Spooky Looking Plants

Happy Halloween!
On a recent visit to the New York Botanical Garden, I found some plants that looked down right spooky (with a little imagination of course). Have a look and let me know if you agree!

 The evil, staring one-eyed yellow lady...

 Help me! I'm being devoured by a purple monster! Said Mr. Bee.

 Beware of the purple tentacles of the scary monster hiding in the bushes...

 Oh no, the shrub is bleeding!

 Snakes, twisted and curling over one another on the ground...

 Bony, knobby fingers of a skeleton's hand...

 A mysterious, entrancing pink orb with laser beam eyes....

 Sea serpents emerging from the pond, looking for prey...

Beady little eyeballs, caked in blood...

 The moldy, green crevices of the brain...

 Creepy skeleton like creatures swaying in the breeze...

 A rat's tail!

 Icky, sticky spider web, painted purple to lure you in...

Hope you have a wonderful and spooktacular Halloween!

What's Blooming This Month? November 2014

With the month almost at the close and the busyness of life at its peak right now (or so it seems), I thought I'd post some photos of my garden in November. I took these right before the big freeze set in which either forced all the leaves to drop or turned them into a crisp. Still the beauty of autumn was here until the end...

 They don't call it Burning Bush for nothing! This Euonymus alatus literally looks like it's on fire.

When most of the garden flowers are heading off to sleep, these Anenome 'Prince Henry' are in full bloom.

All the hostas are now turning a brilliant shade of yellow, which adds such a flair of awesomeness to the garden.

What would a fall garden be without mums? I love how these are flopped over the boulders, down the slope here.

 Silly daffodils, it's not spring yet! Go back to bed.

The Japanese Maple's deep reddish hue in autumn looks so pretty against the weeping spruce.

 The foliage and the drying flower heads of this sedum are eye catching right now.

And of course the variegated holly is in full "bloom" with berries galore - just in time for the winter season!

So there you have it - my Long Island, NY garden in November! I hope you were able to get out and enjoy the fresh autumn air before the cold and snow set in.

As always, you can follow me on Instagram and Facebook for more frequent photo updates.

Until soon!

Fall Gardens Blooming with Color

Even though autumn doesn't officially start for another few days, it certainly feels like it outside. The air is cool and crisp and the sun still feels warm - a perfect day for a fall festival! The teaching gardens at Farmingdale State College are always beautiful and lush. But the colors I saw today at their annual fall festival were just stunning. Have a look:

What's Blooming this Month? November 2013

Not too much is blooming this month, to be honest. After all, it is November. But also, it's Garden Bloggers Bloom Day and so, along with other fellow garden bloggers, I'm here to show you what is going on in my garden this month.

Just two weeks ago, my garden and surrounding landscape was a mass of autumn vibrant colors (take a look here). Then a cold snap happened earlier this week and we actually got a dusting of snow. Now everything tender has died back and the leaves are almost all gone. Still, there is beauty if you look for it.

The pink carpet rose is still going strong with a few blossoms and buds here and there. Never thought I'd enjoy the color pink in November as much as I do now.

Speaking of pink, the first blossoms of my Anenome 'Queen Charlotte' plants are starting to fade, but they still have a few more buds on them and we are due for a warm weekend...maybe they will surprise me with one last hurrah.

 The variegated Liriope is still looking great, especially against the pink rose hips from the carpet roses.

Ever lovely pansy is still showing is autumnal-hued face. I love how this variety compliments the colors of the season.

Likewise, these marigolds are still looking great with the orange and red colors. They are not too happy about the recent cold, but are holding on in my vegetable garden which has otherwise been put to bed.

The Autumn Fern (Dryopteris erythrosora) still looks beautiful and green. They were planted just this year, so they are not yet to their true size.

 Another rose still blooming - the Knockout Rose. I just love this deep red color.

And it wouldn't be late fall without the emergence of the berries and seed pods. On the Crape Myrtle (above), the berries take center stage now that most of the leaves have dropped. On the variegated Holly (below), the bright red berries really stand out amongst the green and white leaves.

Poor little daffodils have been tricked into thinking it's spring with the weather we have been having. Sadly, though, I think they are a rude awakening rather soon...

And finally, not really a bloom, but we have huge, old oak tree in our backyard. And the amount of acorns it drops on daily, if not hourly, basis is astounding. You can't walk outside without hearing their crunch under your feet and you must wear a helmet or risk getting pelted on your head by a falling acorn!

What's blooming at your house? Have a look over at May Dreams Garden blog where she hosts the monthly gathering of blogs around the world to show off what's blooming.

Thanks for visiting!

What's Blooming: November

It's been unseasonably warm the past few weeks and the fall foliage is loving it. Everything is in peak color right now. Here are some of the great looking trees in the neighborhood:

As for my pots and containers - not much is blooming anymore, save for a few hardy mums. But the foliage on the hostas and the ferns still look attractive:

And this poor container - it was planed with lovely fall colored pansies. But the silly squirrels keep digging in the soil thinking they have buried some food treasure. I had been dutiful about putting down "squirrel-be-gone" repellent, but at this point, I've given up trying to keep them away. Ah well!

Fall Foliage in New York

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower -- Albert Camus

Here on the north shore of Long Island, that quote is certainly true. The beauty of New York's fall foliage is right outside my window...

 The Barberry bush is a multitude of vibrant colors - like an impressionist painting. 

The leaves of the Lady in Red fern (Athyrium filix-femina 'Lady in Red) have turned from 

lush green to butter yellow, still atop it's red stems.

 The Hostas are a gorgeous golden color

 The Crape Myrtle has just turned colors - more red at the top and yellow/orange toward the bottom.

 Although the Pee Gee Hydrangea's flowers have technically faded, I think their brown/pink hue is a lovely compliment to the yellow leaves in it's drooping habit.

The older Crape Myrtle in the front of the house is not only bursting with color but also berries, 

residing where the flowers once reigned. 

 As the days progress, the flowers on Sedum 'Autumn Joy' get progressively deeper 

and the leaves get lighter - a stunning contrast!

This Maple tree on my street looks like it is on fire. On closer look to the leaves (below) you can see the variation of color on each individual leaf. It looks like someone hand painted each of them. 

The Privet shrub is also bursting with bluish-purple berries, 

nestled tightly along the stems under the bright yellow and green leaves. 

Each autumn "flower" is different from the rest! Which one is your favorite?