The Winter Garden

The garden is asleep–it is far from dead. In the cold, harsh months of winter I have watched the flowers fade, the leaves change color and fall, and a stark nakedness emerge. There are several evergreen shrubs, including Azaleas, Camellias, Oregon Holly, Pine, and a few species I don’t know. The foliage from other perennials that never go away, including some varieties of Iris, Lily, and Hellebore. I haven’t gone out much to explore the garden, mostly because I wasn’t sure there would be anything to see. The cold weather can be hard on my lungs too, so I try to limit my exposure. However, as I went outside to gather some materials to make a craft project, I started taking pictures of the life I found.

First, the blank slate of snow that we had a few weeks ago:

Front Covered in Snow

One thing the snow really does highlight is the architecture of the garden. You can see the large forms that give the garden shape year round, that provide the anchors for the showier blooms of smaller flowers.

Snow Covered Garden

The backyard looked so pretty with the high contrast of the white snow and dark trees. It was so quiet at first, even the birds slept in late. Later, they would come out and eat all the seed I had out. Thankfully, the snow did not last too long (although a full week or so is more than enough for me), and we were left with the Winter Garden.

Backyard Garden in Winter

You can see in this shot several of the azaleas and rhododendron that still have their leaves, as well as hellebore in the foreground, and some evergreens in the far back. The bare crape myrtle trees and bushes provide texture with their spindly arms, contrasting the more mounded forms of the shrubs. I have some ideas forming about what I want to do in the garden, mostly to make it more interesting and inviting even in the dead of winter.

Garden House Corner

On the corner of the house, ferns, Hellebore, and Mondo grass are now more visible under the dormant hibiscus. We still need to accomplish two things in the garden before Spring–blowing and raking the rest of the leaves down into the stream, and cutting back for new growth. I hesitated blowing all the leaves down, hoping that they would act as some protection or mulch during the winter. I think this has been a cold winter for Richmond, and even though I do think this garden is well-established enough that it can probably tolerate some extremes. Also, by not cutting back certain plants, you have some more texture and interest in the garden over the winter, and it gives some plants a chance to seed.

Begonia Gone to Seed

I had several Begonia blooming around the garden through the late summer/early fall, and now they have these pretty, showy seed pods. Here’s how they looked in the summer:

Begonia Grandis

This particular variety, Begonia Grandis, was all over the backyard. It self sows with these gorgeous pods.

Begonia Seed Pod

As I went around the garden today, just past the mid-way point of winter, I realized that little plants were starting to peek out.

Peek a Boo

I just wanted to include this picture because I love this. This beautiful hand-made tuffa pot with a little face peeking out, just like the new plants coming up from the cold ground.

Daffodils Coming Up

I think these are daffodils, but I am not completely certain. There are many little stems peeking up though, of a couple different sorts. I am so excited and anxiously awaiting to see what this spring garden looks like.

Oregon Holly Berries

Those strange plants, the Oregon Holly, are starting to form little buds that will bloom and turn into delicious berries for the birds.

Hellebores

And I have found the first Hellebores in bloom! These are tucked in the backyard under a lot of shade.

Helleborus Blooms

Pretty little blooms. I now see several new shoots coming up around the yard as well- I am fully expecting to see a blooming yard within a month!

I know that the previous owner did so much work to make this garden shine most of the year. I am looking forward to watching the garden unfold during our first year here, and then maybe I will plan to add some touches to make it my own. But most of all, I feel so incredibly lucky to have such beauty. Gardens, to me, can be magical places that can give you a sense of peace and understanding of the natural world, while also showcasing the best it can offer. Gardens are our designs of how we want to see and shape (and control) nature, but I also appreciate and love the more natural and wild gardens where things can grow and change on their own. To me, this garden is that wonderfully happy place you go to in your dreams– a place where you feel safe and loved, and where you can do anything. Sometimes I dream about these magical places, and now I wake up realizing I have it all in my yard. It gives me such a sense of happiness, and I want to share it with anyone who’s interested.