Late Fall in the Garden: Not Much Left

Last year's winter lasted until summer rolled around in late July. Then we had a week here & there of summer & now we're getting ready for another El Niño winter. Bottom line: storms & generally bad weather ahead. I try to keep from complaining when I see the real hardships caused by the weather in other parts of the country, but it's hard. These hard winters wreak havoc on my garden, & then there's always downed trees & the loss of power, sometimes lasting for days.

The yellows, whites & pinks of my spring & summer garden have faded & I'm left with the hardiest of fall blooms. Still, here & there struggling Cecile Brunner pink rosebuds catch the low, slanted late afternoon sun & my spurges--a Mediterranean plant I saw all over Croatia--seem prettier at this time of year.

I love my Cecile Bruner ever-blooming antique rose climbers that, for me have required very little care. I let them have their head, pruning back heavily every few years just to keep them within the space provided, which never seems to be enough. It is one of those roses that surprised me with its growth. Many people complain that it's a house eater. I guess I didn't read the description carefully enough. Somewhere, in some garden column, I read there are 2 Cecile Bruner roses, one of which is a climber, & I unknowingly bought the climber. Don't know if this is true. Now that I have them, however, I'd never give them up.