notes and musings from a perennial gardener
It’s November, and the hydrangeas I pruned in July and August are still looking great. Got lots of mopheads and panicle types blooming in your yard too? If they’re holding their color and aren’t too desiccated yet, cut some now to make a quick and easy fall wreath.
If you have access to an evergreen magnolia such as Teddybear or Kay Parris, so much the better. But magnolia leaves are not a necessity. Any lustrous evergreen material that dries reasonably well will work.
It’s Labor Day weekend already! Where did the summer go? After broiling heat and a lashing by hurricane Ida last week, it’s wonderful to have cooler air and some upcoming blue skies to signal the change.
Unlike this past spring, my dwarf magnolia has been slowly budding up these last two weeks, preparing for a prolific repeat bloom.
This cultivar usually puts out just a few flowers at a time all summer, provided it gets plenty of moisture. Ida’s record deluge certainly gave it that. Now it’s putting on a show that surpasses last spring’s.
What a surprise! Who doesn’t welcome a magnolia in full flower in late August and September?