Mid-December Pre-Winter Cold

Winter won't be here calendar-wise until next week (21st), but it sure is here temperature-wise!  The nights lately have been in the 20s!  THE 20s!  Those temps sure put an end to any perennials hanging out in the butterfly garden!

I cut back both the black-eyed Susan and Indian blanket flower today. The coreopsis will be left as-is, except for mulching.  Apparently they prefer to be pruned back in spring.  These were grown from seed and didn't bloom this year. 

The bee balm was looking to tattered early in the fall, and now that I cut back the other plants I have found this...

I knew bee balm was a member of the mint family, but I didn't expect it to look and act so minty!  When I saw this (above photo) I thought the orange mint had somehow invaded the butterfly garden!  I actually broke some off and smelled it.  Not orange mint.  Yet, so, so, minty, I am doubting myself, although it is where the bee balm was cut back, and I read that, indeed, it can be invasive.

It's just so... mint-like!  I mean like orange mint and woolly apple mint.   These are pieces I ripped out from under the coreopsis.  If these continue to spread like the mint it is I won't have anything but bee balm in this butterfly garden circle!  What have I done!

The cold nights have brought some beautiful frosty scenes.  I wanted to pull over to the side of the road many times yesterday, but refrained due to safety in the fog.  Even the weeds were beautiful.  I limited myself to my own garden photos.

Tuscan blue rosemary

blueberry bush

ivy

penstemon

creeping thyme - not pretty white flowers, it's frost!