November in the Garden: Snow! (Sort Of)

According to my rain gauge, we have had over 4.5 inches of rain this week. There were predictions of clearing weather, followed by freezing temps. But the rain was not completely gone before the freezing air arrived, and we woke up to snow! Sort of. We certainly did not have enough to close schools or roads, and I still had to go to my dentist appointment this morning. But the dusting we received was beautiful. While parts of the country to the north of us could claim a real snow event, we had just enough snow to lay icy tendrils atop branches and to cover leaves and lingering flowers with white crystals.

I considered if it was worth a before-breakfast jaunt into the frigid garden with my camera, then decided that any amount of snow in our part of the woods was worth a picture. So here are images of my garden, just a month out of summer and heading already into winter. Look carefully and you can see some snow!

Happy Thanksgiving to you all; may you be blessed with joy in your hearts and see beauty around you, whatever your season!   Deb 

Walk in the Misty Summer Garden

Recently I took a stroll through the garden in late afternoon after a storm. The air was misty, and water dripped from leaves.A view of the front garden. The shrubs with lavender blooms are dwarf crape myrtles.

I am enjoying summer. Abundant rains have benefitted the garden and generally kept high summer temps from becoming oppressive, although I avoid being outside when the humidity soars and the sun is brightest and the pavement sizzles in the heat.

The Tropicana Canna Lily looks good. I have had this photogenic plant for years, and every summer I take new photos of its amazing leaves.

A whimsical bug is at home next to the Tropicana:

If you are a regular follower of my blog, you may remember this creature playing in the snow last December:

Nothing like a snow picture in July!

Another plant that looks great in photos is this colorful succulent:

My succulents grow in pots with very well draining soil. With all the recent rain, some of them are looking a bit mushy, but this one is doing well. I bring most succulents inside in late autumn before winter's heavy rains and freezing temps arrive.

My recently transplanted hosta in the woodland garden is still doing well, no doubt thanks to plentiful moisture.

Ferns in the fern glade are also prospering. The ferns in this area have taken several years to become established, but many of them are now reaching mature size:

Variegated Algerian ivy grows in a pot hanging beneath a birdhouse in the woodland garden. Algerian ivy can become rampant if planted in the ground, but it behaves well contained here. I trim it when it grows too long:

Finally, as the sun was setting and I was about to end my stroll through my very wet garden, I was rewarded with a movement at my feet:

I was delighted to see a young box turtle. One of my most fun posts was about a box turtle. You can read it here:  Encounter With a Box Turtle

Best wishes!  Deb