It’s not yet winter but we’re off to a good start with wintry weather. We got a lot of rain in the lowlands and snow in the mountains earlier in the month and now we’re getting clear skies and cold nights. Many of the deciduous trees are still holding onto their leaves, the green largely replaced by yellows and reds. Sunny days of autumn are a gift in Seattle and it is so good to be working outside. For those of you who don’t get out of the office much and those far away, here are some pictures of the garden before winter sets in.
Crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos) conferring in section B. There’s something about crows in November: autumn is their season in Seattle. They’re already congregating at twilight in the cottonwoods and alders by the edge of Union Bay. Sometimes thousands roost at once, cawing and cawing as the sun goes down. It’s one of the great Seattle experiences to walk among and below them and their haunting chorus at day’s end, from Marsh Island to Foster Island and the north edge of the Arboretum and many other areas around the city. They’re engaging in some sort of ritual that is far older than human history.
They’re also willing to eat slugs and cutworm (Noctua spp) pupae which I toss to them when I’m digging, as they follow me around, waiting to see what little creatures wind up on the soil surface. I once watched a crow peering intently at the ground in one of the garden beds. Then it made a quick thrust into the soil with its beak. It had been watching a mole’s (Scapanus sp.) progress as it tunneled, slightly displacing the soil and betraying its position. Up came the beak with a small mole. It didn’t surprise me. Crows are smart and they’re always watching.
Hops (Humulus lupulus) flowers in section A, long past the stage when they can be harvested for tea or beer.
Manuka (Leptospermum scoparium) still flowering in late November.
Maximilian sunflower (Helianthus maximiliani) in section D is one of the last plants to flower.
Trifoliate orange, zhi shi (Poncirus trifoliata) covered in green fruit which should turn orange if they don’t freeze.
Pipevine (Aristolochia macrophylla) in section B.
Maypop (Passiflora incarnata) fruit in section D did well in the warmth this summer. It was a bumper year for fruit.
Eastern prickly pear (Opuntia humifusa) fruit stay green all summer and then turn red in fall.
Pomegranate (Punica granatum) fruit that split in the heavy rains.
Compass plant (Silphium laciniatum) leaves in section A.
Western sweet shrub (Calycanthus occidentalis) catching the last light of afternoon in Cascara Circle.
Golden foliage of the paper birch (Betula papyrifera) with our guardian monkeys in the foreground and various conifers behind. I love that birch tree.
Skunkbush (Rhus trilobata) in Cascara Circle
looks a bit like western poison oak (Toxicodendron diversilobum). It’s good to know the difference. Skunkbush is used for natural dyeing and basketry.
Wild oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) in section D.
Canadian milkvetch (Astragalus canadensis) seed pods in section D.
Purple prairie clover (Dalea purpurea) in the same bed.
Staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina) foliage lighting up the woods north of Cascara Circle.
As the leaves fall on the deciduous trees, it will become easier to spot the garden’s predatory bird visitors. For now though, the crows and jays lead me to their roosts. The barred owl (Strix varia) has been spending time in the conifers at the west end of the garden, but most recently at the east end of the garden. It’s pretty tolerant of my intrusions so I keep taking its picture.
Looking here.
Looking there.
Those dark eyes don’t miss much…I’m glad I’m not a rat.
hidden by day’s light
holding nighttime in their eyes
they wait for sunset
See you in the garden.