Happy Solstice and Blessings for the Days Ahead

Before the Snow

Autumn and winter are playing tag in my part of the world lately. We've had cold days and snowy days, followed by rainy, sunny, and relatively mild days. This morning, Mother Nature blanketed the garden with a fresh coat of snow. It will probably melt on the weekend with milder temperatures, but it's pretty while it lasts.

Before the snow, I took a quick tour around the garden yesterday to note the highlights of the late autumn garden.



Most years, the Epimediums ('Rubrum' here) are chewed to the ground by the rabbits this time of year. Rabbit activity, for some reason, is lighter this autumn.



I like the stacking here of the Juniper shrub, Epimedium x warleyense, and the Ajuga groundcover.



Sedum 'Autumn Joy' is a favorite in the garden this time of year with its colorful seed heads.



Moss on rocks and other surfaces keeps the green character going throughout the winter.



The Hellebores retain their umbrella foliage until I trim them in the spring.



I'm trying to get some swaths of Hakone grass (Hakonechloa macra) going, to spill over the rock wall. I've had limited success (rabbit damage, slow growth, etc.) But this one survives with a little help from caging at the base. I hope it will fill in more in the years to come.



I leave the garden seed heads, including Echinacea, up over the winter for bird food and for insects that might be overwintering in the stems. I think they also add character to the winter garden.



This combo of Coneflowers (E. purpurea) and Blue Mistflowers (Conoclinium coelestinum) is fun.

The 'Ozawa' Allium (A. thunbergii) I profiled in my last post is still holding its color and form.

How is your garden faring as the seasons shift? Soon the days will be consistently cold and snowy, and winter will take hold here. Things are getting festive as we shift toward the holidays...

The Latest-Blooming Alliums

The garden is sleeping now, but some plants, and even blooms, are holding on to bits of color during the transition to winter. One of those plants is the late-blooming Allium (A. thunbergii), 'Ozawa.' The photo above is from earlier in the season (mid-October), but this is the latest-blooming Allium in my garden. 'Ozawa' is hardy to USDA zone 4.



It's a petite little variety, only about a foot tall, and it forms a compact clump that comes back every year, but doesn't spread much (I have two clumps). Unlike my other Alliums, this one must be caged; if not, unfortunately the rabbits will eat the buds and blooms. Although there are fewer pollinators active when it's blooming in October and November, I have seen some on it; particularly honeybees and some flies.



It's even pretty and colorful after the blooms fade and the seeds start to form. At this point, it tends to shift from a light lavender color to bright pink.

Last week, after our first snow (which is melted now), I noticed the Allium's sweet spot of color. Beyond the rabbit challenge, it's any easy addition to the garden for late-season interest.

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I hope my American friends had a Happy Thanksgiving, and Happy Holidays to all in the weeks ahead!

The Fuchsias of November 2022

This is an unusual November for my part of the world. We've had light frost, but it's been followed by days of very mild weather, similar to what we'd usually experience in September. While most perennials have gone dormant and many annuals have passed, some plants that can take a light frost are holding out. This includes my hanging baskets of Fuchsias.

I have many around the property, and most have not been sheltered from the cold nights or covered at all. They're actually looking better than they did during the hot summer days.

I don't know the names of most of these Fuchsias, because they came in mixed baskets without tags. The last two photos, however, are 'Markinka,' which I bring in to the sunroom for the winter every year, and the buds of 'Dark Eyes.'

We've been spoiled with this mild autumn. I'm not ready for the cold days of winter ahead.