I Was a Fool for Fuyu, and Other Thoughts

It's not quite winter here yet, but fall is fading fast. Most deciduous leaves have fallen and have been raked into natural areas, where they will decompose and add nutrients to the soil, as well as providing a warm blanket of protection for chilly roots. A leaf mulcher would be nice, as shredded leaves would have a neater appearance but I'm not sure I really need one.

Today was drab, and as I write this there is a cold rain coming down. I don't mind. A fire blazes in the fireplace nearby, and I am thankful for the sheltering comfort of the house around me. I am enjoying going through recent photos.

Here are a few late fall images in my garden:
Upper left is a newer purchase for the woodland garden, a frost proof purple pot. I hope it will compliment the gold spring and fall foliage of the nearby Japanese maple 'Waterfall', as well as the chartreuse and rust colored leaves of the heuchera 'Tiramisu'. Upper right is a very large maple leaf. Below left is spirea 'Goldmound', noted for its golden spring leaves, but the fall colors are also lovely. On the lower right is the fruit of my persimmon tree. I thought it was 'Fuyu' when I planted it last year. Lou says, "Fuyu fooled you!" It turns out I have the persimmon 'Tamopan'. It is a beautiful, large persimmon that looks like it's wearing a cap! But it is astringent, which means I have to let it fully ripen before I eat it. I am bitterly disappointed. My heart was set on the non-astringent Fuyu. Although 'Tamopan' is tasty when it is ripe, I'm not sure what I will do. 

Earlier this week I took some shots of the December sky:

While leaves turn brown and the garden shivers in its nakedness, camellias are beginning to bloom! Below is 'Leslie Ann' on the left, and an unknown on the right. This second one was a 'rescue' plant. I had no idea what the flowers looked like. Hooray! Sometimes it doesn't work out when I take in a sad, homeless plant, but this one is growing well and has beautiful blooms.

Here's a recent look into the woodland garden. Toward the back you can see the red leaves of the Japanese maple 'Orido Nishiki'. This Japanese maple is the last one in my garden to loose its leaves. I think after today's rain they will be gone.

Finally, here are some photos of our resident Red-shouldered Hawk:

He was sitting above our patio one morning, waiting for the unfortunate ground squirrels who are fattening themselves on birdseed. (He was probably eyeing the little song birds, too, but I prefer not to think about that.) As you can see, he is well-fed, as are all the critters in my garden. Lou saw this same hawk attempt to catch a full grown gray squirrel the other day. The squirrel, fortunately for him, was too heavy and escaped. Smaller ground squirrels are not so lucky!

A Forbidden Ruin and Other October Garden Scenes

October is rushing by like a high speed train, no doubt headed for some frosted, cold-wrapped region. I love it. Daytime temperatures are moderate, up into the 70s or 80s and even hot in the sunshine, but nights are decidedly cool. In the garden it's an odd month, with summer flowers still blooming while some plants are already dormant and fall foliage flutters to the ground.

There is one part of my garden I have never shown on my blog. Camera shots in this area were forbidden because it is unkempt and contains an ugly, broken-down storm shelter from the 1950s. In my mind, someday this spot will contain a wonderful garden house. But recently I blinked and the scene shifted. With wildflowers blooming around it, the eyesore was transformed into....a ruin! Such is the power of flowers. 

The structure has some interesting history to it. The story is that the original owner of my house was married to a strict teetotaler who forbid alcoholic drinks in the house. So he and his buddies would go down to the storm shelter whenever they wanted to party. I think it is a true story, because we found lots of old empty booze bottles in the shelter when we moved in.

Below is a peek at my 'ruin' and photos of some of the flowers blooming in the October garden:

Though only the knockout roses are still blooming in the garden that wraps around the patio, the colors and textures of the foliage in this area keep the interest alive deep into another season:

Many hostas have already pulled themselves into the earth for a few months rest. The huge leaves of Hosta 'Sum and Substance' are drooping but still striking. The lower photo on the right shows the underside of its wilted leaf, which I think is also interesting:

Dogwood, Japanese maple and other deciduous leaves are beginning to change into reds, purples, and golds:  But there is more to come! Here in Helena fall stretches itself all the way through October and well into November, possibly even into December! One never knows when our fickle winter will hit. Today, the great woodland trees are slightly golden in afternoon light. Soon their foliage will also take on multicolored hues.

I hope you enjoyed the look around my October garden. Blessings to you!   Deborah