Gassed

I don't know what to say, feeling so upset about what's going on outside my house.  There are huge piles of dirt dug up with just as many huge holes in the ground, something about converting to high pressure gas lines.

One of the things I read about high pressure gas lines is to run if you smell gas!  This is encouraging, live with my eighty year old lines underground or worry about the whole block blowing up.  However, this is the future, lots of yellow plastic pipe laying all over the neighborhood ready to be shoved into the ground some day soon.

The pipes are ready across the street to shoot through the ground taking the place of the eighty plus year old pipes that are there now.

I am in and out on a daily basis and leave with trepidation wondering what I am going to come home to, front lawn dug up, stone walkways disturbed, shrubbery and plantings thrown to the side.  They did tell me the gas will be shut off for two to three hours at some point but they will let me know.  I am considering training my dog how to go upstairs and get under the covers.

There are big holes and little holes all the way up and down the block with giant holes at the corners.  We haven't heard a thing from the village about this process!

This is the hole in front of my house, pipe visible and the roots of the same tree that was dug up on the opposite side last spring.  We can only hope this tree will survive.

Fall continues on oblivious to all of this digging and disruption of the earth, leaves continue to change color and the last blooms of fall put on a spectacular show.

I forget each year how beautiful the Star Magnolia is behind the gold and brown of the Panicum Northwind.

The Itea Little Henry has finally begun to change color.  It was as least a month ago that I saw it completely changed at the Morton Arboretum.

I found out that this beautiful PJM Rodie is of the Elite variety whose leaves turn red and then back to green.  I knew the last one I had left after replacing two just didn't look like the new ones even though all were PJM's.  Oh well, the flowers are pretty much the same color!  So be careful if buying PJM's they are not all the same.

I lost my previous Viburnum Carlesi Compactum and replaced it last spring with a new one.  My old one never had this wonderful coloring so I wonder if it wasn't quite right from the beginning.

I am into borders and color again trying to make it year round to the fullest extent in a zone five area.

Azalea Karen will keep its leaves all winter.

Azalea Karen

I am trying to get more grasses in the borders also that can be left up over the winter to add interest.

This is the border facing south with grasses and evergreens to add winter interest.

This is Molina Moorexe in its first year, known as a see through grass and about three feet tall.

The cabbages are fantastic and this one is in the concrete planters in the back by the garage.

These are the cabbages I bought very small at an inexpensive price still among the surviving fibrous begonias even after a frost last night.

Last, but not least and I can't help but showing this rose even after a frost - Rainbow Knockout!

A Celebration Of Food

The Standard Market is a celebration of food imagined by four local people who are from the food industry.  They forged this idea through a proof of concept to obtain funds and open a unique type of grocery store. 

There were no food samples, which is unique in itself, they only accept credit cards, no cash and do not encourage tipping in their restaurant or grocery loading area.

There is a huge footprint, concrete floors, fantastic presentations of food, a wine bar, a restaurant and a full scale on-site bakery.

The presentation of food is wonderful especially as you walk in the front door.  This is not an organic food store although many of their purchases are from organic farmers and always what is in season.

Pink Lady Apples

I couldn't resist the salsa and guacamole display, however, I bought the guacamole on the right and it had habanero peppers in it, husband ate it!  Everything is made fresh daily and the guacamole had big chunks of avocado in it, next time I will go to the left.

The fresh squeezed juices are prepared on site.

Eggplants and Squashes

I do like those thick asparagus.

I did buy the green beans, so fresh!

Hot stuff!

Lots of fresh fruits

Potatoes that look like a work of art

There is a great wine and liquor area and even a wine bar where you can enjoy wine by the glass while shopping.

Multiple cases of cheese are right next to the wine, great combination!

Dinner every night as a carryout

Great fresh fish and also offered frozen

Lots of choices for the beef, bone in, no bone, choice, prime

The deli with homeade everything

The bakery is full service and on site.

The idea of this store is to make food shopping a colorful entertaining experience!

http://www.standardmarket.com/

 

Fallout

Camera in hand I headed out to take a few last photos of the fall garden.  I was pleasantly surprised to still see such color and interest even as we enter the month of November.

My Accolade Elm has turned a beautiful golden color.  This is the tree that lost over a third of its root system in the spring with the gas company digging to repair a pipe, hope it survives.

My neighbor's Red Maple stands out among the other still green leaved trees in the background.

Home Run Pink continues to bloom without clipping off the spent buds.

Rose hips have formed on Pink Meidiland rose.

Knockout Rainbow is stunning this time of year!

Home Run Red

Cinco De Mayo

Eupatorium Chocolate is always a pleasant surprise at the end of the summer.

The black potato vine has held up much better than the green ones, not as trailing but much hardier.

The display of seedheads on Panicum Northwind

Sedum Autum Fire in the alley garden

Sedum Vera Jameson in the alley garden

Echinacea Meadowbrite Mango

We harvested this lettuce for our Halloween dinner and it was delicious.

Solomon's Seal is a delicate beauty even in the fall.

I call them my Dinosaur Ferns but I know they have a Latin name?

These are the Autumn Ferns that I planted this summer in the bed under the Chanticleer Pear.  I have cut back the Lirope to plant bulbs.  The ferns must like it because they have doubled in size.

Hydrangea Unique

This specimen does not weather as well as Limelight but is certainly worth growing for its long panicles which can be cut at various stages of color and dried.  I think I will cut the rest of the flowers off for spraying with color for the holidays, maybe gold!

The plumes of Miscanthus Udine

Pansies by the veggie garden

Heuchera Southern Comfort
They will keep their color all winter.

Heuchera Carmel

The front resin planter has done well with the swiss chard in the background.

I have not done the mustard before but I like it for its dark coloring and height.

Rudbeckia Tiger Eye

I think Rudbeckia is my new favorite, blooms for an extended time into the fall and can take a light frost.

Plumbago is a great fall groudcover with blue flowers and leaves that turn a deep red.

I have lots of allysum that still looks great.  I will leave it until spring, shake it out and it will reseed all over.