November Garden Notes..........

Good morning friends.......the sun is back today and Autumn is in full swing now the rains of yesterday have moved on. My garden looks so pretty with the new grass up and so very green today.

I've not mentioned the garden much since having to cut down so many of my shrubs in order to assist the house painters in early October.  Not only were the hydrangeas, jasmines, and roses traumatized, I was devastated just looking at what I'd done!
 

Instead, I had to decorate the porch for Autumn to take my mind off the bare looking flower beds in front of it.  With the beautiful Carolina jasmines gone from the porch posts I felt exposed...............fortunately I found a couple of replacement Boston ferns, still lush and green, hanging them have helped a bit.

With night time temperatures dropping now, and some much needed rain falling, the garden is springing back to life.  I had filled in the bare spots with large pots of ivy, planted pansies and violas, but now the hydrangeas are leafing out and growing tall already (you can just see leaves of one on the right above).  Hopefully there may still be a chance of some blowzy blue blooms come Spring!  The Summer blooming lantana is back, bright with yellow flowers until the first frost.  Although you can't see them here, both jasmines at each end of the porch are growing vigorously and may be twirling up their respective posts come late Winter. 

I'm so excited and thankful.....

..............and can you believe the Peace roses!!  These pics were taken this week after a rain shower.  Cutting them down to a few inches so the painters' had room for their ladders, and begging them not to step on them, has apparently rejuvenated these beauties........the fragrant blooms are the prettiest ever!

Are you, like me, hesitant to prune and trim when beautiful shrubs have grown to great heights and look so lush? I now believe that perhaps Nature needs a hand now and then..............and she, in return, brings them back looking even healthier and lovelier than before.

Thank you Mother Nature for giving my much-loved garden a new life.  See you in the Spring!