Frozen ground prevents much progress in tidying up the garden before spring. Brief spells of mild temperatures teased that the worst of winter had passed, and while recent cold has not been extreme, there have been few days to encourage the urge to get outdoors. Today, a small fothergilla (Fothergilla ‘Mt. Airy’, below) was moved…
Category: Native plants
Club and spikemosses
An interesting, low growing evergreen caught my eye on a winter afternoon as I walked along the creek in the forest that borders the garden. There are few evergreens in the forest besides the few native hollies and scattered ferns, and I was intrigued that this could be from the family of club and spikemosses….
Scenes from the winter garden
No doubt, the garden in winter is more sparse than times when it is chock full of blooms, but it is not devoid of interest. A brief stroll on a chilly afternoon reveals sights that are overlooked with the distraction of flowers.
Don’t expect too much
Yes, it’s fifty five degrees. No, it is not spring, so expecting more than the few scattered flowers of witch hazels, hellebores, and snowdrops is unrealistic. Still, I regularly examine early flowering magnolias (below) and ‘Okame’ cherry for swelling buds, which are not swelling despite this spell of late January warmth, and probably won’t for…
A splendid winter day
Today is one of those days, rare days when winter temperatures are just right and I’m itching to get outside. To do something, anything. There are two parts to this equation, weather and will, and only on occasion do they coincide. A prior engagement dictates that the day’s labor will be brief, and no matter…
Impatient for spring
Is mid January too early to be impatient for spring? In fact, I don’t wish to scoot the calendar forward, but anxiously await milder temperatures after several weeks of cold that has dragged on far too long. Winter flowers are a partial remedy for seemingly interminable winters, but many blooms curl for protection as temperatures…
Adding a fothergilla
Funny how things pop into your head out of nowhere. For no particular reason, it suddenly occurs to me that I must plant a fothergilla into a more prominent spot. Already, there are two in the garden, but in areas where they are least likely to be seen. Why does there have to be a…
Cold and colder
In this frigid, snow dusted garden, large leafed evergreens (aucubas, daphniphyllum, and rhododendron, below) curl for protection as temperatures approach zero. Leaves will return to form once temperatures rise nearer the freezing point, and it is likely that there is no long term harm, though Daphniphylum is only marginally cold hardy for this zone, so…
More than flowers
While flowers of mahonias, witch hazels, and a variety of bulbs capture attention through the winter months, more matters of interest can be discovered by the curious gardener. In this garden, no more than a few hours are spent in winter labor, but regular afternoon strolls are rewarded with more treasures than only flowers.
Not too cold
No doubt, readers to the north are amused when Virginians talk about cold. Of course, this is relative. I’m certain Virginians scoff upon seeing Floridians in winter jackets on a cool day in Orlando. I sympathize with northerners who must endure longer, colder winters than ours, but I’m only a bit envious of residents of…
Bunches of berries
I prefer plants that require little thinking, ones that do what’s expected without a fuss. There’s more than enough to think about with sunlight exposures and drainage. If I have to consider who’s a male or female, or where a pollinator will come from (if a separate one is needed), I’m in trouble. While most…
Autumn fading
Flowering of camellias was exceptional through earlier parts of autumn, and though twenty degree nights brought ruin, many buds assure continued flowering for weeks. With nightly freezes common, even with mild afternoons in the forecast, white and pink blooms will frequently be bordered with brown. Still, there is no complaint. While the foliage of many…
Ramblin' through Dave's Garden 