Six on Saturday – 10DEC2022 – Yummy Pines

Well I hope these Pinus nigra (Black pine) were yummy, at least for whatever critter decided, earlier this week, to have its way with two saplings in my yard. Hate for this destruction to have been a waste. The only animal I can think of, around here, that might do this are deer, but the destruction is so low…less than two feet from the ground, and the branches were snipped off so close to the trunk…Suggestions as to who or what the culprit may be are welcome! In the meantime, Jim Stephens, who writes in Garden Ruminations, hosts a Saturday show and tell on his site for gardeners around the world to post photos of six things. This pine tree damage, above and below, is the first for me:

We had our first major snowfall just over three weeks ago, but you’d never know it today. As proof, here’s ‘Crimson Bouquet’ rose, then and yesterday:

Like magic, the snow melted, and we’ve had a run of sunny, warm days with a few frigid nights and a fair bit of rain thrown in. If the long range forecast is to believed it will be a white Christmas. But don’t hold me to that!

As well as the odd annual still in bloom (Calendula, strawflowers, snapdragons) there’s a few tiny blue Veronica Whitley’s Speedwell blossoms still poking up on sunny days…once the frost melted yesterday morning these blooms were quite lovely.

One rather bizarre thing appearing in my garden now are leaves of Allium ‘Summer Drummer.’ These leaves started to appear in September and haven’t stopped growing. I know it’s related to garlic, which, when planted in the fall, will often send up shoots before the ground freezes (in my region, anyway), but I don’t have any other ornamental Allium that does this:

There’s a drainage swale running through the back field. A swale with water is a good indication the water table is nice and high, which is a good indication I can have a nice hot shower on a cold winter day without fear the well will run dry. So this sight makes me happy:

Finally, also out back, I find the humongous leaves of a clump of Compass Plant – Silphium laciniatum – to be quite intriguing and, in a way, mysterious…how they fan out like this…like a multitude of spokes from a fallen intergalactic organic spaceship whirligig.

Have a great weekend everyone!