Fluffing The Grasses

Miscanthus in the 'Morning Light'. I couldn't give this up when it can stand through most of the winter. I went up there today and cut out all the broken stems from that first big snow and fluffed the rest of it back up. It has been below freezing with frost quite a few times this week The grass is beginning to freeze and dry enough that another heavy snow might not squash it. Maybe.

There are nice scenes to be seen from my front porch.

And there are eyesores. I always make an effort to take the ugly telephone pole out of the pictures I post.

Then I did a little tidying by the back service entrance. The Yellie Mums were done. The vines on the trellis were froze. The gladiolas were still green; frozen green. They needed to be put down if there is any chance of survival. Gladiolas are outside my zone. Gardy don't dig no tubers and bulbs. They will have to take their chances.

This is the bare bones of winter.

I do have a bunch of tiny baby hellebores in this bed. They will give some winter evergreen as they get bigger.

Then I painted the eyesore. I have stared at that pole for five years wondering what can I do to make this thing go away. A couple of months ago the idea of painting it the same red as the cement columns supporting the cozy cabin came to mind. I liked that idea. Turn an eyesore into a bold red pole. It is the repetition of a major architectural element in the garden.

Just don't look up. I got as high up as I was willing to go today. Maybe I'll take it to the top of the grey conduit later. I can't go past that without risking electrocution. It's better one bold color than the contrasting grey of the conduit pipe and the brown of the pole. Thankfully the pole in the roadside vegetable garden does not annoy me nearly as much.

Surprise. The Lycoris squamigera are coming up. They are still alive. They are also still on the Florida schedule from where they came. I planted three clumps and this is the first I have seen. They really should wait until April to send up leaves in their new home. I don't think these leaves are going to be cold hardy.

I tidied away the dried remnants of the wildflowers that have been taking over the basement patio in my neglect of getting it finished. We need a neater appearance for the rubberneckers in the winter when they can see everything so clearly. So clearly, they often come to a stop during the barren months of winter.

Tomorrow I may tidy the roadside vegetable garden just because the weathers will be cooperating. I'm planing on taking more control over the strip of wildflowers between the vegetables and the road. I have poppies I want to plant. That means the goldenrod in that strip needs to get yanked.