September Surprises
It is always a thrill to stumble across a plant that I may have forgotten about or one that does something unexpected. That has happened several times over the past weeks. First, the vine pictured above is the Eastern Prince Schisandra vine ( Schinensis chinensis ), also known as "Magnolia Vine". I purchased it in May of 2023 from One Green World in Portland. I don't know what attracted me to it, other than the fact that I'd never heard of it before and the description sounded nice. I didn't forget about this plant; in fact, it has grown quite vigorously up an archway at the entrance to our woodland path. It shares space alongside the rose 'Lamarque'. I did forget that it produces berries, so I was surprised when I looked up and saw them dangling over the top of the arbor. The berries are used in Chinese medicine. They are called the "Five Flavor Berry" and said to have five flavors in one - sweet, salty, bitter, tangy and sour. Chinese le...
You are such a good photographer Phillip. These beautiful scenes give me courage to face the rest of this winter. I know there will be blooms in the future. Happy New Year to you too.
ReplyDeleteWhat a treat for the eyes, such gorgeous photos! August and January my favorites--the texture on the petals in August and the graceful drape of the snow-covered tree in January--perfect.
ReplyDeleteThis is a wonderful post idea, I hope you keep doing it in the future. I love November's yellow-purple vignette. Such a vibrant display as the garden slows down is quite an achievement and a sign of a gardener's talent. I also love the wavy motion of Carex comans (if only it didn't reseed so prolifically).
ReplyDeleteGarden blogs that I used to follow that sadly no longer are there used to do an end of the year post with highlights from each month. Love your photos. They are certainly beautiful
ReplyDeleteJust coming out of the deepest freeze here in decades, my eye is drawn to anything that radiates warmth, so I lingered over August for some time. After that warmup, even the small hot flashes among the frosted strawberry foliage of December were effective; that one's my favorite, in fact.
ReplyDeleteBut they're all excellent. July is just smashing; isn't 'Marie Pavie' a great rose? And you've accompanied her brilliantly. Thanks for the beauty!
These are gorgeous! Especially love Jan and March. This may inspire me to do favorites next year instead of my usual "Best of the Rest" from leftover photos.
ReplyDeleteGreat plant groupings and great photos. The January image was so striking I had to see what else you picked.
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