November 4th, 2006

From: Caroline
Sent: Saturday, November 4th, 2006 07:49 AM
Subject: November 4th, 2006
That certainly was a mighty wind – it ripped the leaves from all the maples and my native witch hazel exposing all those twisted yellow flowers – it turned the normally sedate white pines into a sea of billowing dark green – and it flung my lavender blue plastic deck furniture all over the back lawn. As they landed with legs in the air they look more like an “installation” from a modernist than a chair and two tables.

Not too long ago I caught a solitary Monarch on the screened porch. I cupped him gently and told him to hurry as the others had all gone. As for the migrating birds I had hoped to see there were some warblers but they were so busy and quick that I couldn’t really see them. Besides I give up on warblers and don’t really try – there are too many different ones all looking almost the same. Some hawks went over (“raptors” to real birders) and a little flock of white throated sparrows, but nothing new or unexpected.

The true autumn crocus are blooming now – dainty lavender with their precious orange stamens as they are the saffron crocus (crocus sactivus) and well worth your consideration next spring if you are ordering bulbs. The squirrels will transplant them into places that you hadn’t planned but that doesn’t matter, as it is such a treat to see flowers at this time of year.

Mealy bugs mystify me. I moved my plants inside, all of them green and healthy and all of a sudden one of them was full of those disgusting white pests. According to that fount of gardening wisdom, Rick Peckham, attack them from below and above. For below a powdered systemic and above a spray containing pyrethrum. This works – positively.

I am prone to conceits (i.e. fanciful ideas) concerning embellishments to my place. Some work and some don’t. The glade for instance works and is a charming place to sit in a tree shelter. Trying to get a nasturtium to droop down over the fish pool with orange flowers to reflect in the water and look like goldfish hasn’t. Just now it has finally got the hang of the growing part but there are no flowers and the next frost will kill it.