Happy New Year! I am not a resolution maker, having long ago recognised how disappointing highlighting your own lack of willpower can be. Instead I prefer to think of the new year like a new journal, a place of clean, unspoiled possibilities.
Here in the new garden, I am looking forward to watching a whole year unfold, as well as making plans for refurbishing beds and borders. Today I spent a happy few hours shredding prunings, edging beds, again, and starting to cut back the faded stems of perennials that are starting to push out new growth. After the endless rain it was good to be out of doors and it was mild too.
When the day’s chores were ended I took a photographic walk around the garden and was rewarded by some new blossoms and a little sunshine as well. I am hoping to post a gallery at the start of each month, just to keep track, but also to celebrate the progress of the season.
Long past its flowering peak, this tall Miscanthus sinensis ‘Silberfeder’ looks lovely with the evening light shining on the seed heads.
The wet, mild weather has brought the orange flowered cultivar of witch hazel,Hammamelis x intermedia ‘Diane’, into full flower. The perfume is delicious.
Beside the back door, a garrya elliptica ,the silk tassel bush, is now in full tassel. I haven’t grown one of these before but I am a convert. I guess this specimen is several years old.
Close up of the tassels
There is a large clump of Corsican hellebores in the Long border. They are not my favourite plants but this first flower spotted today is a welcome sight.
Another reliable performer of the winter garden, Viburnum x bodnantense-’Dawn’.This is a lovely big established specimen
I was given three new David Austen roses for Christmas and will be spending my evenings deciding on planting companions for them. Have you acquired any new plants recently? Any garden plans on your horizons?
Your garrya elliptica is beautiful!
Bearing in mind our past winter garden visits, I bet you’re especially pleased to see that witch hazel in your new garden
I am! The perfume is everything I think a witch hazel should have. Happy New Year VP.
wonderful winter garden here Judith with some roses of summer in the pipeline. Be interested in the varieties.
have you thought about stinking hellebores for your new garden – they have warm nectaries for winter foraging insects
p.s. A fresh page, a new notebook – what is in store with pencils and paint I wonder
Happy New Year x
Hi Laura! I hadn’t considered Stinking hellebores but after your recommendation I may just have to look into the possibility of growing them. The roses are all David Austen: Woollerton Old Hall, The Crocus Rose and Munstead Wood, all chosen by my OH.
There will soon be updates on the Pencils and Paint blog, but until then, Happy New Year to you.