Late Fall Winter Garden Pictures and Happy Holidays

It is the pretty much the end of the gardening season in Tennessee-though not the end of the garden. Here in Tiger Gardens I garden all winter long by tending to various chores, making things for the garden, creating new gardens, trimming trees, and so on. Winters are short in Tennessee so on all but the coldest days you'll find me in the garden. Also, during the winter there are several holidays and this year we'll be very busy during the holidays so I plan to take a little break until next year. 

I walked around the garden snapping some pictures to leave you with until the new year and the new garden comes along. We have barely been touched by frost in Tiger Gardens so most of the garden still looks fantastic. The only things that got zapped were cannas, impatiens, and some annual salvias. Everything else is still blooming and holding onto its color. We'll start with 'Miss Gloria's Thanksgiving Day' mum. This is a late blooming Sheffield type mum that is very tall and much loved by flying insects. It is one of the first flowers you'll see walking to my front door.

The vegetable garden will also keep me busy. We have peas flowering, carrots ready for picking all winter, nice and green chard to feed the rabbits, and dreams of next year's vegetable garden to sustain us on our break.

Blackhaw viburnum is a sweet little native shrub/tree. I have trained mine into a small tree and it is showing some gorgeous late season color. This is an excellent viburnum for shady spots and requires no care on my part.

'Sunny' knockout roses are still blooming wonderfully in the Vegetable Garden proper. Also blooming are the red and pink knockouts. I'll cut all of the roses down to knee level in early February.

Wine bottles, 'Adagio' miscanthus, oakleaf hydrangeas, and frost blackened cannas (not yet cut back) show some color in the Greenhouse Garden.

Also in the Greenhouse Garden these dried hydrangeas from my 'Limelight' hydrangeas bloom all winter long. There are literally hundreds of dried blooms and I think I enjoy them as much this way as when they are white and fresh.

The common witch hazel has decided to bloom. This shrub is more than six years old and I was beginning to despair it would ever bloom. I can't say the blooms are much to look at but it is a start. I really grow this shrub for its cool seedpods; which I hope to see from these blooms.

As is indicative of fall the ornamental kale has been planted in flower pots ready to brighten the dreariest of winter days.

And finally I close with the quintessential plant for winter; the camellia. No other plant but the camellia will be in bloom when winter begins and when winter ends (fall and spring blooming shrubs are necessary for this very long bloom season of nearly six months total). I have three fall bloomers and two spring bloomers and I tell you I love them all. This one is a double pink that is quite deep in color. The red foliage behind it is the foliage of oakleaf hydrangeas. 

I want to wish everyone a very Happy Holiday Season.....

in the garden....

Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden

German Statice

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

Since today is Valentines Day, lets talk about this heart of dried flowers hanging on the wall in my Georgia home.

This heart was a gift to us from the Saints mother. Mom B is very talented with her craft of floral arranging and design. She has taught me a lot of tricks to the trade over the years and for this I am so grateful. While living in Germany, the Saint took off on a 10 month mission to help support the US military in bringing Peace into the Country of Bosnia. That left me stuck in an apartment with nothing but our Skeeter kitty to keep me company. Mom B's wonderful giving nature and nudge helped me to discover a hidden talent hiding from within myself. She encouraged me to pick up a glue gun and give crafting a try. She mailed a lot of boxes to me with wonderful items for me to play with. I kept busy each day creating little treasures when I found an outlet to sell them. I became very involved with the Craft Store and made wonderful friendships as well. By staying active in the Craft Store, that 10 months flew by quickly and the Saint was back home. I am so Blessed to have a wonderful mother in law such as Mom B to encourage me and help me through such a rough time in my life!

Looking closer at the heart, you will notice that all flowers used to create this floral masterpiece, are dried. I have never tried my luck at drying (preserving) flowers. I wonder if it can be accomplished with a dehydrator? Hum, I might give it a try some day. As you can see the dried flowers have all held up fairly well in the 8 or so years I have had this item. Although the Statice has turned a bit brownish from its usual white color.

German Statice, Gonrolimon tataricum, Plumbaginaceae family.

This is the type dried Statice I used while crafting floral items. It has light airy flower stalks of white star shaped flowers.

How convenient for me that I could find this floral accessory in any flower shop while living and crafting in Germany! (Picture above is from Internet)

I could pick up a batch of German Statice like this bundle above (picture above is from Internet) for just a few dollars and it would last me a long time while crafting. I learned it was wonderful to fill in blank spots!

The Internet tells me that German Statice is a Perennial although, not long lived. It grows to a height of 18 inches and needs full sun and well drained soil. This plant is poisonous if ingested and may cause allergic reactions to skin. I played with this stuff often and never had any reactions even though I have sensitive skin. But I only played with it in the dried form so maybe if fresh, I would have had a reaction. (Picture above is from Internet)

I would like to give this beauty a chance in my garden but not sure it could stand the heat of a Georgia Summer. It was not as hot in Germany so not sure I should try it. What do you think?

Should I try GERMAN STATICE, In the Garden...