October 26, 2013

42°F with scattered snow showers the first few hours after sunrise.  Note the chrysanthemums in the foreground are not frost burned.  The micro climate on top of this hill protected the plants in the yard.

Below is a view off the west porch.   I love the rich verdant green with the softness of the snow shower across the road.  Two years ago on the same weekend the ground was frosted and dormant.  I love the unpredictability of the seasons.

This is a view a few minutes later toward the northeast from the east porch.  The snow shower came in waves like a Summer rain.

 ~ an hour later I finished putting 3 transplants in the spots where the nursery stock failed to grow this Summer.  The Himkomani (sp) gooseberries did not even try to leaf out.   They are supposed to be viable to Zone 3.  It looks like they do not like well drained sandy soil.  Thank goodness for the variety special I ordered.  I got the transplants used on this trip from the fringes of my established current bed in West Allis.

The wrapped transplants were left overnight in the flower bed next to the porch.  ~ a foot or two of stem was poking out of the plastic bag they traveled in .  In the am one of the stems had been stripped of it's leaves in the technique of a browsing deer.  The fence stays up .

Why would they eat leaves from a dormant currant plant when there are apples (I think empire variety) under the tree on the other side of the currant hedge?

 

The next photos of this yard should show snow coverage with no more green until next May.