No photos but two of my small pink dianthus plants (that I cut back weeks ago) are blooming! And my daylilies (also cut back down to the ground) are sending out bright new leaves! They think it's Spring. What's up with this crazy weather?

Molie

The warm weather seems to affect some of my plants more than the others. The perennials have mostly died down and leaves have dropped from most of the shrubs and trees, regardless of the warm temperatures.

The roses, at least those that bloom most of the season, are still blooming and still have leaves. The rambling roses that only bloom once have lost all their leaves, and the rugosas have stopped blooming and lost most of their leaves.

I'm going to post in two installments; first the normal late fall stuff, and then the roses.

I love my view out the kitchen window this time of year. The winterberry is the star with ornamental grasses, euonymus, and a barberry sharing the stage.

Just to the left of the winterberry is my osmanthus grove which has now emerged from the extraneous foliage. I have a bunch of small Goshiki's planted by the big old osmanthus.

My gravel path is adorned with plants that planted themselves there. I think these are one mullein and two foxgloves.

Now that the asters and whatever have died back (and I cut the seedheads down) the area under my white pine has a simplicity and order rarely seen in my yard. The ferns now stand out.

Hostas usually dominate this bed, but now the euonymus, epimediums, geraniums and ferns stand out.

This euonymus is usually buried amid the hostas - I only see it in the winter. I inherited the ivy, but I like it with the euonymus.

Because snow cover is iffy here, all of these beds are getting compost, and the leaves and pine needles will remain over the winter.

Claire

The roses just keep on blooming. We've had one or two very light frosts, but nothing serious. That's one of the good things about a coastal location - the water buffers the temperatures so winter comes late. We pay for that in the spring which is excruciatingly slow to arrive.

Blushing Knockout is always a joy; here with berberis foliage in front.

And with the winterberry behind.

Rose Carefree beauty is still putting out blooms while transforming the old ones into hips.

The classic Knockout is still blooming.

Zepherine Drouhin still has a few sporadic blooms.

Claire

Claire - as you have been posting Rose photos for the past 6 months, it has given me a new found appreciation for roses. For some reason I was under the impression that roses only bloomed in June.

I plant spinach around Halloween for a spring crop. The warm weather has caused my spinach to sprout! Though I doubt I'll get a December crop!

I'm still cutting fresh celery leaf. A dutch iris is coming up in the background.

Lots of 1 year old Rose Campion. Looks like I will have a lot of blooms next year.

The wood chips under my daughters Dome Climber have exploded with mushrooms.

No photos - not really much to show here except a few snapdragons, alyssum, and some very stubborn bacopa (I think) that just refuses to stop blooming.

Claire, your roses are lovely. I truly think my roses would be in bloom if not for that October snowstorm. That really took down a lot of things, but since then the weather has been unusually wonderful, and if the snow didn't do in so much, I can only imagine how nice the garden would have been this fall.

My perennial herbs look fantastic, parsley is still going strong, but unfortunately my garlic is growing! It's an earlier variety that is supposed to planted in October, and even though I planted it in the third week of November, I guess it's just been too warm. I guess I'll be buying my garlic from the local farmer next year!

My plan for next spring is to work on some shrubs, including evergreens, to give more structure to the garden - some of my beds are just too empty and dull right now!

Dee

P.S. Oh! How could I forget? I did plant a little ilex Winter Red in September, which is really going to town with its berries, small as it is, so I am enjoying that and looking forward to the display next year. I've been wanting this for awhile and thanks to the snow storm, I had some "new" space to plant in!

Finally a little snow to replace the 12inches we lost to warm temperatures last week.

{{gwi:1098000}}

Here is one of the few flowers actually blooming, some autumn crocus that I planted a bit late:

I tried to get photos of the wetland area along the road which sparkles when the morning sun hits the frost outlining the branches and weeds. I am not sure that I was too successful, but it is a lovely way to start my morning commute.

Foliage contrast helps to keep things interesting until the snow covers the gray.
Rhododendron and two types of heather:
{{gwi:283684}}From December 4, 2011

and the same area from farther away, including the background hemlocks and a magnolia.

A fern in a stone wall:

The vegetable garden ready for spring with the garlic already planted.

I also want to thank PixieLou for maintaining the monthly show us your gardens threads. Seeing everyone else's gardens has been a real treat. I don't always add to them due my pokie connection speed, but I have taken more garden photos this year than any other due to her gentle prompting each month.

Lovely, nhbabs!

I'll second the thanks to pixie_lou, particularly the change to "Show us Your Gardens" for the fall and winter months rather than "What is Blooming in Your Garden".

This is bringing out a whole new look at the landscape. It's so nice to see the lasting beauty that can be (and is being) achieved using foliage and structure rather than just flowers. January and February may actually be worth looking at here (I won't mention March).

Claire

Oops, I meant to say "Lovely, franeli and nhbabs!" but I got distracted by editing my thanks to pixie_lou.

Claire

I'm happy to hear that this thread is inspiring people to take more photos of their gardens. I'm enjoying the photos now that many of the blooms are gone - I am finding a lot of inspiration here.

Last September (2010) I started what I call "The Monday Morning Photo Project". I try to go outside and take photos of my gardens every Monday morning. Yes, September was an odd time to start - but when you goal is to take photos for 1 year, it doesn't matter when you start. It's been over a year now, and I'm still taking photos every Monday morning.

Franeli - I'm amazed that you have snow!

As for my gardens now - the seed pod is now visible inside the jack o lantern blossoms

We had out first ice on the pond yesterday morning.

And a mini waterfall with ice covered sticks in the stream out behind the pond.

I love the ice on the pond pics, pixie_lou. A super water feature in your garden.

We had our 15 minutes of snow last weekend, but it's all melted now (please excuse the glass reflections - I took the photo from inside).

The snow was accompanied by two nights of temperatures in the twenties so most of the roses gave up the battle to bloom. Except for Carefree Delight which has always been the last rose to bloom in my garden.

Carefree Beauty, while it's lost all of its blooms, still has a few buds that look intact. Whether they'll be able to open or not is anyone's guess.

Carefree Delight has small, delicate hips that suit its small delicate flowers.

Behind Carefree Delight are several euonymus and assorted grasses.

And, of course, the winterberry behind the euonymus.

Claire

Very nice photos,folks.
We're going to have a white Christmas for sure this year!
Good thing since we live in ski country. Happy Holidays!

And Happy Holidays to you, franeli, and to all of the New England Gardening forum folks! May the Garden Watching Season (rather than Garden Action Season) be joyous and fruitful.

Claire

Claire - have you ever had roses in December before? At this rate, you may even have roses in January!

I lost my camera. I think I left it at the theatre when I brought my daughter to rehearsal on Tuesday. I seriously doubt it will still be there when we get there for tonights performance. Oh well. I *know* there is a new camera for me under our tree right now, but I'm being good and leaving it there! I need to set a good example for our small child!

pixie_lou: I just checked some of my photo files, and November is the latest for roses. I didn't dig too deep, but I doubt that I ever had roses blooming in December - certainly not this late. I do remember that Carefree Delight loses its pink color late in the season. It's mostly white now, while it's decidedly pink in July.

Sorry about the camera, but you can probably hold out until Sunday (unless you tell the small child that you had to open the present early so you could take pictures of her...).

Claire

I was right - there was a new camera under the tree for me. So hopefully the fact that I lost my camera won't come up in conversation! I was able to go out and photograph my gardens today.

I'm hoping this lavender survives the winter. It's in a relatively dry and sunny location, and I bought a variety last spring that is known to survive New England winters. I have decided that I like the light green foliage this time of year.

That grayish green really seems to fit in with the early winter colors. I usually think of hollies and conifers which are darker greens, but the lavenders and heaths and heathers are all lighter and muted. Interesting new thought for winter (new for me, anyway, not new for more experienced gardeners).

Good luck with the lavender - our cold, wet winters can be brutal on plants that like dry soil.

Claire

I also love the look of lavender foliage in winter, although I have to admit that all mine are sprawling monsters, not nice neat clumps like Pixie Lou's.

This is the first year in long time that my Christmas roses (not a rose at all, but Helleborus niger) are in bloom for their eponymous season. Just a few blooms, but they're such a glowing white at this time of year, hard to say if it's as nice - or nicer than - later in the season, when they fade to pink, and then, sometimes, burgundy. The stinking hellebores (H. foetidus) have also started, sending up their interesting (if not quite beautiful) flower spikes.

The winter heath is almost in full bloom now - its season lasts many months and the purples, muted pinks and whites all lovely. I have some by the door, where the light on the porch lets me see them when I get home from work in the dark.

Last, the winter jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum) is flowering now, starting earlier than usual. Mine is in fairly deep shade in summer, and although it flowers sparsely, it will keep blooming all winter. I don't think there's any plant that is more cheerful in the dead of winter.

Photos to follow, and although none of these make especially good pictures, they are certainly appreciated as I wander around the garden thinking about how far away spring is.

DTD, I don't know if you saw these, but I had posted a couple of weeks ago. Winter Jasmine has never been this colorful at this time of year. A few flowers here and there are usual throughout winter, but no as many as this year!

I think I need my own plant of Claire's Carefree Delight rose, since between the late flowers and the bright hips it makes a nice addition to the late fall garden. I'm all for those plants that extend the blooming season, not just the season of interest in the garden. Does it have any scent? (Though I'd grow it despite a lack of scent since it has so much else of interest.)

I am finally having lavender survive the winter finally after many, many years of winter killed plants. I don't trim it at all in the fall, and it is planted in an area with fine, sandy soil at the top of a long and relatively steep southwest-facing slope, so there is never water standing around the crown or roots, even during mud season. Any snow that melts immediately runs away down the slope, but when we have good snow cover, it is protected. It doesn't seem troubled by heaving.

Hard to believe we still have things in bloom on December 27th. These pics were taken today.

Viola

Ornamental Kale

Ornamental Cabbage

OK, I cheated. This next one is indoors.
Hippeastrum 'Charisma'

Steve

nhbabs: There's a descendant of Carefree Delight, called Carefree Spirit that is supposedly even better in habit and disease resistance. Whether it will bloom as long is not stated.

Bill and Steve: My eyes are now attuned to muted winter colors - your photos are blinding me with their brightness!.

Claire

Steve, I have that lacy kale you included (the first one) - it's gorgeous! It seems to get better as the weather gets cooler. I've never seen it before and when I saw it in the garden center this fall I snapped up a few of them. Do you know what kind it is?

Sure wish there was a bit more color today - awfully dreary out there right now...

Dee

The kale and cabbage are stunning! Wow, wow, wow--what amazing colors. I was thinking the same as Claire--they almost hurt my eyes!

Dee - I hear you. It's awfully dull and drab out there today even though I'm noticing quite a few perennials keep their green foliage this late.

nhbabs: I forgot to say that Carefree Delight has no detectible scent (to my allery-challenged nose).

DtD's report of hellebores blooming reminded me to check my hellebores that usually bloom in late winter. Sure enough, H. Green Heron has buds ready to go! These will probably stay in suspended animation for the next few months, but it's a nice harbinger of spring to come.

Claire

Wow, Bill, that jasmine is amazing - mine is really sparse by comparison.

Claire, is that a hybrid with some Corsican hellebore parentage? I have some like that, but not yet budded up. The foetidus normally bloom first, then the niger, the orientalis (hybridus), and anything with Corsican genes usually flowers last. Exposure really plays a role, too, but the line-up doesn't vary much. It's a really long season of bloom, taken all together!

I just went out and checked my Hellebores. I bought 2 Grape Galaxy this fall. But I don't see any buds on them.

SteveMass - you have inspired me to give ornamental kale a try. I'm probably so turned off because of the time my mother tried to feed me kale as a child! Do you plant it in the ground, or just leave it in the pots it comes in? I've always left my chrysanthemums in the nursery pots.

DtD: I bought the Green Heron from Plant Delights which says that it's a hybrid of H. niger and H. argutifoliius (Corsican). It seems to have inherited the niger early blooming. I've only had it a couple of years but it's been a joy.

I don't think any other of my hellebores has buds, but I'll have to look closer at the ones lurking behind the Itea. I've always been leery of niger because of the reports that it hates acid soil, which I have in abundance. Actually, I should have my soil tested again since I've been amending it heavily with compost and the pH may have drifted up.

Claire

pixie_lou: I just googled Hellebore Grape Galaxy. That is one gorgeous flower! and you have two plants! That's also the first time I ever saw a video devoted to a plant.

Claire

Thanks for that video link Claire. I had no idea I bought such a special plant. I saw all the photos of Hellebores people had posted last spring when I started the monthly photo spreads. So I bought the plants. I had no idea whether they were "special" hellebores, or regular old run of the mill hellebores! Though after watching that video, I'm a bit concerned - it shows that they are drought tolerant. And my shade garden can be pretty wet. I hope the plants don't drown!

Dee,
I don't know the name of that lacy Kale. I too saw it at HD and just picked it up. I wish I had grabbed a few more. You are correct that it seems to get brighter and brighter.

Pixie_lou, some people use these in the ground in place of annuals. They can last most of the winter sometimes. I pull the annuals out of our containers and replace them with these in late fall.

Steve

I just took an end of the year survey of my garden. The growing/blooming season is finally over! No more roses blooming, they've all gone to sleep.

And the below-freezing temperatures of the last few weeks ripened the winterberries, to the delight of the cedar waxwings and robins. They've been feasting all this week.

I can't believe they ate the whole thing! Well, now I can see the osmanthus again.

On to next year! The garden sleeps, I think I'll go watch some birds for a few months.

Happy New Year, all!
Claire