Flowers of hydrangeas, azaleas, and toad lilies faded after several nights of freezing temperatures last week, but now autumn flowering camellias have opened into an impressive display not often seen in this garden. Certainly, all camellias flower dependably, but rarely do blooms coincide as they do today. While cold temperatures slow the camellias’ flowering cycle,…
Deer in the autumn garden
With a one acre garden chock full of flowers, berries, and leafy treasures, I am pleased to do my small part to feed the neighborhood wildlife. Like it or not, and I don’t, the koi pond should be mentioned for attracting a variety of herons and snakes looking to feast on frogs and small fish. While…
The morning after
This mild autumn has been abruptly interrupted by an inconvenient freeze. While not unexpected, and hardly unusual, the harsh result of temperatures in the low twenties after an early autumn with so many mild days is disappointing to the gardener. Flowers and lush foliage have melted overnight in the cold. A day ago, with only…
November color
While toad lilies (Tricyrtis), Peruvian lily (Alstroemeria ‘Tangerine Tango’, below), asters, azaleas, and camellias continue to flower in this relatively warm early November, only camellias will remain in bloom following the first freeze. In days or weeks, other camellias will begin to flower along with the various hybrid mahonias that often bloom through December into…
More like autumn
Oddly, between bouts of unusually warm temperatures, the garden has begun to take on the more typical appearance of autumn. Late or not, maples (Acer rubrum) in the forest have turned to yellow, and while the garden’s dogwoods (Cornus florida, below) slowly turn to crimson, ones in the neighboring forest are in full blown autumn…
Moving the tropicals indoors
A week ago, with the threat of frost and possibly a freeze, pots of tropicals were hauled indoors for the season. Most agaves and elephant ears will tolerate a light frost, but if temperatures dropped below the thirty-three degrees that was forecast, some might be injured. This annual chore is not one of my favorites,…
Mildly disappointing
The garden does not always go as planned. Each year there will be disappointments, or worse. One thing or another will fail to flower, or to survive, and in this one acre garden there are likely to be more than a few things that don’t go as expected. There’s always next year. Despite a late…
Another close call
I should have given greater consideration to the proximity of the towering swamp maples and tulip poplars to the house (and less to its suitability for a garden) when this lot was selected twenty-eight years ago. Shade from the forest that borders the southeastern property line was desirable, while the remainder of the property was…
Finally ripe
On Saturday, the number of cardinals harvesting berries from the dogwood (Cornus florida, below) makes clear that the red berries are finally ripe. On this breezy afternoon branches sway and shake with birds swooping in for a meal, then moving on to the safety of taller, neighboring trees. By Sunday morning, berries are gone, and…
At it again
Unsurprisingly, I’m at it again. Planting, though if you take the word of my wife the garden’s been full for years, and another plant could not possibly be wedged in. Which is, of course, nonsense. Certainly, she understands the futility of putting a halt to new planting, and now she just groans when she spots…
A temporary reprieve
Summer-like temperatures forecast for the middle of October offer a temporary reprieve for flowers threatened by the first frost. A week ago, this killing cold seemed imminent, with overnight lows dipping into the thirties. But, with great relief, the critical degree or two colder was not reached, and now there will be toad lilies and…
Glorybower
By far, Rose glorybower (Clerodendrun bungei) is not a favorite in this garden, though its October flowers are quite nice and it has proved to be indestructible in a bit of a difficult spot. This glorybower spreads by rhizomes, with occasional stems appearing eight or ten feet away, and several popping up in the lawn….
Ramblin' through Dave's Garden 