I've noticed

A few things have caught my eye recently (when I've taken a break from digging and lifting and building). For instance, I really love this bamboo:

It's Sasaella bitchuensis, and I hope I can keep it somewhere around this height every year. It's almost perfect like this! When I'm standing in back looking at the pond, this is directly behind me. Some days I have a hard time deciding which direction to face.

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The Cardinal Climber vine is finally starting to flower:

Just in time I guess, as the hummingbirds have begun migrating and they'll need all of the nectar they can get. I wish it would have started blooming a month earlier.

It sure has been vigorous:

Perhaps it was putting more energy into growth than flowers. This tiny patch of soil next to and under the stairs must be very fertile.


Speaking of blooms, the Senna alata plants are forming flower buds!

I'm still not certain if there will be enough time for these to fully form and open before the first freeze, but I'm really hoping!


Another thing that gets me hoping (for nice big shoots in the spring) is this bamboo rhizome:

The rhizomes on Phyllostachys atrovaginata are so thick -- this one is the largest I've seen yet!


One thing that is not large this year is the pokeweed. I usually have some pretty tall specimens of this common weed, but not this year -- just small ones.

They still produce tons of berries. I'm terrible at removing these, which is why I have this popping up every year. (The huge taproot is another reason.)


Finally, a little update on the front driveway planting, where the pill bugs devoured the marigolds:

I replaced the marigold carcases with the amazingly resilient spider plant, and I love the way it looks. Of course I'll bring this guy indoors for the winter where I'll severely neglect it in several ways. It won't mind a bit though -- very tough plant.


It's worth taking a look around once in a while, isn't it?

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