Walks in His Gardens: Late Autumn's Garden

While changes continue to take place in our home, changes are also taking place in the garden which now looks much more like the late autumn garden it is (well mostly). Near the berm in the Japanese-style garden, the camellia has been blooming since before Thanksgiving -- beautiful rosy pink blossoms set amidst glossy evergreen leaves. Quite a dramatic sight at this time of the year when so many plants have gone dormant and where bare branches seem to rule the land.

In another part of the garden brown fuzzy kiwi still hang from bare branches, now clearly seen without any leaf cover.

Update: As of this afternoon--late, late this afternoon--I can happily report they were all picked except for a few too high (and too hazardous to reach given the deepening shadows of the late, late, late hour). And yes, the lingonberries were picked this afternoon too--can I say 'finally'?!

Back in the Japanese-style garden, a temporarily semi-frozen pond holding captive the aquatic plants which once floated on its surface not so very long ago.

Although so many of the once colorful autumn leaves now lay on the ground--dry and brown--a few plants haven't lost all their leaves yet and on some plants (caneberries here) the leaves still glow red in the late fall sunlight.

A few mushrooms too add unexpected color to the garden---these will NOT be harvested. Aimee DOES NOT like poisonous fungi--ick--and she is constantly hunting them down and discouraging their growth in her garden (once she takes their pictures of course). Actually to be totally honest, Aimee does appreciate their unique beauty but removes them because she doesn't want her precious puppies nibbling on one of them :)

Another unexpected bit of color! A few rose blossoms remain (along with some other surprises)-- call it a result of our wonderful microclimates here; or perhaps a very strange weather year, but whatever the reason their beauty-especially at this time of the year-is greatly appreciated!

Blessings,

Aimee