Garden Therapy

Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day: December 15, 2009

Yesterday we were preparing for a treacherous morning rush hour as the weather predicted an overnight snowfall of 20-30cm.  This may seem like a dusting to those in parts of the country who regularly get snow but Vancouver has hilly terrain, temperatures that hover around freezing (making the snow into mucky icy slush), and a lack of city snow removal equipment.  This means that driving can be a real a mess.  The good news is that the temperature stayed above freezing so the snow turned to rain and has kept everything relatively clear.  The bad news is that when it’s dark with rainclouds above I just can’t get photos of the garden. 

But…I’ve lived here for over 15 years so I’ve learned to take a sunny day when I get it.  And I’ve had plenty to choose from this month.  Most every day has been cold but bright with the sun shining for the few hours we get it in winter.  So on December 10, a particularly lovely day, I headed out to see what I could take photos of.  I’ve been working slowly at adding evergreens and winter-interest plants to the garden.  Most of them are young so from a far the garden has limited appeal but up close I found lots of little gems that while they aren’t technically blooms, they are so lovely that they still make it onto my Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day for December, 2009.

Tags: Garden Bloggers Bloom Day

December 15 2009 09:52 am | Flowers and Gardening and Photography

14 Responses to “Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day: December 15, 2009”

1. Dan on 15 Dec 2009 at 10:59 am #

   

   Great bloom day post, I love the heather!

2. Laura Livengood Schaub on 15 Dec 2009 at 2:07 pm #

   

   Nice details! I love a good winter garden, especially when leaves and twigs take on different colors than summer. Love that blue fescue/bronze sedge combo…

3. andrea on 15 Dec 2009 at 3:31 pm #

   

   you certainly have some lovely colors and textures there! i especially like the colored tips of the emerald gaiety euonymous. enjoy your sunshine…

4. Stevie on 15 Dec 2009 at 4:28 pm #

   

   Thanks everyone! I’m just starting to get some winter interest in the garden. It’s hard to think about when all I want to plant is gorgeous vegetables all summer long but it’s a start. We’ll see what happens in January.

5. Brad B on 15 Dec 2009 at 6:04 pm #

   

   You have a really nice variety of colors and textures in your winter garden. Definitely something to keep you interested and observing.

6. Catherine on 15 Dec 2009 at 6:42 pm #

   

   You really do have a lot of nice plants for winter interest. That’s something I realized after many years in this garden was sadly lacking. I really like the Euonymus and it’s pretty pink edges.
   It sure has been cold out this way! Those sunny days were beautiful but cold!

7. lostlandscape (James) on 15 Dec 2009 at 7:52 pm #

   

   I like your December collection–leaves, flowers, stems–they’re beautiful together. The only Vancouver winter I’ve experienced was 3-4 years ago when I spent a week there during a weirdly sunny and warm time that brought everyone out to the parks. Everyone was manic and smiling. It was a terrific week!

8. Angela on 15 Dec 2009 at 8:21 pm #

   

   I love your Viburnum! I may need to pick up a ‘davidii, David Viburnum’ too. Is it an evergreen?

9. Stevie on 15 Dec 2009 at 8:59 pm #

   

   Yup, the Viburnum is an evergreen. I got a few from a charity I work with so I’m looking forward to the blooms next year!

10. Frances on 16 Dec 2009 at 3:30 am #

    

    Hi Stevie, good job on the winter interest! You have lots of different ways to draw the eye, with berries, branches and even flowers. I am working on adding more of those pretty stems here, for they stand out so nicely against the browns and greys and even the white of snow. No snow removal equipment? That is surprising.
    Frances

11. Stevie on 16 Dec 2009 at 7:17 am #

    

    Hi Frances, we have some snow removal equipment, but it really doesn’t snow much here. Last year we had lots of snow for 3 weeks – it basically shut the city down and broke all records. Most of the time it’s a few days of snow that gets washed away by rain. Thanks for your great feedback – I hope you find some interesting branches to add!

12. melanie watts on 16 Dec 2009 at 8:49 am #

    

    I would love to see a photo of the hellebore when it blooms. It must be fun to think about, decide and buy plants for a winter garden.

    I lived in Vancouver from 78-85. I remember trying to drive up the King Edward hill onto Dunbar, during a snowstorm. Eventually we had to back the car down, along with everyone else, and go a different route. Getting snow tires for the car seemed superfluous and expensive for the few days of real winter, It was much easier to walk or take the bus.

13. rebecca on 16 Dec 2009 at 8:10 pm #

    

    great pictures love the heather love the heather i grew up in Scotland heres some baba ganoush for u

14. Velva on 23 Dec 2009 at 5:58 am #

    

    Beautiful! When the snow passes this season, I have no doubt that Vancouver is stunning during the spring/summer months. The opportunity to photograph nature will be endless. Thanks for sharing.

    Happy holidays to you.
    Velva

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