Garden-wise, this has been an odd year. In my little corner of the world, it has only rained a few times since August. And yet, somehow, the catmint, which has always done poorly in summer, grew bigger and more lush than any year since I’ve had it. I asked the yard guys, who have done weeding for me in the past, to cut down the dead flower stalks, and in response, they cut down to the ground two-thirds of all my flowers, even those in full bloom. That was in late October, and despite very little rain, most have grown back and are five or six inches high. Every time I think I understand my garden, it surprises me. The azalea bush, which has an unobstructed southern exposure, is in full bloom. Meanwhile, the daylilies are peeking out of the ground. Looking at the yard, it seems more like late April than late November.
The weather has been unusually warm all fall, so my plants are as confused as I am dismayed. They are planning to produce flowers, but the forecast is for freezing temps that will end them for this season. So, these images document the week before the freezing temps–before winter–and having had such a pleasantly warm November, neither the plants nor I am ready for it.
