November colours

As the days get shorter and the sun refuses to shine, we know the dark days of winter are around the corner.  But there is still colour to be found.  The mild November weather means the flowers are down, but they aren't out yet.  This calendua is blooming, but lying down on the job.

This I believe is flax, which grew from a pack of mixed wildflower seeds from Veseys.  A very intense blue on flowers that bloom for a very long time.

Another intense blue-purple on johny jump-ups that bloom profusely from spring to late fall.  All you need to do is give them a hair cut once in a while to get rid of the spent flowers, and they will keep on giving.

The glorious pale-yellow snapdragons reseed and come back on their own year after year.  Behind is something I splurged on in September:  three species fuchsia with long orange tubular flowers that were visted by hummingbirds before they flew south.

This little burning bush seedling makes up for its small size with fiery leaves.

Can't get enough of these bright Chinese lanterns.  After the pod fades to a tracery of veins, you can see a bright orange seed inside.

Fluffy white seed plumes from ornamental grass look like clouds come to earth.

We took a walk in the woods near Mount Stewart and found scattered under the trees some yellow chanterelle mushrooms.  They seemed pretty hard and tough, but we soaked them in water for a half hour, and they were tender and delicious. We have been told that the mushrooms must be cut, not pulled, or they won't grow back next year.   Our recipe:  soak mushrooms, clean and chop.  Saute onions and garlic in butter until transparent.  Add mushrooms, saute for a few minutes, then add some white wine and cook till reduced.  Delicious! 

Here's a downside to all that glorious mild November weather.  I visited Eureka Garlic to try a different variety this year, and ended up choosing "Cuban Purple".  I didn't clue in that Cuban winter is nothing like ours, so I planted it a month ago and it has already sprouted, which means the cold Canadian winter will kill it dead.  When you are this far north, this type of garlic should only be planted in spring.  Lesson learned.