Winter in the Garden

Our garden is so pretty in the winter...the fencing, bushes, benches, outbuildings and other structures provide a place for snow and ice to gather. This gives such wonderful eye appeal to what one may think would be a boring spot in the cold winter months....but....winter and snow offers spectacular gifts for all our senses!


Above is a little double birdhouse topped with a blanket of snow on our antique wrought iron fence.
Another view of the snow covered fence flanked by small boxwoods at the entrance...two blueberry bushes add more eye appeal.

The snow settles in the nooks and crannies of this lattice privacy fence.

The snow covered raised garden beds offer an interesting look....


The antique cast iron bench flanked by the old cement urns look beautiful covered in snow...the urns are filled with two small boxwoods...

The lilac bush in the corner of the garden is minus flower and foliage but is still has beautiful structure...

A nice wide view of the upper garden...this raised bed garden was created with a formal parterre look...it is planted with some formality but it does have a bit of a cottage look in the summer and it also offer us a potager garden as we plant vegetables and herbs to provide a quick trip out of the kitchen for fresh ingredients needed for lunch or supper!!!!!

These eastern white pines look so majestic and the snow only adds more beauty to these towering evergreens...

A pretty look at the other end of the garden...the greenhouse looks great in the snow...

The fountain is covered in the winter actually provides nice form in the winter garden...the stone wall and lattice panels are gorgeous...

I love the roof of the gazebo when it is snow covered...

This snow capped garden man has a stoic look...his profile is very stern looking...

Looking up the snow covered stairs to the deck...

The buds of this rhododendron look ready to pop...these buds are formed in the autumn and must endue whatever winter has to deliver...i always find it interesting how most plant stock had down turned leaves in cold weather, almost as they are protecting the stem of the plant where the bud meets the stem...I have noticed this in annuals as well as perennials and it is clear to see on this rhody...

Looking down the steps from the deck after I removed the snow...much easier to navigate now!

Winter in the garden is a gift for the eye...take a moment to take in a winter landscape, you will be pleasantly surprised for sure!

Elizabeth

Little Indoor Winter Garden

Well the paperwhites did their thing and this morning I had to change my little space I like to have adorned with a few things green and colorful...as the paperwhites are forced in water the bulbs cannot be salvaged. The bulbs are affordable so it really poses not problem for a nice display during the holidays...about the cost of a bouquet but with a much longer life...nice treat. So I moved a few things around and added an ivy and a couple of new African violets....this little spots just makes me smile....

The wintergreen is placed directly in the sun as it does well there. I like to "sprinkle" a few vintage items amongst the flower pots...little birds, turtles, a couple of my old hyacinth vases (we have a huge collection of these) and even an old lightning rod spike....

I have old pieces of coral in the copper plant stand with another violet as well....an eclectic mix that works for me!!!!!
Add a little bit of greenery to your indoor space...it will make you smile for sure!!!!!

Elizabeth

Santa Arrives TWICE as Brothers In Law Fit the Bill

Now that the little ones in our family believe in Santa the real fun begins! My brother in law Layne (Whitney's husband) played Santa for our niece's pre school class. Layne was invited to hand out gifts at the Wood River Pre School and he graciously accepted the task.Here is Layne assisted by my husband getting dressed...this was a wonderful suit and very realistic...

On with the big fluffy very curly beard....
White gloves complete the outfit....

Doesn't Layne have the best Santa "eyes"!!!!!

Santa in all his finest...fur topped boots, gloves, big black belt and a crop of curly white hair topped with a red hat finished off with a big white pompom!!!!! My husband delivered "Santa" to the school via a Chrysler Town and Country mini van....

Santa arrives...ringing bells
Posing next to the school's Christmas tree....

Everyone is waiting and anxious for their surprise "special guest"....

Santa is seated in a rocking chair and ready to talk to all the kids and hand out a gift....

The first little girl climbs up onto Santa's lap ready to spend sometime and let Santa know what she wants for Christmas...

This is our niece Emily preparing to get on her Uncle Layne's lap...she never knew it was him...ohh the magic of Santa!!!!!

Our niece Natalie was reluctant to visit with Santa, so she watched from afar coloring on her Mom's lap....

CHRISTMAS DAY

Because we still has the Santa suit, my brother in law Mark dressed as Santa and secretly went to the front door and rang the bell....the kids went crazy when Santa came into the house...

Before taking time with the kids, Mark as Santa took a moment to kiss his Mrs. Claus (my sister Catherine) under the mistletoe....

Here is my nephew Herbie holding his niece Natalie who was still a bit apprehensive on getting too close to Santa...

This is our nephew Randy sitting on Santa's lap....no one is ever too old for St. Nick....

The newest member of the family, Olivia meets Santa...she is such a happy baby....she sat on Santa's (Uncle Mark) lap and laughed and waved her arms in glee....

Herbie and his kids...Randy, Emily and Olivia after their visit with Santa...


We had a wonderful Christmas with family and friends....hope yours was as delightful as well...those most important to us gathered together and touched our lives....we are very fortunate to have been surrounded by family....the dinner "tables" were surrounded with parents, sisters, brothers, brothers and sisters in law, nieces and nephews all gathered together to share a meal and good time with us...how very blessed my husband and I are that they would take time out of their busy day to spend it with us...sometimes I wonder what have I done so good that they would travel so far and give of their time to share it with us...those most precious to us were around that table...life truly does not getter than that!!!!!

Elizabeth

Paperwhites for Christmas

Paperwhites are such an easy pleasure to grow for Christmas and all through the winter for a nice touch to any indoor winter garden....just pop the bulbs into soil or water and they will produce a gorgeous display with little effort. I plant them in water on top of glass "stones" in various containers. I love to put about 12 in this antique pressed glass fishbowl. This year I water them with a 10:1 ratio of water to whiskey or rum to stunt their growth. Paperwhites tend to stretch and need stalking after a bit....using this ratio did indeed keep the stretching at bay and prevented the toppling over that happens once the plants mature.Paperwhites in our front window facing the pond....this window is also ideal for African violets...the violets continuously bloom in this light exposure.

This antique fishbowl makes the perfect container for paperwhites...

This is a wonderful wintergreen bush...this low grower will be planted on the island once spring rolls in...till then it will grace my little indoor winter garden....

Just a few plants in a window graced with easy to grow paperwhites is a delight to look at everyday...give them a try sometime...they are truly a gift...

Elizabeth

Winter is Here in All Her Glory

Our world changes after a snowfall to an absolute gift for the eye...it becomes a blend of hues of white, black, gray and green...dispersed with silver and ice crystals...
This is the cove looking to the island

Shrubs laden with a thick layer of snow...looks like an over frosted cake

Through the thicket you can see the roof of our day cabin on the island....

Husband hard at work clearing over 12 inches of snow...

Can shrubbery look any better than this?


Stillness....

A look at the garden after snow...


An antique cement urn topped with snow...

The weight of the snow on this white pine tree has created an arbor over the path to my garden room and shed...

The snow on this reed covered fence has created a delightful pattern...

A look across the garden to the storage shed...the snow has created a gorgeous look on the garden wrought iron fencing and the wood fencing next to the shed.

A couple of blueberry bushes covered in snow....


Winter is here and the gift of snow has a beautiful dimension to our world....

Elizabeth

So Much for My Pumpkins

I wanted to grow some pumpkins and squash to place about our garden in the fall. The plants produced some nice fruit but the foliage and vines were enormous. It had been years since I grew these plants and I had totally forgotten the space they required. This garden I grew them in is simply not "equipped" to handle these varieties. One needs a large bed devoted to just this vine crop....I won't be doing it again anytime soon unless we dig up a bed just for pumpkins. I was able to place sugar pumpkins about with squash and some gourds to add an autumnal look to our garden. As cold weather came the pumpkins frosted over...one morning we looked out and saw "holes" in the pumpkins...we initially thought the fruit rotted but as the day went on we saw the real culprit of the "holes"....

Home grown pumpkins and squash decorating an antique cast iron bench and old cement planters that flank each side of the settee...

Ahhh haaaa...a bushy tailed squirrel discovered a tasty treat...our pumpkins!

Boy o'boy this guy sure knew how to attack and conquer...he made a hole and found the plump and tasty pumpkin seeds.

Apparently the stringy insides were not to his liking as evidenced by the pile of "orange" in front of the planter....

Oh well...I got to grow the pumpkins and use them for adding color to the garden...and "ole bushy tail" finished them off....the circle is complete - I put the seeds in and he took the seeds out...the beauty of gardening!!!!!

Elizabeth