Turkey Tail

Trametes versicolor the Turkey Tail fungus has formed a complete circle over the decaying stump of an old crabapple tree that we took down several years ago.

http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/turkey_tail.htm

You can use these in decorations if you carefully remove them from a tree stump or decaying log as you can see from the photo below.  If they touch water they will become dark and as they dry revert to their natural color  so that might mean you can use them to detect when your arrangement needs water. 

Good for wreaths also if they are big enough.

Carrots

Made a quick run out to the garden today breezy & cold out there. We have had some rain though so decided to pull some carrots. The foliage is great looking and a few interplanted lettuce are still OK.

I am obviously not the world's greatest carrot grower but I was excited to get veg for dinner. The variation in size is interesting, could it be I didn't thin properly? Of course but they are still sweet & local. I saw Bill Lord on 'Almanac Gardener' say you could harvest them through the winter by just leaving them in the ground just my kind of no work solution. The pale ones are supposed to be woody and bitter but these are fine. Growing in a raised bed with very loose soil created over the last 12 years they are quite nicely shaped though not uniform...thank goodness!

Decorating from the Garden

I have been thinking a lot about using natural materials from the garden for decorations.
There are so many berries on the exotic invasive Ligustrum (privet) that grows in the surrounding woods. It really has taken over from the native undergrowth & now becoming practically the only species in there. Noticing the huge panicles of black berries I decided to cut some & use them in a wreath along with other exotics such as Elaeagnus (Thorny Olive). Elaeagnus pungens was planted (not by us) as a hedge at the back of our garden many years ago and is now trying to take over. Gradually trying to cut it back allowed me to make the base for this wreath.

It really does have the loveliest silver backed leaves. The black Ligustrum berries add interest and a spray of pink berries from the Chinese Pistache tree and seed pods from Formosa Lily complete my exotic wreath . I hope we can start a trend of using these exotic seed carriers in decorations & at least prevent a few new offspring from invading our woods.

A Garden Full of Thanks

Even though the holiday has come & gone here are a few things in my garden that gave me pleasure on a warm day recently.

Above the winter foliage of Viburnum burkwoodii whose flowers have fantastic fragrance in the middle of winter encouraging you to go out in the garden.
http://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/all/viburnum-x-burkwoodii/

Above Quercus nigra the huge Water Oak which shades half the house looses it's leaves over a long period of winter. Not sure if that is good or bad. A native looking lovely in it's fall dress.

At left the rain garden sans Swamp Sunflower & Goldenrod thanks to my husband who pulled them all up & shredded them back on to the ground. 
Hooray for Helpful Husbands!
http://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=73