Endings and Beginnings: GBBD, November 2021
As November arrived, Maine’s spell of unseasonably warm fall weather finally ended with nighttime low temperatures down around 20F and heavy frost. This was the signal to go into winter dormancy for any plants that had not already done so.
Nevertheless, there are still a few flowers visible in my garden. These are not really in bloom; rather, they are frozen (literally) in a state of suspended animation, no longer developing but not yet withered.
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Color in my garden is being provided by some still-colorful leaves of deciduous plants (like Viburnum acerifolium, below) and by berries like those on this cotoneaster.
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But, right on cue, the houseplants that provide my winter flower fix have begun to bloom. The Thanksgiving cactus (Schlumbergera) opened its first flowers this week, and buds are developing on the potted Cyclamen persica.
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Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day is a monthly celebration of flowers hosted by Carol Michel at May Dreams Gardens. Visit her website to see November blooms being enjoyed by other gardeners.
That’s the first time I’ve seen a Schlumbergera with tnges of pink and red in its foliage. Very pretty!
Hello Jean, it’s bittersweet seeing that transition from outdoor to indoor flowering, it does mean that Christmas is near. There’s nothing like a heavy frost for a night or two to put plants into dormancy.