This week’s Six on Saturday in my garden — for the week of January 12, 2019 — is all about Winter interest, whether by intention or accident. Six photos sharing what things look like at the moment. Enjoy!
Today is my first time participating in a wonderful weekly garden series started by The Propagator, a garden blogger based in England.
What is Six on Saturday?
The premise is to share six current photos from your garden, with short text to describe each. The goal is nothing more than to enjoy seeing everyone’s gardens up close, no matter where in the world you are located.
I love this idea, and am already enjoying watching the gardens from our friends across the pond, because their garden climate seems a bit further along than mine here on the coast of southern New Jersey in the USA.
To follow along with all of today’s Six on Saturday gardener posts, visit The Propagator here. You’ll see his six chosen photos, then in the comments you’ll see many other bloggers — me included — sharing our own links to our chosen photos for the week.
Let’s begin!
Six on Saturday for Winter Interest
I’m all about Winter interest in the garden. I’m obsessed with it, in fact. I may or may not say those two words so often that my husband pokes fun. I can’t help it, so today’s photos give me an outlet to share what’s interesting in our Winter garden!
Dried Hydrangea blossom in Winter Heath
This photo is the perfect example of looking closely at your garden in the cold of January, you just might find a pretty surprise, like this dried Hyrangea blossom perched in the just-starting-to-bloom Heath.
As a side note: I hope my English friends will jump in and help me out on this one. Here in the US, they sell this plant as Heather, but everything I’ve researched says this is Heath. This is Kramer’s Red Winter Heath — Erica x darleyensis “Kramer’s Rote” — yet I see this same plant sold mostly as “heather” in America and it drives me bananas.
Thoughts?
False Cypress “Devon Cream”
False Cypress “Devon Cream” — purchased last Spring — is providing a nice blue-green color. I’m thrilled it’s surviving nicely in the barrel, as nothing grows in that swampy corner of the garden. We’ve tried many things. My husband advocated for the barrel solution way before I admitted defeat (as did a few shrubs too) and agreed to it. I love it — instant height for a smaller shrub and pretty color year-round!
Winter Gem Boxwood
This Winter Gem Boxwood is not holding up it’s end of the bargain. I shared the planting of this area — and an entire carefree row of these boxwoods — in my Side Yard Makeover post. This shrub in the front of the row is not shielded by our strong winds, so every Winter it becomes a bit rusty looking, while all of the other ones remain a stunning green color. The first year this occurred I was upset. Now I’m just resigned… or maybe I’ve achieved acceptance which sounds less negative!
Golden Euonymus
How cool is this shot? I was able to get it because the sun was behind this little shrub, so it makes the berries just glow! And if you look really close, you’ll see orange coming out of the opened pink berries. Love this added color benefit of this easy-care shrub!
Red Twig Dogwood
We have a row of Red Twig Dogwoods, thank goodness because my husband was getting tired of hearing me carry on about wanting them! As they are about four years old, I gave them all a good thinning out and pruning during the Fall — except for the one on the right, above. You can see the difference a good thinning out makes. This last one is still on my to do list.
Crepe Myrtle Tree
It was such a sunny day (yesterday) when I took these pictures, that I just had to show you the pretty sky, as well as the dried flowers still on our Crepe Myrtle tree. These blooms usually stay on the tree throughout the Winter, and look so pretty when just a bit of snow is on them.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this Six on Saturday in my garden!
Tonight we’re expecting snow showers. I’m still waiting for a giant snowfall. I. Love. Snow.
In the meantime, I’m off to The Propagator gardening blog to see everyone else’s garden photos!
Happy gardening!
I loved seeing your plants in winter. I have always wanted some red twig dogwood but don’t have the perfect spot for it. Yours is beautiful. I may have to join in on this challenge.
Thanks Paula! I’ve seen dwarf versions of red twig dogwood in plant catalogs — I’ll keep an eye out for you. Definitely join in!
Nice to see that ‘Devon Cream’ made it across the pond. It was a selection made by Don Hatch, whose nursery I used to do a lot of business with. According to my wild flower book, Heather is Calluna vulgaris, which they go on to say is our commonest heath by far. Then the rest of the tribe, all Erica species, are Heaths. The first listed is Erica cinerea, for which it gives the common name of Bell Heather. The whole section is titled Heath Family, Ericaceae; which includes Calluna, Erica, Daboecia, Andromeda, Vaccinium and a few others. Erica x darleyensis is given the common name of Darley Dale Heath. Darley Dale is in the Peak District, near to Matlock, a very nice part of the country, but its eponymous Heath is thought to be of garden origin though it has subsequently become naturalised in a few places. All of which complication probably rules me out as an English friend, but as they say round here, that’s of it. It’s still a good plant, under any name.
Thank you SO much Jim for the info on Heath. I’m so glad to know I wasn’t crazy thinking that many of the garden centers here in the US aren’t accurate in calling Heath Heather. Also loved the bit of info on Devon Cream — small world since you know the breeder!
Nice to see what is happening in gardens far away! We are in the middle of summer down here, and enjoying all that that brings. Hydrangeas are in full bloom right now.
I agree Barbara — I love seeing what’s blooming on the other side of the world…literally!
You can shorten that to a punchy social media friendly “winterest”! I too am trying to add a little more winterest in my garden, just the odd thing or two. My garden is mainly “resting” until March or maybe April. Nice six, hope to see you again soon.
Winterest… why didn’t I think of that? I’m using it in this week’s Six on Saturday post! You’re lucky your garden only has to “rest” until March or April. Although I’m hopeful the 300 bulbs I planted will pop up in the Spring, we tend to have a much longer Winter season than you do. (Last year, our late Winter-early Spring snow storms were rough on the plants.)