The Year in Pictures - 2012

A friend at the feeder.

The Fish Pond

Katherine in the sunshine

A Lot of Help from Friends and Family

The Sunny Border

The Patio

The Left Handed Mitten Garden

The Sunny Border

The Big Chicken Garden

The Fish Pond

The Back Border

Reflections

The Dog Nose

Do you have a dog in your garden? Many of us could not garden without a dog or two but others find dogs just a nuisance. They get in the way, trample plants, knock over planters, play in the mud and generally can make pests of themselves. They also supervise most garden tasks, take walks with you, pose, watch the baby and, on occasion find lost items. There are two dogs here at Ledge & Gardens, Tucker at 14 is getting stiff and sedentary but he still resides over the garden with a dignity he has refined over the years. Tucker is never one to push himself into your lap. He likes attention but doesn't crave it. Not so with Cooper. Cooper is two and he is a bundle of energy. If there is something to get into, Cooper will find it. He has a great nose for any kind of scat and always wants to share.
This morning he found a frozen pile of something. Fearing the worst, I gave him a call and he trotted over to show me what he had found in the frozen leaves. Ahhhh, I knew that glove was among the missing. I can't imagine gardening without these two. I am appreciating Tucker every day. At 14 his days are numbered but then all of ours are numbered as well. Dogs just do not live long enough. If we only lived 15 years on average do you think we would appreciate life more? Do you garden with a dog? What does your dog add to your gardening adventures?  

Merry Christmas 2012

Merry Christmas. May you reflect the beauty and peace you wish to see.

Winter Arrives!

Winter arrived at 6:12 a.m. here in New England according to this web site. No one seems to have told Mother Nature but perhaps that is because it is the earliest arrival of winter since 1896. It is pouring rain here at Ledge and Gardens in Rhode Island. The grass is green. The plants are dormant with the exception of the hellebores which are showing fresh green flowers. This is normal for this hellebore, Helleborus foetidus. The flowers are impervious to rain, sleet and snow. They slough it off and sit tight waiting for the longer days of spring. Both the garden and gardener are feeling the effects of low light levels. There are always garden chores to be done but the short days pass quickly with much left undone. I refuse to worry, there is always next year...or is there?  What chores are left undone in your garden this late in December?    

Wordless Wednesday - December 19, 2012

Bloom Day - December 15, 2012

Billbergia nutans

There are a few blooms in the indoor garden this December Bloom Day. The most unusual and noteworthy is the bloom of the Billbergia nutans or Queen's Tears. These blooms are lime green, pink, yellow and black light blue. They are just coming out. Really, nature does some magical color combinations doesn't she? This bromiliad is very easy to grow and thrives on neglect. Who wouldn't love these flowers? In addition to Queen's Tears, the begonias are blooming along with the abutilon, a pink poinsettia and an African violet in a terrarium.
Pretty standard blooms with the exception of The Queen. Outside, the frost is blooming. Frost on the ground, the grass, the seedheads and the heuchera leaves. Upon close examination I found a frost flower. Gail of Clay and Limestone fame posted about her large frost flowers on the Verbesina virginica here. I have been lusting after them since but this morning I did spy these tiny yet perfect frost flowers on the blue plumbago, Ceratostigma plumbaginoides. I would have missed them if Gail hadn't posted so recently about frost flowers. Thank you Gail. I am not sure how Bloom Day arrived so quickly after the last but thanks to Carol of May Dreams for hosting yet another BD.   

Reflections

There is beauty in the bare scaffold of a leafless tree. Sometimes, it is more beautiful when you take the time to see it from a different perspective.

After the Snow

December's weather has turned noticeably milder since that walk in the snow. Green has emerged from under its depths. The snow is a thing of the past. The moss is glowing and the grass is still green. Well, the lawn grass is still green. The ornamental grasses have browned and the leaves of the Hydrangea macrophyllas are sagging like wet rags.
The oak leaf hydrangea is retaining its leathery leaves and they are still looking quite fresh. The days are almost at their shortest. There are chores left undone but perhaps this week there will be time. Time to tuck in a few stray bulbs, cut back some annuals which filled out the perennial border and time to enjoy the little treasures nature provides during the dormant season. What ornaments are you finding in your garden this time of year?