Bogturtle's Garden- October 2022

 

This particular clone of Viburnum nudum, the 'Possum Haw', I think, was selected at the Delaware Winterthur Gardens and Museum and is called 'Brandywine'. After the Brandywine River, that flows tea colored, as do so many of our streams, here in NJ. The shrub does develop a beautiful mahogany color for Fall. As I have said, before, two different clones are needed if fruit is to come, and there appears to be none, this year. The berries on this clone go from pale to salmon to dark blue, if I recall correctly, and are decorative. Another clone named 'Fallshades' was across the yard. I will have to check if it is still there. It may well have been shaded out by the massive growth of neighboring shrubs, there. V. nudum is native to NJ, but I have never seen it in the wild. 

Above is a photo from some previous year, some September, that shows the colors of V. nudum 'Brandywine'. 

A lifetime ago a neighbor gave me the Aster.  It has wandered and bloomed by the Holly Tree we pass, walking to the vehicles. She was growing it with full Sun and huge heads of crowded flowers came. But I see no reason to move it and would never pull it out. 

A total surprise, this single bloom of the Colchicum, or Autumn Crocus, named 'Waterlily' has shown up. The pot with spent blooms was planted here late last Fall. At the base of the tall Sour Gum Tree in the front of the house. One blue berry from that tree is in the photo. Thousands of those every year.   The preferred white-flowered Colchicum was hard to find on the market this Summer, but I will buy it, if I see it offered, next year. Large leaves come in Spring and die down before bloom comes, but I don't recall that rather rank foliage here, this Summer. 

A few years ago I was able to get Colchicum 'Alba' to bloom, but it did not come back, put into the ground.  No reason for that and I will try again. 

The wild, white-flowered Dogwood, Cornus florida, so common locally, is coloring. As it the larger red-flowered form, further back in the photo. 

A white flowered Oxalis blooms in random places on the property and should be catered to. Half inch wide flowers often showing up at various times in the growing season. 

The dwarf Japanese Maple, Acer palmatum 'Fjelheim' has colored beautifully this Fall. Don't expect a great deal of the brilliant red Winter bark, as that comes on new growth. Older stems are dull. But it will be well worth displaying.

As as kid, in the city, this photo would have been fascinating. Never belonged there. Now almost all the animals captured, looking for a drink from the pool, are mundane daily items. The Chipmunk would have been completely intriguing.  I do have two mud colored little Frogs, one barely visible, sitting on a bit of Red Cedar floating in the pond. Soon to be wintering, it will be interesting to see if they are here, next Spring. 

Viburnum plicatum 'Popcorn', I think. Overwhelming beauty in Spring, with flowers, like fluffy snow, hiding most foliage. I knew nothing of how vast the entire tribe of Viburnum was, or how useful so many sorts are, until I retired. Then I tried to make this place, I now spent so much time in, beautiful in every season. 

This scarlet Maple may be a named sort, species to be determined, named 'Red Sentinal'. Probably could not pass it up as a very cheaply priced plant of value at what is called a 'Big Box Store'. Better and better as the years past, and so much more colorful than the bigger native Red Maple hardly in the photo to its right. Also in the photo are Fothergilla 'Mt Airey', which may turn as brilliantly scarlet next Month, and Chimonanthus praecox, the 'Wintersweet.  I did search the web for Winter blooming plants, and some folks omit Wintersweet. Hard to understand why. 

    Not a color for Fall but always late to come into bloom.

Just the smallest head of flowers on the Monkshood or Aconitum. Beautiful, like amethyst jewels, these need lime added to the soil. Naturally acid, our sandy soil is not the best, so I am glad it is still here. It amuses me that I succeeded in getting a finger in the photo.

Also showing rust leaves, very close to that of the Dogwoods next to it in the front of the house, Viburnum 'mariesii' shows the tabled nature of its branching. Another find, very reasonably priced, years ago, at a big box store. 

The Brown Thrasher is a common bird, but I really don't see it on the property too often. Perhaps this one is wondering if the Frog, sitting on the floating piece of Red Cedar, is a potential meal. Cool weather has really set in on todays10/20 date. Both Frogs and Ruby Throated Hummingbirds seem gone for the Winter. The Frogs in the mud at the bottom of the little pond and the Hummingbirds heading to cross the Caribbean to Mexico. 

Acer palmatum 'Bihou' was chosen for the yellow bark, but brilliantly lights up this area, even on this rainy morning. Taken through the window with the zoom lens on my little camera. 

Blurry as just a snip from a video a little to lengthy to be accepted here. But few might want to see this rather ugly Black Vulture stalking around. A smaller bird than the Turkey Vulture, which has the red head and neck. 

No value in magnifying this snip from another 20 second video, as it would just be blurrier. But a new individual,with an unusual and distinctive pattern of white and black. As with the Vulture, visiting the area where leftovers are thrown, out by the tool shed, once barn. 

  

The Hermit Thrush takes a selfie. Recognized by the rust colored tail, that it bobs often. This bird has the most beautiful song, but I expect to hear that territorial song only in its Northern nesting grounds, in our far North States or Canada. Now just the occasional chip.

A string of cloudy and rainy days. I so appreciate Sun in my photos. 

Taken through a window, Pseudocamellia japonica or Stewartia pseudocamellia shows the gentle gold and amber coloring that so adds to the value of the plant.  And on its left is the yellow leaved Halesia diptera, the Snowbell Tree. A few Double Red Knockout Roses will continue until frost. 

The other Halesia or Snowbell Tree, H. triptera, is at one side of the little walk to the former barn, and the Spicebush 'Lindera benzoin' on the other side still has a few big yellow leaves. The Green Edgeworthia and the Pieris cavantine, it has surrounded, have already formed the buds for Spring. 

A beautiful little tree, very poorly placed, and now red. This is the other Stewartia on the property. The Korean species. Too large to move, now.

Two forms of Aesculus parviflora, or Buckeye, are behind the pool and swing sets. An earlier bloomer and one a little later. 

Camellia sasanqua 'Autumn Moon'. Taken with my camera, this perfect beauty of a flower is imperfectly clear. One of half a dozen open now on the shrub, with many more to come. 

The view out from where I eat and work at the computer, from left to right.  The Hamamelis or Witchhazels of 3 sorts have taken on yellow and the Cornus mas or Cornelian Cherry gives a marked contrast by being dark green and unchanged. To the right is the dark reddish Viburnum 'Popcorn' shown previously. 

Few know about Corylopsis, but there are several of these end of Winter, Earliest Spring bloomers on the property. The flowers come a good deal earlier than Forsythia. This one, presently yellow, will have dangling chains of little yellow flowers. I don't recall the species, but it is the gracefully branched form called 'Gotoana'. Just in front of it, Buddlea 'Honeycomb' is having the last of its yellow blooms. 

Camellia sasanqua 'Autumn Moon' again. 

White Throated Sparrow takes a selfie. Super common around here, this is a male. The female is a little plainer in appearance. A most notable feature of these energetic little birds is the totally minor key, sad little musical notes of the mating song.