Sunday, November 27, 2016

Perhaps this is the last gasp of summer/fall? 

Clicking on photos enlarges them.

I spotted these late blooming Colchicums 

struggling to flower in the east garden.

Good old reliable snapdragons, possibly the favorite gate-way flower to lots of kids. This plant has survived two winters so far and has seeded itself also. That puts it into a very select group of annuals I like. My plants have to be able to survive rambunctious Icelandic Sheepdogs, cruel winter winds coming in off Lake Huron, really cold winters, and difficult soil conditions. They have to be tough.

This viola fits that category. I planted a few 

when I first moved here 

and several seeded thenselves 

plus a few always survive the winter. 

They are small but much appreciated in the 

early spring and the late fall.

I know it's hard to see the flowers on this 'wild' Penstemon. 

It does well much of the summer, and like many 

wild species plants also is very hardy.

Although tiny, this tick-seed (Helenium) is still doing fine.

I'm not good on identifying ferns. Next year 

I'll try to get my act together. Regardless,

I do love them.

The new kinds of Heuchera are amazing. 

They are perfect for the semi-shady garden.

Italian Jack in the Pulpits have very attractive leaves which

start to reappear in the fall after being dormant much of the summer.

Mosses thrive when the less hardy plants retreat underground.

Their rich green leaf scales encourage optimism, don't they. 

Molds and fungi recycle nutrients for re-use and have done 

so for millions and millions of years. Neat, eh? 

The color didn't photo well. Reminds me of Jon's Dark Star

Many of the grasses disappear in the fall revealing 

how prolific this almost chartreuse sedum was last summer.

Canada Geese loitering by my islands.