Notable November Blooms and Foliage

For this month's Garden Bloggers Bloom Day and Foliage Follow-Up, it seems more important than ever to appreciate the small things--the little moments of beauty; the tiny, fighting plants blooming for the last time this season; the fascinating shades of foliage that will soon fade away.*

Believe it or not, a few plants are still blooming in my USDA zone 5 garden:



Marigolds in a south-facing pot near the house.



Little purple/pink Lamiums snuggling under the mulch of Oak leaves.



And more Lamiums warming in the crevices of the rock wall.



A few double Impatiens in pots on the front porch.



And Fuchsias in hanging baskets.

I used no heroic measures to save these blooming plants, other than to water them. I figure when it's there time to go, I must accept it.



The arrangement I shared in my last post is slowly shriveling, but it's still a pleasant greeting by the back door.

While the stunning Maples, Ashes, Oaks, and other dramatic fall foliage trees have lost most of their leaves, bits of green, yellow, and other vibrant foliage remain.



I rescued most of the English Ivy and put it in pots in the sunroom for the winter. But a few of the outdoor sprigs still survive.



Wisteria leaves, though tattered and nibbled by insects, capture the afternoon light on the arbor.



I realize this is a bloom day and foliage post, but the Cranberrybush Viburnum berries (V. opulus var. americanum) are so cheery this time of year.



As are the shrub's variegated leaves. It's hard to describe the color of the Viburnum's foliage as it captures the morning and the late-afternoon sunlight.



In fact, all the remaining foliage, like this Bugbane (Actaea racemosa), has a special glow in the waning hours.

I thought I'd share a series of three photos showing the backyard before, during, and after raking. The photo quality isn't great because I snapped them quickly as I was working, but it's interesting to see the progress.



Note: We don't discard our leaves. Many of them remain on the garden beds. But we do rake most of the leaves off the grass so we can push a mower through. We use some of the leaves for compost and transport some to the woods shown in the background, which is an extension of our property. Check out this article and this one on the merits of mowing, retaining, and using the leaves on your property.

How about you? What's blooming in your garden? Is the foliage still colorful? Check out Carol's Garden Bloggers Bloom Day and Pam's Foliage Follow-Up to learn more about what's happening in gardens around the world.

*Our thoughts and prayers are with recent victims of violence in various parts of the world.