The Garden of Bogturtle

  Cold temperatures, without much frost yet, really have set back some Morning Glories and other plants, but these Red Double Knockout Roses are two of many that look fine.     A plant that rivals the common 'Burning Bush' Eunymous alata (I think) for brilliance, if grown in day long sun, Enkianthus perulatus is shown here, getting maybe half a day Sun back into the border near the little pool. Contrasting nicely with the green of a truly southern shrub, the TiTi or Cyrilla that has been given the species name 'arida' because it seems to do well on drier land than most other species. A famous source of nectar for honeybees, down South, but it just doesn't bloom for me, but I think it is quite evergreen. Cyrilla arida, then.  Not confident this Enkianthus shrub will hold these brilliant leaves much longer, although they should turn before falling. If it looks better, I will delete this photo and put the more brilliant one here.   So Mahonia 'Winter Sun'...

  Robin takes a selfie. Not part of the amazing hundreds in the flocks that swing, periodically, all Winter, through the property, mainly eating the Holly Berries.   To my surprise, yesterday, a little frog was sitting on the piece of floating cedar Today,11/1, is quite a warm day, so wintering in the mud may come later.  Cardinal takes a selfie.  Taken with my phone, this gives some idea of how heavily Camellia 'Autumn Moon' has bloomed   To the left, the Fothergilla 'Mt Airy' does, usually, turn this yellow, being in a good deal of shade.  Groundhogs are no longer tolerated on this property, as several different crops from the garden were decimated. Even those where they can sneak, somehow, into the fenced off area. A total loss, really. So two were trapped and carried away. Then, yesterday, I saw one at the bird feeder, eating dropped seed. I set the trap there, thinking I would waste time, catching the constant squirrels with the pieces of app...