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Swapping Huckleberries

Himalayan Honeysuckle ( Vaccinium glauco album)  Himalayan Honeysuckle ( Vaccinium glauco album) has been an attractive feature along our north-facing foundation since I planted it in 2016. You will have to take my word for it since I cannot locate a photo although I know one exists somewhere in the realm of the Internet or floating on a cloud somewhere.  I did locate a photo of how it looked when it was first planted - It took a few years to fill out but it did so nicely to an attractive mound about 2 feet high by 3 feet wide.  Last year, it started to look bad.  I cut it back but it had not improved and this is how it looked a few weeks ago - I decided to rip it out and plant another huckleberry - this time Vaccinium ovatum , more commonly known as the "Evergreen Huckleberry".  This is a plant that I've wanted for ages and kept putting off getting one because I could not find a good place for it. By most accounts, this is an amazing plant, a native one and excellent for
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Before the first frost

maple-leaf

A frost is predicted for tonight. Today was very cool but pretty and sunny. I mowed the front strip and took some photos. I also moved all of the houseplants to the library. The first frost is always sad because you see all these beautiful blooms that might not be here tomorrow. And perhaps they will. It usually doesn't get as cold here as it does in outer-lying areas of town. Our garden is well insulated with lots of leaf cover. I have noticed that some plants looked stress, especially the hydrangeas, so I watered them today. A good watering helps plants before a freeze.


chrysanthemum-ryan-gainey
Chrysanthemum "Ryan Gainey"

camellia-snow-flurry
Camellia "Snow Flurry"

angels-trumpet
Angel's Trumpet


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Miscanthus "Adagio" and Oakleaf Hydrangea "Sike's Dwarf"


miscanthus
Miscanthus "Morning Light"


panicium-northwind-switch-grass
Switch Grass "Northwind"


panicium-northwind-switch-grass-3  


Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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  1. David OliverOctober 25, 2013 at 8:21 PM

    Everything looks great! I particularly like the Chrysanthemum and Camellia. I like that churn a lot too. It is much better looking than the old ugly one I have. I assume you bring it inside before a hard freeze?

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  2. Lisa at GreenbowOctober 26, 2013 at 4:01 AM

    Your garden looks so beautiful even at this stage of the growing season. Ready to be put to bed for winter. It was a good year in the garden around here. Love the seasonal changes though. Looking forward to a little down time. Our house is crammed with house plants. Every year I say no more but the few I keep keep getting larger and larger so it still looks crammed up in all our windows. ha...

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  3. HolleyGardenOctober 26, 2013 at 8:53 AM

    Gorgeous. I hope the frost doesn't do much harm. I love the camellia! And that cinches it - my mums look so pitiful compared to how beautiful yours are. They don't really like our heat, and I've been trying to baby them. But I've been fooling myself. I'm definitely replacing them now!

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  4. Lonnie MillerOctober 28, 2013 at 9:34 AM

    Great post and AWESOME photos!

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  5. NicOctober 29, 2013 at 3:01 PM

    Such wonderful camellias already!

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  6. RobinLOctober 29, 2013 at 6:16 PM

    Because I'm a bit more north than you are, I find the first frost to be a sad affair. I was out petting my "babies" the day before our first frost, and I really did get a bit choked up. Silly woman!

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  7. Shenandoah KeplerOctober 31, 2013 at 7:44 AM

    Thanks for sharing your beautiful garden! What do you do with your angel's trumpets? Take them inside or just let them go? I'm crazy about them but don't want to just abandon them.

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  8. GailNovember 2, 2013 at 7:58 PM

    Beautiful! Love the Dwarf hydrangea with the grass~ Perfect. I always go into denial and cover blooming plants for that first frost...You can fool Mother Nature once! gail

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  9. Phillip OliverNovember 3, 2013 at 5:30 AM

    Shenandoah, I have one in a container that I bring into the basement for the winter. The one in the photo is actually in the ground (or rather, a raised planting bed) and it survives with a heavy mulch of pine straw. However, a very cold winter can do them in. This happened a few years ago with an Angel's Trumpet planted in this exact spot. I used to dig it up every year, put it in a pot, and take it to the basement. Now I just leave it and hope for the best.

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  10. outlawgardenerNovember 8, 2013 at 7:00 AM

    Such a precious time just before the first frost. Did you get a frost? Is the brugmansia toast?

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  11. JeanneDecember 6, 2013 at 3:08 PM

    Dear Philip,

    I also love Rosa 'Buff Beauty', and thank you for your photos. I'm currently re-designing the bed near the rose and wonder which Miscanthus is in your photo. Many thanks,
    Jeanne

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