A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Winter..


 Gardeners are prone to exclaim the current years weather as the craziest ever seem, ominously strange, the most unique in decades..etc. I am no exception to this attribute. Every year brings new challenges , new first frost/last frost dates, new rainfall totals, new wind events and for those who live outside of the mild bubble of my zone 9 climate, snow accumulations, ice storms, and actual frozen ground.
 This fall might actually qualify as a real deviation.

 2 frosts in October. Caryopoteris 'Summer Sorbet' shed it's finery, now in November it is growing it's spring foliage.



Verbena bonariensis views it's winter nap with disdain.




 Daylilies die back, grow new folige, send up scapes.



I often have the odd rose blooming in November, but Sun Flare  is favoring me with a full mid-summer blast.


Plectranthus shrugged off the frost and keeps blooming.


 Wendys Wish is usually a few sticks with blobs of black leaves by now.

 Verbascum ? C'mon , what does this mean for my spring display ??


Comments

  1. Weird! And really what does it mean for your spring? All that new growth...seems a bit dangerous for late November, even in Zone 9...

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    1. It is dangerous Loree! And now that the deluge has moved in , the temps remain in the 60's daytime.Great conditions for mushroom farmers.

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  2. Plants do get 'confused' with the seemingly less than predictable weather we've been having recently. They eventually get in synch though but it's still fascinating to see their responses.

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    1. We've had no frost here since the first two mild events at the beginning of the month.I noticed yesterday that my neighbors jonquils are up. A gardener must always be flexible !

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  3. If you find yourself missing winter too much I can send some your way :).

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    1. Thanks for the offer Sue ! I'll pass, lol.

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  4. And I've noticed that the acacia trees here in the SF Bay Area are a full two months ahead of schedule in their bloom cycle - many already are glowing yellow.....

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    1. I should have look around here, but I have not noticed any Acacia bloom action yet. The very south end of the valley in the Carneros area will usually lead the way Acacia wise. It would be pretty weird to have an 'Acacia Christmas' ...!

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  5. Great to look at your garden foliage and color, but frankly, I need a rest from all the work at this time. It is hard to imagine what nature has in mind these days.

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    1. I'm kicking myself for not planting my bulbs last weekend Marie--it's been raining for 3 days now and digging is not in the cards ! An imposed rest .

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  6. All that beauty getting drenched today? Hopefully not too much water too fast for your area.

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    1. Drenched Hoov. Standing water, clogged storm drains, traffic jams, blah blah blah...rain collection buckets are full-though I probably won't need to use them til April.

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  7. Thank you Mr. Sondheim! Crazy what's happening with the weather and your plants!

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  8. It is bizarre, but then Nov thru Feb always seems like a weird limbo to me, and this year even more so. I cut back a bunch of stuff today, just because I WANT to experience some winter dieback. Found a winter-blooming clem under the grapevine that persists but never blooms. "Maybe this year." And I cut that verbascum bloom and brought it inside. It was bugging me looking at it in the garden. ;)

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