Saturday, November 19, 2011

My Garden Looks Like Sh***!

Autumn can be so unkind to the garden. Pelting rains and strong winds have been aplenty of late and it shows. Big time. One of my daughters and I were driving home the other day and we talked about what they call, "the monsoon season" in some parts of the world. Here, in the Pacific Northwest it's just called "the rainy season." But I like "monsoon" over "rain." It's more dramatic. 

Acer palmatum disectum waving goodbye. 
 Many of my posts now sit empty.


And others, like this birdbath, are filled with fall foliage.



But luckily some still remain green.


The geranium is alive but I hope the budworms are dead. Wouldn't it be cool if it actually bloomed?

 We haven't had a frost yet so many marginally hardy plants are hanging on! Hooray!
This is a seedling Nicotiana run amok. Kinda pretty though so I'm keeping it. 

Heurchera something or other. 'Plum Pudding' maybe. 
 I predict a very mild winter for us Pacific Northwesters this year. Yes I do.

 Begonia -- cool, huh?
Even the cool-leaved Begonia Darla sent me is still green. I won't need to bring it in because we're going to have a mild winter. But I'll keep an eye out just in case. Can't be too careful.


It always amazes me that these succulents can handle the cold. But sure enough.

Now, lest you forgot the title of this post, I'll repeat it.


My garden looks like shit. There I said it. I feel better now.


This is a tiny bit better.

Hydrangea
The pretties require closeup shots.

Tired Thalictrum foliage
Cotoneaster lacteus, my most prominent "winter interest" wonder!
Trees to match the paint color
 But despite my garden's less than stellar appearance, I'm enjoying the finality of fall. Just look at those trees! I took the above photo from the parking lot at the library.


I took the above photo a block from where I work. It's a tiny slice of the enormous Oregon State University campus. Check out those colors! Ooh la, la!


This tree almost burned my eyes!


And finally, (almost) back at my garden. Look at this sweet 'Cinco de Mayo' rose trying its darndest to make me happy. (Yes it's all about me.) 


And finally, (for real this time) I had to show a photo of my daughter's kitten. Please excuse the blurriness. I bought some toy "mouses" at the grocery store and we were busy chasing them. Ain't she a cutie? 

So much to be thankful for! 
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
PS Please pardon my groveling, but if you haven't visited my writing blog, I cordially invite you. 
I'm curious as to your reaction to my current essay. 
Just click on the link on the sidebar.
Thanks.

27 comments:

  1. Mine looks very similar! I have this nagging guilt, stress that keeps whispering to me, "When are you going to put the garden (at the garden plot) and this yard to bed for the winter?"
    I like the way you keep saying we are going to have a mild winter- like you can will it so. ; ) Because I don't think the so called "experts" are saying that. Ha- but they also said I could wake up to a dusting of snow. Like that happened.
    By the way, I have a rusty piece of junk (said in the nicest way, really) that I think has your name on it. I will email a pic to you.

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  2. Yeah you keep telling yourself that it is going to be a mild winter. LOL!Those trees in the neighborhood are beautiful Grace. It seems funny to see such pretty leaves when ours here have been gone for over three weeks.Your garden doesn't look as sh--y as mine believe me. LOL!

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  3. The bird bath full of leaves looks like a work of art, Grace!
    I don't think we are in for a mild winter. We'll never have the winter you have, anyways.
    I. Hate. Winter...

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  4. Grace, I think we need to be selective in what we see in the garden. Close your right eye if there is something ugly to the right from you, and close your left eye if you don't want to see something on the left. I spotted some very lovely things in your place. That birdbath with leaves -ooh la la! And, if I am right, that Japanese forest grass with the tall evergreen - lovely!
    Separate Thanks for "the monsoon season" tern, I also like it more than just "rainy season"!
    Stay warm!

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  5. Oh, Grace, you're too hard on your garden! Autumn has a beauty all it's own. There's no use comparing it to other seasons.

    A mild winter would be fine with me. Like another commentor: I. Too. Hate. Winter.

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  6. Hey! At least you have some color! And plants too; I'm losing some of mine to deer.

    Are you sure you'll have a mild winter, or could you just be hoping? I'm hoping!!

    I love the hens and chicks!!

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  7. Well, there were some solid bits in the "monsoon" that blew through here this morning. Fortunately, it didn't last long, and was completely melted within about an hour or so. My garden looks like sh** too. Your foliage shots are very pretty though, I've heard from other Portland bloggers that autumn there has been stunning. We have lots of yellow here, and nowhere near enough red.

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  8. oh. I love those trees. We don't get fall color around here. I miss it.

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  9. Your garden always makes me smile no matter what your eyes are seeing. Love the butterfly chair, the birdbath with the leaves looks almost staged it's so pretty. That yellow grass, that yellow grass, that yellow grass! So happy to see the Rex Begonia thriving...Please show more of your town, it looks like scenes from a Hallmark movie. This is the prettiest shit filled garden I've ever seen, :)

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  10. Grace, it looks fine to me, there is beauty in the details. And I love that shot of the bird bath, how stunning.

    My garden, well it's no more, all bare, the pots taken to a friends garden to overwinter. Rather shocking when I first look out the window in the morning, "where are all of my babies."

    They were taken in the middle of the night....

    We have had below 0 temps, and yesterday the frost stayed all day. Rather worn out it's welcome, I sure hope that you are correct about a mild winter. Because here, it's already started early. Keeping my fingers crossed.

    Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams

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  11. Oh Grace...you're not alone! While I do love fall, and mostly see the beauty in the garden...at times, when I step back I have to cringe in spite of everything...eek! I'm just enjoying every possible bit of beauty before everything crumples to the ground. I console myself with the fact that at least we in the PNW don't have the bitter cold...and SNOW to contend with...I had rather enough of that early in my life, thank you!

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  12. Those trees are magnificent!!! I think your garden looks great! It's fall - the garden is supposed to look a little like a woman whose hair is wind blown. That's what spring is for - to smooth everything back into place.

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  13. I think sh*& is in the eye of the beholder...leaves all gone...everything brown and dead...I almost want snow to cover it all up....almost I said!! Yours looks stunning compared to mine...

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  14. Look at you! Declaring that your garden looks like "shit" and actually sharing a photo too...I remember once when you said you couldn't possibly post a photo of something I asked about because your garden didn't look great.

    I would love to believe your predictions for winter. They are much more comforting than what I'm hearing from the guys who get paid to talk about such things.

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  15. No, No, No, your garden does not look like....it looks like IT! beautiful!

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  16. ha ~ no way your garden looks bad Grace. I see so much beauty still ~ like that begonia! Just gorgeous. and like others, I love the birdbath photo. Plus you said you haven't even had frost yet ~ that is to be envied for sure! I wish I could say the same.
    I hope you can "will" your winter forecast to turn out as you predicted. I wish that every winter too ~ sometimes we get lucky!
    ps your daughters kitten IS adorable. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family too.

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  17. You are so funny Grace! Your garden still looks great, just ready for fall. I tried to take some pictures of my front garden, but it looks so horrible out there all I could do were a few closeups. I also hope your prediction is what we end up with. It's been really cold here, some ice never melted.

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  18. Grace, your garden looks a lot better than mine does. Mine is quickly losing its color and turning to brown and shades of green. The most colorful part of mine now is the colored lights on the magnolia.

    Eileen

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  19. This really made me laugh Gracie. My bird baths look like that too except there's some water in with the leaves so I have this nice slime thing going. I hope nothing dangerous evolves in there. Lovely trees at OSU campus, but the kitty shot wrapped it up-- inside cozy time!

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  20. Love the firey red trees. And that begonia is a keeper.

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  21. Grace, I don't think your garden looks bad at all; but, I so understand! There's a real absence of pink! My garden is a collection of seed heads and closeups are necessary!
    xogail

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  22. I have put my garden to bed...it deserves the rest after the fantastic show it put on "all for me!" lol
    At least yours still has color. Mine is 12 shades of....brown.

    Happy Thanksgiving, Grace!

    glimpsesofglory-karen.blogspot.com

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  23. For most of us, our gardens look the same. Here in Southern Ontario we are waiting for our first snow....the gardens better have been put to bed by now, because they will be frozen solid in a few days.
    By the way, your garden doesn't look bad at all. I particularly love the leaves in the birdbath.

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  24. Gracie girl I am red faced for not being here in so long (and I owe you an e-mail too!)
    Your garden is so not looking like shit !!! You should see mine .. I haven't finished cleaning up and it is looking awful .. so much so I won't take pictures of it!! LOL
    I LOVE those succulents .. I have a weak spot for them .. all of what you have photographed is beautiful and I can't get over those red red trees !
    BTW .. those leaves in the birdbath ?? AWESOME looking !!
    Great garden and beautiful trees: )
    Joy

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  25. even here we are having wind and rain and the result can be seen in the garden. But I guess always there's good and bad stuff to be seen in the garden, depending on what we feel like focussing at any given minute!

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  26. I see all sorts of amazing plants tucking in for a relatively short, PNW-style nap. Happy holidays, Grace.

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  27. For shit your garden looks way better than mine! The snow and rains haven't been kind, it's super soggy and actually rather gross. I refuse to look at it.
    I'll look at yours instead!

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