November is clearly a month where you can pretend you have an amazing garden on Garden Blogger's Bloom Day by posting a few close-ups - but the truth is evident from the First View. That makes it doubly interesting to see what's going on. Above, the Salvia spatacea (hummingbird sage) looks pretty respectably green, and the Festuca Californica has the first spikes of green. But otherwise, things are a little subdued.
That becomes even more obvious when we look at the former wine barrel fountain. Yes, after a summer of battles with algae and raccoons, I've finally decided a change is needed in this area. More of that in some future post.
Looking to the side, we find that the tall Epilobium is still blooming quite vigorously, but the shorter salmon-colored one is almost finished.
The low-growing Epilobium U.C. Hybrid also has very few blossoms left and I'm looking forward to cutting it down to 1 inch in early December. But here as well Festuca Californica is greening up after the rain we had in late September.
At the side of the house I've cut back Eriogonum grande rubescens, though Eriogonum arborescens still has enough white blossoms to make me want to wait a few more weeks, especially because different bees and small butterflies visit all the time.
In the front as well the Eriogonum arborescens has gone brown in a lot of places, but enough whitish flowers are left to make me want to postpone the required pruning.
From the side, it's pretty clear that the Liquidamber is getting serious about shedding its leaves. I'll probably wait until after the next rain to remove the first batch, and then wait again until all the leaves are down before I remove the rest of the leaves. Sure, my neighbors have fewer leaves in their gardens, but I really don't see the problem with waiting a bit.
In a way, it's kind of nice to have a little color in the middle of the greys and greens - though I do admit I like the grasses better without their leafy flowers.
If you like to share what of your garden is doing in November, just add yourself to the Mr. Linky widget below. I'll enjoy visiting you!
Comments
My garden doesn't look bad, yet. There are some flowers - nasturtium, hahlia, roses, salvia, mums, hydrangea, etc. It will be green during winter too, because of all the evergreens in the garden and around it.
I would wait to cut things down, too, if they don't bother me,..I love the blooms and fading blooms of the Buckwheats and look forward to seeing to the ones I recently planted grow and bloom.
Thanks for this meme idea, Mouse!
I'm happy to be reminded about your meme. I always think around the first that by Bloom Day it will be all different and I didn't get to show the peak of something. I was right about November.
I don't cut down things I think might not like it, but I pull those annuals before the first frost hits them so I don't have to look at so much seared by ice.