So Much to be Thankful For

It's Thanksgiving week and is there any better time to show our gratitude for the garden and nature at large? I don't think so. I did some puttering today and it was so pleasant to be in the garden. The weather has remained mild so the last few blossoms continue to hold on and make me smile.

Alyssum

Fresh pansy blossom and curious dead pansy blossom

Impatiens arguta

Lewisia cotyledon 'White Splendor' and L. c. 'Elsie'

Vibrunum bodnantense 'Pink Dawn'

Viburnum flowers up close

Clematis 'Chameleon' put out one last blossom. Last summer the flowers were lavender and pink. This flower is a creamy white. Is it fixing for a snow storm? Could that be why it's called 'Chameleon'?

Clematis 'Chameleon'

Fuchsia 'Rosea'
A cutting from my BIG mother plant.

 Cyclamen hederifolium  

How sweet to see this little tiny lavender Galega bud trying to open.

Galega officinalis 'Lady Wilson'

'Ruby Slippers' Hydrangea leaves still look good enough to eat.

Hydrangea quercifolia 'Ruby Slippers'

And the Nandina is also looking fabulous.

Nandina 'Wood's Dwarf'

My camera couldn't do justice to the water droplets on this dark leaved Hypericum.

Hypericum seedling

Even "common" plants such as Bergenia look brilliant with their winter colors.

Bergenia, unopened Oxalis buds and Sedum oreganum

Bergenia 'Tubby Andrews'

I've always hesitated growing Chocolate Creeping Jenny because I'm not thrilled with the yellow flowers. But look at that foliage! 

Chocolate Creeping Jenny
Lysimachia congestiflora 'Persian Chocolate'

A close up: So pretty.

Lysimachia congestiflora 'Persian Chocolate'

I cut back my Wintersweet shrub (Chimonanthus praecox) last spring. It said thank you by putting on a lot of new growth. I'm loving the fall colors on it. The gradation down the branch from gold to green leaves is eye catching.

Chimonanthus praecox

And it is loaded with fat flower buds!

Chimonanthus praecox flower bud

Mild temperatures mean that my Melianthus is still looking good too. 

Melianthus major

More water drops. This time on Euphorbia 'Blackbird'.

Euphorbia 'Blackbird'

There are still a few leaves on my Silver Vein Creeper.

Silver Vein Creeper Parthenocissus henryana 
with Schefflera delavayi

I am really enjoying Spike Moss (Selaginela). It is new to me this year so we'll see how it survives the winter and how long it takes to recover next spring. 

Spike Moss Selaginela karussiana 'Aurea'

And now for some garden shots.

Acer palmatum 'Seiryu'

The tree below is a "seedling" Japanese maple. It was a baby plant from the Coral Bark Maple in the front yard. It is at least twice the size of her mother. I didn't think it would get quite this big. 

Looking up

Looking down

Fortunately the shade it provides means room for lots of woodland plants.  

Remember the photos of my fern table a few posts back? At Garland Nursery's fall plant sale I was hoping I could find a few more goodies to tuck into it. Check out these bargain one-dollar plants I grabbed.

Gautheria procumbens and Acorus grimineus minimus 'Aureus'

Here is the fern table with the newbies and a whole lot of litter from the plants above it. Natural, right? 

And the culprit for all of that detritus--Arbutus flowers. 

Arbutus unedo 'Compacta'

It's a good plant in that the hummingbirds love these ivory bells. 

But oooh it's so messy! And coupled with the Japanese maple leaves, you can see why fall is not my favorite season.

Thanks for visiting. I hope you all have a lovely Thanksgiving.

'Tis the Season

One of the benefits of getting older is how quickly time seems to fly by. Here it is, the week of Christmas, 2015 already! This means January is right round the corner and spring is in the not too distant future. Anyone who knows me is aware that in my world, July is the most wonderful time of the year, not December. But, because I understand and continue my efforts to embrace the live-in-the-moment concept, here are a few December moments in my garden. 

Melianthus major, typically with a glaucus-blue look is totally green next to Eucalyptus nicholli.
Go figure.

And speaking of green, the moss growing on this leaky birdbath looks painted on but it's for real.

And speaking of "painted on" um, yeah. Fatsia japonica 'Spider's Web.'

This creeping Rosemary plant was an impulse-purchase last summer.
And skirted with the little yellow Sedum, in a vintage chicken feeder, it works! 

Lookie, a little blue blosssom!

Check out the color variability on this Hypericum androsaemum 'Glacier' 

This is the "After" photo, revealing the Semps after being liberated from a mushy
blanket of Star Magnolia foliage.

And here is the "Before" photo of this trough-ful of Sedums and Semps
waiting to breathe again.

In winter, it's the small things.

Sedum makinoi 'Ogon' looks fantastic (so far) this winter.

My hope is that growing Ice Plant (Delosperma 'Jewel of Desert Rose Quartz')
in a container will improve its chances of surviving our wet winters.

Here is a wheel barrow full of succulents. The black thing in the center is an old shoe
one of my daughters found for me.

This succulent container gets to live under the patio roof.

I love how Bergenia leaves blush in response to the chill in the air.
(A lot like us, right?)

For reasons that elude me, Golden Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium aureum)
pops up all over my garden. Very odd since I don't remember ever planting it.

Lamium peeking out from under the mess.

Parahebe perfoliata foliage always makes me smile.

Cyclamen hederifolium

And more Cyclamen

The first blossoms on my Wintersweet (Chimonathus praecox) are popping open.
Ooh the fragrance!
Unfortunately all my attempts at capturing it came out blurry so...

Here is a photo of last year's flowers to give you an idea of what's in store.

On Saturday, between episodes of pelting rain, I was able to get my patio pond cleaned out. Here is a glimpse at one of the Japanese Maple leaf piles waiting for a trip to the compost.

Zip the cat navigates his way around the mess

Now, when I look out the dining room, I see this. So much better. 

Scenes like this help me endure the dreariness of winter.

Finally, in the spirit of the season, I have two photos, taken when my daughter Beth and I

entered a thrift store a few days ago. 

For years, I've had a fascination with vintage pedal cars. When I saw this

reproduction, I had to get a photo.

Seconds later, this toddler ran over to it and knew exactly what to do.

His excitement for this shiny toy was so delightful to watch.

When I showed this photo to my daughters they told me that because I didn't get permission from the parents
to publish it, I needed to obscure the child's face or risk going to jail
for a minimum of twenty years to life.
What killjoys! 

Wishing you a safe, warm and joyful holiday.

Love to you all!