NOVEMBER JEWELS

“She stands

In tattered gold

Tossing bits of amber

And jade, jewels of a year grown old:

November”

Zephyr Ware Tarver - 1886-1974)

There are still roses in the garden in November

“In the right light,

at the right time,

everything is extraordinary.”

Aaron Rose, cinema-photographer

“Some of the days in November

carry the whole memory of summer

as a fire opal

carries the colour of moonrise”

Gladys Taber (1899-1980)

The fall leaves on the Delft Lace Astilbe glow in the sunlight

The reddened leaves of potato vine

OAK LEAVES

Even dying leaves cast spells

ACORNS

MAST YEAR

What is a Mast Year?

It’s what happens when the Oak produces a larger crop of acorns. This is how they survive the greedy acorn eaters, making sure there are lots left for new seedlings in following years.

Think about it: if they only produced the same number of acorns each year, they would all be eaten and there would be none to produce new little Oak seedlings.

This way, it’s win-win. In Mast years, there is an over-abundance of acorns: critters get high-calorie nuts and trees get new offspring.

My sketch of a squirrel and an acorn

An Oak seedling - how does the acorn do that?

BEECH:

some say this will be a mast year for Beech

but some others say it might be

because of the hot summer

that the trees are struggling

which means they may produce more nuts.

LEAVE THE LEAVES

However in our garden and at both ends of our street… massive Oaks. These leaves have a lignin coating that sheds water so it falls to the earth to feed their roots.

That coating makes them waxy and leather-like and in my garden, takes several seasons to break down… so the rain runs off them and mats them down… I rake them off.

These I save to cover the roses on the boulevard because that waxy coating will repel salt and dirt during the winter. In the spring, I do not mind removing the dirty, salt encrusted leaves and putting them out for city compost.

However, most other leaves are thinner and break down over the winter… leaving those is a great thing but my favourite is to have shredded leaves (thanks neighbours) to mix with my compost to spread on the garden late fall.

Our Oak Tree

My sketch of falling Oak leaves

OTHER LEAVES

There is a certain magic about leaves in the fall and not just the ones falling from trees... those in the garden bring an incredible show of their own.

Ghost Fern leaves

Heucherella leaves

My sketch of leaves I found on my walk with Lucy

THE SMELL OF RAIN

There is something magical about the smell of rain...

SOME FAVOURITE THINGS...

Whenever it is time to put the things in the garden away, I am fondly reminded of my favourites...

However, they would not be in the garden if they weren't, would they.

Here are some of them... blue, of course.

Collected over many years and... lovingly transferred from one garden to another.

A "She-shed"? Not...

... and here is why this is not a "she-shed"....

.. full of lovely things that way at least a ton

... grateful for help from MBD

(my beautiful daughter)

CANNAS

These were the best bargain.

... MBD bought a tuber from our local Seedy Sunday and planted it.

($8 )

Here is what they looked like in the summer.

We dug them from the pot and they were entangled like this. Once washed, they separated easily and put in a mesh bag to dry and then into a brown paper bag to keep them in the dark.

RECENT NOTEWORTHY EVENTS...

The first was Charlie Angus (whose book I highly recommend "Dangerous Memories" and who spoke both passionately and from his heart.... backed by facts... important ones.

He said he was not there to fill us full of hope, but to let us know that we can make a difference... each one of us.... to support our country and each other.

Powerful... he is a gentleman, a scholar and someone who is making a difference. His presence sold tickets and raised over $4,000 for our local YES shelter... wow...

The lineup was around the corner to get in but he came and shook hands with everyone who wished and took time to pose with those who asked....

We did.

The next impressive event was hosted by the Peterborough Public Library who brought Diana Beresford-Kroeger... an incredibly educated author who has gentle way of waking up the world to the importance of Trees.

Her talk was called " I Speak For the Trees" and is the name of her book which I have also recommended...

Here are 2 others to put on your list...

ROSES and WAR...

"If war has an opposite,

gardens might sometimes be it

and people have found a particular kind of peace

in forests, meadows, parks and gardens."

Rebecca Solnit

LEST WE FORGET...

Donate what you can.

Wear your poppy over your heart

and never forget the reason we are free.

UNTIL NEXT TIME

LUCY SAYS...

Drive to see the colours... we loved the view from the Lookout above Kaminiskeg lake but she was more interested in letting the breeze blow in her ears and see who was coming to pet her.

She also thinks

you should take one last nap on the deck

if there is an hour of sunshine

before the snow flies...

but be sure to cover up

with a warm cashmere shawl.

Oh, and here is her birthday gift from her doggie friend "Winnifred"

How perfectly well does Winnie know her.... haha

Take good care.... we'll be back

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