Spring For A Day

Today our weather was almost unbelievable. It is December 4 in upstate New York and the temperature in the shade reads 62 degrees.  Whatever else I might have planned to do, the pull to walk around the garden with the camera  was stronger.  I stuck close to the house like the smartest of the deer in our neighborhood.  I don't feel comfortable walking the paths in the woods while there is possibility of running into folks with guns and Buck Fever.

Everywhere I walked the ground was thawed.  The red color of these yarrow leaves caught my attention.  They are not the flowers that I miss so much, but are still lovely.

So many of the plants are showing new growth in preparation for spring. This picture of catkins on the hazelnut with green grass, trees and blue sky in the background hardly brings December to mind.  I enjoyed our breath of spring even if it only lasted for a day.  As I write this a cold front is blowing through.  Tomorrow we will be back to December's chill, rain and perhaps snow, but today was fantastic!

Late October Bloomers

Last night's thunder storms dropped about an inch of rain on the garden.  Everything was wet, but when it looks and feels as great as it did out there today you just have to go out  and do something.  Ed headed for the back to work on the wilderness garden.  I tried weeding here and there, but too much of Ed's garden soil came along with the weeds.  I did get a great look at a Northern Harrier while I was working.  It soared low enough over the garden that I could easily see its distinctive white rump patch.  Eventually, I put away my garden tools and swapped them for the camera.  I decided to search the garden for after the frost blooming flowers.

  

Perennial flax plants are so lacy and fragile.  It's surprising to me that these plants are still green and making flowers.  These plants self seeded and are growing on their own terms.

Although the wild asters seem to have completely finished blooming, this cultivated variety planted on the east side of the stone square is still making a few perfect flowers.  Ed saw a late Monarch butterfly that was trying to fly into stiff south winds.  Few flowers remain to provide nourishment for this straggler.

The freezing temperatures and hard frosts killed the blooms on this chrysanthemum, but some of the remaining buds are opening in the warmth of the sun.

We were sure that this Helen Mae chrysanthemum had missed its chance to bloom this year, but never say never.  The persistent plant has a beautiful flower with several more buds to come.  I hope this one gets an earlier start next year.

The Emperor of China is always a late bloomer.  This year is no exception.

I found a few yarrow blossoms.

As always, the Johnny Jump Ups flower no matter what.  These last two plants are considered flowers or weeds here depending on where they are growing.

That is not the case with this last plant.  This is a true weed.  It was still blooming and green after the freeze and it continues to thrive now.  When things dry off a bit, this one has to go!