Remember last week, when I posted photos of my iced-over courtyard fountain and my concern that my little feathered visitors might not come back. Well, they did. I didn't get photos of the sparrows and chickadees but I did get this little sweetie. From my research, it looks like a female Anna's hummingbird. Anna's live here year-round.
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Do you see her?
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| Sorry for the blur. If I were to get any closer, she would have flown away. |
That makes me happy.
There are subtle signs of life in the garden. Last summer, I bought this Heather (below) for a buck at a nearby nursery. It wasn't in bloom and had no label so I wasn't sure which variety it would be. I welcome the winter blooms.
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| Erica carnea 'December Red' |
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| Erica carnea 'December Red' |
I'm very happy to report that, so far (knock on wood) the winter cold hasn't killed my Geranium palmatum plants. If all goes according to plan, they'll bloom this year. I grew them from seed last year and was hoping they'd bloom, but of the ten or so plants, not one of them did. But they're alive and they've got nice foliage so it's all good.
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| Geranium palmatum |
When I Googled the sedum (below) I was surprised that there weren't more photos. Isn't this guy a beauty? I have it in a hypertufa trough on my covered patio and it is so happy. I got it from
Secret Garden Growers last year.
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| Sedum confusum 'Moonglow' |
I already have lots of gray-leaved sedums but when I saw this pot at an estate sale for three bucks last November, I grabbed it.
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| Sedum spathulifolium 'Harvest Moon' (I think) |
The Hellebores are fixing to bloom!
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| Helleborus foetidum |
The Sarcococca is a little late this year. Usually it's in full, yummy-scented bloom by now.
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| Sarcococcoa ruscifolia |
This "Pepper Bush" has done really well for me. It's in a pot and sits on my covered patio during the winter. I love the bright raspberry-red stems and petioles.
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| Mountain Pepper Bush (Tasmannia lanceolata) |
My photos don't do this Osmanthus justice. It also was a dollar in a small pot. Resistance was futile.
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| Osmanthus heterophyllus 'Goshiki' |
The winter moss is alive and well. Last winter's ice storm brought down big branches from my sweet gum trees. Here is one of the logs.
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| Mossy log |
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| Fungus |
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| You gotta love that! |
The garden is looking very sad. I am making slow progress with the clean up. Here is the patio pond.
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| Patio Pond |
And here is the outer pond. I've cut back the Stipa gigantea to make it easier to scoop the yucky, submerged leaves. But I have to be careful because there are frog and salamander eggs.
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| Outer pond |
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| Outer pond |
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| Mossy float |
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| Insulators all in a row on a gently aging ladder |
Are you noticing a teeny bit more daylight in the evenings? Spring isn't too far off. May your remaining winter days be full of hope and planning for the garden to come.
