A Frosty Morn in the Garden & Thank You

 

It was a very cold and frosty morning that greeted the garden this morning. I went out and walked around the garden looking at the damage and finely making myself accept the fact that gardening outdoors was done for this year.
I am thankful that we did not get the snow that some of the states received over the weekend. I hope all of our gardening buddies in upstate New Jersey, Colorado and Wisconsin are safe and get their electricity back on soon. It was slightly early for such a major snow storm and I hope it does not set the president for the winter to come.

The meadow across the road was white with frost and the sun was trying to get through and burn off a little fog that was in the area making it look like steam was rising off of the meadow.

The birdbath was full of leaves and a coating of ice. My project today will be to will be to clean out the leaves from the small pond and the birdbaths and locate the water heaters  for them. I like to keep water for the birds when it is cold and of course the feral cats come by to get a drink from them too.

Looking around the garden the evidence of a cold frosty night was upon all of the flowers. The lily leaves were crusty looking.

The Yellow Mesa Gaillardia was drooping with a layer of  frost.

The chrysanthemums were frosty and the drops of melting frost from the warming temperatures were starting to gather.

A volunteer sunflower from the birdfeeder’s scattered seeds will die now.

The new buds on the Raspberry Truffle Echinacea were touched by the frost and a web left by a spider that was not in residence.
Where do they spend their time on a cold Autumn night? Hopefully not in my basement.

The new growth on some of the roses were covered in frosty crystals.

 
This will be the last of the blooms from the Crimson Bouquet rose for the year.

It is sad to see the last blooms of the roses for a gardener who does not do cold and winter weather well. In fact I hate winter.

The Iceberg roses were drooping and I can now trim back the roses and get rid of the blackspot with the trimmings. Trimming them had been delayed since they were still throwing on a few blooms late in the season this year.

 
The bud on the Almost Black rose was not looking well at all.

The Bill Warriner rose still looked beautiful but may succumb when the sun shines upon it.

   So this week I will be shutting down the garden and doing the final clean up and think about the Spring to come.

I was so fortunate to win a couple of Giveaways in September and October.

 
What a wonderful surprise to find out that Jeri Landers from “Hopalong Hollow Gazette” and its residents picked, or maybe it was not picked, in that they did not eat the animal cracker with my name on it.
Myself and two other lucky and excited winners won one of Jeri’s beautiful artworks. I just love it.
Jeri is a gifted artist and author of Children's books. Visit her Blog and look at all of the gorgeous pictures she draws and paints.
Her children’s book would make just the greatest Christmas gifts for those young ones.  Well maybe just not for those youngsters but us oldsters too. LOL!
Thank you Jeri!

I was also so thrilled to be a winner of one of Myra’s original creations from her Blog Giveaway. This sweet Dragonfly was made from an a spindle from an over eighty year old chair. Each one she makes is different. She has the most fun and creative ideas. She is making a patio room from an old corncrib! It is such a marvelous idea of recycling.
Go to Myra’s Blog at “My Mother’s Daughter” and see some of the things she is doing and making for the garden.
I will enjoy adding this cute Dragonfly to the garden next Spring.
I do not want to go out into the cold and snow this winter so the Dragonfly is staying in the house with me until it warms up.
Thank you Myra!

So goodbye October you went by far too fast and Happy Halloween.
Happy Gardening,
Lona

Technorati Tags: Frost,Roses,Gaillardia,Echinacea,Chrysanthemum,Giveaways