Well I finally remembered it was the 15th of the month, which means it is Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day.  After not participating for a few months due to family stuff and mainly forgetfulness I was happy to get a post together today.  November is a month of cooler temps and lingering blooms in my zone 7-8 garden (check to see what your zone is here).  Somethings will continue to push out a few blooms right through December.  To see what’s blooming in other gardens all over the world or to join in on the fun please visit our gracious host Carol @May Dreams Gardens. 

update:  For those of you who are wondering about how my yard handled the Nor’Easter that passed through this week I was very fortunate.  Other than a few dead limbs from the Pecan Tree, leaf debris and a soggy yard that’s all I substained.  Unfortunately some of my neighbors weren’t so lucky.  There are some cases of roof damage in my neighborhood from trees snapping due to tropical storm strength winds.  I don’t live in a flood zone so that wasn’t an issue for us either.  I’ve been having computer problems so this post that was created ahead of time posted before I could finish the link.  This morning I was busy trying to backup all my photos and other important info to an external harddrive incase this one crashes permanently. 

Yesterday me and my garden blogging buddy Janet The Queen of Seaford got together for another mini road trip.  First she took me on an official tour of the Learning Garden in York county.  It was an educational experience to view all the different gardens at this time of the year.  Can’t wait to go back in the spring to see what it looks like then.  I came home with a zillion photos and some seeds from a Camellia and a pretty annual Salvia.  Can’t wait to try my hand at growing a Camellia from seed.  Thanks Janet for the tour and the free seeds. 

We also made an excursion over to the Yorktown waterfront, pass the battlefields to check out the cool plantings.  I was quite surprised to see how many changes they had made to the area since Hurricane Isabel wiped this beach out in 2003.  It has a quaint feel to it that reminds me of Colonial Williamsburg.  I’m sure the shops and boardwalk have been a lovely tourist attraction, but the locals enjoy it as well.  Couldn’t get over these Rudbeckia still blooming. 

And of course I didn’t come home empty-handed since me & Janet did a mini-plantswap of our own.  I shared some of my favorite Phlox ‘Robert Poore’ and a division of the Walking Iris (that Darla sent me).  She generously gave me some divisions of Verbena bonariensis and Green Coneflower.  I meant to get them planted before it started pouring last night.  I’ll get on that today.   Looks like even Spaz approves of the new additions for the garden.  :)

Last week while sitting outside I happened to look up at the Pecan Tree and was thrilled to see Pecans ready to be picked.  The timing was perfect, the outer green shells had opened like the petals of a flower (first upper left photo).  I ran inside for this colander and grabbed a tall stepladder on the way out.  Every branch I could reach was enough to fill this container.  There are still plenty left since the tree is very tall so I’ll need a taller ladder to harvest more.  I rinsed this batch and laid them out a dish towel to dry.  These are the best nuts, they have a paper like shell that makes cracking them a breeze.  I’m so thrilled to have harvested a few before the selfish squirrels had a field day.  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind sharing since there is more than enough to go around with the wildlife & us.   Plus it keeps them from digging up my flower bulbs over the winter.    Oh if you want to learn more about this tree you can check out  my fellow VA blogger  Janet @The Queen of Seaford’s post Tuesdays Trees-Pecan carya.  She does this post weekly about a local tree and it is very educational.  Or you can check out a post I did last year about this wonderful native here.

note:  by the way I changed the theme of my blog to reflect the season.  oh and the pecans were tasty, tried some last night.  yum! 

The green leaves of summer have changed into their autumn finery with hues of gold, bronze and red.  Before long they will blanket every surface of the garden. 

Hydrangea blossoms fade to paler versions of their former selves or take on new identities altogether…soon they’ll turn brown and blow away. 

Just like the leaves of the trees swirl and dance in the air with the slightest breeze through their branches.  They look like falling stars against the blue, blue skies.

It wouldn’t be Autumn without the blooms of Chrysantheums.  Their colorful faces are cheery on gloomy days.  Another glorious season to enjoy before Jack Frost puts the garden to bed for a long winter’s nap.