A New Year 2016

BY SKEETER

 It has been a long time since I last posted on this blog. A tragic turn of events for my family and I lost the desire to write about my beautiful GEORGIA GARDENS.

After recently walking my gardens, I have now found the desire to jump back into blogging for the New Year!

Life is full of surprises, some good some not so good. The same goes for life in nature in the form of our gardens. The above photo of my happy Fringe Bush is such a happy welcome being full of blooms for January. I am taking this to be a good sign for a wonderful year to come.

 We have been experiencing some strange weather with an early Fall that seemed more like winter and now a Winter which feels more like Spring or even Summer at times. Such one time, Christmas Day. We experienced a record high of 80 degrees! The Asparagus Fern remains happy with mild temps.  

 This Geranium is currently forming blooms! 

 Ruellia is not blooming but has yet to go dormant for the winter.

 Boston Ferns are still hanging around. The small plant to the left is one of 4 Camellia bushes we took down to the ground. They were taking space from the Japanese Maple trees and since they have priority, the camellias we taken down to the ground. But soon, they started to return. I shall keep them trimmed back and not allow them to grow so large again. Even after cutting them down last summer, they gave me some blooms this fall.

 Along with volunteer green Wandering Jew plant. I removed this plant some time ago but apparently left a few roots and now look at this sight. I have decided to allow it to go rampant in this planter since it seems to be happy.

 Vinca is blooming in January!

 Hyacinth are popping up from below the earth.

 Spring bloomers are opening up which are nice to see but gives me an uneasy feeling about their survival with cold temps on the way.

 Creeping Phlox is confused as myself.

 Elephant Ears which should be long gone are still giving new leaves!

 Iris is blooming.

 There are many buds ready to open.

 Swamp Jessamine vines are full of buds and blooms starting to open. 

 Honeysuckle never stopped blooming since last spring!

 Lily went dormant with the early Fall winter type weather. But it is popping up with Spring winter type weather.

 These are Bloom'N-again Azaleas but they have bloomed twice last year. Now they are giving more blooms. Are these late Fall blooms or early Spring blooms? So confusing.

 Daffodils are popping up all over the gardens. So far, no blooms but if the mild temps continue, I may see them before too long. 

 The one remaining Butterfly Bush (the others were lost to disease) has yet to loose any green foliage.

Canna went dormant but are returning way too soon!

The squirrels have scattered corn from the Deer Corn Bucket. And now we have corn popping up all over the woods! 

I worry about the garden and how all this crazy weather will affect its life. But as I have learned this past year, nothing is ever certain. I will
"Believe" and "Smile" as I "Love Life" and have "Faith" that all will work out. In other words, Life for me will go on. Cheers to A HAPPY NEW YEAR, In the Garden...

Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden

There's Hope for Spring

BY SKEETER

 Yes, I am still here and Yes, I plan to continue to Blog. I have just been backing away from the computer again.

 

I hope you all had a wonderful Holiday Season and have started your New Year off right. I also hope you are staying warm during this cold winter.

 

I am here to give you some hope for warm Spring Days to arrive!

 The Crocus here in my GEORGIA GARDENS have arrived! I am ever so happy to see them...

 Look what else is popping up from the ground! Daffy's and some weeds mingling with Blue Moon Phlox... 

Buds are forming on the Bridal Wreath Spirea Bushes...

And I even spotted this small bloom on one Spirea! 

Loropetalum or Fringe Bush is starting to show tiny blooms!

 And this bush is full of them! I can hardly wait to see this bush in full bloom...

 Forsythia is showing some blooms...

 With every warm day in winter, this bush always gives me a bloom or two.

 Honeysuckle is showing a bloom or two now and then as well. 

 Something else I spotted, Deer Poop! Some would say good fertilizer for the garden but not so in my case. Bad for my garden as the deer are starting to get into places they have ignored for the past 10 years of me planting on this land.

 They have never touched this ground cover which I have turned into a climbing vine. I do not recall the name of this plant but it started out in the bottom container of the Topsy Turvey Pots below. It jumped the container and started going wild so I trained it up the trellis of the swing frame. Notice how there are no leaves on the below vines? This would be the height of the deer. I have caught them in the act more then once this winter...

 Lily are popping up and deer are also eating it! Many acres of nearby land has been cleared and building is soon to start on what use to be some of the deer's land. Now it will be turned into a concrete jungle full of houses to support our ever growing county. They call that progress. I call that loosing our surrounding nature... 

 I spotted this hole in the middle of the Butterfly Bush garden! We suspect the Armadillo which was around for a few weeks to do this damage. Thank Goodness the Armed Bandit moved on to greener pastures... Where is my shovel?

That shovel would be in the shed with new roof. Took us almost a year to replace the Ice Damaged Roof to the shed. We had it covered for the past year with a heavy duty tarp which was brown. The tarp did such a wonderful job that we just ignored that project until a few weeks ago. We liked the brown color more so then the yellow-white of the building thus, the Saint, a neighbor and I installed a brown roof. I am thinking of painting the window trim brown to match. And maybe that bench in front of the trellis as well. 

It is still cold out there but as you can see by the Liriope's good shape, it has not been too bad for us here in the Deep South thus far. I am thinking of leaving the grass in place this year as it looks so healthy. I do believe it needs to be thinned a bit though. Time to dig out a bit and place elsewhere. Maybe a good clipping would show the spots to be thinned better. Hummmm...

I cannot believe the deer have not touched this Nandina Bush! They have nibbled the remainder of them. Maybe they took a vote and decided to keep me happy with the beautiful colors of this one! As you can see, THERE'S HOPE FOR SPRING, In the Garden...

Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden

More on Our Riverbanks Trip

Our tour in the Riverbanks Zoo and Gardens found in Columbia South Carolina continues in the garden. 

A major feature of the winter garden at Riverbanks included some striking potted plants. I think these plants were in the heuchera family but did not check for any labels so I can't be sure. I was too interested in the neat pedestals the pots were resting on. The pedestals were actually PVC pipes painted with a faux finish in an eye catching chartreuse color to match the plants. The idea was simple and easy and really looked nice. 

In another part of the partitioned garden lined with boxwood there was a huge stand of amsonia. I think I have never visited a public garden without seeing this wonderful perennial. Located behind the straw colored amsonia are some yellow blooms of mahonia. The mahonia was quite an eye catcher this December day in the garden at Riverbanks.

The color scheme of blue and yellow really showed nicely. Between the blue pots was a long stream that flowed gently downhill. Can you see the streams of water squirting up from the stream? The whole water feature was really the centerpoint of this garden.

Tucked into little niches along the brick walls were triangular gardens filled with all sorts of sedums. Skeeter; who has visited Riverbanks many times; told me the niches were a new feature. They were quite a neat and useful feature to make use of little used space alongside the brick walls.

I have no idea what these little seedpods were but thought I'd take the picture anyhow. The orange is a super nice color here.

This last picture is one of the pavilions in the garden. Inside were little balls planted with what looked to be grass. The balls resembled Christmas ornaments; which was of course perfect for my December visit to Riverbanks Zoo and Gardens....

in the garden....

Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden

A Winter Wonderland In the Garden...

From In the Garden

Backyard View From the Deck

From In the Garden

Front Foundation Garden on the Northern Edge of the Border Looking Toward the Northside Border

From In the Garden

An aster wearing its winter color in front of the mosaic.

From In the Garden

Front of Deck with its skirt of lathe and metal decorations. 

From In the Garden

Vegetable Garden with its yellow metal entry gate and cedar pyramid made from cedar on the property. Below the cedar pyramid are four blueberries. This is the focal point of the vegetable garden. 

From In the Garden

The new Non-Pool Garden with its wonderful walk through.

From In the Garden

The Wisteria Arbor in all its glory. 

I wasn't going to post today but thought I'd share a bit of my garden after the two inches of hard sugary powder snow we received yesterday. I was struck by the bones of the garden as much as the little foot prints of animals wondering by and the ice crystals glowing in the brilliant sun. The snow may have made a mess of the roads but my oh my, how the garden shines. I think I enjoy the garden so much more on days like this...

in the garden....

 

Words and Photos
Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden