Your fall foliage colors are so much brighter than here, Jane! Very beautiful.

Fall isn't usually very colorful on the southeast MA coast. That said, I was startled today when I checked the buds on my Anah Kruschke rhododendron to see what spring would bring and saw a flash of color. One bud lurking in the interior of the shrub had opened without my noticing it, and another is about to open. We've had erratic temperature swings here and the rhody apparently decided to bloom a little. Last spring the weird weather destroyed a lot of the buds so better early than never.

Rhododendron 'Anah Kruschke' today, November 5 with a bit of color inside the branches:

Buds ready for spring:

Early bloom - it must have been open for a while and I just didn't notice (dope slap):

One grass often overshadowed by the miscanthus in the yard is a self-seeded Little Bluestem (I think). I found it in the lawn and moved it to near the juniper 'Grey Owl'. It's slowly spreading and becoming more visible.

Aster 'Fanny' is still blooming long after all the other asters have gone to seed.

There was a touch of light frost on the car this morning but still nothing momentous. The NWS has stopped issuing freeze warnings for my area but they're still issuing them for a location five miles away.

Claire

I have one rhododendron that blooms twice and late fall is always less prolific, but interesting. It is a Cunningham White rhody. Nice to find surprises.

I planted two PJM rhododendrons this spring that my friend was giving away. One bloomed again about a month ago. Last year my quince started to bloom right after the new year. I also have a peach tree that didn't bloom at all because it probably never went dormant and the buds were toasted. Everything so far other than the rhododensron, seems to be going according to plan otherwise.

Claire, is "Fanny" pretty tough? I've been looking for more late-blooming native (or native-ish) asters, and that looks like a nice one. Thanks.

I think that Cunningham White Rhodies are more likely to bloom a bit in fall than many other kinds of rhododendrons by my observation. None of my dozen or so varieties (no CWs) have ever had fall blooms, but I know of two spots with CWs that often have a sprinkling of fall bloom, one of my neighbors, and one row of them at work. I've been thinking that I should pick one up.

I love your pretty blue house bottle, Jane, and your last remnants of summer. I also had a last flower of summer in a bottle for awhile; mine was a single marigold bloom. I am thinking that next year I shall grow strawflowers so as to have longer lasting mementos from the garden.

nekobus: I planted 'Fanny' in fall 2006 and it has come back every year a little bigger and better. I'm not sure if it is reseeding there - asters tend to peter out after a few years here.

I did plant two new ones in a different area a few years ago and they succumbed to a woodchuck I think, although woodchucks don't usually bother my asters. Maybe these were just too convenient and next to something tasty.

I bought mine from Plant Delights who say it's hardy to zone 4a.

Claire

I love seeing the rhodies in bloom and hearing about others varieties that bloom late. Mine are all tightly closed and ready for winter. Hopefully, the wind and freeze/thaw cycles will be kinder in the next few months.

Today I went out to take some last photos. Along the north side of the house is a Clethra 'Ruby Candles" showing wonderfully bright yellows and oranges for that area. I also took a shot of its leaves above a Brunnera 'Jack Frost' because I like the contrast of silver-blue and yellow.

In the long back garden, our rose 'Dick Clark' is blooming against the huge aster I received from Karl in a plant swap and a 'Gold Bar' grass.

We planted a 'Pineapple' Sage near the deck because the hummingbirds heading south always use it for fuel, though I didn't catch any of them on it this season.

My Phlox 'Laura' (I think) is still blooming and looks great in front of a Chamaecyparis.

.Soon nothing will be in flower. We're not planning to clean up the much in the gardens except for ornamental grasses. Unless we cut those down, the fierce up-river winds rip them to shreds and toss seed heads all over the yard. These end up blowing across the snow like tumbleweeds.

Thanks Claire, good to know. Moliep, it's great to see so many November flowers! All I've got going are some Ratibidas and a couple lonely Echinacea blooms.

Lovely combinations of colors and textures, Molie!

Not much in the way of flowers here besides scattered roses, but there's some foliage color.

The Kousa dogwoods are turning, this is maybe my favorite volunteer:

Behind the Kousa is the Blue Billow hydrangea with some very green macrorrhizum geranium leaves in front:

hydrangea:

and a single 'Zepherine Drouhin' rose bloom.

Yucca 'Color Guard' surrounded by cotoneaster and aster seedheads:

cotoneaster beginning to turn red:

Still no real frost here - another chance tonight but probably just dipping down.

Claire

I don't think I posted any garden pics all summer. We did have our vegetable garden, and in spite of the drought we had some decent crops (tomatoes, corn, peppers, beets, squash, and a few pumpkins). Generally, fruit was smaller, skins were tougher, etc. We still have broccoli, cabbage, and brussel sprouts going. Anyway, here's what's going on now (elsewhere in the yard). Nice parsley plants:

Most of the Rudbeckia "Goldsturm" is done, but a few think it's still August

Seed pods of the blackberry lily "Iris domestica"

Susan

Susan, parsley looks great. Last year mine was incredible. Green and robust, with armfuls on only six plants. Couldn't ever use it all. This year I planted plants again, and a whole different story, They struggled forever, finally bolted, turned yellow and now there are several seed heads. I suppose some will sprout on their own next season. I could barely pick a leaf or two this season!

Thanks, Bill. That's too bad about yours this year. Ours survived the drought pretty well, but they definitely look better now that the summer heat is gone. Last year they were going into January (no snow cover), but I don't forsee that again!

Susan, your Japanese maple is absolutely breathtaking!

I stopped home at lunch and I noticed one of my lilacs had small blooms on it. I've haven't seen that in the 5 years I've lived here.

Susan: Your beautiful Japanese maple somehow reminds me of Lucille Ball in all her glory. It makes me smile.

Bob Lem: I hope your lilac is saving some blooms for spring!

A few non-flower pictures:

My two Ilex opaca 'Goldies" are beginning to develop yellow berries and they coordinate nicely with the climbing hydrangea fall foliage.

The white pine 'Nivea' is covered with cones:

And an old birch that's on its last legs (or would be if it had legs) has developed a nice collection of bracket fungi AKA shelf mushrooms:

Since none of them seem to have squirrel bites I suspect they're not edible, or at least not tasty (not that I was going to try them myself).

Claire

Thanks Sped and Claire. The J. Maple has definitely been the most colorful thing in the neighborhood for a few days!

Does indoor gardening count? Does anyone else start bulbs now for a February indoor bloom? It usually works just fine.

Jane, as far as I am concerned, indoor gardening counts as do outdoor lights (a northern form of winter gardening IMO) and any form of frozen precip since we need something to get us through short cold days. You might have inspired me to see if I can find a few bulbs on clearance, though I haven't been too successful in the past with crocus and daffodils even though I chilled them. Perhaps the root cellar will work for that. Any hints for success you can share?

No, NHBabs, other than chilling the bulbs ahead of time, no special tricks. I have 2 more tulips and 2 daffs in the crisper of the fridge awaiting planting in soil in a few weeks. I've tried bulbs in water and in soil and there was no difference. Hyacinths are nice - think I'll get a bulb - because I like the fragrance. My spirit just feels better with something alive and blooming nearby, year round.

Some Google pictures for ideas:

Jane

I think you've convinced me to try again this winter if I can find some bulbs. I bet I can get some appropriate glass containers at my local Goodwill.

Please post some photos of your bulbs as they grow, Jane. Like NHBabs, I've had spotty success with forcing bulbs in winter, so this year maybe I can enjoy yours vicariously! Without outdoor lights and windowsill gardens, where would we all be in the winter months!?

Assuming they grow, I will, Sped. Any container with appropriate support for the bulbs will do.

When I forced spring bulbs I was most successful using the root cellar. It's perfect for that.