December

December is the time to bring in some holly branches, reflect on the past year, and plan for next year's garden. Structural aspects, such as the rose arbor, garden fence, rocks, birdbath, stone fireplace, and bare branches stand out. Evergreens such as arborvitae and cedar are much appreciated. The garden landscape looks best through a window.

Precipitation: Approximately 4 inches
Average precipitation: 4.3 inches  

"A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in." -Greek Proverb 

Old stone fireplace 12/4/13

Arbor and garden fence 12/4/13

Granite boulder 12/4/13

Garden sculpture 12/4/13

More rocks at base of cedar tree 12/4/13

Metal birdbath (with ice) 12/4/13

Trellises and potted evergreen 12/4/13

 

Old concrete urn 12/4/13

A rhododendron blossom! 12/7/13

Rhododendron as a thermometer: 49°F 12/5/13

Rhododendron as a thermometer: 23°F 12/11/13

Rhododendron as a thermometer: 21°F 12/12/13

Rhododendron as a thermometer: 15°F 12/14/13

First dusting of snow 12/11/13

First significant snow 12/15/13

Sunset at winter solstice: 4:13pm 12/21/13

Going... 4:14pm 12/21/13

Going... 4:15pm 12/21/13

Gone! 4:15pm 12/21/13

November

November is probably the dreariest month in the garden, featuring shorter days, gray skies, and brown leaves or bare branches. And there's not yet a snow cover to hide the bare ground. That's why we have holidays.

Precipitation: Approximately 4 inches
Average precipitation: 4.4 inches

"The penalty for planting the wrong thing in the wrong place is death." –Cassandra Danz 

Annuals ahead of the first frost 11/3/13

 

Perhaps just one more brood before winter?... 11/2/13

...Preparing the nest box? 11/2/13

Then again, perhaps not! 11/2/13

Norway maple 11/2/13

 

  

"The End" for the hosta garden 11/2/13

Japanese maple 11/2/13

Pin oak 11/3/13

November sky 11/3/13

Vole trail 11/11/13

Vole trail 11/11/13

Chinese privet 11/11/13

 

A vinca bloom! 11/11/13

The last annual?... 11/11/13

The dandelion is almost eternal. 11/23/13

Where the hosta border "used to be" 11/23/13

Winterberry 11/24/13

Norway maples are completely bare... 11/24/13

...but my new pin oak has barely shed a leaf. 11/24/13

October

October is foliage month and attention is focused on the turning colors. The blueberry bushes, dogwoods, maples and oak show off their autumn colors. A few plants still hang on with late blooms.

Precipitation: Approximately 0.5 inches
Average precipitation: 3.8 inches  

"My neighbour asked if he could use my lawnmower and I told him of course he could, so long as he didn’t take it out of my garden." – John Eric Bartholomew 

Montauk daisies 10/5/13

Sedum 10/5/13

Pink spirea second blooming 10/5/13

A major mushroom outbreak 10/5/13

 

Mushrooms 10/5/13

Rhododendron readying for next spring 10/5/13

Chinese privet berries turning black 10/5/13

Oaks already turned color 10/5/13

Morning glories still hanging in there 10/5/13

Euonymus still looking great 10/25/13

Solomon's seal beginning to turn 10/25/13

Last gloriosa daisy hanging in there 10/27/13

Pin oak beginning to turn 10/27/13

More pin oak 10/27/13

Praying mantis 10/27/13

Blueberry 10/27/13

Dogwood 10/25/13