scenes from the day after

...Thanksgiving, that is. We took a little hike in the hills above Calistoga, at the top of the Napa Valley, on this warm, sunny November day. You can see that many of the vineyards here still have some of their Fall colors.

fallen leaves

Fallen sycamore leaves will be an ongoing theme here in the yard for some time to come.
Seen here on succulents, lavendar, and rose foliage.

Wishing You...

a wonderful
Thanksgiving!

favorites: Castor Bean Plant

Last year was the first time we grew this plant, and it grew to an impressive, majestic 10 feet tall. This year, my small effort at starting seeds failed, and it was late in the season before I found a seedling to buy. It wound up in the shadow of something more established, and never got more than 2 feet tall. Still, I'm enjoying its red red foliage, before the frost kills it off.

Third photo: last years plant. Heck, maybe it was even a different variety.



Click here to go to more info on this (all parts are toxic!) plant.

borage & bug

as they fall

maple leaves...with 'spring bouquet' viburnum

November Bloomday

(I don't know about you, but blogger photo uploading sure has been-- moody lately. Sometimes it works, sometimes it won't. Multiple uploading now seems near impossible. I often get bored and just walk away. sooo...)
A small sampling of current blooming.
1) ceanothus.
a native shrub. This one seems a little confused-- usually a spring bloomer.

2) an odd salvia-- so odd I couldn't resist it, at 'Hummingbird Hill' during the recent Farmtrails day.
salvia involucrata






3) most of my roses have some buds or blooms on them.
As I've mentioned before, this rose 'Diseneyland'-- definitely a top performer amongst my no-fuss roses.

4) Nicotiania. Simple & cheerful. In that cottage garden-y way.

5) Nasturtiums. We had them in a whole rainbow of warm colors this year. Soon they'll disappear with the frosts, and we'll miss them!

See all the blooms-days by following comment links at May Dreams Gardens.

November Morning

November 15th-- and to garden bloggers, that means it's Garden Bloom Day-- time to report in on what's blooming now around the gardening world. But first, the overall scene. Silvery grey green foliages are showing their stuff... and we've yet to have a hard frost, so many things destined to disappear (like those nasturtiums) are still with us.

I don't know my mushrooms, but these sure look like classics. We had to hop a little fence to photograph these, we couldn't resist.
(a google search reveals it to be amanita muscaria).

The Family that Clams Together...

A few scenes from a lovely little stay at the beach with some of my family...

Foggy Morning Beauty

1) Pat Austin, my newest apricot peachy rose. She's not so happy in the heat, but has been looking lovely lately.



2) I found myself a Japanese Anenome-- they're looking great in the fall gardens of my region. Mine's not in the ground yet, but soon...



3) Graham Thomas.
Need I say more?




4) Fall. It's here.

watching it open: About Face

...against a backdrop of helianthus augustifolius.
(taken over a series of days)