*Click pic for better details*
High winds continued throughout Monday with temps near 60, ushering the (still advancing as of this morning) frontal system. Yesterday a.m. we received .75" of rain, and then another .75" late last night when the line of powerful storms swept over us. This morning the radar shows the front still in force stretching from Arkansas to New England.
No real damage, except to doom the Autumn Blaze maple (rightmost in pic). It's been dying for 2 years and I'd passed up an offer to have it taken down a couple of weeks ago. But I'd miss its thick branching which blocks the 14th green in the golf course. It also breaks up the winter sunrise so I'm not blinded while enjoying my coffee in the sunroom on nice mornings. But the center of the tree was quite dead and you can see it has broken off. *sigh* I was hoping it would make it through the winter, but obviously not. I was, however, delighted with the rain. We'd not had any for 2.5 weeks and I didn't want to mulch the rhubarb or the newly planted garlic until both had been well watered.
Now I just have to wait and see when those 2 sweet gum trees will let loose the rest of their leaves. They are the last hold outs and I still have to finish mulching the bee ring bed (veg seg) and the aforementioned garlic and rhubarb in the veg bed.
One thing is for sure, there is a LOT more winter interest in the gardens this year. The crabapple bed has some color (pots + sedum + bright red crabapples) and texture as does the arbor and stump beds. And, since I've left up the trellises and added a table to the veg bed and leaving in the kales, it's got something for the eye too. Finally, waaaaay in the back of the ring bed, you can see that the New England asters and still blue-tifully blooming away, feeding late bees.
Last year by this time we'd already had snow, so I've been most appreciative that this November has been dry and mild. Really helped with the cleanup.
Yep, things are looking good right now. Now c'mooooon gum trees. Let's get this over with before the snow does fly!
The only winter interest in my garden is a trumpet creeper that looks like Medusa. I'm hoping for a snowy winter. Storms headed our way tonight, maybe even a thunderstorm. I just hope the thunder is LOUD! :o)
ReplyDeleteSorry about the maple tree. I hope my October Glory lives a very long time.
ReplyDeleteWe are still not getting all the rains we should but are in a much better place now than we were so I won't complain too much...
We had the same warm temps and horrible winds here too.