Why I Oughta...

Frost Arrives, But Not All The Dahlias Have Been Impacted - November 2026

2026-11-10T08:54:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I posted some photos about how the first (real) frost arrived and zapped the coleus pretty good and signaled the REAL end of the season around here. I've read a bit about the environmental signals that get flashed inside of plants when they experience frost - and (hopefully) enter shutdown/dormancy mode.

One of those plants that was hit by frost, but NOT quite fully bitten are the dahlias. Here, below are a couple of photos of one of the Saint Martin dahlia plants that is tucked into the bed under our kitchen window. The first photo shows some of the dark, frost-bitten foliage that is curling up and looking sad:

But, when you get closer to the bottom of the plant, you see a bunch of green, in-tact foliage. See below:

Google's Gemini tells me that the top getting hit with frost is *enough* of a signal to tell the plant to begin to harden up the tubers. Here's what Gemini says that the frost is, indeed a 'biological trigger' that redirects the plant's energy to 'cure' the tuber. Now...we wait a couple of weeks before digging up:

Bear Creek Farm goes further in talking about the curing period:

The traditional advice to “wait two more weeks after frost” was never about finishing growth—it was about stabilizing moisture. When frost kills the top growth, the plant stops pulling water upward. The moisture inside the tubers now begins to redistribute and slowly leave the surface tissues. Over about 10 to 14 days, those outer cells toughen and dry just enough to form what growers call the winter skin—a thin, corky layer that protects the tuber from dehydration and decay in storage.

Before frost, the plant is growing tubers. After frost, the tubers are curing. If you dig immediately after frost, the skins are still tender and full of water; they’ll tear easily and store poorly. Give them those two weeks in the earth, and they’ll settle into equilibrium—firm, leathery, and resilient.

I guess we'll wait the two weeks. Then, the 'big dig' begins.

First Frost - End of Coleus Season - November 2026

2026-11-09T08:52:14.696-06:00

The data suggested it was going to happen. Even if the forecast didn't show it. I'm talking about the first frost of the season. And, despite it looking like it was never going to arrive, it has, indeed arrived.

Was it a 'hard frost'? I'm not sure. But, it zapped the coleus. Which, brings the coleus season to the end for 2026. Here are a couple of photos showing the frost-bitten coleus skeletons.

First up is the Wizard Sun red coleus in the front yard Island Bed. Below shows the coleus in the mid-bed with the annual Vinca curling up in front:?

And, here below is the Talavera Moondust coleus (speckled) in the corner patio bed in our backyard:

And, just like last year, the coleus shows the most initial frost damage with other things (including most of the dahlias) still green and fleshy.

Backyard Ginkgo Tree Gold Leaves In Fall - November 2026

2026-11-08T11:40:00.000-06:00

Two weeks ago, I posted an update on the (still small) Ginkgo tree that is growing in our backyard along the southside of the garden. This is a tree that was 'snapped' in half, but has (seemingly) recovered. In that post, I included a couple of photos showing the shape and growth of the tree. With all the foliage camouflaging the tree, it was hard to see the actual size, so I ended up annotating a photo with markup.

Well...just like the Saratoga Ginkgo tree out front, this Ginkgo tree is changing color. Into a canopy of gold foliage. Which...now allow for the size and shape of the tree to be EASILY read by the eye. Here, below, is that same tree, now lit up in yellow leaves:

Still not a massive tree, but it continues to grow each season. Five years in the ground. Five more until it is meaningful, I would think.

Butterscotch Amsonia Fall Show - Shocking Yellow Foliage - November 2026

2026-11-07T09:27:00.000-06:00

'Tis the season for Fall color in the garden. Plenty of it is 'nice' to look at around our garden. Both in front and back. Reds, oranges. Yellows. Even...browns.

Last week, I posted this photo from our back stoop showing the backyard coming alive in fall color. And, more recently, I posted a photo of the color combo that is happening with the Saratoga Ginkgo and the Little Henry in front. And, how the Doublefile Viburnums were turning purple.

Like I said...nice. "Nice" colors.

But, there's another plant in the garden that does something else in Fall. I'd call it borderline 'shocking'. When you see it.

That plant that I'm talking about is the Butterscotch Amsonia. Three of them planted in the [kitchen curved] bed back in 2021. I'd say they've been a 'garden win'. They provide really 'nice' texture all season-long. Then...come Fall...something else happens. They turn SHOCKING yellow/orange. And look like they are on fire.

Below are a couple of photos showing the Butterscotch Amsonia against the background of some greens (from the Oakleaf Hyrangea) and fronted by some burgundy (via the Emperor 1 Japanese Maple tree):

Better than "nice".

I've posted similar photos over the years. Here is 2024. And, here in 2022 when they had their first "fall show".

Frans Fontaine Hornbeam Trees - Pre-Dormancy - Green Foliage - Early November 2026

2026-11-06T10:03:00.000-06:00

The last time that I checked in on the row of Frans Fontaine European (Columnar) Hornbeam trees that serve as a screen in our sideyard was just back in August. Before that, I pruned them a little bit this Summer, to make a little room to navigate the boardwalk.

The full archive of posts on my Frans Fontaine European Hornbeam trees can be found here.

This year, I added another one, but in a different spot: back by the firepit.

For background, you can check out this post from 2023, when I documented the progress over the years.

More recently, I've posted about how these trees turn into dormancy and demonstrate marcescence - or holding onto their leaves late into the Winter. Here is a post from November 2024 when the leaves were turning yellow.

We're now in early November (2026) and what to they look like? Green leaves. And, mostly full.

Here, below, are a couple of photos showing the Frans Fontaine columnar European Hornbeam trees that are planted as a hedge along our property line:

Hedge of 8 year old Frans Fontaine European Hornbeam Trees in Late Fall

Just last week, I posted a photo of our backyard that showed the trees all over the place putting on a "Fall Show". Oranges. Reds. Yellows. Browns. And some greens.

So, that tells you that most of the other trees in our garden are turning color.

But not these. Not these Frans Fontaine Hornbeams.

In December 2023, they were still (mostly) green. And that's what we might see this year.

I'll try to grab a few photos of them as they head into dormancy.

Dahlias (Still) Blooming - November 2026

2026-11-05T10:19:00.000-06:00

Something wild: I'm still getting dahlia blooms in the first week of November. In Zone 6a/5b. Yes...that's right. I'm still snip'ing off a handful of blooms from the dahlias. Because...we haven't had a hard frost yet.

I wrote about the lack of first hard frost for our area back in late October. At that time, I pointed to this post from the University of Illinois State Climatologist who has a map up for the 'latest' first frost on record (which is since 1991 to 2020). Here's a link to that map. I've pasted the map below.

But, before we talk about it, let's take a look at the dahlias that are (still) blooming. Below are a few photos showing Sweet Nathalie dahlia, Great Silence Decorative Dahlia and (Not) Rip City.

Great Silence Decorative Dahlia

(Not) Rip City Dahlia

There are more, like the Saint Martin little ones and a few Blue Wish and some buds on Cafe au Lait.

Can I say something: I don't know that I love this? I mean...I guess it is a good thing, right? More blooms.

But...I'm kinda over them. Over the gardening season.

However...the plants are all still green. And, that means the tubers are STILL IN THE GROUND.

Would it be rude to just ask for a frost?

So, I can begin the process of digging the tubers up?

Green Mountain Boxwoods - By Firepit - November 2026

2026-11-04T09:44:00.000-06:00

Back in July 2023, I planted a pair of TINY (one-gallon) Green Mountain Boxwood shrubs back by the border around the firepit in the far backyard. I don't seem to have posted about these in the years since, but they've just ambled along in the years since being planted.

They've had 3.5 growing seasons (1/2 of 2023, 2024, 2025 and now 2026) and have put on some size and mass. Without much of anything other than the water they get from rain. They're planted in a pretty shady spot, too.

I have another Green Mountain boxwood that is planted under the tree swing tree. Similarly...planted as a TINY, TINY, TINY shrub. In 2021. It gets a little bit of "Winter bronzing". If you plant these, just know they'll do that in Winter. Don't worry. They bounce back in Spring.

Here, below, is what the pair of Green Mountain boxwoods in the far back of the yard look like right now, in early November. Covered in some fallen leaves from the trees that are being dropped all around them:

Back a few years ago, my eyes were open to evergreens and conifers. And, how much I had 'missed' on them over the first few years of our garden. In the post when I planted them, I talked about how these were part of my effort around adding evergreens and structure to my (at the time) mostly perennial garden. In the years since, I've posted my v1 draft of Jake's Great Garden Rules - which includes #2: "Conifers should come first". I'll (slightly) amend that to include evergreen shrubs, too.

Note for 2027: I should add more evergreen shrubs, including boxwoods.

Getting to Know (More) Amaryllis Bulbs - November 2026

2026-11-03T09:33:14.143-06:00

We made an early stop into Wannemaker's Garden Center this past weekend and checked out their newly-arrived shipment of Amaryllis bulbs. We normally buy ours at their Holiday Open House (that takes place in a couple of weeks), but I wanted to see what they had on-hand. As always, they have a couple of full, long shelves of boxes of Amaryllis bulbs that you can choose from. Their bulbs are big and plump. And, not cheap. But, they perform.

I recently posted about some of the Amaryllis bulbs that Home Depot is carrying this year. That post is here and includes a look at Flaming Peacock Amaryllis, Red Peacock Amaryllis, Blossom Peacock Amaryllis, Marquis Amaryllis, Glee Amaryllis.

The bulbs at Wannemaker's are varied - in terms of colors and shapes. The ones that caught my attention are included below.

Last year, we grew Shine Dream and Flamed Amadeus. This year, we'll grow some new (to us) ones.

Trying to narrow down the selection is hard. So, here's some homework that I did. I'll post the final selections once they're made.

First up: Double Dream Amaryllis.

The photo on the box above sure looks Christmas red. But, this listing from DutchGrown shows something more pink. Here's how they describe it (and they...mention...pink): "Pretty pink petals come together to form a beautiful, large flower. The sturdy stem is strong enough to carry the huge multiple flowers."

It is a 'double' amaryllis (hence the name) and many people call it 'ruffled'.

Next up: Cherry Nymph.

I've grown this one before - in 2019. It was late blooming. I mentioned in this post that think I prefer 'variegated amaryllis' over these all-red ones. But, maybe I should try it again?

Next up: Picasso Amaryllis. Another new (to me) bulb:

The Amaryllis Bulb Co. describes Picasso as: "white with a fine red-penciled border and miniature blooms. An all-time favorite. This sweet variety has an abundance of dainty blooms per stem."

Next: Gervase Amaryllis Bulb.

Gervase Amaryllis Bulb

Longfield Gardens describes Gervase like this: "The overall color of the flowers is deep rose-pink, but look more closely and you'll see the petals are adorned with patterns of stripes and veining that make every blossom unique. Each bulb will give you 3 stems and a total of 12 or more blossoms."

There's a lot to like about that. 3 stems. 12 blossoms. And, stripes and veins.

Lastly...is the final one (for today): Doublet Amaryllis.

Doublet Amaryllis

The photo on this one stands out. And, tells the story that this one is DIFFERENT. Here's what JohnScheepers says: "While fully double, Doublet has very narrow petals, giving it a unique look among the Doubles. It is white with an amazing range of red streaks, stripes, speckles and striations. Flowers pale as it matures. "

I'm always up for trying something different, so this one is appealing.

I'll go back to the garden center and pick up a couple in the next week or two. I'll post details as we plant them.

Little Henry + Saratoga Ginkgo Fall Colors - Front Yard - November 2026

2026-11-02T09:32:20.167-06:00

The pairing of the (still small) Saratoga Ginkgo tree with the drift of Little Henry Sweetspire (flowering shrub) are showing off right now with bright reds on the Sweetspire and the yellow (almost chartreuse) green on the Saratoga Ginkgo tree that is tucked into that same bed.

See below for what this combo looks like right now - in early November:

I posted a similar photo (from the other side) of this combo two years ago. The Saratoga Ginkgo tree has grown up a little bit in the two years.

Cutting Down Grasses Before Winter - November 2026

2026-11-01T09:38:00.000-06:00

One of my (V1 Draft) "Great Garden Rules" is to think about designing for a four-season garden. Part of that idea is to have things that look as good when they are dead as when they are alive. For me, in Zone 6a/5b, that means things that look good in Winter. In dormancy.

One of my favorite garden plants (that isn't a fern) is Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grass. I, of course, like how it looks in the garden during the growing season. But, I also *really* like how it looks in Winter. With the upright seedheads standing proud throughout the dormancy period.

I have it planted all over the garden.

I also have had a couple of problems with critters in my garden.

Near our house and the back stoop, we have an entire ecosystem of chipmunks and (I think?) voles and or mice. They scurry around. Make burrows. And hide inside all the plant material.

We also have rabbits. I've done my best to keep them out with a fence, but they seem to keep coming back inside the perimeter.

In past Winters, those critters took refuge around some of the 'still up' plant material. And, ate away at things like tree trunks, stems and the bases of Oakleaf Hydrangeas.

One of the things that I don't want to do, but have started to do (this Fall) is to fight back.

I've decided that in a few spots, I'm going to provide NO QUARTER to hiding rodents.

There will be no place to hide.

That, unfortunately conflicts DIRECTLY with the idea of a 4-season garden.

But, I'm willing to bend my own rules for one season. To see if it makes any difference with the critter damage.

The first place I'm starting is with some Karl Foerster grasses. I have three planted along the face of the Screened Porch. They are part of a rodent highway - that links the side of our house (which includes the Boardwalk and the stacked wood piles) with the backyard stoop area (where they seem to have their burrows).

Here's how it looked before I started some clean up:

Easy place to hide if you are a critter scurrying to-and-from.

So...despite my own rules, I opted to clean these grasses up right now. In the Fall.

Here's the after:

There are a few more spots around the garden that I'm going to take a similar, proactive approach to early (Fall) cleanup. In service of trying to keep some areas free from rodents/rabbits.

Doublefile Viburnum (Treeform) Turning Purple In Fall - Late October 2026

2026-10-31T07:20:00.000-05:00

There are a lot of things that I really like in our garden that make an impact. There are also other things that I've planted and occasionally forget about, but when I *do* spot them, I realize how much I love them and how great they (silently) perform their job.

One of those silent success stories are the Doublefile Viburnum - treeform shrubs - that are planted along the Northern Property line. There are three in total. I found them in 2022 and planted four. Three of which are still around. Two along the northern fenceline, one in the back.

These shrubs show off in Spring with a big, beautiful set of white blooms. Here are some photos from this year's Spring flower show.

Right now, the shrub is turning purple. And, it looks really great. Here, below, is a look at the foliage turning color, but hanging on to the branches (so far):

I looked to buy more of these this Spring, but didn't find them at the nursery. I'll put it back on my 2027 to-do list. That is...unless the rabbit fence protects the Oakleaf Hydrangeas this Winter.

Backyard Fall Colors (No Filter) - Late October 2026

2026-10-30T09:24:00.335-05:00

There's a time in the early morning when the sun is just coming up and begins to peek over our house and starts hitting the top of the trees in our backyard. Right now, it makes the yard almost look electric.

The Northern Red Oak tree (tree swing tree) looks like it is lighting up everything else. And, it is red. RED. Orange and red. Normally, I'd say this tree doesn't do *that much* of a "Fall Show". Hews closer to browns and a little orange than reds. But this year? It looks like it is on fire. Pretty great to see:

Last year, I posted a photo of the backyard tree canopy about two weeks later. In early/mid November. And this same tree swing tree is orange. And, in that post, I made the same comment: this tree normally doesn't do much in the Fall but turn brown and cling tightly to it's crispy leaves.

Perhaps, I need to change my view on the matter. Two years in a row is a pattern. Borderline a trend.

Another note in this photo above: The Northern Catalpa tree that started as a volunteer sure has grown this season. It is that green set of leaves (that are turning yellow) on the left.

That tree was planted as a volunteer seedling on the corner of our patio in Fall 2022. It started in 2021 and I let it grow (in the place where the seed dropped) for a season. So, that's one growing season. And, then since 2022 in the current spot. That's four more growing seasons. From seed to notable in five growing seasons for a Northern Catalpa native tree here in Northern Illinois Zone 6a / borderline 5b growing zone.

Blackgum (Black Tupelo) Tree - Red Leaves in Fall - Late October 2026

2026-10-29T10:08:00.000-05:00

We have a small caliper, immature (and short-in-height) Blackgum tree that I planted in our front yard parkway in April of 2025. A few weeks earlier (as I was shopping for this very tree), I wrote a "getting to know" post about the Blackgum (or Black Tupelo) tree that is native to Northern Illinois. In that post, I included this (partial) description: "One of the most spectacular and reliable fall coloring trees, turning brilliant shades of red and orange..."

Last year, the tree did, indeed, turn a lovely color for fall. Red. Here it was in mid-November when the leaves were still on the tree and the tree was crimson-colored.

This year, that same color has returned. About 2 weeks earlier.

Here is the tree as it stands right now - at the end of October - below:

This tree has really been VERY SLOW TO GROW. As in...has barely put on any growth in two growing seasons.

I asked Google's Gemini why that might be? And if what I was experiencing (a slow-to-grow young Blackgum tree) was unique. Turns out...it isn't. Here's what Google pointed me to:

It seems that my young Blackgum tree might have been focusing all of the tree's efforts underground this season. That would check out and provide the explanation for why I've seen very little top-growth.

Northern Glow Korean Maple - Fall Colors Begin - Late October 2026

2026-10-28T09:25:00.000-05:00

We've had a weird Fall. A few days ago, I posted the 10-day forecast that showed no frost arriving in our Zone 6a/5b Growing Zone well beyond the first few days of November. I talked about how (according to the Illinois State Climatologist), the latest first frost in Northern Illinois (on record) was November 11th. That means that everything is still....well...hanging on in the garden.

I just looked at the weather app and I can see all the way out to November 11th - the 'record' for last first frost. And, right now....it is showing one day between now and then with lows in the upper 30s. And, November 11th is showing a low of 47 degrees. eeek.

That means that things aren't going to go dormant due to the cold.

Does that mean that I have to keep watering things? Probably.

But, it also means that some of the things in the garden. Like with our Korean and Japanese Maples.

They have, historically, been pretty great at putting on a "Fall Show" with oranges and red leaves. As they fade into dormancy. That includes our Northern Glow Korean Maple tree that is planted in the front yard Island Bed. Last year (early November), the fan-shaped leaves were lovely. Red-centers.

This year? The tree is (right now) still green. At the very end of October. With some yellows appearing. Here is a photo of the full Northern Glow Korean Maple that was planted from a 7 gallon nursery pot to the garden in July 2024. One-and-a-half growing seasons later, here's what the tree looks like:

And, here, below are a couple of close-ups of the current state of the leaves. Lots of green. Some yellow. And...some crispy and curled brown.

We haven't had rain in weeks, so this hasn't been watered for some time. I'm seeing rain in the near-term forecast, but if that doesn't arrive, I'll have to get out the hose and put a little water on this one.

Orange Dream Japanese Maple - Pre-Fall Color Show - Still Green in Late October - October 2026

2026-10-27T10:46:00.000-05:00

This Summer, I planted a small, 7-gallon upright Orange Dream Japanese Maple in the backyard. About half-way back from the front border, along the southside of the yard. Just past the Oakleaf Hydrangeas. Or, at least that's what I *think* this tree is in terms of variety. I've learned over the years that if you are buying Japanese Maples at the orange Big Box parking lot nursery, you have to take their labels with a healthy skepticism. They label things that are clearly laceleaf as Bloodgoods. And, they label fan-leaf as Red Dragons.

This one has red stems and fern-shaped fan leaves. So, it (initally) checks out as Orange Dream. I didn't see the Spring leaf-out, but we're about to enter the "Fall Show" season.

What does the tree look like right now? Upright, full and green. Here, below, is a photo showing the Japanese Maple as it stands in late October after the first few months in the ground:

This didn't suffer much from transplant shock and seemed to handle the Summer heat ok this first year. It is planted in a protected, shaded part of the bed and I watered these beds with sprinklers throughout the season. Here's hoping that it put down some below-ground growth and established itself enough for Winter.¹

I post this because I would think a key part of positive identification of this actually being an Orange Dream is coming: with the changing leaf color for Fall.

Mr. Maple says: "Fall colors are bright oranges to red."

It was early November when the Korean Maples started to turn into their Fall colors in 2025, so I'm guessing we'll be seeing this one turn in the coming week or two.

^{1. With the potential for an El Nino this Winter, are the temps going to stay high and we end up with a mild Winter? ↩}

Container White Begonia In Bloom - October 2026

2026-10-26T09:39:09.964-05:00

We have a single, lone white Begonia that is in an outdoor container on our front porch. I'm actually not sure where it came from, but we've had it for a couple of years. Yes, years. This one has been overwintered indoors in our dining room and cared-for by Natalie along with her other house plants.

I usually take photos of plants that I buy (along with the container and/or plant label), but a quick search through Google Photos for [white begonia] turns up nothing. So, I have no intel on what this might be.

But, that doesn't mean it isn't a lovely flower. Especially right now. In late October. It is full of delicate, white ruffled blooms with yellow centers.

Here, below, are a couple of photos. First one shows the full plant. Second one is a close-up of the bloom:

I'll bring this inside this week and begin to transition it towards living indoors. First, with a stop in the screened porch, then into the dining room.

I posted about the forecast a few days ago and when I look today, I see all the way out to November 9th and there is....STILL NO FROST in the forecast. Wild.

Emperor 1 Japanese Maple - 3rd Growing Season - Late Fall - October 2026

2026-10-25T09:59:00.000-05:00

A few years back, after researching Japanese Maples, I ended up buying my first Emperor 1 Japanese Maple. Emperor 1 is similar to Bloodgood Japanese Maple in looks (dark leaf), but it seems it might be a bit more cold tolerant, so it works well in our Zone 6a/5b border garden.

I bought the Emperor 1 and planted it back by the firepit. That was 2021.

2024 was one of those 17-year cicada years here in the suburbs of Chicago. That means that we were SWARMED by them. I did the best I could to try to protect some things with tulle, but they're aggressive and ended up killing off that Emperor 1. It was pretty good sized at the time.

Before it was lost, I came across a second one. Smaller. From a Big Box nursery. In May of 2023, I planted it in the front edge of the [kitchen curved] bed in our backyard. It was a bit taller than knee-high, but not quite up to my waist.

By August that first year (August 2023), the tree had put on some top growth. And, seemed to have begun to establish itself. This is a part-shade area of the garden. But, it gets full shade beginning in the early afternoon, so it avoids the heat of the afternoon sun.

Note: With that initial success, I ended up adding another tiny Emperor 1 to the other side of the garden in 2024 when I found it on a deep sale. That means we're currently sitting at two Emperor 1s.

A year later, the second one seemed to survive the cicadas and was again putting on more growth late in the growing season (August 2024).

Now, at the end of the third growing season, the tree has added size. With a single, primary trunk and an emerging fan-shape with multiple branches reaching up and out. Here, below, is the view from the house - facing the purple-leafed Japanese Maple tree:

And, here, below, is a view from the back - facing the house. I said that this gets part-sun, with afternoon shade. If you look at the way this is growing/tilting, it almost looks like it is reaching out, towards the yard, towards the light. Behind it - to the right in the photo below - is a tall stand of large, mature shade trees.

I've *tried* to solve the rabbit issue this year with perimeter fencing to try to keep them out. But, I continue to find them getting in. Occasionally. It is somewhat frustrating. I don't know how they're getting in, nor out. I have continued to make some little upgrades to the fence. But, I know there are likely still vulnerabilities.

That means that I'm going to have to protect this trunk from the rabbits this Winter.

I've talked about repetition as part of the equation of legibility and how the red/purple foliage of these Japanese Maples can bounce your eye to/from each side of the backyard. I added an Alpenglow Korean Maple this year, to the northside. That made the 3rd dark-leaf maple. I could find a home for a couple more in 2027.

Note to future Jake: Get some chicken wire out and protect this tree (and the other Japanese and Korean Maples) before the snow falls. Also, put adding another Emperor 1 (or other dark-leaf maple) to the backyard in 2027.

Cafe au Lait Dahlia - Late Arriving - October 2026

2026-10-24T10:30:00.000-05:00

A couple of days ago, I posted some photos of the first few Sweet Nathalie dahlia blooms that have (finally) opened up on my lone (single) Sweet Nathalie decorative dahlia plant. I talked about how it was *very* late arriving, but I wasn't quite sure why it was so far behind. Not enough light? Perhaps. It is tucked in amongst some grasses and hydrangeas and didn't get the best access to the full, open sky.

But, I also have another late-arriving dahlia. And, this one is even FURTHER behind Sweet Nathalie. And, it doesn't suffer from the same light conditions. Rather, this one is situated in a good spot. Just a few feet from other, well-grown dahlias (aside from the spider mite damage...). But, it has a different issue: a late start.

That dahlia is the one that started the whole dahlia craze (at least, I think it did?): Cafe au Lait.

I wrote a post in late May about how a couple of my tubers weren't viable. Were "blind" as they say. That means they either don't have 'eyes', or the eyes on them never grew a stem/sprout. So, when I reached out to the grower, they offered replacements. In one case, the variety that I originally ordered wasn't available, so they offered a Cafe au Lait as a replacement.

I decided to start the (late arriving) Cafe au Lait in a nursery pot. But, it was more than 21 days behind every other tuber in the garden. I planted two of them. One of them didn't make the transplant. But, the other went in the bed along the house on the southside. Near the espaliered Crabapple trees.

And, it didn't grow much. At all. Just sort of stayed short. And, not a lot of foliage. The rabbits tried to gnaw at it, but I protected it with chicken wire. Still, all Summer, it stayed knee-high. All the way through August and early September.

Then, it started to grow.

I posted this photo three weeks ago when it started to put on some foliage. And, speculated that perhaps it was putting its energy into tuber production? I'm not sure, but after a few weeks of steady foliage growth, something else happened: Buds appeared. And grew upwards on medium-length stems.

The buds are big. Dinnerplate dahlia big.

After a few days, they began to open. And, they're just like everyone says: pale, blush pink. And stunning. Here, below, is my first (ever) Cafe au Lait Dinner Plate Dahlia flower:

Cafe au Lait Dinner Plate Dahlia flower

You can see in that photo above that there are few more buds chasing this first one. Longfield Gardens has this to say about them:

..."among the last plants to reach full glory"

But, also..."Cafe au Lait dahlias are quite prolific once they get started."

Well...I'll be the judge of that.

The good news it that we haven't had a frost (yet). And, the next week looks good, too.

No Frost In the Forecast - Late October 2026

2026-10-23T09:36:00.000-05:00

Frost is how the gardening season ends. It brings with it death. And dormancy. Another season in the books. In some ways, it also brings relief. Things slow down. Stop growing. And, I can shift into a 'closing up' mindset. But, I can't do that until we get a frost.

The furthest that the forecast looks out on Weather dot com is between now and Thursday, November 5th. That's two weeks out. And, here, below is what it looks like:

What is notable?

The lows.

Look at them. The lowest LOW listed between now and November 5th is 43 degrees. That's 11 degrees ABOVE freezing.

Now, I recognize that weather forecasts aren't set in stone, but let's (for now) operate under the assumption that this is close to accurate. We won't see a frost for at least two weeks.

Note: Parts of Northern Illinois had some frost earlier in October. Here's a Tweet from the National Weather Service from last weekend:

Low temperatures near or slightly below freezing are expected early Sat AM across interior northern Illinois, mainly near and west of the Fox Valley and north of I-80. Some frost is possible too early Sun AM. Freeze warnings and frost advisories have been iss https://t.co/M2kVWrz9kg
— NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) October 16, 2026

But...here in DuPage County (Zone 6a/5b border), we didn't get that low. No frost.

Over the years, I've posted about the first frost of Fall. That signals the end of the growing season. Things begin to shut down and go dormant.

Last year, it was around October 25th when the frost arrived. The more tropical things like Coleus died right away. The Dahlias went down too.

In 2024, it was mid-October. I tried to save things with frost covers.

I took at look at what the State Climatologist from the University of Illinois has to say about first frosts. He has a post up that includes a number of maps that show the average first frost dates across a number of horizons including the "earliest", "1 in 10 years", "median", "9 in 10 years" and "latest".

The earliest (I think....the maps are a little hard for me to interpret??) shows September 25th.

The 1 in 10 years show October 4th.

The median shows October 18th.

The 9 in 10 years shows November 1st.

And, the latest shows November 11th.

I'm looking specifically at DuPage County in those maps. We haven't had a frost yet. And, we're not looking like one until after (at least) November 6th.

That means, we're well past the "9 in 10 years" category that usually occurs by November 1st. That means...that we're (right now) headed towards the 1 in 10 year outlier.

Will we break the record on November 11th? Not sure. But, right now, I'm thinking we're getting two extra weeks of growing season. That has some benefits with dahlias. But, it also delays the cleanup/shutting down of things. Including...digging out the dahlia tubers.

Here's to a late-arriving first frost in 2026. And, the extended growing season.

Amaryllis Bulbs At Home Depot - Fall 2026 - October 2026

2026-10-22T09:35:00.000-05:00

When you walk into the Home Depot and are hit in the face by the strong smell of cinnamon-scented pinecones, you know it is Amaryllis bulb season. Home Depot usually carries a few kinds of Christmas flowers (Amaryllis) and bulbs: Waxed bulbs (That grow on their own), kits (a bulb and a little pot and some planting medium) and individual bulbs.

I've shied away from the kits (due to performance over the years) and have mostly bought all of our Amaryllis bulbs from Wannemakers. But, the bulbs this year at Home Depot were worth a look.

I've posted about the Amaryllis bulbs at Home Depot before. Here is the post from 2025 when they carried nine (9) types of Amaryllis bulbs and some Paperwhites. Notably...the Amaryllis bulbs in 2025 were $9.98 each. I bought three Blossom Peacock bulbs and put them together in a cache pot.

This year? The one Home Depot we went to recently is carrying just five (5) types of Amaryllis. And, they've increased the price to $12.98. Up $3.00 in just one year. That's a 30% increase in one year. Yikes.

Here are some photos of the five they have this year below. The bulbs include:

Flaming Peacock Amaryllis
Red Peacock Amaryllis
Blossom Peacock Amaryllis
Marquis Amaryllis
Glee Amaryllis

Last year, they had:

Red Lion Amaryllis
Minerva Amaryllis
Marquis Amaryllis
Blossom Peacock Amaryllis
Apple Blossom Amaryllis
Christmas Gift Amaryllis
Glee Amaryllis
Red Peacock Amaryllis
Opal Star Amaryllis

So, they added one new one: Flaming Peacock. And removed all of the more interesting/unique ones they were selling.

Here's a description of Flaming Peacock:

Amaryllis Flaming Peacock will strut its way into your holiday decorations. Icy white petals are edged with hot red streaks. This amaryllis bulb absolutely glows with gorgeous color. Love subtle? Look elsewhere. This amaryllis is all about the limelight.
The blooms are generously sized and fully double on a vigorous plant. The petals are wide, cupped, pointed, and embellished with pie-crust ruffles. Expect two flower stalks per bulb, occasionally more, with 3-5 "flaming" flowers on each stem.

BloomingBulb Dot Com also says: "Fast to flower".

That's a good note, as timing the blooms is a tricky thing.

As for the price, I'll say that the bulbs that Home Depot is selling appear a little larger than last year. Perhaps that's why the price increase?

But, no matter the reason, it is just a little bit TOO EARLY for me to get going on these. We normally buy in early November at the Wannemaker's Christmas Open House (which is in mid-November this year).

Backyard Ginkgo Tree - Five Years Of Growth - October 2026

2026-10-21T09:02:00.000-05:00

Five years ago this month, I planted a very small caliper (with a trunk 'injury') Ginkgo tree in our backyard along the southside about half-way back. The tree went in the ground in October 2021. The trunk was basically cracked wide-open (look at the photos in this post), but I wrapped it up, supported it with a bamboo pole and hoped for the best.

In the five years since (growing seasons: 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and now 2026), the tree has survived. And, put on some growth. When it went in the ground, it was about waist-high. Here, below, is what it looks like in the garden today:

That's a little hard to read in terms of where the tree starts/stops. So, here, below, is an annotated version showing the tip of the tree:

I took out the tape measure and the apical meristem (leader) now reaches 96". So, this is an eight-foot-tall Ginkgo tree. And, the trunk has thickened-up and is no longer pencil-thin. I've NOT pruned this at all, leaving the lowest branches along the trunk. Based on some Bonsai videos, they call those "thickeners", so I've adopted a similar approach with small caliper landscape trees: leave the lowest limbs to help 'thicken' up the trunk.

The other Ginkgo that is planted IB2DWs (which was the replacement) also suffered a setback (from a football that clipped off the leader), but it has recovered. I'll get some photos of that before it drops its leaves this Fall.

Sweet Nathalie Dahlias - Great Silence, Milena Fleur And Other Dahlias - October 2026

2026-10-20T09:27:00.000-05:00

In what is probably the final week of my dahlia blooms, I have one plant that is (finally) producing its initial blooms: Sweet Nathalie.

Last year, I saw my first Sweet Nathalie bloom in early September and talked about how it is a 'slow to bloom'. This year, the blooms came in mid-October. Five or six weeks later than 2025.

But, what do they look like? They're pretty great:

Sweet Nathalie Decorative Dahlia Bloom - Blush Pink

Sweet Nathalie is billed as a dahlia that compares with one of the dahlias that everyone loves: Cafe au Lait. Here's what Longfield says about Sweet Nathalie:

If you love the colors of Cafe au Lait, this dahlia is a must-have. Sweet Nathalie walks a similar line between buff and blush pink, but its flowers are about half the size of Cafe au Lait and the shape and color are more consistent.

What's interesting about that (for me) is that Sweet Nathalie is my second slowest-to-bloom dahlia. The one that is the furthest behind? Cafe au Lait. Which...hasn't produced actual, open blooms for me YET. YET!! The season is basically over.

Here, below, are a couple of other photos showing what else I snipped-off: Great Silence Ivanetti, Milena Fleur, Blue Wish. The usuals:

I put them all in a jar and put them on the counter for my latest arrangement:

If you look at the photo below, you can see another Peaches n Cream bloom (on a pretty short stem), too:

Conifer Garden at Sports Field In Wisconsin - October 2026

2026-10-19T09:12:00.000-05:00

I was recently up in Racine Wisconsin where I spent some time at a (pretty nice) youth sports field complex. They have a beer garden - which feels *very Wisconsin*. And, the fields were nice. Grass was cut short and nicely groomed. But, over by the bathrooms was a collection of conifers that were worth documenting. Someone planted a number of things in a little cluster and over the years they've matured into a really nice-looking conifer collection.

One of the standouts is this large, columnar Weeping White Spruce. It is an almost-perfect specimen. Shooting straight up in the air. Narrow. And really quite nice:

Planted in the beds around the Weeping White Spruce, they had two pairs of other weeping confirs. Two of them are (I'm pretty sure) Weeping Norway Spruces that they haven't really trained upwards. The reach about five or six feet tall, then begin to cascade down and all around. Interesting to see them grow up and out. And, what happens if you don't train them beyond their initial height. They had a similar pair of blue-needed weeping trees. Same habit. Same lack of training. So, they sort-of ramble around the beds.

Here are a couple of photos showing the weeping/contorted conifers.

One of the things that I'll be putting on my 2027 to-do list is to look into training the Weeping Norway Spruces that are IB2DWs. They've reached the peak of the training posts that I have on-hand, which means we need to install something taller.

How To Prevent Your Mums From Flopping? Wire Them Up - October 2026

2026-10-18T08:56:00.000-05:00

Tired of those Mums that you bought for your front porch keep splaying wide open and flopping over, revealing an empty crown? That's what happens when the tips of the flower stems get weighted down with the blooms, as they open up and grow. That is...if you keep them alive until then. Mums are hard to make work, but when they do, they're beautiful.

So, you likely know all the tips by now: soak the root ball in water. Water from the bottom-up. Don't buy them too early in the season.

Here's the best tip I can give you in terms of something you can do to keep them looking good:

Wire them up.

Wrap a wire or string around the stems to corral them together. And, keep the crown of the mums together and the stems upright.

Here, below are a couple of photos of the Mums we brought home for our front porch this weekend. I used padded garden wire around the stems:

I also placed the nursery pot into a garden trug that is full of water, to soak up. Watering from the bottom - via the roots.

I've shared this tip for securing your front porch Fall decor mums over the years.

Here's my "wire up your Mums" post from 2025.

Here's my "You should wire up your Mums to keep them from flopping" post from 2024.

And, here's a post from 2017, when I seem to have first posted about wiring up your mums.

Mero Star Dinnerplate Dahlia - October 2026

2026-10-17T07:24:00.000-05:00

I've grown Dinnerplate dahlias on purpose. And, this season I grew Dinnerplate Dahlias NOT on purpose. The one in question is Mero Star. NOT, Metro Star. I have two of them in the front yard - one in the Island Bed and one under the Triumph Elm tree by our front porch.

I posted the first photo of one of these blooms at the end of July when they were just starting. And, the petals were dark red, almost purple.

As the season has gone on, the white tips/outline have emerged. These are really lovely when they are on the plant:

Mero Star Dahlia in Bloom

They, however, have very short stems.

Both of the plants are healthy and didn't really have any problems. No virus. No pests (no Spider Mites!!!).

I'm planning on digging up and saving these tubers, but I'm not sure that I'll grow them again. Or, if I do, I won't be growing them for cut flowers. That means they will need to be in spot where the blooms can show-off a little bit. Perhaps down by the sidewalk IB2DWs or around the back patio.