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Although this could very well be a picture of me finding a new treasure at a favorite nursery, it's actually an illustration by David Catrow for a children's book called Plantzilla.

Friday, November 24, 2017

Cleaning Up on Black Friday

For many, today is about getting great deals on merchandise at stores and online.  Businesses hope to cleanup on this day.  After Thanksgiving, I prefer to avoid the madding crowd, stay home, and enjoy the afterglow of sharing the feast with family and friends.

This year, my eldest grand niece, who is taking a floral design class at school, made and brought this sweet centerpiece.


 Because I have the day off, and because the messy garden needs regular attention, I'll be heading out to do a different king of cleanup.

Thank goodness for the leaf blower!

The fallen leaves of Acer palmatum 'Bloodgood' "bloom" on evergreens. 

This resembles the red fabric of the table runner. 

This guy isn't amused.

Time to pick the persimmons - Yum.

The Linden and Cherry trees have finished dropping leaves for the year. 

All is not about ending and messiness. Some plants are just gearing up for their winter work.

The year's first blooms on Viburnum × bodnantense ‘Dawn’ which will be blooming and sharing sweet fragrance all winter long. 


Mahonia blooms are abuzz with fighting hummingbirds and the now leafless Euonymus europaeus 'Red Ace' (below) Clerodendrum trichotomum, and Callicarpa are providing a jolt of unexpected color.

Looking like winter.

 Lots of seed pods on the Empress trees this year. 

Dammit kids, I just cleaned up after you last weekend. 



 Happy Friday everyone!

14 comments:

  1. Lots to keep you busy today, the best kind of busy! #optoutside

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  2. Oh, I should check my 'Dawn' Viburnum for buds! I don't have quite as many fallen leaves as you do, but there's still lots outside to keep me occupied too.

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  3. At least your fallen leaves are pretty! Your grand niece has talent.

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  4. All the leaves are so pretty. Outside watering today after 57 days with no rain.

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    1. It continues to rain here, the ground is saturated and there are frequent flood and landslide warnings. You can have some of our rain anytime!

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  5. Your niece is quite talented. Beautiful arrangement.
    That pink and orange berried plant is gorgeous too.
    Those rascally kids will be littering leaves for some time yet I bet.
    Have a good weekend.

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  6. Your garden looks lovely with all those autumn colors!

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  7. We were fortunate to be able to get out for a couple of days before Thanksgiving and get most of the clean up finished. of course that doesn't mean it will stay that way. Each windstorm means more to do, and soon it will be time to get the outside lights up.

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  8. Lots of work, Peter. I love the last photo - the red leaves look as a carpet.

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  9. It's a shame to rake up the beautiful red leaves, what a show they make. There is always so much to do at this time of the year that it becomes a race.Still,it's fun. Lots to enjoy in your garden, I always a peek at it.

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  10. I enjoy autumn leafs twice: once on the tree and then when they carpet the back yard in gold. The birch is almost naked now, so on Friday I raked the lawn, but the rest of the leafs can stay; they make good natural mulch all winter. I think your fallen maple leafs look fantastic.

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  11. Your kind of Black Friday cleanup is much better. Do you just eat your persimmons plain? We like to put them in fruit salad.

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    1. I've always just eaten them out of hand but they would be delicious in fruit salad.

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  12. Your grandniece is talented! Like you, I avoid the crowds on Black Friday, although I often shop on Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday. We hit a record high on Friday--65, which is quite warm for S. Wis. in late November. So, I was outside finishing up my garden chores. Bonus! Your photos of fallen leaves are so beautiful!

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Thanks so much for taking the time to comment! I love to hear your thoughts.