Anemone 'Panima' late Fall

I snapped these photos late November, mesmerized by the beauty of the seed heads of these anemones. Lovely tufts of white.

Christmas Crafts with Plant Materials

The kids' school has a traditional winter craft night. One table was filled with amazing bags of gathered plant seeds, cones, barks, leaves, and seed pods. Equipped with hot glue guns, ribbons, card board wreath cut outs, and googly eyes, the children delved head on into making these fun crafts.  The parent running the craft explained that she gathered material every day on her way to pick up the kids from school.

Christmas wreath made by my teenager.

Fun Christmas Tree Ornament

Jedi Apprentice made by 6-year-old

Blooming Aloe

I've heard, due to light requirements, that it is difficult to get aloe to bloom indoors.  For reasons unknown to me, this little plant decided late fall is a good time to bloom. Nice to see something flowering during this dormant time.

School Garden--Lettuce

We planted a salad bowl lettuce mix and a mesclun mix about 25 days ago during a cold, wet snap.  We just harvested three times the amount pictured in the second photo below. All that from one tiny raised bed! Definitely an easy and satisfying crop to grow.  All the produce was used for our school lunch program.

Lespedeza thunbergii 'Edo Shibori'-- Pink Bush Clover

Beautiful, tiny blooms on a graceful, weeping shrub. Slight scent. Blooming now!

Naranjilla

Solanum quitoense known as fuzzy naranjilla has sweet and sour orange tasting fruit. It is from the Andes. Fun plant to grow as an annual. 

Devil's Claw--Proboscidea parviflora

Devil's claw is native to the southwest desert of the United States and northern Mexico. It is an annual herb growing from a taproot and producing spreading stems. The ripe, claw like fruits are used in Native American basketry.