Merry Christmas ...

Wind fall mini wreaths...

Those scattered fir tree branches from  that wind storm the other day , make nice little wreaths . 

December in the garden...

Even bundled up in my warmest  , I couldn't face going out much this month…too  frosty,  too cold ,  too grey , too wet . But today dry and mild with a few faint patches of blue. I went out for a wander and a little tidy up. Mostly I leave it till February or March . But then my compost heap gets over whelmed , so I'm trying too spread the clearing up a bit.. I've just been taking away the really ugly  and the stuff covering the plants that hate the wet mush.                                The lovely grasses are usually the last to go ,  just as well it's become quite a job.

This  little trio still looks fresh : Hebe 'goldesk', Pennisetum spatheolatum and  Carex oshimenis.

The worms seem to have already been at work, much that collapsed  has already disappeared. 

Rhododendron evered spent all summer smothered by all my annual vines …yes that Grandpa Ott  again  . Now is your time in the spotlight.

It will be interesting to tackle all this in February, where to start . 

My scrawny NOID conifer , bought several years ago at the Cistus 'Tough-love -sale. Has grown very handsome . I wonder how big it will get ? As big as the Deodora behind ?

My favorite winter ingredient and this one a very nice looking one , Willow leaf bay.

Indoor fun...

Between the rain showers this week, I got out and  snipped  a few twisty branches  from the Robinia .  

Wreath making …a first

Inspired by Lori's  danger garden post. I thought I'd have a go at it. I've used Climbing Hydrangea as my frame work, it needed pruning anyway . I didn't have any nice wire so  I've used WHITE ties , which I'll change at some point ! Then I found a few fine Japanese maple twigs to add ; and finally I chose Hypericum , it had such beautiful autumnal color and blackened berries … not sure if it needs more. I now realize ,that we have no nice doors in this house , but it's gone up anyway .   

First frost ...

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I should give a warning ,  some gruesome photos in this post .  It's aways a bit shocking , that first after frost inspection.                                                                                   .  But interesting to see how the garden copes.   I've never left Euphorbia 'Emerald leaf' out this long , but I had so many plants, I left a few out   .   I 'm more worried about the Dyckia and Hakea lissosperma that are underneath .

Plenty of blackened mush around.

Leucosceptrum stellipilum 'October moon'  these late blooms always get hit.

Blackened Dahlia of course, but my  new 'Tough -love -sale'  plant Lomayia myricoides  survives ! 

Pineapple sage got  battered

Another new plant Lepechinia hastata , a little crinkled , but still trying to bloom.

Sad Fushia 

I planted Salvia muelleri this year to replace  a not very hardy Salvis greggii 'Diane' . Seems to be OK in a  my most exposed front garden ... well that's one frost down .

In the garden ….

It was dry and mild today, so a chance to get out , rake a few leaves , pull some weeds   and have a look around.
Verbena rigida and another gang of  Cerinthe Major . I wonder if they will bloom , than I can have even more selfseeders  in the spring.

Sanguisorba 'alba' got lost in the fray at the height of summer.

 The new self-seeders of Teucrium hircanicum'paradise delight' are just starting to bloom. These can seed as much as they like , such a great plant in my dry garden . So much easier then all the Veronicas I've tried out for purple spikes.

Salvis Turkistanica having another go.

The pineapple sage happily blooming away and  a row of  Borage , which at this point has nice fresh foliage , so it can stay for awhile yet, that stuff plops itself in to every available space .

Rosa chinensis has been blooming all summer . The plants I grew from seed are now almost a foot tall  , they to got a little lost in the summer border.
Not bad at all for late November !

Indoors….

The view from the back door. It's about as far as I've ventured this week, with it being mostly wet, windy, cold and grey. I did get out and plant all my bulbs one morning , that was a huge relief . 

We have had indoor projects ; like buying sale Pendleton fabric to recover the doggie's bed . Micky and Rosie were helping to settle in the cushion. While I tried to work on stitching the corners.

It took most of the day , so I didn't have the energy for my Bloom post this month . I think they like the lovely thick wool .  

While I was shopping in Portland  I found these huge Oak leaves on the ground , they were much admired as I carried them around.
And I found an old frame to put them in when I got home .

A few things in the November garden...

I took this photo late in the day when the crazy light turned everything into a  coral  colored aquatic landscape. I thought my Opunto was  suffering with some sort of cold / wet weather stress . 

More of the crazy coral light photos , it didn't last long . Shortly after it was dark out.

Clematis'Helios' my most luxuriant seed heads .

 Myrteole nummularifolia  with pink pearl sized berries , apparantly edible; and the leaves  can be used for tea. I haven't tried yet . … the plant is very  small  still and very slow growing. 

I've enjoyed this self seeded pot of Euphorbia 'emerald leaf' all summer . It's smothered  the evergreen shrub under all that foliage , but with the first frost it will be no more.

Old house gardens.

Oh how I look forward to my first bulb delivery, especially when it comes from'Old house gardens'.
I only order a few things , this year : Red spider Lily, surprise Lily , oxblood Lily and Byzantine gladiolus . All new to me ! I thought I'd have a departure from my usual Tulip craze.

 

Bell jar ...

I found something to fill my bell jar with ; and to get rid of a few leaves.

November in the garden...

Between big sloshes of rain , I've been clearing , replanting and graveling another seating area. This one in the far south/east facing corner . It's the  place to set just now , a nice sun trap.
The fence area is very BARE . You can't see it . but I've planted a Loquat , my second try. I'm counting on a mild winter…we'll see.

The Japanese Maple coloring nicely at last.

A sneaky little bloom I almost missed , Camellia grijsii 

In search of Autumn ...

After a wet and gloomy morning ; I decided I'd better get out and have a look round before it all  goes to mush.
I don't have the most boldly colored Autumn garden, I tend to like GREENS , but I did find some color about .
My Cotinus this year has gone all crispy bronze instead of golden , maybe too mild out.

Now this is more like it, This Cotinus was here when be moved in , I didn't prune it at all this year, Most years I cut it right down . Behind is a new plant : Mugo 'Aurea' . To replace  a mostly dead Buddleia .

Speckles of gold coming from Robinia 'twisty baby'

The Katsura dropped it's leaves early , but we still have the orange frame work for winter.

The Cunninghamia turning a stressed out orange 

Mostly  glaucus green , but with a golden Wistera , hopefully strangling the giant Photina 

The nice clump of Panicum to break up all the green .

Finally Autumn !