Garden Ghosts

November and December before the snow settles in for the winter are the two months we notice the "garden ghosts". Margaret Roach in her book A Way to Garden used this term to describe what we leave standing after the last frost. There are garden plants that add interest to the death and afterlife of the gardens.

 a lone bean which is drying on the vine

There are also plants that will self-sow, some that will feed birds, and others that just look magical. The structures left after the harvest are also called the bones of the garden. A gardener can see a clearer picture of the design of gardens and flower beds when all that is  left is the bones.

Today I caught some images of my garden ghosts and bones as I toured right before dark.