Bogturtle's Garden- October 2125

Two female Ilex verticellata are loaded with berries, and, unfortunately, the Robins that will move down from Canada and Northern States will get them all. The berries will not decorate bare branches for Christmas. Both shrubs are named clones of the Winterberry Holly. The red is a dwarfer clone called I. v. 'Sprite' and the yellow I.v. 'Harvest Gold'. I think the necessary male, that provides the pollen, is in the corner of the house, nearby.

This silver leaved clone of the Cyclamen hederaceae should show its white flowers in Spring and be evergreen. Only one of several that were here among the Violets in the lens shaped Rose bed just outside this additions windows. Some plants are particular regarding soil pH and some don't seem to care. But finding out which really are fussy is not always easy. This soil is usually acid, so that might be why the other two Cyclamen corms did not survive. They can grow the size of a dinner plate, apparently. 

Really just anticipation. I thought this Nandina 'Firepower' really unbelievable and have tried, once before, to get it on the property. Seems this one is thriving, but has not, yet, taken on the fire engine red I expect. At the foot of the Cedar tree that overhangs where we park the vehicles. The other Nandina, here for years, does color in Winter, but nothing like 'Firepower'. That other is a compact form called N. 'Harbor Dwarf'. That has never flowered or berried in over 20 years. 

A great success, and it will be shown again, when fully in bloom. A few blooms are open now. Camellia sasanqua 'Autumn Moon' Two Camellia species are here. C. Sasanqua and C. Japonica. C, Japonica is a Spring bloomer. 

Acer platanum 'Bihou', a yellow barked Japanese Maple, with its yellow Fall coloring. 

The Siberian Cypress, Microbiota discussata surprises me by growing very slowly. A rather ground hugging evergreen that does turn a rust color in Winter.

I see so much in this photo, other than the grand coloring taken on by the huge Viburnum 'Popcorn'. I see it has a few blooms, out of season, some Japanese Honeysuckle, high up, and various other things captured in this photo. I should declare one morning 'Japanese Honeysuckle eradication day', as it is everywhere and, while I will never get rid of it, I can struggle into the shrubbery and clip the ascending vines. I see it overwhelming the nearby 'Blushing Knockout Rose' as  well. And I can move on to many places in the gardens where it is doing the same. To the right, a dwarf Japanese Maple, shown constantly, Acer p. 'Fjelheim' has gone from green to apricot for Fall. Soon the line of Daylily, at the edge of the bed in the middle of the lawn, will be cut to the ground, along with considerable invading Honeysuckle. And then more woodchips can be neatly added up to the edge of the lawn, only to have a good number of Daffodil and other bulbs emerge next Spring. 

Blogger remains problematic, in strange little ways, big and little. Cannot comment below this photo of the fruit of Cornus officianalis, the Japanese Cornelian Cherry. Only about 3/4 of an inch in length, these brilliant fruit are perfectly edible, but not juicy and absolutely sour. And each contains a large pit. Cannot say how I would get a jam or preserve from any, but I did add honey, and they were full of flavor. But a little like some shockingly sour candy a kid would eat. I repeat myself, as anyone would notice, reading this blog. The much more well known Cornelian Cherry, C. mas, is on Thomas Jefferson's plantation, and, apparently, grown en mass in the Caucasus Mts in Europe. 

The white Camellia again.

 Acer p. Fjelheim

This dwarf Maple had the little orange Morning Glory, 'Orange Noah' and the Moonflower winding through it and I was able to harvest seed for both, for next Summer.

As I may have well said, recently, I was not content with how much Fall color we had here and, like I could afford it, I found one Maple at Home Depot that had a name that made me think it would be red in Fall. Now it is quite large and crowded in among the trees, to be seen where we park the vehicles. It colors up like this but does not last like the famous Maple 'October Glory' that decorates shopping malls around here. Nevertheless, it adds. 

Just guessing this is a Vanessa or Painted Lady Butterfly. This is an old photo from some other October, since the one I saw would not stay still long enough. 

Same old, same old, but a nice thing to see while eating breakfast. Viburnum nitida 'Popcorn', I think. And the dwarf Japanese Maple. Still need to have Japanese Honeysuckle removal day. While I know I will not get rid of it, all I can see can be cut out and added to the shredder as mulch. 

The Woodbine, or Virginia Creeper is beautiful, this time of year. And generally, if you see it here, that means I have not kept up with weeding. I do recall my wife getting compliments from the professor, in a graduate course, as she wrote about this vine and how impressive it was, this season. This photo is of the one hanging from a Holly tree.

But my activity contines, despite the work crew never showing up. By the little rock garden, I had a good many Daffodil. Too tall for the base of a rock garden. I dug them up in early summer and saved them. About 40 bulbs now thrown on the ground by the frontwalk. Covered with woodchips, grass clippings, all the leaves collected, all summer, from the skimmer of the pool, with some peleted limestone. We will see how they do, and it seems a much more reasonable place to have a bunch of them. 

Now the two Dogwoods in front of the house are matching, pretty much, the coloring of the Viburnum mariesii, that has colored earlier. The closer of the Dogwoods, shown, is a typical wild white flowered one. Very common here. And back by the porch is the now huge red flowered one. We paid $12, a lifetime ago, and thought it costly, then. Now an old tree.