Goodbye 2016

I stepped outside to capture this last light of 2016. There is always a mix of feelings for me at the New Year. It's bittersweet to see the past year ending but I am also excited for a clean slate and the promise of what lies ahead in the New Year. Goodbye 2016.

Hellebore Maintenance

Today I worked outside for a bit. I decided to begin the task of cutting off last year's leaves on all of the Hellebore plants. I finished up two plants which completely filled up a trug. As you can see, this year's new growth is already pushing up and out. There are even a few buds fully visible. I worry about them, with all of the cold weather predicted for next week.

Merry Christmas

Wishing you all the joy, wonder and peace of the Holiday Season.

First Frost Finally!

After waiting and waiting, we finally had our first frost last night. It hit 27 degrees and we were greeted by a white, icy wonderland this morning. We missed tying the record for the latest first frost, December 9th, by just two days. I am still wondering what kind of Winter we are going to have. The forecasters are calling for more of a "true" Winter this year. But with such a late first first I am wondering if we are doomed, for a third year in a row, to another mild, warm Winter.

Music Garlic is Up!

After a late start, it was great to see some of my "Music" garlic push through the soil in the last week. It is interesting to note, that although the "Music" and "Red Chesnook" garlic were planted at the same time, it has taken the "Music" garlic almost a week longer to sprout. I wonder if this is just a one-off this year, or a typical difference between the two varieties.

Acer Palmatum "Shidava Gold"

Our new Acer in the front flowerbed is almost at peak Fall color. As its name indicates, it has turned a lovely golden color. We have been watching it and watching it all Fall. It was among the last of our trees to begin changing color. We started joking that it had decided to just stay green. But finally, as Thanksgiving approached, the transformation began. Considering that it is still a young tree, and thus not very full, it is still putting on a really nice display.

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!

The morns are meeker than they were,

The nuts are getting brown, 

The berry's cheek is plumper,

The rose is out of town.

The maple wears a gayer scarf,

The field a scarlet gown.

Lest I should be old-fashioned,

I'll put a trinket on

Emily Dickinson

The First Garlic is Up

Walking past the kitchen garden today, a bit of green caught my eye. I walked over to my garlic raised bed and discovered small green shoots poking through the soil. Since I had just planted the garlic back on November 6th, I wasn't expecting to see anything quite yet. But I found 6 of the "Chesnook Red" cloves had sprouted. Interestingly enough, none of the "Music" are yet visible. I am hoping that they are just a touch slower and I will see some green in their section soon. The 2017 garlic season is officially off and growing!

Zinnias - A Few Holding On

As we near mid-November, the days are getting noticeably shorter and colder. The Kitchen Garden has been put to bed for the year and I only have one more week's worth of digging dahlia tubers before the same can be said down in the Big Garden. But I haven't yet had time to clean up the "over-flow" Kitchen Garden Bed. The cantaloupe are long finished, the vines brown and mushy. The "Bright Lights" cosmos have finally given up. Hopefully a few will spill their ripened seeds and  produce next years volunteer plants. But there is still one bit of color and life left growing right now- a few plants of the "Country Fair Blend" zinnias. This last splash of hot pink and reminder of Summer is as enjoyable to the humans as it is to the hummingbirds and pollinators still seeking a good source nutrition.