Well the last month of the year is here and it began with a mixture of cold and frosty, but sunny, days. Then a run of mild, but foggy and misty, days followed. We had been lucky however to not have suffered any major winds or gales. We have seen some lovely rainbows too.
The garden finally looks like it should in winter - many plants like the hostas frosted into brown mushy heaps. The cold seems to have caught the green that many plants were still showing and reminded them of the season! The trees are bare, with piles of leaves gathering in corners and under hedges. Only the evergreen trees and shrubs are displaying any colour and form with their differing shades of green.
Most of the berries have now been eaten by the birds - apart from a few red holly berries which light up the scene as the shortest day of the year approaches.
However, despite the year drawing to a close there is much to look forward to. Spring is not that far away and signs of it are already in the garden!
Tiny green seedlings are sprouting from the dead heads of last years honesty plants. They were a couple of plants that were incomers from somewhere last year so I just bent over the dead stalks and hoped they might drop seed. Which they seem to be doing! The purple flowers are nice to look at and free plants are never refused.
As Christmas approached the weather forecast provided gloomy news. Storm Barbara was coming our way over the festive season - and then Storm Connor appeared on the tail of Barbara. A double whammy.
But perennial plants are not called that for nothing! Primulas flower, holly shines in the sun and the beautiful yellow buds of the mahonia are opening. The pretty pink buds of the chaenomeles are visible - just waiting for them to open. Hellebores too are budding under their protection of leathery leaves and spikes of daffodil and other early bulbs can be seen pushing their way through the soil.
The hardy plants are definitely the stars in the garden just now.
December
December days grow short and dark
As the year draws to a close,
Flowers have faded, trees are bare
Their skeletal shapes exposed.
But the guardians of the garden
In their livery of green,
Ever watchful of those more fragile
Will watch over the family scene.
Their shades and shapes are constant
In the garden throughout the year,
Watching till others wake and bloom
Making the garden picture appear.
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