A few surprise candidates have stepped forward for this month’s Bloom Day posting. A tidy-up in the garden today revealed there were actually some flowers that I could share! However, it is the foliage that really gives colour and texture in my garden at this time of year and I just love it.
Above from top: Sedum; Heuchera ‘Georgia Peach’; Heuchera ‘Georgia Peach’, Acer Pal. ‘Sago Kaku, Saxifrage, Heuchera ‘Marmalade’ with flower.
As this is a very busy time for everyone I thought I’d keep my chat this month brief. However, I would like to add that I still enjoy my garden at this time of year even when it has few flowers around. My shed still has bags of bulbs to plant – but I am not in a hurry for Spring.
Above from top: Penstemon ‘Etna’, Jap. Anemone, Skimmia, Magnolia bud, Euphorbia with Budleja in background.
I don’t mind the darker, damp days as my ‘green garden’ thrives in such conditions especially the wonderful moss growing on the stones around my small pond. I love to see the branches on the trees at this time of year too with raindrops or frost. I think both can look magical. Misty mornings, to me, are wonderful too. Ah… but blue skies at this time of year are especially welcome adding much need light into our gardens and lifting our spirits!
Above from top: Heuchera ‘Licorice’, Ivy ‘Sulphur Heart’, Golden Thyme, Acuba.
Above from top: Peris, Hellebore, Heuchera ‘Stormy Seas’, Arabis, Viola Babyface ‘Ruby and Gold’, Alpine Alchemila, Evergreen Fern, Polygala, Ornamental Grass & Bamboo.
Above from top: Buddleja, Staychs, Pittisporum, Ophiopogon.
If you would like to see what is in flower in other gardens around the world pop over to Carol’s posting at May Dreams Gardens, the host of Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day, and follow the links to all who have posted. You might want to join in the fun too – you can post photos of indoor flowers too at this time of year when garden ones are scarce.
Above from top: Cotoneaster berries being eaten by birds, Apples (to feed birds), Sedum ‘Carl’, Uncinia ‘Rubra’.
As this year closes I do hope you have enjoyed your garden this year. Perhaps you’ve had ideas for your own gardens through visiting garden, bird and wildlife blogs. I’d love to hear about them. There are definitively lots of enthusiastic people around with so much inspiration to share. How wonderful we can connect with people with the same interests as ourselves through writing an online diary. I would definitely recommend it!
All photos above were taken in my garden on December 15th 2008.
Hi Shirl,
I was happy to read the comment you left on my GBBD post. When I came here, I thought I might see some alterations too…such as birds blooming in your garden as well. But, I like your photos of the earth tones and reds and greens. I have things in the garden that I ‘could’ have posted, but I really just wanted to post my birds. The funny thing is, I had taken many more birds this week, but forgot to upload them to my blog before I posted! I guess I’ll just have to put those on another post. I always enjoy visiting your blog, and love your nest cam’s. Jan
You have a beautiful color palette for this time of year. Beautiful burgundies and silvery-greens.
Shirl,
So many lovelies in your garden…from the first photo to the last. I was delighted to see so many favorites…heucheras, sedums, pestemon, magnolia. A very nice Bloom Day post! Gail
It amused me to see how many of the colourful plants we have in common Shirl. Great minds think alike, or so they say. 😉
Your post shows clearly that a garden can be lovely in wintertime too, not because of the flowers (there aren’t many) but because of the gorgeous foliage.
Happy GBBD!
Lovely pictures, and I enjoy the way you have grouped them. I agree with you about how the “naked” garden still has a beauty all its own at this time of year.
Nice GBBD post Shirl.
K
Hi Shirl, your garden is a wondrous place in all seasons. The moist mosses and colorful foliage is what a winter garden means to me too. You have done a masterful job with the plantings and photos to share with us. Thanks so much, my friend.
Frances
Beautiful photos of the garden! It makes me want to go stroll through my own garden looking for similar sights. (I might want to wear a jacket, though ;-))
You have so much color in your garden yet Shirl. Beautiful. We have mostly mush, brown and gray mush. Ugh… I wish for a blanket of snow so I wouldn’t have to look at it until next spring. It (snow) rarely happens.
Hi again Jan, Gail, Yolanda, Karen, Frances, Susan and Lisa and Hello Bonnie 🙂
Jan – Oops… I hope you weren’t too disappointed. I did plan another posting but when I started taking photos found I had more to use than I thought. I usually include the birds that follow me when I am out taking my GBBD photos. Nobody joined my yesterday – even after I had turned over the soil! I loved your blooming birds posting – great idea and I am not surprised you wanted to use these photos. They do bring such colour and life to the garden especially at this time of year. Look forward to seeing the rest of your photos. I am also looking forward to seeing what might happen in Hedgehog Manor next Spring – wouldn’t it be unbelievably cool if we saw baby hedgehogs in there 😀
Bonnie – Thank-you, I see you had some wonderful flowers too. I loved the gerbera. I am guessing with your huge dip in temps it is a distant memory now. Yes, I love the deep reds and silver-greens in the garden. Thanks for stopping by 😀
Gail – Thank-you, and in yours too! I loved Laura – I can see why she was such a surprise too. It is always nice to come across other gardeners enjoying the same plants as yourself – especially when we are so far apart. Thanks go to Carol for connecting us all each Month 😀
Yolanda – Ah yes… it is nice to think so isn’t it 😉 Thank-you, this is exactly why I do like this time of year in the garden. All eyes go on the many shades of green and other colours and textures in the garden now that the flowers are gone. Thank-you and a Happy GBBD to you too – I’m so glad you have continued to post as you have a wealth of inspiration in your garden 😀
Karen – Thank-you! I have great fun cropping and grouping 🙂 Yes, perhaps we should look at the garden with different eyes at this time of year. It does have a magic about it 😀
Frances – Thank-you! As is yours – I would love to take a walk around it too! Thank-you for such a generous comment 😀
Susan – Thank-you! Wonderful – my job is done 😉 I see you await the snow. I am sure the birds will be very grateful that you have filled the feeders for its arrival. Yes, I would wear a coat – gloves too. My fingers were freezing taking my photos 🙂
Lisa – Yes, you have to look closely for some of it but on a morning/evening with a red sky it is absolutely magical when the red tones are picked up. Oh… I didn’t remember you don’t often get snow. I guess that would change the winter months in the garden quite a bit. I guess that’s when the birds and birding are enjoyed even more 😀
Hi Shirl….you have so much colour in your garden……I love the heuchera, and the depth of colour in the leaves…..
I to love moss….and lichen…..I get a lot here as the area is very damp……there is something quite magical about both I think…..
Time is short at the moment….so have a wonderful Christmas with those you love…….
What a wonderful, colorful post, Shirl! I’m so jealous… we’ve entered into the grey-and-brown phase of things here, with a few blue- or green-greys mixed in. I try to find an apprciation for all of my shades of neutrals, but it’s tough when looking at photos of your still-vibrant garden in all its glory! 🙂
By the way, didn’t you read the tag on that heuchera of yours, girl? She’s a ‘Georgia PEACH,’ not a ‘Georgia PINK!’ So it’s okay that I still like her! LOL.
Oh, by the way, I completely lost my heart to that red-tinged sedum in the top photo. Which one is it?
Very impressive set of photos Shirl, just goes to show if we look closely then there is colour and interest even in the bleak midwinter, not my garden though which needs a thoroughly good sort out and re-design. Looking forward to reading more next year. All the best BR
Shirl, I always enjoy how you put together your photos for bloom day, showing us a wonderful garden with so much variety, even in December.
Carol, May Dreams Gardens
Hi again Cheryl, Kim, Border and Carol 🙂
Cheryl – Yes, I love the foliage plants at the moment. I could have posted so many greens but I went out in search of other colours. The deep reds look great now. Oh yes… I agree with the magic you describe. Yes, I also agree that time is short at the moment. Thank-you for your good wishes and I’d like to wish you a wonderful time with all those you hold dear. I’d also like to wish you great garden, wonderful wildlife and brilliant bird moments in 2009 😀
Kim – Thank-you, I thought you’d enjoy the colours! I always think of you after ‘colour’ postings 😀 Perhaps your garden colours are duller at the moment but you make up for it in the other seasons of the year! LOL – I knew the pink reference would bring you over 😉 Well… a name for the sedum? My first ‘loves’ (where plants are concerned) were alpines. I have built many rock/scree gardens – for friends too. That sedum isn’t that eye catching at all in the summer months but with the damp winter in really makes itself noticed. I have had it in my garden forever and no longer have the label. I think it is pretty common but I am not certain the variety. I will post a photo on a gardening forum in the UK and ask for help with an ID. I’ll get back to you on that. It is wonderful looking at the moment and to think I probably pulled odd bits out weeding ;-(
Border – Thank-you, true, I did need to look quite closely and if it wasn’t for GBBD I probably wouldn’t have noticed some at all! Enjoy your 2009 re-design – I have to say that’s the part of gardening I love. Moving plants around and mixing things up every so often (a few times a year some years) 😀 Wishing you great gardening and wildlife for 2009. Thank-you and ‘All the best’ to you too 😀 Wow… you will never guess what has just flown down and taken a wander around my garden as I was tying this – a pheasant! This is the second time I have seen this happen in my garden – such a strange sight to see walking around the plants. Got the camera out but too late…. Ah well 😀
Carol – Thank-you, I am delighted to join in! I missed last month but can see the Mr Linky links works very well indeed for browsing. You’re full of good ideas, Carol 😀 I don’t know how you get the time to visit everyone far less leave comments. Wishing you and yours all the best for 2009 😀
Artful displays; just beautiful the way you grouped by colors.
Thank you for visiting my blog, too.
Shirl,
You have a great web site and your photos are very impressive. Could you tell me what camera you use please?
Cheers,
Steve.
Hi there Jean and Steve 🙂
Jean – Thank-you, I always have fun choosing the groups for montages and I wanted the colour to have an impact for a December posting. You are welcome! It is great that through GBBD we can find so many new blogs. I enjoyed my visit 😀
Steve – Thank-you, I still have a lot to learn about taking photos. I should learn more about my camera too. I use a Canon EOS 400D with a Tamron 55-200mm zoom lens for 95% of my photos 🙂
I meant to reply to this sooner, but last weekend/early week was particularly bad for me.
It certainly takes talent to be able to see beauty in the garden at this time of year when most things are long gone.
Surprisingly a talent I am yet to discover (usually have no problems in spring and summer! haha)
I have very little right now, just the odd thing here and there that’s soldiering on, such as cornflower and marguerite!
Two lovely indoor Orchids though, oh and the Cyclamen is going for it again after I thought I’d killed it off 🙂
Hi again Liz 🙂
No problem, its Christmas Eve and I’m just getting back to you! Interesting, I never considered it in that way before. I suppose I see beauty in the patterns of a pile of leaves too. Yes, summer beauties are quite different. Enjoy your last brave winter flowers 😉
Ah the orchid… one of the few house plants that I ever have. Although I can be known to kill them off too and cyclamen I unsuccessfully tried in the garden. Perhaps I should consider them for indoors!
Wishing you a wonderful Christmas and all the best for 2009. Breakfast over… the kitchen awaits. A large pot of soup I think will be first 😀
Hello Shirl,
I popped over from Em’s Garden Fool blog in NY because she mentioned that you like to watch birds. Fascinating reading about the feeder birds’ reaction to the sparrow hawk.
You have quite a few December blooms, and some pretty colors to show, unlike my snowy upstate NY garden.
Yes, it is wonderful to share our interests with fellow bloggers around the world..so much to see and learn…so many interesting people!
Happy New Year to you!
Hi there Kerri 🙂
Thank-you so much for popping by and for telling me where you came from! I’ll pop over to Em’s now too. I see you have snow and are missing the warmth of Australia! My friend there misses the snow from Scotland at this time of year 😀
Yes, the Sparrowhawk story is not so much dreaded now as I can appreciate it only hunts to survive too and the way it glides at speed around the plantings in my garden is incredibly impressive! I will have follow-on from this one for the future 😉
Yes, although my December blooms were few and far between the foliage colours support them now. I wonder if I will have any for January 😉
I agree completely, it is wonderful to share our interests and there is so much to see and learn from other bloggers too. Yep… looking forward to meeting more interesting people in 2009! Thanks for stopping by and all