Latest Blog Entries tagged 'autumn' [Remove Filter]

Today was a day of pruning. I usually reserve cutting back perennials until spring, on the theory that it's best to cut them back when they will quickly grow to refill the space. But a few needed cutting back today. Like my massive Salvia clevela [Read More]

Black Walnuts When the push for fall yard cleanup began in October, and I finally started to rake leaves in the far back area of the yard (we have an “L” shaped yard — so in the corner spot) I noticed an abundance of black walnut [Read More]

It's autumn, a word I use deliberately. Because of our climate and the kinds of trees planted here, we don't get much in the way of leaf drop. Nonetheless, the fruit trees are starting to turn, and today I raked up a tiny pile of leaves from the n [Read More]

Lots of fruity things going on in the garden, despite it being November and all. First, I repotted the figs. Primarily because I went to move them the other day and they were sending roots down through the bottom of their containers. I understand [Read More]

Welcome to winter, California. On Thursday the sky lowered and it began raining, and it basically rained or threatened rain until Sunday morning. We got about five inches of water in the garden between Noel emptying the dog pool Thursday night and [Read More]

We're back! We went on vacation to the Netherlands (see my posts about it here and here(. Then we came back to lots and lots of rain (finally!) and some really bodacious jetlag, so we didn't do much yesterday. Today, Noel had some cooking he want [Read More]

On Wednesday I was talking to a coworker about some logistics for the LEAP sandcastle classic (my firm does this every year to help fund arts education for Bay Area kids), and she mentioned that rain was in the forecast, so we needed a tent to keep [Read More]

It's October, which means the chrysanthemum is blooming. The first blossom opened up right on the first day of autumn, which is really charming. Many people do not like mums, but I have a lot of unusual and dramatic plants in the garden, so their [Read More]

I've been going through a phase with the garden. All spring I loved it, and when I started working long hours I missed it terribly. Then as summer set in, it just got to be a lot of work. The weeds I'd laboured for hours to remove came back, th [Read More]

No, we're not dead. I just took some time off to study for a licensure exam, and Noel spent his time obsessing about making movies of our squirrel population. You know how it is. Anyway, this weekend Berkeley Hort has deciduous shrubs 50% off (bo [Read More]

…with a quick picture of my own for Shutter Sisters- my new favorite photography site.  Any (and all) of their pictures are something to aspire to- and worthy of hanging in my living room. We now return you to general ranting about the pric [Read More]

It may be the last day of November but we still have a lot of fall color left. Normally the backyard is pretty bare by Thanksgiving but a lot of the big maples still have their yellow leaves. The weather is scheduled to get really cold over the week [Read More]

The majority of my neighbors subscribe to the "no leaf left behind" philosophy of fall lawn clean-up. When the first snow flake falls into their yard, it falls on shortly clipped, leaf free grass. I honestly think some of them take time off of work t [Read More]

I just got back from defending my thesis last night, and this afternoon I took a walk around the garden to see what needed attention most urgently now that I have what seems like infinite time for house stuff. And of course, the whole thing is over [Read More]

What is it with me and the bad canna jokes anyway? I guess it's because I feel like a real die hard out in the yard in November chopping down 7' tall canna plants and then digging the bulbs up to store for the winter in our basement. It's a job, tha [Read More]

Fall is coming slowly to an end. We had a lovely stretch of Indian summer, followed by wind. Now, we’re settling in to the days of mist and drizzle. So far, I’ve planted some black tulip bulb and some alium. I’m hoping for at least [Read More]

Fall is coming slowly to an end. We had a lovely stretch of Indian summer, followed by wind. Now, we’re settling in to the days of mist and drizzle. So far, I’ve planted some black tulip bulb and some alium. I’m hoping for at least [Read More]

Alright, it's almost the middle of November and I still have trees which haven't dropped even close to all of their leaves.At this rate I'll be raking leaves in December.This tree is still changing colors! If it doesn't get with the program and drop [Read More]

Yellow Maple Originally uploaded by Prairie Rose House Walking back to the house I was struck by the way the yellow maple leaves were backlit by the sun. This tree is always the last one to lose it's leaves. [Read More]

We seem to be a lot later than usual getting to the real autumn leaves display. This year the season has been the warmest on record and despite the frost last night only some dogwoods and the oaks are changing color. The maple by the bridge is still [Read More]