GRAVEL GARDEN IN WINTER

Look lovely there ,but what are they like this morning!
It is absolute Yuk here, only place to go is the glass houses.

Hello Brian ..
Today these plants are wet, but shiny and pretty :o)
... stay safe and warm ...

they do look lovely Terratoonie :-) nice planting, i agree with you on leaf colour in winter..... on going out this morning to feed my rabbit it was so windy and overcast but warm, when i feed the rabbit i take with me water in a empty milk container with what's over i water the potted plants this morning on seeing my Heucheras i thought
(now this is the point i was getting to) dont they look nice this time of year :-) the colouration in their leaves are lovely.

I like them too,Terra..and a great contrast against the gravel,and your shed,I presume? they show up really well..:o) xx

Looks lovely but how do you keep it so tidy?

Thanks Jane, Sandra and Denise ..
This area gets shelter from my long shed ...
It is in a middle part of my garden, away from neighbours, so quite private ..
I really don't do much to the gravel or plants ...
It is one of my favourite areas of my garden ..

So dainty and pretty and so welcome at this time of year. I love it :-)

A lovely collection , Tt .

Thanks Chris and Driad ..
The plants enjoy living there ... they make it easy for me to look after them .. :o)

Lovely pic Terratoonie your garden always looks so neat and tidy, Roy.

Perfect spot for those plants TT - they all look ever so healthy despite the time of year.

Thanks Roy and Angie for your comments :o)

That's lovely, it could be any time of year in that area Terra! Nice work!

Thank you Karen ...
Some garden areas surprise me by turning out better than expected ... Lol. :o)

A lovely area Terra and I agree the Heucheras are especially colourful despite the dreadful weather we are all having, roll on Spring!

Thank you Carole ..
This winter, heucheras seem especially radiant.

Hi Terra they look lovely , like they are out of a garden centre, mine are half dead :0)

Mine too Sue. I'm going to move a lot of mine in to a brighter spot. A lot of them will take sun, and I feel mine are suffering for a lack of it! Only a few will have to remain in the full shade.

What a lovely area TT love the different leaf colours and shapes against the pale gravel and darker shed as always a well tended area :o)

Colourful plants :o) They go nicely with all the little stones ....

Thanks Sue, Neena and Hywel ..

I've owned all of these plants for a number of years ...
so definitely not straight out of a garden centre ...Lol.

Due to a limited budget, I've bought no plants at all for my garden for the whole of 2013, so I'm pleased that these evergreens are lasting well ... I might try to split some next year ...

I've just realised that the plant, centre right in the photo, is in fact a Tiarella, so I've altered the photo caption above.

You've looked after them well. They're thriving :o)

Hello Hywel ..
Thanks ... It really does seem to be a case of 'right plant in the right place' ...
... I've tried heucheras, tiarellas and skimmias in other parts of my gardens, and they've not thrived at all ..

Which areas of your garden are best for these plants ?

Heucheras and Skimmias seem to grow anywhere in my garden TT, but my Tiarella (only ever tried one) does better in a pot !

yes ... my tiarella is going to stay in the pot !
Your garden is generally wetter in summer than mine ..
I think that makes a great difference ...

The trouble with the Tiarella in a pot, is that it was attacked by Vine weevils, and I nearly lost it. Next year I'm going to treat all my pots with vile weevil killer !

Is your gravel garden shady or sunny ? I think Tiarellas like a bit of shade.

This area is mainly shady ...

I love these green plants, so fresh and cheerful.
I find that the paler leaved ones suffer in my troughs so will try them in the shade, but like Hywel vine weevil like them too, I, m still mourning poor beautiful Obsidian, after treatment the others seem ok.......fingers crossed!

Hi Pam ..
Good luck with your plants in 2014 !

Thanks for reply :o) ...

nice touch - I also use the black grass within the white shingle , lovely effect

Thanks Thuja ...
I wasn't sure if the Ophiopogon would grow there, but it seems happy :o)

That is interesting regarding Tiarella only surviving in your pots TT and Hywel as it grows well here in my garden and spreads itself around quite freely it is a woodland ground cover plant, yours certainly seems happy there in your shady gravel garden TT :o)

Hi Neena ...
yes ... it seems to like shade and rich soil :o)

A lovely plant looking good there for you TT :o)

Thanks Neena ...
This year's weather has suited them well :o)

So many plants have shone this year haven't they :o)

They look special TT so clean, fresh and vibrant a lovely sparkling area :o)

Thanks Neena and Amy ...
This week the plants are certainly receiving a good wash ;o)

fabulous garden, Hi Terra !x

Hi Junna ..
... thank you ! x

It all looks so fresh and healthy, Terra ... lovely photo ... I squelched my way around the garden earlier ... a few Heucheras in the borders are looking worse for wear ... too wet I suppose ... :o(

Thanks, Shirley ...
I hope the wet weather isn't making things too bad for you ... my garden is always on the dry side ... never squelchy, not even in the rainy season ! ;o)

You're just mocking now, Terra! ... there is a small puddle in the lawn ... one border has decided it wants to be a narrow stream ... impossible to gather fallen leaves ... this Sussex clay has a lot to answer for! :o(

Ooooeerr ... that does sound squelchy !
My dry garden can cause an equal number of problems, especially in mid-summer !

Oh, how I wish it was mid-summer now .......