It’s one thing to show my garden in July, when the tomatoes are going full force and the annuals are all blooming like mad, or even in April, when the slightest hint of color is enough to make me feel like the best gardener ever. (Delusions of self-grandeur are a symptom of long Michigan winters, I think…)

I don’t think I’ve ever bothered to take photos of my garden this late of the year, and I have to wonder why. It’s true that there is less to get excited about; no tomatoes to lust over, no brightly-blooming cosmos or zinnias, no butterflies or dragonflies. It’s easy to see the “blah” side of November.

But I love this time of year, and you know me: beauty is what you make of it, right? After a tour through my garden, I’m appreciating November more than ever. Take a walk with me!

The side yard garden, which was home to melons and squashes this year, is home to a few small spinach plants and the borage, which just doesn’t seem willing to phone it in just yet. We’ve been shredding leaves and dumping them onto these beds — still working on turning the clay soil into something resembling “fluffy.” The bamboo fencing is a new addition — we have it elsewhere in our yard, but thought it would be rude to put it up since we talk to the neighbors on that side. But, they’ve moved, so up the fence goes. Privacy! — and a nice clean slate with no garbage cans or hose reels in my line of vision — yay!

I love the fall color on red twig dogwoods. Wow.

We’re still getting raspberries! This is a real treat, and I love walking through the garden and snagging a few to snack on. I’m loving the contrast between the bright red berries and the yellowish-orange foliage. Gorgeous.

Back near the garage, we have one of our low tunnels up, and I’ve planted garlic in part of the other raised bed. Under the low tunnel, we have spinach, radishes, and mesclun.

The lavender is finishing up for the season. I actually cut quite a bit to dry, but I wanted to leave some for the bees. Now I’m really glad I did — the color looks so pretty with the red and yellow leaves that have fallen in the yard. In the background, the framework for another low tunnel. There is lettuce, spinach, and carrots in that bed.

The marigolds that I planted in two of the raised beds are still blooming, if looking a bit ragged. I’ve collected tons of seeds from these, and could still collect more. I’m glad I didn’t pull these out when I cleaned out the rest of the bed.

Brussels sprouts! These grew wonderfully for us this year. I’ll be harvesting these for our Thanksgiving dinner.

A view of the front yard. Not much going on. The Joe Pye weed is still blooming, and I love the way the grasses blow around in the breeze.

In fact, I’m pretty sure I grow ornamental grasses because of how awesome they look in autumn. I can’t walk past them without running my fingers through the fluffy seed heads. And the color is so pretty and fall-like.

Burning bush is another one I grow because I love how it looks in the fall. Look at that color! And I didn’t mess with the contrast or anything — this is just how it looks. My mother in law hates this shrub. With a passion. Though that could be because her next door neighbor has an unpruned one that is taller than their house and looks like something from “Nightmare Before Christmas.” But I love mine.

So, there you have it: my garden in November. November is about the details: a pretty leaf, a few berries, the last viburnum leaf clinging to a branch. Things we’d never notice unless we really looked for them. Not a bad life lesson in general, come to think of it.

What do you love about your November garden?