Back garden raised bed ... November 26th ...

lovely TT. very colourful and cheerful

Hi Helen... thanks... I see this view from my window :o)

That looks wonderful TT, so much colour to take you through the winter :-))

Thanks Annella...
several of the variegated plants were new this year... they'll improve the colour in this area as they grow larger ...

All still looking nice TT....

Hi Holly... I'm pleased you like it...
I found your wellies ! Lol.

What a lovely view to look out to in the warm when it's so cold outside:)

That's absolutely lovely winter planting TT. Cannot believe this pic was taken in the same country...well, I suppose it's not strictly speaking the same country, but you know what I mean!.....as my snow and ice plot today! I like the colour of your fence and trellis too!

lovely planting...

Thank you, Nanad, Karensusan and Elsiemay ...
We had a lot of frost today... but no snow .... yet ...

Thats really lovely Tt. Very colourful

Nice you have such a wonderful looking garden in the depths of winter :o))

well i would say that you 'achieved your objective' what a lovely winter garden ( did the boys watch you from indoors)

Thanks Cinderella, Hywel and Pamg...
Truffle came outside to "help" with the photography ...
... Conker and Crocus watched from indoors ... :o)

did you take that photo today? its unbelievable ~ you took me back to summer and im freezing here ~ trying to get nearer to the radiator and type on the computer at the same time

thats so beautiful Tt, I just adore it,

Hi Stickitoffee... Yes, pic taken today, just after lunch... Keep warm ...
Thanks, Yorks... I pleased you like this so much :o)

gosh Terra still like summer in your garden with all the colour, very nice to :o))

San, I think TT lives somewhere at the other planet with all year round Summer! :))) TT, just love your garden!

Lol. Sandra...
... the white statue is shivering just a little bit. :o)))

Thanks, Uma ...
Maybe I can sunbathe tomorrow ...
... if the snow stays away ;o)

hahah :o))

Looks gorgeous !

Wow that looks fantastic TT.

Its lovely TT so colourful......

Lovely scene to admire whilst you stay warm, although you were brave to take a photo today as its freezing.......

Thanks, Paul, Dotty, Milky and Lincslass ...
I didn't stay out in the cold for long .. just some quick snapping with the camera and I was back indoors !

Lovely scene to view from your window!

what is the green plant that just starts to creep down the wall? - I love that

Thanks, Arlene ... I must clean the windows some time ..Lol.

Hi again Paul ...
the green plant you ask about is my beloved aubrieta ...

this link shows the same area in flower in springtime ... you saw the pic a while back ...

http://www.growsonyou.com/photo/slideshow/142719-my-back-garden-today-29th-april-2010/member/terratoonie

Beautiful, TT....such a pretty assortment of planting and so nice to see in the cold of winter. I especially like the raised garden idea....it must be so much easier to manage.

thanks for the info - must get some :)

Hi Whistonlass .. Thanks ...
I built this raised bed from recycled brick sections a few years ago.... I'm trying to introduce a greater variety of foliage colour ... Can you see the light coloured plants just starting to grow behind the white cobbles ? Those are some heathers I added this summer...

Hi again Paul...
Check out the GoYpedia Aubrieta page ...
That's one of the topics I edit ..
some good ideas from members for planting etc ...

Will do :)

Your garden still looks so pretty at this time of the year TT , you have chosen your plants very well for all year round colour .. :o)

Oh yes, TT, I see the heathers you mention. It is a lovely layout :)

Glad you could spot those heathers, Whistonlass...
they'll be even better next year when they've put on some growth ...

Thanks, Amy...
I love the brightness of euonymus at this time of year .. :o)

TT you could almost imagine it's still summertime from looking at that view, such a lot of colour!

What a lovely display Terratoonie ........

Super colour TT like a summer garden mine is all pure white just now :o)

Love this picture of your raised bed, its great to see so much colour just when most of the flower borders are fading out. Just watch your Euyonimus Terra, mine took a severe bashing last year, but happy to say they did fully recover;0)

Looks wonderful TT :o)))

Thank you Bellflower, Louis, Neellan, Pansypotter and Mushybanna ...
I hope the Euonymus survive the winter ...

Looking very pretty for the winter Tt, and such a selection of plants.....like Neellan, my garden is all white....even the red hot pokers have white caps on...Lol! Lottie has just gone berserk in it.....:o))

Thanks Janey...
... I can imagine Lottie loving the snow ! :o))

Are you still in summer, there, Tt???????????????????????

So envious.....looking FABULOUS!!!! XXX

Hi David... I'll send you some sunshine to melt that snow on the pirate ship... :o))) xxx

TT it looks absolutley lovely.

Hi Clarice... thank you... I hope you are keeping warm :o)

Hope you are aswell and the boys are keeping warm aswell, these two little kitties are not to keen on cold weather :)

I can imagine Jack and Tilly curling up warm indoors ! :o)

Your not wrong on that one :o))

Lol. :o)))

A really colourful corner, TT.! I too love the winter foliage, especially the yellow ones. But mine are spread round the garden rather than together. We had 3 ins of snow yesterday, and its still pretty cold. Only the greenhouse to play in today!

Hi Rachelsmum ...
Wow... 3 inches of snow...
... the greenhouse will be your refuge for a while...Lol.

Yes, I'm gradually collecting more yellow, and variegated foliage... some plants in this photo are quite new, and will hopefully look even better this time next year. :o)

You'll need to send a lot, Tt, can hardly get out the door, today! :-))

Wow, it looks untouched by time and weather Tt...wish I looked out on this:-))

Lovely selection TT, makes a very attractive picture.

That's lovely TT ... a sight for sore eyes in this dreary month ... thank you. :o)

Absolutely gorgeous TT, I do love your garden..mine is a frozen waste at the moment so its nice to see someone still has so much colour...have you a micro climate there??

Hi David ... I guess you still have lots of snow !

Now ... did you tell me you were the only CUSTOMER in Asda, or the only PERSON in Asda.... Lol. ....whichever way, that's a not a bad place to be snowed in ... lots of supplies ..:o)))

Thanks Bornagain, Bob, Fluff and Tetrarch ...
We have a small amount of snow this week, but not the deep drifts as up North... I hope everyone is keeping safe and dry ...

hi Rachaels mum ,I laughed when I read your 3inches of snow as we now have about 15inches!!!!! [feels like a game of "mines is bigger than yours" ]LOL my poor garden is groaning under the weight of the snow but as you know plants are marvellous and will recover once[hopefully] the white stuff disappears. glad that TT,s garden is still ok as it is nice to see colour. I,ll post some photos soon

Hi Helen..
Sorry to hear you have so much snow !
Keep warm ! :o) x

our central heating not fixable as too old~going to be a very cold Christmas~ no heating no hot water! Grim!

Oh help Arlene! Doesnt it ALWAYS go wrong when you least want it too! My friend got couple of those halogen heaters, they swing from side to side if you want, like a fan. They really bumped out the heat and light enough to carry from room to room. Didnt cost too much either..and elec cheaper than gas at present!

will have to look into that~ currently got heat in the lounge from a large wall mounted gas fire and oil filled radiator and can put cooker or burners on with a pan of water in the kitchen but bathroom and bedrooms like the inside of a fridge!

Oh Arlene...you are going to be too cold if this weather doesn't relent! I hope you are able to sort out an alternate form of heating until you can replace your central heating. We had that done last year (just the boiler; kept the original radiators) and we were sure glad we did. We spent a few very cold days last year before it was installed and the old system failed. Not fun!

Wrap up warm, Arlene :)

~ Hi Whistonlass,I hope we can do something to last us until it gets a bit warmer, then get a new system too,have been looking online all day!
~it is very cold~have taken to wearing my woolly hat and scarf indoors!

Arlene... how about portable electric radiators ?

... not so very expensive... about £15 ... I bought some from Argos a few years ago... useful in emergencies.. If I lived nearer, I would take my radiators out of the attic and lend them to you ...

~ thanks for the kind thought TT~ will have a look tomorrow~ we have a large oil filled radiator at the other end
of the lounge/dining room as I don't like the gas fire on full strength because of the dogs.
Will be popping over to see Caz tomorrow ~ she has offered to loan me a heater and will see what else we can do. Will try to get another opinion but we are being told that we should have put
a new system in 20 years ago ~ but why would you when it was working well and has been all these years?
The new systems are only garaunteed for 10 years!
Progress?~ best use of resources?

Everyone sit around Harvey and Henry ... and tell them to breathe out lots of hot air. ;o)))

The boiler we had taken out last year was at least 25 yrs. old (and probably nearer to 30) but it was getting increasingly expensive to maintain. And of course it did eventually just give up the ghost so we had no choice but to replace it. The advantage of course is that we now don't need a storage tank or hot water tank as we opted for a combi boiler.

I hope you can get something to get you through this coldest time....this will be when plumbers will be inundated with requests for central heating repairs/replacements...they seem to go awry just as the weather turns nasty. Good luck!

~ they are very warm TT~ good to have a cuddle with!
Whistonlass~ ours was put in in 1972 when the house was built so it has done well!

Lovely colourful garden, Tt. :o)

Thanks Pip... My gardens have had a little snow now...
but not as much as those living further north ...

so much colour and texture...lovely..:-)

Hi Sandra... thanks...
... I like the way, in winter, the variegated leaves shine out ... :-)

me too Terra....its their time to shine....

:o)))

IS it white now !!! if not luky you .... pretty

Just a small amount of snow, Cristina... :o)

Terratoonie:

You really have an eye for landscape design. I love it!

That is spectacular! Very well done, how long did it take you?

Thanks Delonix.
This is the area of my back garden which I can see from the window when I'm sitting with my computer ... :o)

Hello Rk ...

I built this raised bed a few years ago from recycled large brick sections... they are very heavy, so I kept the design simple because they were extremely difficult for me to lift up. I set the bricks a little at a time, over several weeks during the summertime ... it was fun, though strenuous ..

Since then I've experimented with various plantings to try to achieve interest at all times of year... I'm pleased you like it. :o)

wonderfull and a preciuos Pieris Japonica on the left,I think .I appriciate your comments: thanks so lot David

Hi David...
Yes, Pieris japonica Forest Flame ..
It is a lovely shrub ...
another plant I inherited from my mother's garden :o)

hi TT iam thilak you are having a lovely and colourful gardenvery nic.

Hi Thilak ..
Thank you ... I'm pleased you like this photo ..
raised beds can be very interesting for planting ...

how did I miss this??? gorgoeus!

Thank you Fran ..
this raised bed has good interest all year round ... which is lucky because I see it every day through the window when sitting at my desk !

i've probably asked before, but did you a blog on building the bed?

Looks great TT.

Glad you like this, Linda ..

Hi again Fran ... I built this raised bed myself ... very difficult for me lifting the brick sections ... but I finished it before I joined GoY ... so, sorry, no blog on actually constructing ... I didn't take photos ..

... it is VERY sturdy .. Sometimes I climb on it ... Lol.

lol you build to last, good for you!