Friday, November 14, 2008

GBBD November, 2008



I know this post is a day early, but this is the weekend with the grand girls and I wasn't sure I would have time to get it posted. So better early than not at all. GBBD is brought to you by Carol of May Dreams Gardens. Thanks Carol!



It is raining-again. Not a heavy rain, just a cold, wind blown, chill you to the bone rain. Typical November weather. And notice the dark gray skies? We've not seen the sun in days. I guess that is what we get after having such a mild beautiful and fall.



Most of the crops are harvested and a lot of the fields have been worked and spread with lime. But there are a few fields ,such as the one below, where there is still corn waiting to be picked. For those farmers it may be a while. Kind of like me with my gardens. I think my opportunities are limited now as to what clean up I will get done.





Bloom Day, November 2008 finds little in my garden still blooming. But I will admit to being surprised when I went out to look. After a few nights of hard frost I had little hope of finding anything but brown, brown and more brown.



The ground cover vinca is sporting a tiny bloom here and there. I think it must be a bit confused. Usually I only see blooms on this in the spring and early summer.



And this is Delphinium x Magic Fountain Lavender. At least that is what the tag said. It has never been lavender, but has produced several stalks of these pretty blue flowers. I can't imagine that the frost hasn't reduced this to mush!



Bless it's heart, this Superbena dark blue( it really is a darker shade of purple than the camera shows) still has a few valiant flowers blooming. This annual has done so well this year-my first year to try any verbena-that I am putting it high on my list of 'must haves' for next year.


That is all I could find with any color in the gardens. I told you picking were slim!



I had to show you the fern though. I finally got it hung between the main living room and the front area where we have a skylight. After an initial adjustment period where it lost a few fronds, it seems to be doing well. And even though it does take up a lot of space, it and all the other house plants will add a much needed touch of the outdoors during the long dark winter.


Do you realize that Thanksgiving is 2 weeks away? And then it is only 4 more weeks til Christmas! Time to make out those wish lists with all your gardening wants.


Happy dreaming of next year's gardens!


** still not a lot of improvement with the rash. I take dose 3 of the new meds tonight and am hoping to see some sign of it getting better soon!

33 comments:

Lisa at Greenbow said...

Great post Beckie. I hope to find something to take a picture of for GBBD. Thanks for the reminder that GBBD is about to occur. Have fun with the youngins.

Carol Michel said...

Your November looks a lot like mine, one state over. What blooms I find are just tiny little 'confused' blooms, or blooms too stubborn to give up even though we've had killing frosts. Oh, well, this weekend, when we have "blowing snow", the flowers will figure it out!

Thanks for joining in for bloom day and have a great weekend.

Carol, May Dreams Gardens

tina said...

Gardens just surprise us don't they? That delphinium is a stunner.

I hope your rash gets better and you are feeling better soonest.

Roses and Lilacs said...

Your fern is so beautiful. I used to try to overwinter my Boston ferns. Sometime in mid-Dec I would get so tired of the masses of dropping leaves I'd give it away to someone with a better sunroom or bigger windows.
Marnie

Susie said...

That fern is incredible! So large and gorgeous! I think it will definitely help during the winter months. Your delphinium is looking good. Down here that is a very popular plant for fall. It blooms now and then again in spring. After that it says thank you for letting me shine and goodbye. It hates our heat!

Have a great weekend with the kids Beckie! Hope that pesky rash keeps on getting better.

Rose said...

That delphinium looks great--mine never grew at all! And good for you for finding a place for your fern; mine is sitting in the garage right now.
I breathed a sigh of relief last night when I realized Bloom Day isn't until tomorrow, so I would have time to take some photos--of what, I don't know. But, now it's raining!

flydragon said...

Hi beckie,
What a gloomy grey sky, but that gorgeous fern makes up for it. Fingers and toes crossed here for the new meds to start working!!

Gail said...

This will likely be the last bloom day with outdoor photos for many of us. Your delphinium is lovely...they don't like my garden! I love the rose verbena usually it is still blooming here...not this year...hmmm!

Have a delightful fun filled weekend with your darlings!

Gail

Cheryl said...

I hope you have a fun weekend with the girls......I know you will....

We have had a dreadful three weeks, rain cold, in fact miserable but now have mild and sunny weather.....

At least you found some blooms Beckie....hard this time of year especially after a hard frost.....

I was hoping that by now your rash would be slowly disappearing.....you must be fed up with the whole thing by now.....

Take care.....

beckie said...

Lisa, the blooms in my garden were very few and far between this month-I was truly surprised to find any at all. I see you finally got a decent rain. Woo-hoo! Have a great weeknd.

Carol, I saw your confused flowers. That's really odd to have a lilac rebloom. Thanks for adding me to bloom day and sorry I am so early.

beckie said...

Tina, thanks. Even though the delphinium was the 'wrong' color, I have enjoyed watching it bloom. I had several surprises like that this year in the garden. But I guess that's the lot of a gardener and it keeps things interesting.

Marnie, after a few falling leaves the fern seems to be doing great. We'll see in a month or so. I take into the bathroom about once a week and put it in the shower to water and get the leaves wet. Now if I have to start vacuuming every day guess where it's going. :)

beckie said...

Susie, I did notice that the delphinium slowed down during the hottest part of the summer-that's why. :) I'd like to get a couple more next year to make more of a statement with them. Have a good weekend!

Rose, so far so good with the fern. As I told Marnie, we'll see in a couple of months- it may move to your garage, too! I've been thinking about your little gardener. I'll bet she would have a ball helping you look through seed catalogs this winter and planing what to get.

beckie said...

Flydragon, I'm hoping too! Yes, the fern and other house plants brighten up the dark days. Have a great weekend.

Gail, I don't know why I've never planted verbena before. Stuck in a rut I guess. But it out performed my wave petunias in the planters so next year I am going to use a lot more of it in more colors.

I figured next month we'd be scrambling to find blooms anywhere. Maybe I'll cheat a little and go to a green house. :)

beckie said...

Cheryl, the weekend with the girls is always fun. Hectic and noisy but with lot of laughter and love.
Glad you are getting a little decent weather. I know it's been an odd year for you. Hope your winter is mild. Any news on the trees yet?

Ths rash is-well I can't use the words I want to describe it.:) Have a great weekend, dear friend!

Amy said...

Oh dear, I can't believe that rash is still there! I hope it heals up very, very soon.

Yes, Christmas is coming quickly now isn't it. I've been sewing up some gifts in my spare time so I can get them in the mail.

I'm realising I could use a few more house plants :) I love your fern. The air is far to dry here to have a fern in the house, but I have a few other ideas...

joey said...

How lovely, Beckie. I was so centered down, enjoying your post until you mentioned Christmas! (Hugs)

Wendy said...

Is it my imagination or has your fern grown??? I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Plants do grow! LOL!
It's just that I remember it as being smaller.

At least you have a few hardy blooms to colour your garden. I was thinking today, maybe I'll just spend all winter dreaming of gardens, instead of looking at snow. Then maybe spring will be here much sooner.
Have a fun weekend with your precious grandkids.

Morning Glories in Round Rock said...

Beckie, Verbena is one of my all-time favorites in the garden. I always put my ferns in the garage to winter. They lose so many fronds, and I am always afraid of what I will bring in with them--the geckos like to hide out in them. The ferns are so sad when they get back out in the spring, it takes then a good month to revive.

It's hard to believe that the Holidays are upon us! Time will fly now until the New Year. I do hope the new meds will do the trick for your rash. Thanks for letting us know.

Naturegirl said...

Yes color is scarce in the garden these days but my roses still manage to smile and I have several buds I hope have the chance to open.
I had to make a decision and post someone's special garden on Bloom Day.

Mr. McGregor's Daughter said...

Hey, at least you have a few things blooming! You seem to have great success with blue flowers. I can't imagine how fun it must be to have a Delphinium in bloom in November (or in June or July for that matter). I've been seeing a lot of Verbenas in Bloom Day posts today. Who knew they were so cold-tolerant?

Mountain Mama said...

My gardens resemble yours and I am already looking forward to Spring because I will have lots of new daffodil's to see.
Your fern looks so happy and healthy! I have never been able to grow them. I think because my house is too dry and they need more humid conditions. I even tried to grow one in the bathroom!

Corner Gardener Sue said...

Your photos and talk of cold rain made me shiver, even though I am wearing a sweatshirt and have a blanket over my shoulders. Oh, and with the holidays coming and going, the days will start getting longer instead of shorter. I always look forward to that.

Wendy, I actually do have garden dreams in the winter. They seem to have themes. Sometimes, I am trying to grow something through a wooden or other type of floor, then usually realize I can't dig through a floor. Other times, I dream I am seeing gardens of others, and they have things growing that I had forgotten to plant. Sometimes I dream we have moved, and I am casing the yard out for places to plant things. ;o) Becky, I hope you don't mind I got off topic in your comments, and I hope that darn rash heals!

beckie said...

Amy, thanks. Good for you sewing some gifts. Handmade are always aprreciated. I used to do a lot of sewing, but rarely now. Sometimes I miss it. House plants just make a room brighter-more alive some how. Our house is dry too, but I put the fren in the shower once a week and mist it in between. You'll have to let us know what you decide to get.

Now Joey, Christmas is ahappy time of the year. :) But it does seem to sneak up on us. I looked Hubbard Lake up on a map the other day-WOW do you live far north.

beckie said...

Wendy, I don't think it's grown much. It just looks so much bigger in the house. I'm afraid after last night even those last few blooms are gone. It was down in the mid 20's. Yes dreaming of next year's garden is a good way to pass the long winter.

Flydragon, I don't blame you for keeping your ferns in the garage! i was just thinking about how quickly the time is passing-until New Year's! And the Jan, Feb. and March drag on forever.

beckie said...

Nature Girl, oh I hope your rose buds do get a chance to open. They are so lovely in the fall. I checked out your special garden-lovely. I know you had a wonderful time there.

MMD, blue does seem to have bloomed really well in the garden this year. And it all started with Heavenly Blue! No more blooms after last night's mid 2o's. I noticed all the verbena too. I had no idea they could take such cold temps. Maybe an early spring planting?

beckie said...

Bev, isn't it fun to look forward to new bulbs? I have a few daffodils new but mostly tulips. And then with my help planting them, I am curious to see what combinations of color I have!

Sue, the cold rain is enough to make your shiver. Dreaming of next year's garden is such a fun way to spentime in the winter and that can invade our real dreams.

Cosmo said...

Hi, Beckie--I'm catching up on my reading, and I realize I've missed quite a few of your posts--your tribute to your daughter was beautiful.

You're so lucky to have delphiniums--I think it's too hot for them here or too something--none of my friends in town have had any luck.

I hope you're feeling better soon. Best wishes, Cosmo

Kylee Baumle said...

Hi Beckie. My delphiniums bloomed right up until a few days ago, too! And up until this variety that I have now, I've had horrible luck growing them when conditions were perfect!

How do you manage to keep your Boston fern alive all winter? I've tried to do that a couple of winters now and this year I'm not even going to try. They end up turning brown and losing everything. :-(

Jan said...

Beckie, I was reminded about GBBD after visiting your post the other day. I am hoping you will 'recover' from your recent med. issues very soon! I had to quit taking the Lyrica, as I got a horrible rash from it! Jan

Meems said...

Beckie,
Hope you had lots of grandma fun this weekend. What a thrill to have the grandgirls.

Glad your verbena works for you. I like the looks of the Delphinium, too.

That fern is quite full and green. I'm thinking it will cheer you up on days you are tired of winter's chill. Kind of interesting I am always yanking that fern out of my garden as it will take over everything else in a fast hurry if I don't.

beckie said...

Cosmo, I have always loved delphiniums, but never palnted any til this year. ?? So I feel kind of lucky that it did do well. Thank you for your kind wors about Andrea.

Thanks for 2 day, i sometimes forget about bloom day, but was hoping against hope to have something to show this month as I fear it will be a long winter. :) We thought my rash might be a delayed reaction to the Lyrica-I'd been on it almost 7 months before the rash started. So I was off over a minth with no improvement. Finally the Dr. said that wsn't it and to resume taking it. I was very glad to do that!

beckie said...

Kylee, I haven't been out to look in a couple of days now, but I'm sure my delphinium is gone with the latest freeze. It did really well this year-beginners luck maybe. I'm not promising this fern will live through the winter. We have a fireplace in the same room and it may prove too drying for it. If it starts to look too bad or loses to many leaves, I have threatened to put it in Rose's garage.

Meems, it is always wonderful to have the grand girls here. I had 5 making pies, cakes and brownies on Sat. night-at one time. The youngest is 3 the a 5 year old a eight year old and 2 nines. A little hectic but great fun! And it all tasted wonderful.

That's funny about your pulling out these ferns!

Anonymous said...

I love that Delphinium. I've tried growing those in the past with not much success, I think our summers are just too much for them. That fern looks lush & healthy. What a nice addition to your house this winter!