The weather has been unseasonably cold here in South Texas with near freezing lows most nights and cloudy days for the past week.
The front view of the garden does not change much throughout the year and that is by design. I planned and planted a scheme that would work with the house to present a consistent face to the street with minimal work.
The yellowing Callicarpa americana leaves are still holding on though the Mockingbirds have taken care of most of the berries. These are among the very few non-evergreen shrubs in the front yard and they are set against the year round silvery green of Eleaegnus which needs a top trim soon.
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For December I'm adding another view of the front and it's the view our neighbors and visitors see most often. I love how the Agave ovatifolia repeats the color of the roof and other silvery plants in the garden. The bright pink of Gulf Muhly has subdued a bit and will continue to fade to tan over the winter. The autumn sage has stopped blooming for a few months but will not be cut back until after its spring blooms fade.
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Around back we can still see the yellow of Salvia madrensis in the foreground and the bright magenta of Gomphrena 'Fireworks' farther back in the circle garden.
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If this cold weather keeps up we will have a killing frost soon so January will tell a different story.
Very nice. Much prettier than the gray/brown landscape (mixed with dirty snow) out my window. Well, we had a white Thanksgiving, so there's hope that we'll have a white Christmas, too. Hope you're enjoying the holiday season so far.
ReplyDeleteIt's great that you still have some color despite the cold - I love the Yucca out front and the Salvia in the back. We're not nearly as cold but, despite 2 decent rain events, it's looking as though it may be a drier than "normal" winter (whatever "normal" means anymore).
ReplyDeleteWe got a minor killing frost on Wednesday night. Wednesday morning everything from Tuesday night was looking a bit chilled but made it out ok. Thursday morning was a different story. Such is life....hopefully a few tender plants will come back from their roots come March.
ReplyDeleteYour garden is inspiration. Even after a frost, you'll have lots of interest.
ReplyDeleteWe've had a couple hard freezes here, already. Along with the flood, things aren't what I was picturing.
But, as all gardeners say..."There's always next year." You have a head start.
Liking the view with the golden yuccas! That you wait until the Salvia greggii is done blooming in spring is smart...a master gardener in "that other place" once suggested I cut mine back in spring...he saw ine on the garden tour when they were flowering, though leggy...your way will avoid the sticks-look when the weather is still nice.
ReplyDeleteEveryone around here is in a tailspin over a looming cold front. At first, it was predicted to be brutal, but the forecast has softened a bit with each passing day. I like your approach to your front: "consistent face with minimal work" has a nice ring to it.
ReplyDeleteI think your front garden is a masterpiece. the contrast with the sharp geometrical lines of the house is echoed by the architectural sharpness of the yucca and then the whole picture is softened by the trees and grasses.
ReplyDeleteYour garden is looking great even though it is cold...
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