Tuesday View: 24/01/17

Tags

Box ball, clipped Buxus sempervirens, Eupatorium Elin, frost, Hydrangea paniculata limelight, Ilex crenata, japanese holly, Joe pye weed, Pheasant's tail grass, Stipa arundinacea, Tuesday View, Winter

Cold Pheasants tail grass

The last few days here have been very cold but settled, frosty and still. Pretty to look at. The frost barely defrosts even in direct sunlight and so little actual garden work can be done.  Cathy at https://wordsandherbs.com hosts the Tuesday View.

dormant

There will be lots to do once we move into February and the weather begins to warm up. In the meantime there is lots of fireside planning, research, reading and drawing to be done. Just look at this:

 

west facing patio, the home of a feed store for the last occupants, the goats.

It would seem as if this would be a great place to have a seating area as it catches the very last of the sun.  In reality it gets covered in sticky stuff from the trees and the birds within the trees. I am presently working on an idea for a structure that will protect the area below the trees from the ‘stuff’ but that will not block out the precious light.  I do not want a Summer house (too twee) or a pergola (it will not stop the debris) but I do want something there.  Any ideas? So whilst I share my thoughts with someone who can make stuff, here are the close ups.

Eupatorium Elin 

Ilex crenata

This small leaf evergreen, otherwise known as Japanese holly is a  slow growing plant which lends itself well to clipping and is a good alternative to Box.  I have not grown it before but found a bunch of five, half price in my local garden centre.  Still in pots awaiting a home, I will let you know how they fare.

cold Box

Thank you to those of you who expressed concern/ sympathy about the leak outside my gate.  Thames Water advised me that they had fixed the leak despite my concerns that the hole in the ground had filled with water again.  Whilst writing this, the team to back fill the hole arrived.  On pumping out the surplus water the pipe cracked and the leak is back with a vengence. Efficient.

Back to the plants and breathe.

Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’

 

52 week photo challenge: Winter

Tags

52 Week Photo Challenge, Christmas box, Sarcococca hookeriana humilis, Sweet box, Winter

Sandra at https://daffodilwild.wordpress.com/photo-challenge has set up a meme  which appeals to me; her challenge is to post a photograph which ties in with the subject set.  This week the subject is Winter.

‘Winter’ to me conjures up images of snow and ice, bright blue skies perhaps with sparkling frosts.  This Winter has been very different, we have had mild, wet and windy weather, for weeks.  I was tempted to dig out a snowy scene from previous years but felt that was not quite right.  I looked at some of the sodden grey shots I have taken of the garden this month but found them, well just too grey.

Instead I have looked through some of the snaps I took on the rare frosty bright days that we had last week.  The morning sunlight seemed to pull a curtain back through the gloom to reveal the beauty of plants, in this case Christmas Box.

Sarcococca hookeriana humilis

I love the way the frost is clinging to the perimeters of the leaves and how, where the light catches the crystals of ice, they twinkle slightly.  The white flowers were just beginning to open but the cold seemed to have stopped the heavenly scent in its tracks.

As I write this the wind is howling down the chimney and the rain is moving closer.  Good luck to those of you further North, especially in Scotland, your forecast is not looking good.