Monday, January 15, 2018

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day and Garden Tour for Foliage Follow Up - January 2018

This January Garden Bloggers Bloom Day hosted by Carol at May Dreams Garden  is rather berift if you count the number of blooms that I have to show.  My only winter bloom is 'Limey' Begonia. Black Truffles Begonia is just sending up a few buds and the Orchids are budded but not blooming. A little slow for this time of year.  
So instead of blooms I have decided to take you on a little snowy tour of the garden to show some foliage that is nice to have during winter. Pam at Digging hosts Foliage Follow Up  the day after GBBD so this will be right up her alley.
I started to go outside for all the pictures but when I put on my boots and started out through the garage thinking since we shoveled the drive I could get a good start there...you can see I was wrong.
Snow hasn't stopped coming down so my  boots weren't going to be tall enough to stay dry, so we will start here and then move into the  house and look out the windows. You can see off to the left the sweet little Japanese Pine Pinus parviflora.  
It has a nice shape and must be liking where it is planted because it has grown rather quick. 
I just love the way the snow collects on it. 
I was going to go around the house but the snow was too high but here you can see the cedar tree on the left  and the shorter Alberta Spruce are also good collectors of snow.
When I turn the other way toward the front door...
We have some boxwood right against the house and some Holly shrubs in front. The containers I filled with evergreens for Christmas/winter decoration don't look too shabby covered with snow either.
Here is we will go inside for the rest of the tour.
Looking out through the dining room window you can get another look at the Japanese Pine tree.  And no we won't be sitting on the bench out front any time soon. The birds have already stripped the berries from the Holly shrubs which are those empty branches sticking up in the foreground. You can see a dove taking off on the right of the photo and there are several house sparrows and juncos on the snow out by the deciduous shrubs
Out our bedroom window is where the labyrinth usually stands. It is covered in snow but you can see around the edges of the laybrinth  shrubs and on the left the queen of the front garden.
The Weeping Norway Spruce is the largest tree in the front garden. It doesn't get much recognition except from the birds who love nesting in her graceful arms.
Let us go to the back now. Through the patio doors is where all the action is on this wintery day.
My Dearly Beloved tries to keep ahead of the snow and fills the feeders when needed while Annie perpetually trolls for squirrels and rabbits. We won't be sitting out on the patio for a while. 
I do have a 'Curly Tops' Chamaecyparis pisifera in a pot. You can see it on the left of the above photo. You can't see how blue Curly Tops is unless you look close. Not as  blue as the pot of course but it is that icy blue that I like.
As we look out the kitchen door you can see the yard barn in the distance along with Leather leaf Viburnum and a bit closer a Gold Mop Cypress that has grown up in so much shade that it is only yellow tipped during spring.
While this shrub, Strawberry Vanilla Hydrangea,  below doesn't have foliage exactly but the left on flower heads collect snow cone tops and I think they are quite cheerful in the snow.
Another  nice shape in the garden is the Hinoki Cypress. It really stands out in the snow even though it isn't very tall. 
The rest of my collection of smaller shrubs are buried in snow. Such as the boxwood knot. This is how the snow cover began.
After the first snow it wasn't too bad. 
But as the this day progresses the smaller shrubs are doing their best by playing peek-a-boo through the snow. 
I hope I haven't stretched your patience with this indoor/outdoor  tour around. Have you any blooms to share or any strong foliage standing up to this winter? I would love to see them all. Stay warm and safe.



28 comments:

  1. You have some very nice conifers. The only evergreen in our garden is an old Japanese Yew. I keep thinking of removing it but then it seems we have to keep at least one evergreen plant for the winter.

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    1. I am sure your birdies would like for you to keep your evergreen. I have also seen butterflies take refuge in an evergreen.

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  2. I enjoyed your snowy views. We've had a lot of snow here as well and there is something beautiful about the landscape covered in a sea of white. Your evergreens look especially stunning. Happy Bloom Day!

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    1. I am glad you enjoyed the snow Lee. Not much else to show now.

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  3. I have snow flowers. That's all.

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    1. I think you are lucky to have snow flowers Denise. I have tried to establish them before and failed.

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  4. Fresh snow is always so beautiful, isn't it?

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    1. Oh yes. I love snow. It will keep everything toasty until this big arctic blast goes by.

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  5. I did some foliage posts for today and tomorrow and then it snowed. Trying to update them with pix through the windows just like you. Though it looks like you have more snow than we do. That is a great little Hinoki Cyprus. I have a few of them but two are more like blobs and the other like a Christmas tree. It is the quirky shape that makes them so neat and none of mine have that. Love that weeping spruce. I am a sucker for weeping trees.

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    1. I will look forward to your posts Linda. I am stuck inside hence the posts as they are and more than usual. I can't tolerate the cold like I used to. Or did I ever?? tee hee... I too like the contorted, weeping and otherwise interesting plants in the garden I wish I had planted more way back so they would be mature and very interesting now. At least the sun is out today.

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  6. Gosh that is a lot of snow Lisa,
    Please do not send it this way, I am not a lover of the white stuff :))
    In saying that, your garden looks so pretty.

    DB is such a good man. Filling feeders to help the birds survive these harsh conditions.

    I loved the stroll around your garden, it made mine seem very green.

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    1. Yes, we are living in a white world right now. It will last until this weekend when we are supposed to get some rain to wash away the snow. I don't mind the snow especially when it is -5 F (-20.6C) like it is this morning. It helps the plants survive. Luckily it doesn't get this cold too often. However this winter has been the exception with record cold spells.

      I love weeping varieties of trees too. If I had known this early when I was establishing my garden I would have planted more.

      Stay warm...

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  7. Oh I forgot I love the weeping spruce. I have a passion for them.

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  8. I think the garden looks so pretty covered in snow, and you have some great shrubs to show off the snow. I haven't even ventured outside to take photos since the latest snow fell, other than to refill the bird feeders. I love the hydrangea blooms with a dollop of snow!

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    1. I don't blame you for not getting out Rose. The temps are brutal and then the snow makes it somewhat bad footing. I don't mind this time actually, it is the mud season that will be great this year due to the snow and rain to come.

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  9. It's amazing how a layer of snow transforms the landscape. It's beautiful, but I'm sure those who have to deal with it on a daily basis get more than a bit tired of it. Maybe some of our garden insect pests are struggling with it, too. Now there's a happy thought!

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    1. Dorothy, that is one of the best thoughts yet about all this snow and cold.

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  10. You make winter look good ;)
    I love that pine. Wish I had a spot for it here, but I always have so much trouble fitting in trees and shrubs.

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    1. Oh the little Japanese Pine would fit in your garden. It doesn't get very wide or tall.

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  11. You have a nice blanket of snow--more than we have over here in the Madison area. Snow does cheer up the landscape, doesn't it? :)

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  12. Winter is when evergreens really pull their weight. You must be grateful for all of yours at this time of year, and they look especially pretty with their snowy blankets.

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    1. Blankets indeed. That is one of the reasons why I like snow. It protects our garden from the minus temps.

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  13. Lisa girl, thank you so much for stopping by .. I feel very much out of the loop right now but I am trying bit by bit to climb back on that proverbial horse ? LOL
    Your winter garden is so pretty ! .. I have to admit the snow hasn't driven me crazy yet (I think it is so pretty on evergreens) .. but I am sure when we get into February it will get on my nerves? haha ...
    I wasn't sure how much of what I say about what is going on in your country I should comment about, but it really has amazed me.
    I'm sorry it has given you such a headache, but we can hope Mueller will be the champion of the day and knock "it" off his throne ? LOL
    Hang in there girl .... we all know Spring has to come eventually!
    Take care
    Joy in the Frozen North !

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  14. Wonderful wintry shots of your garden ~

    Happy Week to you,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  15. Yikes! Now that's snow! It's pretty but I can see that it's hard to take a casual stroll in the garden. Best wishes for warmer weather and a gentle melt.

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  16. I really enjoy seeing your snow photos! It's been a long time since I've seen that much snow at one time.

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  17. Great winter images from your garden, Lisa. Its great to see the bare structure and I'm loving that you have lots of young looking trees around too. I'm guessing your snow has gone now. I've no idea if anything was blooming here - I wasn't at home to look then. our snow has gone for now so I should get out one dry day with a camera to record what's going on :-)

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