The title sounds rather Halloween-ish, but the reality is that now that our clocks have fallen back, I see more of the garden at night than during the day.  The bed near Burke Ave N has a very bright street light that keeps it lit all night, so I can sometimes get some interesting pictures.

Here is a shot of the witch hazel in full bloom.  You can still see the wires above the 15′ tree, but you can really see how many bright, spidery blooms are on this beauty.

A bit closer up.

Some shrubs have such a great show of flowers that no one talks about their foliage.  Forsythias can be like that.  Truth be told, my Forsythia is much more colorful in fall than in spring, and a prettier shade of yellow, too!  I love this particular shrub because I grew it from just a stick I found in the yard while we were putting our pond garden in 20 years ago.  I have no idea which cultivar this is, but it blooms beautifully, colors up nicely in fall, and has a graceful habit.

I managed to order some bulbs from Hirt’s Gardens last week and they were shipped quickly and in excellent shape.  This order includes Iris reticulata hybrids (for forcing), Crocus hybrids (for the garden) and Hyacinths (for forcing).  The big bulbs are the Hippeastrum bulbs I got for my brother Tim and friend Diane for holiday gifts.  They are a cultivar called Magnum and my only disappointment is that one of the bulbs is twice as big as the other, though, of course, they cost the same!

I’m set to pot all of these up or plant them outside tomorrow.  In addition, I plan to move all the patio pots, Clivias and Cymbidiums into the greenhouse.  I can’t wait!