Our Winter has been Fairly Mild (So Far.)

One mustn't count his chicks before they're hatched and it's certainly possible that cold air could move down from the north sometime during the next couple of months.  However, the long range forecast doesn't predict much in the way of really cold weather so fingers are crossed that the mild temperatures will continue.  Come take a look at some of the surprises in the garden.  Note, these shots were all taken outside, not in the greenhouse.

While most of the Tetrapanax leaves have fallen, the buds have remained erect.  If the mercury doesn't take a dive, will these buds bloom come spring?

While most of the podophyllum both in the ground and in pots have long since turned to mush, this one brave soul in a sheltered corner remains green.

Pelargonium blooms in January?

This hardy begonia remained green last winter as well. 

While the taller Musa basjoo (hardy banana) has a bit of brown around the edges of the foliage, these smaller and a bit more sheltered ones seem to think it's still summer.

While the Tillandsia usneoides hung in the trees doesn't look quite as green as that inside, it doesn't look dead either. 

Begonia 'Gene Daniels'  was left outside after I took a cutting to winter over.  Perhaps next year I'll have to give this one away.

Same with  Begonia luxurians.    

Alpinia zerumbet 'Variegata' (Variegated Shell Ginger)   is supposed to be root hardy here but I've never seen it in the ground in a garden here.  Cold?  What cold?

Elegia capensis is putting out new shoots.  What's up with that? 

Tropaeolum speciosum

Sarracenias 

Pineapple sage, usually an annual, seems to like this warmish spot outside the greenhouse. 

 Tricyrtis, what part of  Herbaceous perennial don't you understand?  Not that I'm complaining, your foliage is lovely.

Begonia pedatifida started sprouting new leaves last winter that were cut down by a week of freezing temperatures.  It came back just fine and now wants to remain green this winter. 

Flower buds on the passion vine?  Sure, why not?

The smaller Osmunda regalis in the front garden changed color and died back a month or two ago.  This one, not so much.

Biggest surprise?  A brugmansia flower.  

So, while the gray skies can be a bit much, I'll take that nice protective blanket of clouds that keeps us from freezing, at least for a couple more months.   The plants certainly don't seem to mind.  How's winter treating your garden this year?

Wednesday Vignette Old Meets New

Our town is experiencing a bit of growth.  Next to this grand old building, another hotel is being erected.  The two existing hotels (one was built shortly after the convention center was erected) in proximity to our convention center aren't sufficient to accommodate  the volume of folks that the convention center can host.

Inside the convention center itself, old-growth lumber is hung as artwork, a tip of the hat to Tacoma's past.  Do they look like battering rams poised and ready to break out of their glass and metal prison?  Poignant is the artificial evergreen tree dwarfed in the corner.  Smallest of all is the human form.  So small and yet capable of creating and destroying so much.

Wednesday Vignette is hosted by pal, Anna, at Flutter and Hum.  Click on over there to see more.

Tell the Truth Tuesday

On Tuesdays, Alison at Bonney Lassie encourages bloggers to  share the less than lovely parts of their gardens.   My greenhouse is a delightful place in the summer when I spend lots of time there. Plants need lots more water in the heat of summer and it's so much fun to see what's changing every day when plants are so actively growing.  In the winter, I usually only visit the greenhouse on weekend days.   As winter is a time full of activities that pull me away from the garden, things get thrown on any available surface in the greenhouse and elsewhere until I have time to put them away.  Right now, the area originally conceived as a potting bench is so full of odds and ends that potting there would be a challenge.  Unfortunately alternate possible work surfaces are also covered with stuff.

I'll get out there and tidy up one of these days.

Not everything is horrible out there though. Sclumbergera x buckleyi (Christmas Cactus) is always the last to bloom.  The others bloom at Thanksgiving in the house but out in the greenhouse they bloom at Christmas and this one starts blooming in the new year.

Waiting to go back outside in just a few more months.

In a Vase on Monday - Blow, Blow, thou Winter Wind

It's Monday and Cathy reminds us that it's  time to gather some of the outside to bring in and enjoy for a while.  While our temperatures have been fairly mild this fall/winter, there have been a few rather strong wind storms and last night's event was a doozy.  At about one a.m. things going bump in the night woke me from sleep.  Fortunately, we didn't lose power or suffer any damage but many did.  I'd planned on cutting a few early bloomers to pop into a vase but on the way to work this morning, I spied a few branches that had blown from the Cedrus deodara that grows by a church near our house.  The female cones of this tree are lovely but once they're mature, they disintegrate to release their seeds leaving the central part on the branch so whole cones don't fall to the ground like they do with many other conifers.  However, if the wind blows large branches down, the cones come with them.  It's only neighborly to help pick up debris after a storm right?

The cones are covered in pitch.  Someone told me today that you can bake the cones and that makes the pitch harden and loose it's sticky quality.  I worry that it might also cause this particular kind of cone to fall apart but perhaps I'll try one and see what happens.  Joining the Cedar branches and cones are some euonymus that had to be cut back by the workers doing the sidewalk job, some Garrya elliptica catkins that blew off the bush, and, even though they're past their prime, a few Callicarpa berries. (Mostly to make Kris P. jealous.)

A few extra cones and a star from atop a Christmas gift (Sunday was Epiphany) joined the glass vase made by Island Art Glass on Whidbey Island.

Thanks as always, Cathy, for encouraging us to enjoy putting together vases each Monday!

Now, head on over to Cathy's blog to see more Monday vases!

People Who Live in Glass Houses

I haven't done much in the garden for the last week or so as I've been working on something inside.  I saw this stained glass panel online (Scottish Stained Glass in Colorado) months ago and thought it might be fun to make.  

The image  stayed in my mind and recently, while cleaning out a junk drawer I came across this button.  It must have been a sign, right?  After all, one must keep one's hands busy doing something. 

It was time to make the panel.  (This is for myself.  I would never copy someone else's work to sell.)  This picture of our house taken a hundred years ago gave me an idea to change the witch's cap on the turret. 

The first step was to make a drawing.  My stained glass guru and dear friend, Florence suggested making it bigger than what I was thinking so it grew to a 2' x 3' panel. Thank goodness for white out, right?  Yes, that's blood on the upper right.  The good news is that glass makes clean cuts that don't hurt and they heal quickly.

Because there's little time for such things once school starts again, I spent lots of time cutting this out in just a couple of days.

Beginning to lead.

Just need to add the exterior zinc and then soldering can begin. 

 If you don't see a post tomorrow, It's because I've been doing this instead of taking pictures of the garden.  Have a good weekend all.  I'll be soldering and puttying.

Wednesday Vignette - Winter Color

The other day, I looked in on the agaves in the unheated glass room.  The sun was shining and Agave 'Blue Glow' was looking particularly lovely.  How nice that it's colors echo those in the windows behind.

Wednesday Vignette is hosted by Anna at Flutter and Hum.  Be sure to click over there to join the fun.

Tell the Truth Tuesday

My pal, Alison, (Bonnie Lassie) encourages us to show the less than beautiful parts of our gardens on Tuesdays.  At this time of year, I can point the camera in just about any direction and find perfect shots that would fit the bill.  Although sidewalk maintenance is the responsibility of homeowners, the folks at the city are installing yellow rubbery bumpy thingies on the sidewalk ramps on the corner of our house.   They've decided to replace a bit more as well for some reason have decided to pull out quite a bit more of the sidewalk as well.  They also repaired a crumbling curb out front.  I've been really impressed with how little they disturbed the plants when fixing the curb.  Out on the corner, current conditions are perfect for Tell the Truth Tuesday.

Because I knew what was coming, I pulled lots of plants out of the corner bed  that previously looked like this:



Perhaps the remaining Acaena purpurea left in the bed will survive having extra soil piled on top of it. 

Also to their credit, the crew put the net up around the back of Pinus contorta 'Chief Joseph,' a birthday gift from my sister and niece several years ago.  On the bright side, this will hopefully be over in the next month or two and I can replant the removed plants that are sitting all over the back walkway.

Happy new year all!