Oh that Winter was a much shorter season. I am in a bad way when I crave being outside, and find contentment in shoveling snow. This has benefits, but nothing like the joy of the first colours to arrive at the close of Winter.
I understand the need for the plants we tend & nurture to rest for a short season. However, when one has by choice immersed themselves in gardening, Winter barreness seems to facilitate the sense of visual/sensual deprivation. The photos shared are a great reminder of what we have to look forward to.
Oh, I received LOTS of gardening catalogs yesterday. Eyecandy is a fabulous remedy for Winter.
Victor, the Waterlily is stunning: it has Sunshine petals. I've no previous experience with Waterlilies; apparently I am really missing out on some grand colours & textures. Time to research!
To Chase Away The Winter Blues...
More wonderful shots from the time of the light and the green.
Christina I like your "Monet" scene too, very restful.
Katye the red bed is beautiful. What is the deep red foliage plant? Oh if only I had more room, money and energy I could have a garden in every color, LOL. Good thing I can look at all the DG people's gardens.
Victor your pond pic is wonderful and the water lily is oolala. I like all the color contrast of foliage and different textures. Very nicely planned out as usual.
Katye, I love the reds in that pic. The arrangement is breathtaking. I also would like a water feature. My list of wants has gotten much larger since joining DG. LOL
Jan ! Its incredible how much bolder I am when buying plants I never dares to take a chance on.
Joined DG last March and with encouragement from these enablers I have enlarged my gardens and continued to plant containers using MORE PLANTS.
I hear you loud and clear. My goal now is to get the bones for the garden. I started with dessert first instead of the appetizers when I planted the first garden when mom moved in. She loves flowers so that is what we did. Last year was containers on the deck, cuz she couldn't go out to the garden much. My problem will be to control what goes in cuz I want everything! Actually, the control part won't be that hard, cuz it costs money to buy plants, if you get my drift. LOL
I didnt make a plan either ,but had some plants I missed from my old house so I ordered those with some kind of color scheme in mind.
I planted spreading annuals to keep the weeds down and Lamiums in the shade garden that I wish I hadnt. Some of the lamiums are still going strong, I really want other plants where they have spread to so I'll just dig thru them to plant new perennials this year.
The garden is an always evolving creature thay breaks your back and spends tour money.
But its so nice to create a space where you can be revived just seeing it on a sumer day, also a place where friends who visit can chat in a beautiful setting(thats the container garden on the deck)
Songs, Monetish is a good description for that picture. Before I even read your post I looked at the picture and thought the same things.
Katye, your garden shot is great, and Victor I love your pond shot and waterlily. That's such a luscious color on that.
Karen
Here's a butterfly at my budleia.
Water lettuce
Coreopsis 'Limerock Ruby'
sunny marigolds
Daylily 'Bejeweled'
Here's the picture.
Daylily 'Lighter Than Air'
Daylily 'Mynelle's Starfish'
Cousin Nuts the coreopsis 'Limerock Ruby' is to die for. I have entered it in Great Book of Lists.
Jan/GE - i also joined her last year and have gone into hyper drive in buying new additions to the garden with some what of a plan although i still find myself moving things and expanding beds. I started a landscape journal this week and have only spent a few hours putting in what i have with location and cost - scary!!
And here i am about to order seven more japanese maples with four out back over wintering that i have not even decided where they will go. that does not include the 15 or so i already have. at least are bought with gift certificates with some help from santa.
can't wait for spring and watch these babies grow!!
limerock ruby on my list too - help need to log off - NOW
Dahlianut, you must get some of that coreopsis. I just planted it this past year, and it took off for me. It was covered with blooms and bloomed all summer long.
Karen
I keep photo files by the month of plants in the gardens.
Now that I look back there are vinyetts I will expand on but not too much because of Bluestones May half price sale.
I never keep cost records too depressing
I just refuse to think about the $$$ factor LOL. I do grow alot from seed but still :O
I don't think about cost, either, I just buy. Hey, things could be worse. I mean I could be wasting my money at the casinos or on alcohol or drugs. This is much better.
Karen
Several posts back: I had trouble getting to the send part on text. I thought it was the computer as I am having trouble getting the internet at all.
Lovely pictures everyone. We have too many pasture colonized trees to plant more. Have to concentrate on getting shade plants as trees keep growing. Most of our DL are red ones except for yellow (Carl Miliken) which spreads like made.
OK check - 'limerock ruby' on list. :)
Okay this is getting to be a I really need that thread. LOL.
Karen luv all those pics, the the flutterby, marigolds, and beauty DLs, but I have to agree with everyone else that coreopsis is a sure winner. I hope it is more winter hardy than some of the other new colors of late.
Bill I am really looking forward to your JMs this spring and summer. And all those new acquisitions will be a treat for all of us here too.
I kinda backslid myself and added to current order an amsonia and euphorbia polychroma 'Bonfire'. :)
Fav close-up pic from last season.
Fav pic with a bug in it. Not counting butterflies of course.
Beautiful close-up pics, Pat! I will have to let you know whether or not that LR coreopsis overwinters for me here. I've only had it just this past year.
Karen
The "reds" border is as follows: (trying to do this with the names placed as if you were looking at it:
Calamagrostis 'Overdam'
Amaranthus (flower spike) Rhody 'Ginny Gee'
Rhody 'Ginny Gee' Panicum 'Shenandoah'
Snapdragon 'the Prince' Amaranthus (foliage w/ red blotch)
Rhody 'Ginny Gee' Coleus 'Big Red Judy'
Scabiosa 'Ace of Spades' Papaver (yes - that kind)
Callibrachoa
Hebe anomala purpurea nana
Helichrysum 'Icicles'
Wow - hope that comes out ok! Looks confusing to me, and I planted it!
This bed starts red, transitions to burgundy & on to cherry pink/red violet.
I was having fun with colour: it started out as a blue to purple border, moved out the blue, then purple to red. In the end, red won.
I wish I had been able to capture the entire border in a picture, but it curves around & the best way to get the whole thing in would be from a tall ladder.
I was able to get some very fun plants for this, which made it tough to design.
Part of it is 2 yrs old & this past year I filled it in the rest. Just need to finish the rock steps & low retaining wall. Too cold & wet now for rock work...
The reds reminded me that 'red' TB iris 'Spartan' sold out at our club iris sale this yr. It is a Schreiner plant & old enough that they have done a great deal of work since it was put out. Some people prefer the shape to some of the new ruffly ones. It is a good doer & the person who brought it to the sale grows it in a mixed border.
This thread is making me antsy for spring....
What a prettiful collage flowerjen! I have decided that I can start viola seeds this early. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
I love these firespray tulips, great for part shade.
Are the firesprays naturalizing for you flowerjen?
Yes they are.
(sigh of longing)
sigh here to we can't grow tulips! I wish we had at least a little change of seasons Down here in Florida Oh well I can have Blood Lilies grown in the yard.
That Bloody Lily more than makes up for it methinks!
Yes and the 75 degrees temp around New years. LOL
Turning green with envy here, Wren!
Karen
Yupper a given BUT dear wren can you do a snow angel? I will post a truly envious pic of one once it's safe to go outside without my face freezing off.