So Much to be Thankful For

It's Thanksgiving week and is there any better time to show our gratitude for the garden and nature at large? I don't think so. I did some puttering today and it was so pleasant to be in the garden. The weather has remained mild so the last few blossoms continue to hold on and make me smile.

Alyssum

Fresh pansy blossom and curious dead pansy blossom

Impatiens arguta

Lewisia cotyledon 'White Splendor' and L. c. 'Elsie'

Vibrunum bodnantense 'Pink Dawn'

Viburnum flowers up close

Clematis 'Chameleon' put out one last blossom. Last summer the flowers were lavender and pink. This flower is a creamy white. Is it fixing for a snow storm? Could that be why it's called 'Chameleon'?

Clematis 'Chameleon'

Fuchsia 'Rosea'
A cutting from my BIG mother plant.

 Cyclamen hederifolium  

How sweet to see this little tiny lavender Galega bud trying to open.

Galega officinalis 'Lady Wilson'

'Ruby Slippers' Hydrangea leaves still look good enough to eat.

Hydrangea quercifolia 'Ruby Slippers'

And the Nandina is also looking fabulous.

Nandina 'Wood's Dwarf'

My camera couldn't do justice to the water droplets on this dark leaved Hypericum.

Hypericum seedling

Even "common" plants such as Bergenia look brilliant with their winter colors.

Bergenia, unopened Oxalis buds and Sedum oreganum

Bergenia 'Tubby Andrews'

I've always hesitated growing Chocolate Creeping Jenny because I'm not thrilled with the yellow flowers. But look at that foliage! 

Chocolate Creeping Jenny
Lysimachia congestiflora 'Persian Chocolate'

A close up: So pretty.

Lysimachia congestiflora 'Persian Chocolate'

I cut back my Wintersweet shrub (Chimonanthus praecox) last spring. It said thank you by putting on a lot of new growth. I'm loving the fall colors on it. The gradation down the branch from gold to green leaves is eye catching.

Chimonanthus praecox

And it is loaded with fat flower buds!

Chimonanthus praecox flower bud

Mild temperatures mean that my Melianthus is still looking good too. 

Melianthus major

More water drops. This time on Euphorbia 'Blackbird'.

Euphorbia 'Blackbird'

There are still a few leaves on my Silver Vein Creeper.

Silver Vein Creeper Parthenocissus henryana 
with Schefflera delavayi

I am really enjoying Spike Moss (Selaginela). It is new to me this year so we'll see how it survives the winter and how long it takes to recover next spring. 

Spike Moss Selaginela karussiana 'Aurea'

And now for some garden shots.

Acer palmatum 'Seiryu'

The tree below is a "seedling" Japanese maple. It was a baby plant from the Coral Bark Maple in the front yard. It is at least twice the size of her mother. I didn't think it would get quite this big. 

Looking up

Looking down

Fortunately the shade it provides means room for lots of woodland plants.  

Remember the photos of my fern table a few posts back? At Garland Nursery's fall plant sale I was hoping I could find a few more goodies to tuck into it. Check out these bargain one-dollar plants I grabbed.

Gautheria procumbens and Acorus grimineus minimus 'Aureus'

Here is the fern table with the newbies and a whole lot of litter from the plants above it. Natural, right? 

And the culprit for all of that detritus--Arbutus flowers. 

Arbutus unedo 'Compacta'

It's a good plant in that the hummingbirds love these ivory bells. 

But oooh it's so messy! And coupled with the Japanese maple leaves, you can see why fall is not my favorite season.

Thanks for visiting. I hope you all have a lovely Thanksgiving.