FROSTY FEBRUARY

"Every gardener knows that under the cloak of winter lies a miracle ... a seed waiting to sprout, a bulb opening to the light, a bud straining to unfurl. And the anticipation nurtures our dream."- Barbara Winkler

This February was an unusually cold one here in central North Carolina, with many night-time lows below freezing.

Nevertheless, life goes on in the garden.  Even though I'm missing the cheerful blooms of my 'peggy clarke ' prunus mume  ( flowering Japanese apricot ) due to a severe pruning, I am enjoying the fragrance of the Chinese paperbush  ( Edgeworthia ) and it's beautiful yellow blooms, which are very long-lasting.

We had a very light dusting of snow with no major accumulations.  Below is a view of my back garden in its white dress.

Since I couldn't  garden I spent most of my time in my studio painting.  It took me two months to finish this very large painting titled ' Summer Afternoon .'

Absence the sight of beautiful flowers in bloom I am happy with the many shades of green in my garden-Chindo Viburnum, 'Little Gem ' magnolia, Japanese cypress,  'Summer gold ' Privet, Hellebores, Lorepetalum, Sedges, and  holly and camellias, to name a few.

Getting ready to welcome Spring.  Already planning to add more Spring bulbs this Fall-purple alliums to go with my yellow daffodils.

JANUARY AND NEW BEGINNINGS

"Nature has undoubtedly mastered the art of winter gardening and even the most experienced gardener can learn from the unrestrained beauty around them."- Vincent A. Simeone

We did indeed learn from the  " unrestrained beauty " in the garden this first month of the year.  For 3 weekends in a row we had below freezing temperatures and a dusting of snow.  

Usually I'm cheered by the winter blooms of my Prunus mume 'peggy clarke ' but alas it had to be severely pruned due to a fungus and will take time to recoop.

I am going to search for some more Prunus mume in the local garden centers in case my current ones don't survive.   I would even love to plant one in the front garden so that I can see it from my window.

This winter's freeze also delayed the blooming of the Hellebores, another flower I love that blooms in the winter.  The buds emerged but growth stopped when the temperatures plunged to the low 20's several nights in a row.  I'm hopeful they will survive to bloom in February.  Below is my favorite -a light lime color that shows up very well in its forest setting.

I've also been enjoying another winter bloomer -Edgeworthia ( Chinese paperbush )  and its incredible fragrance.

Meanwhile I'm spending winter planning for Spring.  I want to add a witch hazel and more dogwood and viburnums this Spring.

Each day now brings earlier sun rise and later sunset, a sure sign of Spring !  My chickens , after a brief rest, are beginning to lay again.

DECEMBER HANGS ON TO SUMMER

"How like a winter hath my absence been From thee, the pleasure of the fleeting year!
What freezings have I felt, what dark days seen!
What old December’s bareness every where!
And yet this time remov’d was summer’s time;
The teeming autumn, big with rich increase,
Bearing the wanton burden of the prime,
Like widow’d wombs after their lords’ decease:
Yet this abundant issue seem’d to me
But hope of orphans and unfather’d fruit;
For summer and his pleasures wait on thee,
And, thou away, the very birds are mute:
Or, if they sing, ’tis with so dull a cheer,
That leaves look pale, dreading the winter’s near."
- William Shakespeare

December was the third warmest on record.  Many days of 60's and 70's and the garden was yet untouched by a hard freeze.

The Edgeworthia  ( Chinese Paper Bush ) put forth its fragrant blossoms.  The dianthus, autumn sage, silver and gold Japanese Mum and some Korean mums still has blooms.  

Alas, my long-awaited Prunus mume 'peggy clark ' ( ornamental Japanese apricot ) will not bloom this Winter due to the black knot fungus that attacked it this Spring.  It is struggling to put forth new branches after I severely pruned it to get rid of the disease.  I'm hoping it'll make a full recovery over the coming Summer.

In the deep of December I am happy to see the Christmas Rose burst forth in bloom.  The lime green and whites are my favorite .

 Farewell to this last month of the year in the garden.  I'm looking forward to the new year.

NOVEMBER IS NOT THE END OF GARDENING

"Most people, early in November, take last looks at their gardens, are are then prepared to ignore them until the spring. 

I am quite sure that a garden doesn't like to be ignored like this.  It doesn't like to be covered in dust sheets, as though

it were an old room which you had shut up during the winter.  Especially since a garden knows how gay and delightful

it can be, even in the very frozen heart of the winter, if you only give it a chance."

-   Beverley Nichols 

I used to dread the month of November when I lived and gardened in Chicago as it was without doubt the end of the gardening season. I'm so delighted that here in Chapel Hill we can garden year round.  

As we Southerners are always " aiming and fixing to " I've finally achieved something in bloom all season .  

            Early December and the 'silver and gold' Japanese mum displays her cheery yellow button flowers and does the 'sunshine ' privet shrubs behind the bird bath.

I'm a big fan of viburnums and dogwoods and both are gracing the garden with their brilliant Fall leaves.  Below is 'Korean spice ' ( the most fragrant of all ), 'arrowood ' viburnum and Kousa dogwood.

Even the 'sheffield pink ' mum has colorful foliage. The weather forecast calls for a warmer than normal winter and the month of December predictions shows temperatures at around 50 daytime highs.  This means that my newly planted shrubs will be busy setting their roots.  

Found an unusual shrub on my visit to Big Bloomers Flower Farm, an hour- long trip away.  'Serendipity ' Magnolia, from Raulston Arboretum,  has a very relaxed structure and is filled with fragrant blossoms.  It's also dwarf, at around 8-10 feet tall. You would never guess it was a magnolia if you just happened upon it.  Can't wait to see it in full bloom.

Also blooming in the November garden are the Camellia 'sasanqua ' to be soon followed by 'japonica'. All of my six camellias are white with yellow centers and pink edges.  If I had to name a favorite it would be 'hana jimani ', below .

Since November has been so warm I've put off planting more Spring-flowering bulbs.  I'll probably have to order them online as it seems most garden centers have replaced them with Christmas stuff.

Looking forward to the last month of this year.  The garden is full of red-berried hollies and nandina and I clip them for the Christmas holiday arrangements.  

OCTOBER -THE SWEETEST MONTH IN THE SWEET GARDEN

"October inherits summer's hand-me-downs: the last of the ironweed, its purple silken tatters turning brown, and the tiny starry white asters tumbling untidily on the ground like children rolling with laughter; stiff, drying black-eyed Susans whose dark eyes gleamed from July's roadsides; coneflowers with deep yellow petals surrounding brown pincushion centers from which bumblebees still are sipping honey.  The assignment of yellow is taken up now by thin-leafed wild sunflowers and artichokes."

-   Rachel Peden 

  My garden in early October -'autumn joy ' sedum, purple heart, 'profusion ' zinnia and 'bolero' mums in bloom.

October is one of my favorite months.  The heat of summer has eased and it's time to take a critical look at what needs to be divided and transplanted.

I invited the Carrboro Garden Club to my garden in mid-October.  In the midst of the meeting and tour rain suddenly drenched us !  We quickly took cover under the roofed deck area until it stopped.   Many of our members were surprised to see so many flowers still in bloom.  Pollinators swarmed around the autumn sage, mums, asters , zinnias and lantana .   They also found it amazing that my super tall banana tree had bananas !  Below is the bud forming .

I divided and transplanted the purple heart, autumn joy sedum, black eyed Susan's and  Japanese roof iris.   After the mums finish blooming I'll also divide them as they have spread quite a bit.

I got some passalong anemones and planted them in the roadside garden.  Also some swamp milkweed for the monarchs.

Days are getting shorter and nights have grown colder.  Soon it'll be time to put the garden to bed.  Weather forecasts for this winter predict a milder than normal one.  Hope they're right !

I'm planning to put in a lot of daffodils and alliums this Fall when the weather gets colder, probably late November.

Meanwhile I'm enjoying the beautiful blooms of my 'hana jiman ' camellia .

                                                  

SEPTEMBER HANGS ON TO SUMMER

"Happily we bask in this warm September sun,

Which illuminates all creatures..."

- Henry David Thoreau

SO many things going on in the garden this last month of Summer. I've been busy dividing and transplanting overgrown perennials and adding new ones .  I planted my first anemone which I had never considered before because they grow so tall -3 -4 '.  BUT I found one that only gets to 2 - ' red robin hood '. 

 

I was also surprised, for the second time. by my extra-tall ( 12-15 ') banana palm that produced a big, fat flower bud .

I love coreopsis and found an unusual red blooming one that I had to have.  ' Red Elf ' will be a good contrast to the common yellow coreopsis .

 My 'ham and eggs ' lantana and annual profusion zinnia has attracted quite a few monarch butterflies this month, not to mention the many hummers that visit these pollinators.

Late September brings the  welcome and cheerful blooms of my 'bolero ' mums which I will need to divide after they cease blooming.

Mornings have grown cool as the days grow short and I use them to do gardening chores before the heat of the day arrives.

I also planted my third rhododendron  ( hoping that the third time is charm ! ) - of the catawbiense variety that suppose to be tough.  In addition I'm on my third variety of gardenia after losing most of them due to yellowing of the leaves.  I've tried everything to prevent it but to no avail.

Looking forward to October and Fall.

AUGUST MUSINGS

 When summer opens, I see how fast it matures, and fear it will be short; but after the heats of July and August, I am reconciled, like one who has had his swing, to the cool of autumn."

-  Ralph Waldo Emerson 

August in North Carolina is the last true month of summer with average temperatures in the high 80's and 90's.  The one respite is its frequent rains that bring some cooler days in between and much needed moisture in the garden.

My boulder garden this August has flourished with the abundant rainfall.  The hummingbirds and bees visit the flowers of autumn sage , lantana, phlox, catsmint and coneflowers.

This month marks the first year since my beloved garden companion Duke passed away.   While he can never be replaced in my heart and mind I brought home a new puppy which I named Odie. He is a sweet, smart and affectionate Schnoodle that follows me about the garden, investigating the many wonders of nature .

As August wanes, I, too am reconciled to the cool of Autumn as September leads the way .