over here on the island we have not had the snow most of the rest of the UK has had, we have had some very cold winds coming from the east, we even had some days without the wind but is was still much too cold to venture out for a bit of gardening, however today things changed and the sun fought it’s way through the clouds briefly this morning and the wind was slight, so I decided to venture out with camera in hand.
I was very surprised with the amount of foliage still around after the heavy frost 2 weeks ago and the cold winds I expected most of it to be gone, the tweenie garden really surprised me, the amount of foliage on plants I don’t think are ever green, with the sunlight on it,
turning around the dogwoods in sunlight look quite colourful,
more foliage that is unexpected, this is the alder garden which I had intended to update in my end of month view posts last year but I never got much done here, too wet in winter then when it went dry it was the growing season and I couldn’t risk moving plants, 2 plants (by plant I mean type there are several of each) were put here until I could find them a home, 2 are self seeded and the grass and weeds around the alder trunk need to be removed!
another bed that is not how I planned it, the alder terrace, the tall hebe is the one the rabbit ate this time last year, it is coming on nicely and the very thorny branches I put around it for protection are still there though the hebe has grown out to cover them, the variegated hebe that should be growing to the left of this green one the rabbit ate and it didn’t survive,
so just over 2 weeks ago when I got some time in the garden I planted a small buddleia/butterfly bush there, I love buddleia and where I come from in the south east of England the common native buddleia grows wild every where. I do mean everywhere, they line the railways tracks, seed onto derelict buildings growing sometimes from the roof tops, when I saw some for sale in the shop in town last summer I could not resist, I re-potted it and kept it in the pot, it grew well with some long shoots so late summer I cut them off and put them in a mix of compost and sand 50/50 they have all taken, when I tipped this one from it’s pot it had a good root and though I only put it out a couple of weeks ago there are new shoots,
I was pleased when I saw Juniperus Squamata Blue carpet as after I planted it out some of the needles went brown, I included the large stone in the photo as it was dug out of the planting hole! it’s very heavy and quite large but being so flat I feel it could be useful,
this is my favourite winter foliage, decomposing leaves ……… these are the flowering currants,
a couple of grasses, this is red rooster, bought on a stall in town last summer, in summer it was red, now I still love it for it’s winter blond tresses, I’d like to be able to divide it and hope to have more,
Carex Frosted curls, I love this little grass which has produced a few seedlings this being one of them, this one is growing so much better than the rest I am going to move the others to this bed,
couldn’t resist another photo of the golden willow, I think I have enjoyed it more the last 2 winters as it is the only one left, it is growing on the east side of the house so is protected from the south westerly winds, I had a hedge of 6 in a row on the west side of the house at this time of year they were beautiful, in May 2011 just as they were starting to grow we had gale force winds which is unusual for May, the gale didn’t just damage my trees it damaged trees along the west coast of Scotland, I am going to coppice this one this spring and make a new hedge, I’m so glad I at least have one still,
I thought the best way to finish a January foliage post is with a photo of the new shoots already pushing through on the flowering currants, at their base is last years leaves providing a mulch and this years leaves are staring their journey,
as this is mostly foliage although I’m a few days late I’m linking to Christina’s foliage meme, so if you haven’t already and would like to see more foliage posts from around the world pop over to Christina’s blog,
I also managed to do some work in the garden, none of the plant moving I would like to do as it was a bit cold for that but preparation, an hour after I came in the rain started, the weather people had said strong winds and rain were heading our way, well they have arrived I can hear the wind outside, so glad I am in the warm, hope you are too,
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Hello Frances – I assume you are in the Outer Hebrides, but am not sure which island you are on. My Mum on Luing (Inner Hebrides) always complains the national weather people never talk about the weather in her part of the UK, and of course it is always very different from everywhere else (apparently somewhere in Ross and Cromarty was the warmest place in the UK this last week). It was certainly interesting to see all the foliage you have and I was assuming you were perhaps quite sheltered where you were until you mentioned losing trees in the gales. I must look out for ‘Frosted Curls’ – very pretty.
I’m on the isle of Lewis Cathy, it’s the most northern island and I am near the north of the island, I’m on the west side of the island facing the Atlantic, I planted a lot of trees when I first had the garden 10 years ago, some have grown some haven’t, there is a clump of lodge pole pines that were here when I came and the tweenie garden is between them so it is protected from the south westerlies but exposed to the east winds, that gale in May 2011 was very unusual before that May has always been a good month,
your Mum is much further south than I am, the inner hebrides can be fairly sheltered, depending ……. parts of Mull seem very sheltered but then Tyree and Coll are in a wind corridor! I realised shortly after I moved to the Hebrides that the weather people don’t think we are part of the UK, I sometimes call all the Scottish islands the forgotten isles though I have become aware that the Scilly isles the other end of the UK are just as forgotten, I find the shipping forecast best,
carex frosted curls is beautiful and quite hardy, though I do not get the really freezing weather some parts of the mainland get, Frances
Thanks for that Frances – it helps put things in perspective. As my Mum faces Mull she can be quite exposed to the gales too, but at least it doesn’t snow! Do tell me what your ‘tweenie’ garden is – inbetweenie, maybe?
Cathy the tweenie is as I said between the lodge pole pines, they are in a V shape the open end faces east,
just looked up Luing to see where it is and see it’s in the firth of Lorn, yes the wind can shoot along there but the Minch in my opinion is the worst, I used to live on Scalpay off the east coast of Harris and the wind there is worst than here (west side) even though it seems more exposed, that’s why Tyree and Coll are so windy as they are in the middle of the Minch, do you come from Luing or Hebrides or has you Mum moved up here like me, Frances
Thanks for the info on the islands Frances – I suppose I will always retain my early interest in geography! My parents had intended to move back to Scotland when they retired, but when it came to it they chose to join my aunt and Uncle who had moved to Luing in the 70s rather than make a decision on a location. Even though she has been there since 1988 it still narks Mum that people think she is English as she doesn’t have an accent, whereas my Dad, who was from Wick, did!
gosh Cathy I can well understand your Mum being narked, Frances
Frances, your garden looks like there is a lot of life in it. I see lots of greens and the lovely colours of the dogwood and willow. Looks like you are doing a good job of protecting your plants against wind and rabbits. The grasses too are really lovely in their dried state. I would imagine the larger one adds a little wind protection for smaller plants throughout the winter. (now I’m thinking about that idea for my own garden!)
thanks Marguerite, I was surprised by the amount of green, the carex frosted curls is a small grass only about 8 inches (20cm) but the red rooster is just over 2 foot (60cm) I would never have gone looking for it and only bought it as I saw it on this local stall at the tiny market they sometimes have in town, I had to look it up when I got home, isn’t it interesting how some of our best buys are just chance,
this grass is in the damp meadow where I have given up trying to garden with the local grasses there are some nice annual ones but the thugs take over in winter, I have edged 2 sides of the damp meadow with pampas grass, I had some seedlings given me a few years ago, I know a lot of people do not like pampas grass or only think of it as a specimen plant, when I was reading up on wind protection pampas grass was mentioned and it really stands up to the strongest winds with never a blemish, the birds love the seeds, I like from some angles seeing the damp meadow through the waving grass, it is also evergreen so gives all round interest, I have several other tall grasses within the damp meadow but they are very young plants, when they grow a bit more I’d like to do a post on grasses, grasses would look great in your garden and some make a lovely semi see through hedge, Frances
hey, nice to see sunlit pictures as here in the north of France we have had less than 24h of sunshine for the whole of Jan ! After two weeks of snow and ice, I was able to hear the rain tapping against my bedroom window ealier. The temperatures are rising but unfortunately, no sun to go with them ! Thanks for the throrough update !
the sun didn’t last long here Céline, though it was nice to have, today is wet and cloudy, I hope your snow is starting to melt as it is in Britain, Frances
gosh you have lots of lovely foliage especially at this time of year and your cornus are looking fab
thanks Helen, I was surprised to see so much myself, I wish your name was linked to your blog Helen so I could easily click over to visit you, Frances
Hi Francis, for what its worth Anglesey is also forgotten by the weather people, and we are not nearly as remote as Lewis! Beautiful willow, you will soon have more, I hope it establishes well. If I had a little more space I would grow willow too, and never want for plant supports or winter colour again!
thanks Janet, I have noticed the weather report rarely mention west Wales and mostly only incude South Wales, the inshore waters part of the shipping forecast would probably be best for you,
when I cut all the dead stuff off the dead and sickly willows I will have more plant supports, Frances
Frozen here so no foliage..how wonderful to see all yours…once the snow melts it is amazing to see the carex growing and other plants beginning to grow here. Your garden is looking lovely in winter. Love the dogwood.
thanks Donna, when I think of your area at this time of year I think of when I travelled through Canada in March 19 years ago and it was white, I know you are not quite so far north but I remember when I was back in Canada in June 1996 there was still snow in some of the central northern areas, keep warm and I hope your garden is safe under a blanket of snow, Frances
Lots of lovely colour and shape in your garden, and glad you escaped the snow. Ours has finally melted away to reveal the sleeping garden once more, perhaps I can get out there next weekend!
thanks Sara, hope your snow was not too bad and did not cause you difficulty, Frances