nights with temperatures dropping into the twenties and teens, most foliage has fallen from trees and shrubs, and the few scattered blooms that remained on toad lilies (Tricyrtis) until a week ago have turned to brown. Splendidly colored leaves remain on Lion’s Head (Acer palmatum ‘Shishigashira’, above) and a few Japanese maples that…
Mahonias in November
I haven’t the gumption to prune the tall and lanky ‘Winter Sun’ mahonias (Mahonia x media ‘Winter Sun’, below) down to a height where most of the splendid yellow panicles can be enjoyed at eye level. This is an evergreen shrub that grows taller than expected, at least taller than I expected, though references seem…
Sparkleberry with few berries
The garden’s Sparkleberry hollies (Ilex verticillata ‘Sparkleberry’) need a friend. Or, at least a nearby pollinator so that pollen is passed between male and females so there will be more berries. I think that at one point I planted a male holly in the vicinity, but that was long ago, and the details are fuzzy,…
What a difference a night makes
A freeze was inevitable sooner than later, only I didn’t suspect there would be one the night I opened my big mouth to say that beginning the second week of November it was unusual not to have had one. So, temperatures dipped below freezing, and in the week ahead they are forecast to drop into…
Frost and freeze
I’m in no rush for winter to arrive, so today I’m quite satisfied that as the second week of November begins there has been only a single frost worth talking about. Another night brought the slightest amount of frost, but this had no effect whatsoever on the garden. The heavier frost nipped the coleus and…
Autumn flowering camellias
After a difficult winter, all buds of spring blooming camellias (Camellia japonica) were damaged, so there were no flowers earlier this year. Besides flower buds, there was little damage to foliage, and since, all have returned to excellent health. I expect no problems next spring unless there is a repeat of prolonged temperatures below zero,…
Yellow, more yellow, and red
To look out over the rear garden and the neighboring forest, most foliage has turned to yellow in early November. The predominant swamp maples (Acer rubrum) that border the garden (popularly called red maples) do not show a trace of red, only a drab yellow that is more faded and lifeless than vibrant. Only cultivars…
Rose glorybower
Brushing past Rose glorybower (Clerodendrum bungei, below), it emits a scent somewhat reminiscent of peanut butter, but more unpleasant. For this reason I have planted Mountain mint (Pycnanthemum muticum) immediately beside so that the odor can be cleansed before I resume stomping through the weeds. (In fact, the proximity of the two is purely accidental, but…
Frogs in the basement
I am wrong often enough that it stopped being a bother to me long ago, but still it hurts to be the target of too many I-told-you-so’s from my wife. Last evening I heard the news that temperatures would be dropping into the thirties overnight, so this is the time to bring in the gingers,…
Autumn foliage and more
As outdoor temperatures turn inhospitable, this should be a period for rest, and certainly I do my best to avoid chores that pile up by the day. Winter weeds have gotten off to a roaring start with ground that has remained damp for weeks, but it is the autumn accumulation of leaves that I most…
Ramblin' through Dave's Garden 