Almost Over

December 3, and it still feels like early fall. The neighbors have their Christmas decorations up, but this girl is in no way ready for that - still have leaves to rake; some trees are still holding their leaves, in fact.

Today is the end, I'm afraid, as tonight we are expecting snow and real cold. The large pots are all in the unheated garage, more to protect the terra cotta from cracking than to save the temperennials growing in them. The fall chores are not really done, of course, there are still so many plants to be moved that will have to wait for next October. The tree peonies along the edge of the pool, which have been shaded out over the years by other shrubs, the herbaceous peonies that are being infiltrated by nearby bayberry, and the many small trees that are waiting for permanent placement, slowly taking over the area referred to as the vegetable garden.

Then there's this fall's major project, building a paved area outside the back door. It's all excavated, most of the base has been laid, but the bricks need to be set in sand. Something to do during the Jnauary thaw, maybe; in the meantime it's quite a sight, covered with sheets of plywood to keep the digging dog from excavating the carefully prepped area.

Instead of thinking aobut the undone work, I'm just enjoying the wonderful mild and sunny weather, and the beauty of my own little slice of barely controlled mayhem. It's rare to have snapdragons, salvia, nicotiana, and osteospermum (blue-eyed daisy) blooming at the same time as winter jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum), heath, and stinking hellebores (H. foetidus), but that's life in the northeast, I guess.

This fall has truly been a gift, I'm just not sure who to thank.
CCG