Before the Frost

We're supposed to get a frost tonight, finally. Like a lot of the rest of the country, we're in line for a cold front coming down from Alaska, and the temperature tonight and tomorrow night is supposed to get down into the high 20s. There was frost on the roof shingles this morning when I got up, but none on the ground, and the outside thermometer said the temp was 39 at 7 a.m. It will get even colder tonight. Our temperature today didn't make it out of the 40s, and there was a high wind warning as well. When I went out to the grocery store, tree debris was all over the roads.

I went out and took some photos to document the garden before the frost. I'll probably go out tomorrow or the next day and get some frost pictures too. I still have a surprising number of plants that look pretty good. I do have to be honest, though, and admit that for the most part the garden right now looks terrible.

In fact, at this time of year, every year, I realize that I despise my garden. Everything is dead or dying and a soggy, mushy mess. I'm in a funk. I'd just like this gardening season to end, and for the next three months -- November, December and January -- to go by as quickly as possible. Spring comes early here -- starting in February -- when plants start nosing their way up through the soil. It can't come soon enough.

At this time of year, my garden is like that rich uncle on life support, who keeps hanging on and refuses to die. I just want to attend the reading of the will and find out what I've inherited.

Panicum virgatum 'Rohtstrahlbusch' in afternoon sun

This Clematis keeps producing flowers

Clematis seedhead

Begonia sutherlandii

Fabulous Digiplexis 'Illumination Flame' is still going strong

Grevillea 'Marshall Olbricht'

Salvia 'Wendy's Wish' will probably be mush tomorrow

Ricinus communis 'New Zealand Purple' will probably also collapse after the frost

My Mahonia x meadia 'Charity' are gearing up to flower profusely this year, even the one that lives in almost complete shade on the north side of the back porch.

As they say on Game of Thrones, "winter is coming."