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Cottage Gardens

Winter in my cottage garden.....

17 years ago

Everything tucked in and sleeping, waiting for spring. This will be the third year for many things in my garden, and with the "sleep, creep, leap" thing in mind, I have great expectations... however, I am realistic, and a relatively new gardener, so we'll have to wait and see...

Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season.

Elisabeth.

{{gwi:314110}}

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Comments (17)

keesha2006
17 years ago
currier and Ives pic....beautiful, elegant decorations! I like!!!!
natvtxn
17 years ago
Your "winter" house is just as pretty as in spring and summer.
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Here's a cottage for my cottage garden :)
Q
Comments (10)
Last week we had wonderful weather - 70's during the day 60 and even 50's at night. Beautiful. One more day of 90 degree temps the weatherman said and then we too are expecting some rain and returning to fall-like weather. Yesterday it was hot but I decided to prune the branches of the mulberry tree in the orchard. They naturally want to arch and these particular ones were nearly to the ground already, felt like driving through curtains when I was mowing. All this growth this year by the way. It was a volunteer and grew to be a tall tree and should have been cut down but I kept letting it go. Birds love the berries! I used my electric pruning pole saw that can reach 10', I thought my shoulders and neck were going to kill me today but I feel good. Too hot to haul the debris to the brush pile tho. I got ripe tomatoes just not a boatload like usual. I'm cooking and freezing them whenever I get a dozen or so.
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My 'formal' cottage garden (Pic heavy)
Q
Comments (33)
tina - isn't it great to have garden memories? I think gardens can evoke more memories because it encompasses the senses of sight, touch, sound, and smell. LL - I wish you could come see my garden in person! That would be so fun! In that bed, I grow most of my roses - a mixture of HT's, moderns, minis, OGRs, and climbers. Since I didn't know much about companion plantings, I just bought a package from Bluestone and planted in between the roses. I think my favorite are the asters and the catmint. I have iris from an old abandoned garden (there was a house there years ago). I love the spiky foliage and the thought those iris survived through so much neglect. schoolhouse - it's not a secret garden like yours, but since it's in the back and away from the house a little bit, it does have a secluded feel to it. I'm also trying to get some vines to grow up the gazebo so the feeling will be even more enhanced.
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Winter Squash from the Cottage Garden
Q
Comments (10)
thinman, yes freezing is recommended over canning in a pressure canner. I did some of both with one that split prematurely. I was curious about the canned so opened a jar and made two pies. It changes the texture a bit and darkened the color somewhat, but the taste was good. I scrub, cut them open, clean out insides, fill the turkey roaster with big 6 inch chunks, skin and all. Add enough water to steam, but not boil, cook until tender. Cool, scrape out flesh, puree in food processor, bag and freeze. I heard of another one I may try next year called Seminole Pumpkin that is a small one with dark orange, sweet flesh. That is a better size for us. The heirloom cucuribta moschata squashes are resistant to borers and I didn't have a squash bug until just before harvest. That is reason enough alone for me to raise them!
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Help, Winterizing my Cottage Garden!
Q
Comments (3)
I'm in northeast MS and I bet it DOES get cold in NW Ark, as far as I'm concerned. I'm originally from deep southeast Louisiana, and it's already getting cold "up" here! Well I will give you some suggestions. First, find out if the plants you have are annual or perennial in your zone. If they are annual then they will die permanently when it freezes. What you can do is collect the seeds around this time, label and save (use envelopes, ziploc bags, or old pill bottles, and label. Keep in cool, dry place). You can replant those seeds come spring. Or better yet, visit the "winter sowing forum" here on gardenweb, and you can sow those seeds during winter and the plants will be ready in spring. Some of those annuals, however, will reseed, meaning some of the seeds have already fallen, or go ahead and let them fall, and if you have bare soil there, many will come up again in spring. You could also dig and pot up those annuals, if you have a garage or place you can overwinter them indoors. You can also take cuttings, like I do of coleus, now, and keep the cuttings in my garage over winter, replant after last frost. If the plant is a perennial, that means it will come back year after year. It may die back and look like it's gone, but it will come back. You would want to label those so you know where they are come spring. I'm not experienced with all the plants you've listed but I know that for me columbine comes back (but I also save the seeds, which are very easy to collect), four o'clocks reseed, and also seed is very easy to collect, morning glories definitely reseed, and are well-known for that, I think sedum is perennial, also very easy to take cuttings, let's see parsley, basil, zinnias are annuals; zinnias reseed but also can collect seed easily. My chives come back but also very easy to get seed, lavendar should be perennial but there are several kinds. My thyme is very hardy even evergreen. Coral bells are perennial here. I hope this was somewhat helpful to you. Laurie
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haxuan
17 years ago
Oh my... I wish I could see your house and feel all that snow! It's so beautiful.

Xuan
rosefolly
17 years ago
What a beautiful house, and picture-perfect setting. I would love to see how it looks when spring comes, too.
todancewithwolves
17 years ago
You and Diana have my dream home. That is such a beautiful picture! It should be used for a Christmas card.

Edna
BecR
17 years ago
Hi Elisabeth, it's good to see your post. Beautiful! I agree with Keesha-- like Currier & Ives, or Thomas Kincade also.
Can't wait to see your home & gardens in spring, too.

Merry Christmas to you.

Becky
gldno1
17 years ago
Absolutely beautiful! Currier and Ives says it all......

Perfect house and perfect decorations and Mother Nature added the finishing touch.
thinman
17 years ago
Echoing the other admirers - your house is a stunner! I really really like your fence and decorations, too. It appears that you were shoveling the sidewalk and stopped to take the pic. :)

ThinMan
michelle_zone4
17 years ago
That picture would make a wonderful Christmas card!
bean_counter_z4
17 years ago
Beautiful picture. I love those old homes--so much character and elegance.
sierra_z2b
17 years ago
Absolutely lovely!!!

Sierra
georich5
17 years ago
The picture has a wonderfully tranquil feel to it. Hope you frame it!!!!

georgeanne
Eduarda
17 years ago
There are houses which seem to have been born to be decorated for Christmas - and yours is certainly one of those! I remember when you first posted pics of it to wonder how it would look like in its Christmas attire. Now I know - and it's breathtakingly beautiful! Thank you for sharing your Winter Wonderland with us and Merry Christmas!

Eduarda
FlowerLady6
17 years ago
Wow, you can feel the tranquility of the moment. A lovely home any time of year. The scene is beautiful.

FlowerLady
elisabeth_rose
Original Author
17 years ago
Hi everyone,
Thank you for the kind comments. If you are interested, I have a blog where I have written about some of the things we have been through with our old house. It has been, and continues to be an adventure. It seems like we never get done! www.talltalesandtruetidbits.blogspot.com

Elisabeth.
daisydo
17 years ago
So very pretty. It's amazing how every post expressed my sentiments. I certainly would expect to see a home like this on a Christmas card or a calendar or any place where people could admire it. I, also, would like to see spring and summer pictures.
Daisydo
gottagarden
17 years ago
Beautiful! I love your Christmas decorations, very classy. The red bows are just perfect for that style house, it is a postcard type scene. Enjoy your holidays there!

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