Meanwhile, Back in Reality

In Friday's post, we drove to the tropics. (The tropical area of Flower world.)  What a fun diversion from what was happening outside.  Truly though, what was happening outside was awfully miraculous as well.  I garden in area at roughly parallel 46 which is about the same as northern Maine but we are in hardiness zone 8!  Crazy man!  I'm thankful that there's always something happening in our gardens!    Anyway, here is some of what was happening on the grounds of Flower world and in some of the unheated areas.

 Abies korieana (guessing)

 

 Acer palmatum 'Sangokaku'

 

 NOID plant looking quite lovely!

  Euonymus 'Gold Spot'  and other similar evergreen Euonymus are widely used in municipal plantings for good reason!  They are handsome throughout the year and add welcome bright color to the winter garden.  They especially shine in the spring when new growth makes the whole bush glow as if it were in bloom. 

Ornamental grass seed heads.  Scott could tell you the name, I just call 'em purty.

 

 Cotoneaster berries and grey bark looking quite nice.

 Berberis

Cornus sanguinea 'Winter Flame'  Yup, that's snow on the surface of the soil.  Love this plant! 

Hamemelis x intermedia 'Rubin'  is as fragrant as it is beautiful.  I need to find space in my garden for one of these! 

Sarcococca confusa is a favorite plant. It will grow in the deepest shade, is drought tolerant for me (competes successfully with greedy bamboo roots in the grove) has handsome glossy evergreen foliage, and to top it off, has a heavy, heavenly, wafting fragrance when it blooms at this time of year.  The same could be said for the weedy Daphne laureola but Sarcocca isn't invasive.

This combination is far too garish and common for decorous and proper  gardeners.  I LOVED it!

Cornus plants in pots.

 Or Cornus branches in bunches.  You can enjoy the winter color even if the plant isn't hardy for you.

 In addition to this, many of the camellia images from this post were taken at Flower World on this visit.

 

 Jasminum nudiflorum blooms from late November through June in my garden.  I can always count on winter color from this even when everything else is frozen!  Plus it's fun to say it's Latin name and shock visitors by inviting them to view your nudies.

Ilex verticillata, a deciduous holly.  These at F.W. were in gallon pots and were producing berries.  Fourteen years ago, I ordered a male and female from a catalog, planted them and stood back to watch nothing happen berry-wise until this year.  Now that they're 5 feet tall and finally bearing fruit, I want to move them.  It's nice to know that these replacements are available when should I kill the ones I have.

 So much green goodness in this cold house.  All of this is hardy in the ground without protection here.

Autumn?  No, just beautiful winter coloration on a Nandina.

A Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) grove just for Ms. Bohl.

Pyracantha x 'Mohave'  Birds love these berries and also nest in the thorny branches of Pyracantha if it's allowed to grow tall enough.  Fragrant summer blooms are an added bonus.

Virbunum davidii is planted just about every gas station and boulevard median in this area.  The evergreen leaves are o.k. and most of the year the shrubs  create tidy, if boring, mounds of green.  Unfortunately, most of these plantings are viewed at 40 miles per hour and the stunning berries are missed.

Yucca 'Color Guard' seems to be following me this season.  Maybe Pam and Shirley are trying to tell me something.

On the list to buy on my next visit, without a passenger to take up valuable plant space, is one of these.

 

and a couple of these. to replace the ones I lost.  The dusky phormium looks delightful in front of the blue conifer behind it. 

How large are these phormiums?  Quite a bit taller than 5'10" !  Can you say instant gratification?

Hope you enjoyed  this winter trip to  Flower World.  I'm already  looking forward to my next visit!