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December 15 - just a little colour in the garden

21 comments


I wandered around the garden earlier today, camera in hand, just in case there was anything worth photographing and was more than a little surprised to see some plants still blooming.

The Gazanias were sown from a pack of seed way back in the Spring and refuse to stop sending out flowers …

This Penstemon, ‘Pensham Czar’, shorter and stockier than most that I have, also keeps on blooming. I have taken a few cuttings of it, fingers crossed they thrive …

Our resident Blackbird loves feasting on these Cotoneaster berries …

I was going to cut Salvia ‘Hot Lips’ back by half but changed my mind as there are still flowers showing …

A low growing Hebe ‘Silver Anniversary’ was moved to this border a couple of months ago, seems happy now. It grew too close to a path and I was stepping on it, never a good idea!

This purple flowered Hebe always blooms throughout Winter …

These two shrubs, both ten years old now, probably need pruning or re-siting but that’s a job for another season! In front of a Hebe pinguifolia ‘Sutherlandii’ is a Pieris jap. ‘Carnaval’,now in the Autumnal shades I really like. Not sure if it should look like this now – please see last photo.

Finally, foliage of Daffodils already up. A sign of the mild weather of late?

There are also a few Crocus popping through the soil, the Grapevine has been pruned, a job usually done just after Christmas but looked ready to be cut back a couple of days ago.

I hope we will be able to enjoy some festivities this Christmas, despite things not looking too good at the moment though.

Keep safe and well!

Edited blog to show the Pieris japonica ‘Carnaval’ in front of the Hebe in penultimate photo . . . NOT a Choisya!!

More blog posts by shirley_tulip

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Comments

 

A bright and cheerful blog,thank you,Shirley...we all need to be cheered up.....Hebes are so giving aren't they?....Have a healthy safe Christmas. X

15 Dec, 2021

 

Amazing colour Shirley … I love the pink Choisya!

15 Dec, 2021

 

It's lovely to see some colour in the garden in December! When I was a boy everything was frosted even before Bonfire Night! Now the frosts seem to come later every year & the spring earlier! Most years even the winters no longer seem like the winters of yore!

I love that Hebe ‘Silver Anniversary’! It looks so good with the different colours!

At present I still have variegated Geraniums flowering in hanging baskets on the balcony & even a few of the Calibrachoas have some flowers! Other than those in hanging baskets I have Violas flowering in pots on the balcony railings. They don't look much at the moment but that should change. I had to cut them back when I planted them up because they were pretty elongated & would have looked even worse that now.

15 Dec, 2021

 

Lots of lovely, late colour, Shirley! My “one " hebe is still in full bloom too. Thanks for sharing.

15 Dec, 2021

 

it is always uplifting when flowers are out and foliage is looking spruced up what ever the time of year. Your garden is looking wonderful.

15 Dec, 2021

 

So many things still flowering Shirley, that's great for December.. I do love the Choisya, I would love this one in my garden!

15 Dec, 2021

 

Thank you all so much for your lovely comments. Now to confess - I typed Choisya when it should have been Pieris!

I now wonder if this plant has faded so much because it is poorly, help!!!

15 Dec, 2021

 

So much colour still. I love the purple Hebe & fancy the Gazania still flowering, they usually need warmth & bright sunshine. I'm I'm not sure there is much wrong with your Pieris. It can't stay really bright forever, can it? I have not cut my Salvia Pink lips down either. It's not really flowering but the growth is still healthy & green so I am leaving it for now. Ty, for sharing your garden with us. Have a nice Christmas, not long now.

15 Dec, 2021

 

You still have a lot of colour there Shirley and I love the Hebe Silver Anniversary!
I didn't think there was a picture of a choisya there! lol
I wonder if winter is now going to be later now as my garden still has plants flowering in it like yours.

16 Dec, 2021

 

It is so mild at the moment and the flowers in your garden are really enjoying it. The birds are singing as if it is spring!
To see the shoots of the bulbs is a real joy though and gives hope for the future.
I also love your hebes.

16 Dec, 2021

 

I think the Pieris has enjoyed the warm Autumn we had. It has a lot of new colour Shirley, just lovely...

17 Dec, 2021

 

Nice to see some colour in mid winter Shirley :)

17 Dec, 2021

 

Thank you all so much for looking in - we have just discovered that our son and young grandaughter have both had positive PCR test results - he is poorly but she is bouncing around (at 9 yrs. old she would!!) saying she's Positive as if it's a good thing!

Our Boxing Day meal with them at our house is now postponed until who knows when . . . :o((

Stay safe everyone . . .

18 Dec, 2021

 

Oh dear, that’s such a shame for you and your family Shirley. Hope you’ll be able to plan for a New Year meal instead.

18 Dec, 2021

 

Thanks Sheila, the way things are going, it could well be Easter before we have that meal! One of our daughter's friends called round earlier today to collect the present I had for her six year old - just horrible to have to keep a distance from the doorstep to them - I missed my hugs from them . . . :o(

18 Dec, 2021

 

Of course you do Shirley … we are all missing those hugs so much.

18 Dec, 2021

 

Uplifting to see colour in the garden.

18 Dec, 2021

 

Linda, it certainly is. We have a sea mist rolling in now - shame after a good sunny start to the day!

19 Dec, 2021

 

Shirley, I was sad to read about your family having covid!
We found out yesterday that our son has it and they were coming over from Leicester to spend Boxing day with us!
The same day, my daughter rang up and she and my grandaughter who is 17 both have it!
Apparently the people they caught it off had been fully vaccinated too! This is very worrying!

20 Dec, 2021

 

Rose, it's a pretty strong variant, the Omicron, even some of those who are triple jabbed seem to succumb. Not only do I feel sorry for them, but also for the NHS staff who are working in the hospitals . . . so worrying for them all!

20 Dec, 2021

 

Thanks Shirley! All my family are recovering well from it now !
We were just lucky that my daughter hadn't been able to visit for a few weeks as we may have got it!

24 Dec, 2021

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