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The 2024 Garden Year

January 19, 2024 January Our year started with snow, ice and frigid temperatures in mid-January. Our temperatures stayed below freezing for almost a week. I think it was the most consistent cold that we've experienced since moving here. Fortunately, it was a dry snow so there wasn't too much damage. Once again, we almost lost the azara and I'm afraid there would have been some breakage if I had not kept knocking the ice off. February 14, 2024 February In past years, it seems that inclement weather seems to hit around Michael's birthday in mid-February. After the January snow and ice, this month was actually quite tame. Nothing exciting to report - mostly birdwatching . Early flowers like hellebores, cyclamen and crocus begin to bloom in mid month. March 3, 2024 March I got into a walking routine which I'm happy to report I am continuing this year. You get to the point where you feel guilty if you miss a day. I do miss days occasionally but I'm learning that ...

A perfect Fall day

Before I bombard everyone with vacation photos, I thought I would share some that I took today in the garden. It was great to be back at home and, either I was re-energized from vacation or perhaps it was the time change, but I got a ton of chores done. I bought groceries, mowed, cleared the leaves (and was amazed at how many had fallen since we left one week ago), restocked the bird feeders, cleaned the urn fountain, and spent an hour taking photos.

When we left last Saturday, the leaves had just begun to change color. The colors really popped during the last week. 


The first thing I noticed as we approached the house was how pretty the
Sweet Gum tree (Liquidambar styraciflua) is this year.


Acer rubrum "October Glory" is just as colorful - you just have to look up to see it.


Witch Hazel "Diane" (Hamamelis x intermedia 'Diane') is a dud of a shrub
but the fall foliage almost makes me want to forgive it.
Lespedeza is always a vibrant yellow in fall. We have both the purple and white
flowered varieties but aside from flower color, they look the same.
Sweet Shrub (Calycanthus floridus) is a great old-fashioned shrub.
Japanese Maple "Sango Kaku" (Acer palmatum) is one of my favorites.
The bark will turn red in the winter.
Another Japanese Maple that I would not want to live without is "Crimson Queen", a threadleaf variety that spreads wide but stays low. Ours is over fifteen years old and is not over 4 feet tall.
 
Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Comments

  1. I love pretty fall days. Thanks for sharing yours!

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  2. Phillip how wide is your Crimson Queen maple? I planted one along the driveway and I'm worried that it might mug folks as it gets older. I have 3 or the coral bark maples and planted a Red Emperor Japanese Maple today that I found for half off. I have several re-blooming iris starting a re-bloom. Hope the heavy freeze holds off until they open. Mary

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  3. Beautiful fall and photography, dear Phillip!

    I enjoyed these so much!!

    My favorite season is fall even though I am a lover of Roses..

    gerri XXX

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  4. Wow Philip... your Sango kaku looks great! I put one in a month ago and am hoping it's going to make it here despite being rated zone 6 (we're 5). Great post! Larry

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  5. Urocze jesienne widoki...pozdrawiam.

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  6. One of those perfect golden fall days indeed! It is magical the way the light filters through the fall colors and your photos capture that magic perfectly.

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  7. Beautiful fall photo's! The colors are so vibrant. Love the photo's of your Jap.Maples too. ~Brenda

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  8. Welcome back! Nothing like a good vacation to energize you.

    I planted a sweet shrub this year, not expecting much from it. Wow! Now I want to plant two more. Today the fall foliage here is so spectacular, I can hardly pull my eyes away.

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  9. What a beautiful Japanese maple! It has been so dry, I'm a bit surprised the fall color is so good this year. I was expecting everything to just turn brown and die.

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  10. Absolutely beautiful...isn't it amazing just how much things can seem to change when we are gone for a few days...especially at this time of year!

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  11. Beautiful pictures - Love the Japanese maples!

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