still green in the cold

A walk around the yard, pleasing to see what is still green even after we had a night so chilly. My favorite right now is the stinking hellebore- nothing seems to bother it, and its appearance is so unusual. I must get more come spring for this hillside!

My beautyberry dropped all its leaves, but the berries are still colorful

On the other side, some of the yellow salvia still has foliage and the 'autumn joy' sedums are a tad wilted with the flowers gone darker

but the nice lambs-ears still look great under shadow of gladiola leaves (which I haven't cut back yet, as they're still green too)

After the first two weeks I didn't water my new bugleweed plants any, and kind of forgot to look for them when leaf cover started to conceal. A peek today- all the ones I found look just fine.

Here's that plant I can forage come up again- purple deadnettle

Lovage has gone limp and fallen over, yet still green

And finally my black and blue salvia wilted. Funny that I'm actually glad of this. I cut back the stems this afternoon, and will dig and move it tomorrow when it's warmer out so easier to work. My hands got chilled today with all the pulling and cutting.

final cleanup

At least, it feels like one. Last night was in the twenties, some plants had their last moments. I cleared out all the stems of coleus, most of the marigolds, the remaining basil pots. Took down the untidy support for cardinal climber vine, pulled out of the garden the wilted sunberry (which got trashed, as it had first whitefly then aphids galore- but nearly everything else chopped for the compost pile) and the amaranth. Last week tithonia got cut down, and I saved a few seedheads

So the garden beds are mostly empty now except for a bit of bright green in the lettuce bed, some lingering chard

a bit to my surprise, the tokyo bekana is still growing nicely

and of course the herb bed- lavender is the prettiest.

I haven't cut back the rue yet-

and the turtlehead stand is nice to look at with its fall fade and yellow/brown colors

together- 

There's also still borage- it's pretty tough!

The nicotiana remains green both in the garden bed

and a pot. I've cut off the wilted flowers and the photos are diff colors because taken at diff times of day

Up on the deck only a few pots are still alive- the chocolate mint

ginger mint

parsley

and kale- but just barely. Soon they'll be done, too.

Hyssop is holding up pretty well- here's two views of that planter

Kinda funny how it grew all sideways leaning out

one fewer

A few days ago I noticed one of my guppies wasn't feeding, but just hanging around at surface. Then was always in the corner by the heater- 

and closer look saw it's very bloated. I fasted the tank two days and fed cooked pea bits after, but this fish never ate. 

I moved it to a container with plants, because I didn't want the others to pick at it, if it's contagious. I thought about giving epsom salt bath, but then the fish lost eqilibrium

and the end was not long after.

So now only seven little bright blue guppies.

a small final harvest

Lettuces-

Leaf beet and swiss chard-

Amaranth greens- they're small but I was determined to pick all the leaves we can eat before cold gets them.

Lemon balm- I cut the plant back again, and heaped it with crumbled dry leaves against the chill. All the smaller sprigs in a jar of water and espresso cup, to keep fresh for my tea tonight.

Pulled the rest of the carrots. Dunno why one is white?

Cleaned and going into the fridge-

A few more cherry tomatoes I found when removing the vines from the bed the other day- maybe some of them will ripen in the windowsill.

Pulled all the bean plants, too. Filled a large bowl with all the beans still on there- those still tender enough I cooked to eat, the dry ones got split open for seed, and the ones in middle stages tossed into the compost. 

Seed. Why are some of them squarish? I'm curious. I have well enough for twice the amount I usually grow, for several years! and this was just the pods that were mature enough of their own accord, when I pulled the vines. Maybe next year I'll deliberately set aside the most vigorous or healthy-looking ones to save thus.

still outside

Two little tatsoi- just big enough to eat now.

I didn't realize the alyssum would last so long! it makes a nice sweet scent only discernible up close

What do you know, I thought the little hellebores up front were all gone, but two are still alive

Columbine behind the row of fading coleus, too- some small

Others larger and sprawling

The first garden bed looks pretty empty now with the bean poles all taken down

Warm days have confused my clematis? It has new leaves sprouting, even as the plant is covered in dry brown leaves

It's got lots of tender buds, too. I hope it can go dormant again and still regrow in spring okay.