At November's End

The Stewartia still has leaves,  the weather is mild and the moon is waxing.

My Dad's Hydrangea in November

One day I should check to see if I have a photograph of a hydrangea in some stage, whether leafing out, in bud, a bouquet or dried in winter from every month of the year. Maybe not, but it just might be close.

Leaf of the Day

A Japanese Maple wins the Leaf of the Day award this Tuesday near November's end.

Fall Colors Still

It's been more than two months now with the colors of fall in New York. I guess if the daylight hours have to be short, the trade off is fair enough. 

In Lieu of Flowers...

Seedpods, which seem to be dancing in the sunlight, are appreciated. 

Fothergilla This Fall on a Sunny Afternoon

And a throwback below to Fothergilla in bloom this spring on an overcast day.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

It was the weekend before Thanksgiving when I first heard Christmas music this year in a tv commercial and then in some stores tuned into lite fm stations. But certain trees were already making it look a lot like the holiday season.

On the Walk Home in the Dark, This

A Japanese Maple under a light. It doesn't take much.

Ag Class Sunflower!

Some people know how to give me a little thrill. I received a picture of this sweet harvest from my nephew's ag class just the other day.

What Dares to Bloom Now? Witch Hazel!

Though I tend to be impressed by most plants, I really have to give it up for one that is fierce enough to dare bloom after the first frost of the year. Our native witch hazel blooms today.

Is the Year Flying Fast or is Time Crawling?

It's still autumn in New York according to my calendar. Soon enough most of the tree canopy will be bare branches and buds, but for now leaves are still in the picture. 

Some People Read Tea Leaves

But I'm going with what the Redbuds seem to be whispering to me this morning.

White Flowers and a Blue Sky Half a Year Apart

November.

April

Playing the What Were You Game

It's the time of year to play the what were you game to see if you can identify plants by their seedheads and what remains after the growing season has ended.

After the First Frost

After the first frost it's still autumn in New York and today's weather is a little more inviting.

Focus

I think it's fair to say that I have been focusing both the camera lens and my attention on pollinators, what's blooming and grasses in autumn for some time now. This year I didn't see any green metallic sweat bees but I did run into some skippers and discovered some new-to-me butterflies in the summer.

Movement

Movement is a word that comes up frequently in articles on using grasses in garden design or landscaping, though admittedly most grass is way more graceful then this little GIF I just made.

The Light at Lunch

The first frost of the year is coming soon. But today the light at lunch was warm and bright.

Some Queen Anne's lace still blooms.

But the fountain grass deserves the spotlight as the star of the show. 

The Gnarly Needles of Pinus strobus 'Contorta'

"Distinctly twisted" is how one nursery describes the needles of this Eastern White Pine cultivar. I agree as I've never seen a similar pine.

Whose Got Great Fall Color This Week?

It's been a warm fall in New York with leaf color coming on slow. But this week the temperature will fall below freezing for the first time and there is a lot more vibrant color, it seems to me. One tree with some great color right now is the crepe myrtle, a standout in all seasons.

Box of Bulbs

Because the seasons bleed into one another and spring will come next year, it's bulb planting time again.

Seven-Son Flower: New Autumn Crush!

Last week I bumped into this fabulous plant that I'm assuming was newly planted in two spots at Hofstra. I wasn't sure what I was looking at. Tree or shrub and were these clusters of pink strappy stars a panicle of really late-blooming flowers or something else?

Something else turns out to be the answer as the mass of color that caught my eye has followed the flowering. And as it also turns out I wasn't the only one stumped about the name of this plant (a few of the grounds keepers at Hofstra were equally stumped about the name of a this shrub originally from China) nor am I the only one who might confuse the rosy calyxes in fall with flowers.

What's Still Blooming in Early November

Some roses and chicory by the roadside.

Autumn Blooming Cherry

An autumn blooming cherry is a fine way to start November. Passing one this morning was the highlight of my morning walk.