Getting the gardener ready for winter November, 2006

How spectacular has been another October, and, thanks to moderate temperatures, we continue to be lured outside into the garden in November. Here are the tall Heliopsis (daisies) in a clear golden-yellow, darker than a lemon rind, but lighter than mustard, growing 4-6', and beneath them a hillside smothered in a tsunami of blue-purple Asters.

The Asters were cut back three times this Summer to promote blooming at just a foot and a half in mid-October. Not such a great effort, and well worth it. Far less effort than cutting grass. (Imagine trying to get away with cutting your grass only three times in 6 months!)

Both rayed flowers (Heliopsis and Asters) are implacable through drought, and flood, and enough wind to knock your toupee asunder.

Even if some of the Cannas did not bloom this Summer, we gardeners quickly forget their faults owing to the intensity of the hillside aglow in the Fall. Besides, one can always use spray-paint in delicious and unexpectedly outrageous colors to 'tart up' the backward Cannas.

The gardener barely remembers that her intent 5 years ago was to plant this major part of the hillside in mostly yellow flowers with occasional swaths of blue and purple. The yellows were to range from deep orange-yellow (Coreopsis 'Zagreb') to pale butter-yellow (Anthemis 'Hollandaise Sauce'); and including Columbine (Aquilegia) 'Corbett' which blooms with the early Daffodils; the palest Yarrow (Achillea) 'Anthea'; Siberian Iris 'Butter and Sugar' (white flowers with pale yellow falls); Hemerocallis (daylily) 'Happy Returns'; the mystifying Coneflower (Echinacea) 'Paradoxa', with yellow petals and high center cones of brown.

Owing to the law of the jungle, the greedier overran the shyer. Some succumbed to drought or erosion. The daylilies were ejected early on, being the thugs that they are (though sometimes glorious thugs); the Delphiniums were last seen decamping to New England for more moderate Summers; the yarrow moved to a grittier planting bed. The coneflowers went to a friend's garden. The squirrels or voles consumed some others.

What remains are the truly hardy, unaffected by neglect.

Autumn brings such mixed emotions. Is this late late Summer? Early Winter? Do we look backward over the successes of Spring/Summer/Fall or forward to Winter/Spring?

One garden writer said "Hurrah! . . .it is a frost!--the Dahlias are dead." (R.S. Surtees, 1843).

Another: "A gardener must not feel sorry for himself, even in Winter, and no matter how great the cause." (Henry Mitchell, 1981).

"The English have climate; we have weather." (Helena Rutherfurd Ely, 1903).

Therefore, at another time we will contemplate the Winter-bloomers awaiting us: the Christmas and Lenten Roses (Helleborus niger, orientalis and foetidus); Winter Jasmine (Jasmine nudiflorum); the spectacular Fall-blooming Camellias.

Right now, back to luxuriating in the late fall.

Pat Howell is a Takoma Park gardener and landscape designer/contractor. She is available for hand-holding and answering questions through Deephaven Landscapers.

No comments have been posted to this article.

Want to post a comment to this article? Click here.