November Surprise

Limelight hydrangea, salvia and brunnera

We know what an October surprise is in an election year. Sometimes we have some late season surprises in the garden as well.  When something survives the first frost and re-blooms--that's a happy surprise.

Yesterday, on the first day of November, I took a photo of a forgotten patch in the backyard of my uncle's place, where nature has performed without any human assistance except a little recent weeding.

I was a little distressed when early last spring I found that the two large limelight hydrangea "trees" had been chopped down to the ground. Now they have regrown and produced late white blooms. A few mums have also survived here to bloom and one lone salvia has returned. A few basic brunnera grow here, too. Nothing was done to this patch--not a drop of extra water either. The maple in full glory provides a brilliant backdrop for this little fall vignette.

This was taken on a cloudy late afternoon (check out the grey sky between the leaves)--and yet, so bright and beautiful!