Christmas Notebook

The weather yesterday and today has been beautiful. Mild temperatures and a nice breeze. A couple of near perfect days.

The hydrangeas continue to look beautiful.

This smaller plant is a few years old. It grew from one of our older plants and we moved it around the corner. This year, it has quite a few blooms on it. You can bend a hydrangea stem to the ground, put a brick on it, and have a new plant at the end of the summer. Where it’s in contact with the ground, it will grow roots. In the fall, cut it from the mother plant and move it to another spot in the yard. We’re going to do this to make some new plants this year. Can’t have too many hydrangeas!

The daylilies are beginning to bloom. This is ‘Black Eyed Stella.’

Monday gave us ten FFOs (first flower out). Here are a few of the current blossoms.

‘Thumbprint’

‘Two Part Harmony’

‘Cosmopolitan’

Russian Sage is a great plant for the daylily beds. It adds texture, long bloom time, and an airy look that always draws attention.

The Asiatic lilies are beginning to bloom.

Pretty coreopsis with evening primrose in the background.

As the light fades, it’s nice to take a break and rest a bit in the swing. A gardener’s work is never done, but tomorrow is another day.

I hope you have a garden to enjoy.  If not, you will find some to visit at Jean’s Bloomin’ Tuesday.

~~Rhonda

Though the daylilies are beginning to bloom, the garden is a little sparse on color right now. The earliest daylilies, like ‘Black Eyed Susan,’ ‘Stella d’Oro,’ and ‘Bitsy,’ are blooming well. Others are just beginning to open, like ‘Priceless Pearl.’

While we wait on the daylilies, there are a lot of other things to see. We are really enjoying the hostas. This bed is under the Southern Red Oak in the back yard.

Hosta ‘Gold Standard’ with ‘Lemon Lime’ in the front…

This row of hostas is by the carport, near the back door.

This hosta bed is under the old mulberry tree in the backyard.

We have ‘June’ in two places in the yard. This one, under the mulberry tree, is in deep shade and the color is soft and dark.

‘Fried Bananas’ is a quick growing hosta and doesn’t mind some sun.

This bed near the front porch will look a bit neater once it is mulched. The hostas are (left to right) ‘Torchlight,’ ‘Royal Standard,’ and ‘Grand Tiara.’

We don’t know the name of this one, but it’s a pretty one.

‘Squash Casserole’…one of my favorites.

Under the redbud tree by the east porch.

‘Guacamole’

‘Liberty’

I have other hosta pictures, but I’ll save them for another day. Here’s a look at a few other garden gems. Aren’t the hydrangeas beautiful? I love these plants.

North of the fenced garden is Miscanthus ‘Morning Light.’ Very pretty in even the smallest breeze.

Fenced Garden

These red lilies bloom in several parts of the yard.

In a few weeks there will be a lot of color to share when the daylilies put on their show.

~~Rhonda