Fall in bloom.

Because I have an older post of my garden in bloom, I thought I'd make a post of my garden dormant- go figure! Rufus the dog of disaster still mopes around, digging things up and testing my patients. However, I can't blame all of the deaths of my beloved leafy children on him. There has been a lot of trial and error, not to mention how my misunderstanding the difference between annuals and perennials affected things once it started to cool down - live and learn. I've got it now and I've got even bigger plans for spring. 

Enjoy!

There are some new things that were intended like this iris and some that weren't. I spread the iris roots around the yard last year hoping they'd have more of a presence when they began to grow. So far so good...

The lilies and agapanthus were not intended. They were part of a fill pile underneath a layer of mulch and made their way to the surface. Which is great because they will make a nice backdrop for the smaller plants to come. 

These "snowflake plants" have thrived better than I expected. I love that they're large enough now to be able to enjoy their unusual leaf patterns. 

When it's dry, I like to spend a lot of time at this table reading, smoking, listening to music and watching Moo play. 

I put some plants with fun textures in pots on the table. In spring they'll be hearty enough to run my hand over without crushing them. 

Lambs ear feels like ... well a lambs ear. I can't think of a better discription. 

 

These succulents are always nice. I rarely see them in pots on a table so I thought they'd be a nice addition seeing how they grow so slowly. 

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The old apple tree with the broken branch lost a limb last month but it still managed to hang in there another year and produce some really sweet, big red apples. The tree is definitely unique. It is also ugly and problematic. If I had the ability I'd probably cut it down. The area underneath is one of the few problem areas of the yard. 

Whoa! an owl!

The area I have seen the most consistent progress is definitely the hillside by the front door. I wish I had taken a picture of what is used to be (overgrown with agapanthus and ivy) because it looks so much better now. 

And last but not least, the bougainvillea I found hidden under some smelly, long stemmed plant can't tell what season it is! Its flowers are a stark contrast to the monochromatic and somber green of almost everything else. It sits in a raised bed that is already showing signs of cosmos, nasturtium, and morning glory which will bloom in spring and help to fill in the blank wall with more color.

I can't wait!