THE WEATHER has been so nice lately, having traded places with September. Usually by mid-October the rains have returned in earnest leaving us with a wet, leafy mess to contend with. But after two record-breaking deluges in September, this month has been sunny and mild and wonderful.
I'm trying to find a pretty bowl or water feature for the new area off the patio. While scouring a nearby nursery a few days ago, I also had to catch a gander at the plant selection, right? I mean, what self-respecting gardener wouldn't?
Look what I found!
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| You know me and my proclivity towards all things pink! |
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| A hybrid "Snowberry." Sweet indeed! But at $30, I passed. |
Situated right beside it was this:
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| The camera is fooling us. The berries were actually a very deep cherry red. |
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| I'm pretty sure this is Pernettya mucronata 'Rosea' |
There was also this glowing Hydrangea:
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| So pretty! By now the prices had discouraged me from making any purchases so I didn't even look at the tag to ID it. |
Back at home, I took a few more random photos.
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| Charlotte |
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| Pennisetum 'Fireworks' with pink (of course) canna blossoms. |
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| Look at the Berberis berries! They're tiny but so stinkin' pretty! |
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| The Acanthus is "bearing" new leaves. It definitely prefers the cooler weather. Smart plant. |
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| Canna 'Bengal Tiger' sprints upward between a variegated Snowberry and a hardy fuchsia. |
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| I love this Euphorbia. It is much happier since I trimmed and tamed its boisterous neighbors. |
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| Fuchsia love |
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| Even Fuchsia berries look great this time of year. |
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| A dwarf, blushing oakleaf hydrangea ... Hydrangea quercifolia |
For the past month, I've been walking on my paths, la-de-dahing... and catching a whiff of the most elegant perfume. Because I was always en route to some other task, I wouldn't stop to investigate and would just assume it must be coming from the Lilliputian grove of cyclamen blooming in this particular spot.
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| Elaeagnus x ebbingei 'Gilt Edge' |
Duh! One of the major draws to this shrub was the fragrant fall-blooming flowers. How could I have forgotten?
Maybe the fact that they're so incredibly tiny. But boy do they pack a punch in the olfactory department! So yummy!
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| Sorry for all of the grainy photos but it was starting to get dark outside. Don't you hate how early the sun sets now? |
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| My neighbor's shaggy Shasta Daisy likes my garden better. |
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| I love these berries on the Harlequin Glorybower (Clerodendrum trichotomum) |
I wanted to thank you all for your sweet, generous compliments on my new patio. Not only did they melt my heart, but my daughter was so incredibly honored and delighted to feel your love. You know how young people are, trying to find themselves and discover their passions? She's so talented but doesn't always believe it so your words really helped propel her forward. Thank you so much!
Finally, I have to show you another photo of my new patio. Several of you wonderful people mentioned how much you liked my "lived-in" seating arrangement and wanted to see the "after" photos. Well, here is how it looks right now. My daughter and I are planning to paint all of the (mix and semi-match) vintage (aka garage sale) furniture. Probably mat black. What do you think?
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| The Situation |
As always, thank you for visiting.
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