Baby, it's COLD outside!

What do things look like after you get your first real freeze?

The cannas sure look atrocious! They were still bright green with a few yellowing/brown tips the day before!

We had some wacky November coldness. I know that we always have the likelihood of freezing even at the end of October and definitely in November, but somehow I don't remember it getting down to the TWENTIES two nights in row!



I went out afterwards to survey the damage and boy is the change instant with many plants! The growing and dying and starting again process is absolutely fascinating...plants are strange and wonderful little "creatures".


Time to pull out the ugly stuff and let it go for next year.

But the cilantro is doing marvelously! (And the weeds around it, shhh!)

And the camellias are in bloom!

So pretty! They look like someone pasted them on!
And the shape right now looks like a Christmas tree!

The red "Yuletide" is in the shade garden, growing more each year. 

And then the brand new one up front by the stoop is blooming too.
We bought 2 last year for each side of the stoop and one didn't make it, so this is its replacement.

Problem is, we went to buy this replacement, but couldn't remember what color we had bought! 

So there's a chance that this new once is a bright fuchsia and its partner on the other side of the stoop is totally not.

The other isn't blooming yet, so we'll see.
(Update: not entirely sure how I didn't think of it earlier - the whole reason I take pictures and blog is to see from year to year! Of course I have a picture of what color it was/is....it's the same color pink! Success!)

But the original from last year is also looking a little sad too even though it's still green and has survived a full year now. I need to treat the soil again next year and put up more netting to keep the neighborhood cats out...{so many angry words I can't use}... not sure cat droppings are what is affecting the bushes, but I can't think what else would be?! 

It's a tough spot; not great sunlight, so a couple bushes haven't done well there, but I thought the camellia (shade plant) might do better. The nursery guy recommended some systemic fertilizer, so hopefully that helped and these guys will survive whatever my weird little house, lack of gardening skills and neighborhood cats throw at them!

Unrelated, but speaking of end of the season stuff...I harvested the two small butternut squashes that came from the accidental vine in the back edible garden. We ate one the other night and it was pretty "mealy". Oh well. They were free.

So, I just have a couple more spring bulbs to put out (I know I'm late) and summer ones to get in, but yes, definitely feels like the gardening season is over. Alas.

Time to move to indoor gardening!