Christmas in Leawood

Several years ago I bought the largest blue spruce I could find (and still afford) to place in my front yard so I could decorate it for Christmas. This is the fourth season for the tree, which is now about 18'. I wanted a very vertical tree, so I selected a 'hoopsi' blue spruce at a local nursery.

I decorate it with the miniature 'twinkle' lights and then use the large, round (C-7) lights as 'ornaments'. It snowed a few days ago and the sight was an inspiration to make my own cards for Christmas.

Seasons greetings to all my fellow gardeners.

Your living tree is beautiful. Merry Christmas to you and your family. May the New Year bring you Happiness and Joy.

What a beautiful tree, and you are so clever to use the larger bulbs as ornaments with the tiny ones! This picture didn't get much attention, I guess everyone was just too busy to spend time on the computer, but it deserves to be seen so I will bump it back to the top.

Bumping it to the top worked a treat, MaryE.

LeawoodGardener, that is a stunning Christmas scene. Christmas has passed, so Happy New Year.

Beautiful tree and a good picture! Happy New Year to you all.

Thanks to all for the kind comments - here's to a happy new growing season for those of us North of the Equator (sorry, MargaretK, but you are in the height of your growing season!) - may all of your garden dreams come true!

Happy New Year!

Here's what my pond and hornbeam hedge looks like this time of year.

Did I just see that statue shiver? What do you grow in your pond? Does it have fish?

The big tree on the left edge of the picture looks just like 2 we have in our yard, they are elms. We get so many different effects from them, including having the yard look like it might have snowed when the little seeds come down, and the carpet of gold leaves in the fall. In between, we get lots of twigs that the wind prunes off. About 3 years ago we did some major pruning because of roof and power lines, it made a big mess but resulted in a lot of firewood.

The photo was taken after an ice storm. The Indonesian general probably was shivering. The pond had lotus and yellow water lilies for several years - I cleaned it out recently, because it had become overgrown (the pots with plants tipped over when a neighborhood heron was 'fishing' for my koi and the plants ran amuck in the bottom of the pond. I now just put in goldfish, but he returns whenever they grow to be 'bite size' - about 6" long).

The tree in the photo is an elderly flowering crab in my neighbor's yard. It is really past it's prime and needs to be removed.

Here's a pic of me, cleaning out the pond in October.

That looks much warmer! How do you happen to have the statue of the General? He's an ususual subject for middle America.

Have you thought about putting netting over your pond to keep the herons out? I bought something at our local farm store that has kept deer out of my grapes (they prefer the green seedless ones but eventually eat them all). It is black plastic, comes in 7' x 50' rolls, has 1/2 inch openings and is hard to see from a distance. Actually I see the sun making it sparkle a bit which looks like reflections off water. It might be something you could use.

LeawoodG, it's really beautiful whatever the season and you look like you're actually having fun there. I'm with MaryE with putting netting over the pond to keep the Heron from having a smorgasbord or the fish that have no fair means of escape.

A lovely garden, LeawoodG. I particularly like the pond in winter picture, altho it is great anytime, of course!

The Indonesian general resided for many years in a local store that sold rosewood and teak furniture. Each time I was in the store, I'd admire the statue, but balk at the price. It is granite, and must have cost a fortune in freight alone. After several years, the price had been lowered a couple of times, so I could not resist when the store offered a "half-price on everything in the store" sale. It took three men to move it to my garden and place it on the low brick pedestal I had built to hold the general.

As for the pond, I've always been kinda particular when it comes to the 'look', so I tend to take the 'form over function' route in life and probably won't opt for the netting. I have given up on koi and I keep small goldfish in the pond (to keep mosquitoes at bay). As they grow (and disappear), I replace them with new ones (5 for $1). Here is a photo of the culprit, stalking the pond last spring.

Aw well, in that case, you are providing a colorful addition to his diet, and it is a novelty to see one in your yard. We have a stock pond in our pasture, about 300 yds from the house, that is a stopping place for many varieties of ducks, Canada geese, trumpeter swans, and of course the blue herons. Cattle, sheep, deer, horses, coyotes and foxes water at the pond too, so we have a lot of activity to observe. It's frozen and covered with snow now. We had 0 degrees overnight, bright sun on the snow this morning with both mountain ranges visable in all their glory, but have another winter storm due to arrive this afternoon. It will be a couple of months before we see any open water or birds. I have always wanted to build an island in the pond.

Wow. That sounds like a great view! Our weather has been a roller coaster since early December. Snow and bitter cold before Christmas - then a day or two of temps in the high 50's - then cold again. Yesterday I worked in my shirtsleeves in the border garden, spreading manure from a local stable, today it is 12 degrees. .. all of which has brought strong winds and tree damage. Winter in the midwest.

In Santa Fe, New Mexico, we are having just about the same kind of weather as you describe, LeawoodG. I think we are approx. the same zone. Different altitudes! The heron is lovely. I think I would also buy the cheap goldfish.