Winter Blooms

On Christmas Eve, it snowed... just a little bit, but enough to bring a smile to my face and a dusting to the ground. One of my favorite plants in the winter is the Holly. Deep green or variegated, red berries or yellow, their strong beauty in the winter landscape is a welcome sight.

Here is my variegated Holly bursting with red berries this time of year, under a dusting of snow.

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and has a very happy new year!

Backyard Renovation Part 6: Planting the Plants

Well, Hurricane Sandy has come and gone and thankfully we had removed all those trees before the storm! We were luckier than most in the area, sustaining minimal damage to the backyard. Although we did lose power for almost two weeks. 

With all that behind us now, we can focus on finishing up the backyard project. The week before the storm, the plants were brought in and incorporated into the landscape. I've never been so excited than when I saw a truckload of plants pull up in front of my house!

I enjoyed working with my landscape architect on choosing and placing some of the plants. I wanted evergreens in certain areas, some plants with fall color, some with spring blooms and then some purely because I liked them!

As each plant went in, the backyard suddenly transformed into a place that filled the senses. Wonderful smells, textures and a softness to the landscape appeared.

Behind the decorative wall (which was there all along, but now seems to take center stage) is a gorgeous Crape Myrtle. I just love the fall color on it and next year the late summer blooms will be lovely. I wanted to keep many of the plants above this wall low so that I could see over them onto the lawn and watch the kids playing or just let my eyes continue their gaze to the back of the property.

Along the side and to the back, we planted Cryptomeria trees, Cherry Laurel and Rhododendron for evergreen privacy. Hydrangeas, Ilex and Liriope dot the area in front of the old Oak tree.

This is the view from the seating area. The fence makes such an attractive backdrop to the plants and the surrounding trees. Along the fence are Clethra, Viburnum, Skip Laurel, Holly, Variegated Weigela, Red-twig Dogwood, Nandina and Rhododendron. Behind the fence, a new River Birch tree peeks through.

 Hydrangeas, Nandina and dwarf rose bushes accent the lower wall.

Now that the plants are in, I'm anxious to see what it looks like when the sod is laid. Then, it will finally look like a real backyard!

What's Blooming this Month? November 2013

Not too much is blooming this month, to be honest. After all, it is November. But also, it's Garden Bloggers Bloom Day and so, along with other fellow garden bloggers, I'm here to show you what is going on in my garden this month.

Just two weeks ago, my garden and surrounding landscape was a mass of autumn vibrant colors (take a look here). Then a cold snap happened earlier this week and we actually got a dusting of snow. Now everything tender has died back and the leaves are almost all gone. Still, there is beauty if you look for it.

The pink carpet rose is still going strong with a few blossoms and buds here and there. Never thought I'd enjoy the color pink in November as much as I do now.

Speaking of pink, the first blossoms of my Anenome 'Queen Charlotte' plants are starting to fade, but they still have a few more buds on them and we are due for a warm weekend...maybe they will surprise me with one last hurrah.

 The variegated Liriope is still looking great, especially against the pink rose hips from the carpet roses.

Ever lovely pansy is still showing is autumnal-hued face. I love how this variety compliments the colors of the season.

Likewise, these marigolds are still looking great with the orange and red colors. They are not too happy about the recent cold, but are holding on in my vegetable garden which has otherwise been put to bed.

The Autumn Fern (Dryopteris erythrosora) still looks beautiful and green. They were planted just this year, so they are not yet to their true size.

 Another rose still blooming - the Knockout Rose. I just love this deep red color.

And it wouldn't be late fall without the emergence of the berries and seed pods. On the Crape Myrtle (above), the berries take center stage now that most of the leaves have dropped. On the variegated Holly (below), the bright red berries really stand out amongst the green and white leaves.

Poor little daffodils have been tricked into thinking it's spring with the weather we have been having. Sadly, though, I think they are a rude awakening rather soon...

And finally, not really a bloom, but we have huge, old oak tree in our backyard. And the amount of acorns it drops on daily, if not hourly, basis is astounding. You can't walk outside without hearing their crunch under your feet and you must wear a helmet or risk getting pelted on your head by a falling acorn!

What's blooming at your house? Have a look over at May Dreams Garden blog where she hosts the monthly gathering of blogs around the world to show off what's blooming.

Thanks for visiting!