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Thanks to Cherry Ong's decorating suggestion, Tim has kicked it up a notch and decorated his indoor tree this holiday season!
"Not much happens in my garden in Ohio in December, but I'm working on having some winter interest. The prolonged fall kept some plants going and I do have plants that don't mind the cold. My small, two-year-old Gentiana scabra was a star this autumn, with its stunning blue flowers continuing on and on, while its foliage took on the most amazing hues. I have some Chrysanthemum Wisp of Pink in the ground and in a container. This photo is of the containerized specimen, which gets to come inside when freezing temperatures threaten to nip those thistle-like petals.
I donned a festive hat at a friend's home to humor those who feel obliged to call me 'Santa' all year long, acting as though no-one has ever said that to me before…I really don't mind and I realize I am asking for it!"
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Comments
Oh Tim - You definitely missed your calling in life. You are an absolute natural as Santa. Whilst many GPODers will be having a white Xmas, we expect 95F on Xmas day and thereafter temperatures up to 104F down here i.e. extremes in stresses on our garden plants in the northern and southern hemispheres at this time of the year. Cheers mate
Hey, Frank. Look what I saw a few weeks ago, see photo. It was really cool. There were 3 specimens, about 6 feet tall at the US Botannical Gardens in Washington, DC. I also had to include a picture of a really cool orchid.
Wow, 104 degrees for Christmas. While I prefer warmer temps, currently 16 degrees as I write this, I think I still like winter around the holidays. Merry Christmas.
G'day Kev. - Nice pick up with the Wollemi pines. They look really healthy, and its great to see the conservation program of this living fossil involving your neck of the woods. My pic. shows some specimens down at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Cranbourne near Melbourne. Gee that is an amazing orchid. Thanks for sharing. Cheers, Frank
I remember some early articles on the discovery of the grove of Wollemi Pine. It was relatively recent, wasn't it? I don't think I've ever seen a close photo like the one that Kevin posted. Very interesting.
Yes Tim the Wollemi pine was discovered in 1994 in a remote mountainous area not that far from Sydney. Fossils of Woolemi pine are up to 200 million years old i.e. a very primitive plant. It was able to survive ice ages because of little white balls called polar caps protecting the growing points over winter. See one on the main stem of this plant.
Fascinating and what a beautiful little tree. Thanks for the date. I knew it wasn't that long ago. Glad to see them in cultivation.
Wow. Love them.
Frank, those really are extreme temperatures. How about summer rainfall where you live? 104F and a dry garden are very different from 104F with ample rainfall. My recollection of your garden and property is that you have ample rainfall.
The whole Santa thing is rather amusing. I've always had a beard, but started to grow it out long a little over two years ago. I happened to be in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania really early in the process and while walking down the street, a very, very kind homeless man yelled out 'Hey, Santy Claus!". He was the first of many! :)
While we try to stay warm for Christmas, you stay cool!!
Hi Tim - We have a 32 inch p.a. rainfall and it is spread out evenly through the year. Our native plants have evolved in dry summer conditions and cope pretty well. The exotics are the problem. The roots of the big Eucalyptus trees take water out of the garden beds, and when the sandy loam dries out it becomes hydrophobic. I incorporate spent mushroom compost into the soil for the garden beds and mulch the beds with pine bark, but you cannot do that for 1 acre. Cheers, Frank
Thanks for the info, Frank. Although I could never be a natives-only advocate, your comments really highlight the need to be cautious about what we plant and what a good idea it is to utilize plants that like local conditions, whether or not they are native.
I enjoyed seeing your pictures, Tim. The hill looked very familiar. Lo and behold I searched my files and found a picture of your front garden from FGPOD from 2011! I had titled and saved the picture for inspiration "Cure for a hill". I miss the way they used to link any previous posts. It was fun to see the changes you have made even if it was a fall picture. :)
Thanks, Dee! Those were the days. Did you see the front hills in the print magazine? Issue 158, August 2014. The hills have evolved, but held up relatively well. I've had to reinforce the stone in some places because of gravity and frost-heaving, but it's been a great solution. Plus it really makes some neat microclimates for plants.
Wow! Not sure how I missed the article. I still had the magazine so I looked it up. Very good article!
Thanks! If you're not tired of me yet, here's a post on a friend's no-longer-updated blog that shows the east side of my front hills throughout the seasons in 2015. I actually like to go back to look at this to remind me what's what.
http://www.gardenygoodness.com/dailydose/2015/11/23/tims-garden-from-april-to-november
Well, a happy ho, ho ho to you, Tim, on this fine morning. I never thought Santa before about your bearded countenance but there is something going on there with the addition of the hat. That wispy pink chrysanthemum is simply amazing...reminds me of the blooms of the mimosa which is kind of a weed tree here in the south because it can reseed so easily. Gosh, is that agave hardy in your zone? I think I must look it up and find out right away. Your paver path looks great in the winter...adds the perfect touch of architectural interest. You must be forever pleased that you installed it...the sweat equity was well worth it.
Wishing you, your family and our gpod family a very Merry Christmas.
Thanks so much, Michaele and Merry Christmas to you and yours.
I must say I am very pleased with the brick path. Especially because it was such a convergence of good fortune: free bricks from a neighbor, a request from Lorraine for a path, and spare time in the winter in front of a computer!
The Agave is hardy and the pups have survived one winter. I have the mother plant in a container for safe keeping, though! I've found that winter wet seems to have been the undoing of most of my in-ground Agave attempts, so these are right next to the house in a rain-shadow. Fingers crossed! It can get to be a rather good sized Agave.
Mimosa trees are weedy here, too. As they bloom out, they remind me of the trees from the Lorax. I posted a photo of the cut blooms on our dining room table under a comment to Rhonda.
My goodness, Tim, I have never seen nor heard of that mum. Where did you get it? It is gorgeous!
https://www.kingsmums.com/
It's the only place that I've found that has a broad selection of all kinds of mums. If they were hardier and better garden performers I would definitely have many in the garden. I first discovered this type of mum (Thistle and Brush category) from Japanese blogs and websites and was thrilled to find that King's Mums sold some. Very unusual!
Oh Tim, such a cutie pie! When I meet people, they sing "help me Rhonda" like I've never heard that before! Your property is beautiful in all seasons, but I'll be looking for that heuchera in the spring! Do you worry about that beautiful blue container cracking with the freeze and thaw? I too, am mesmerized by that mum!
Ok, I have to admit that "Help me, Rhonda' does enter my head when I see that name! I have it on good authority from Sheila Schultz that the container will be fine outdoors! I have several that have made it through a winter or two. They are by Campania and are touted as frost-resistant. As an added measure, the interior perimeter has a layer of bubble wrap between the soil and the pot to allow some space during freezing and thawing. Another factor about which I read is making sure that containers subjected to freezing have openings that flare instead of turning in. The freezing soil expands and will push up on the rim and crack it.
My dining room table now has the last blooms of that Mum.
Thanks Tim, for the tips!
They say I'm full of it....or full of them...or something.
:)
Such a beautiful garden. You can tell a good garden by its bones and you have bones, baby! So many beautiful colors and textures and a hardscape that showcases it all. Merry!
Thanks, Kathy. I do wish I had put in more bones at the outset of most of my garden, but it has been fun trying to add them back it. It makes a difference, especially with my chaotic collecting tendencies!
"Yes Virginia, er, Ohio, There is a Santa...." Mornin', Tim. Time for a little break, that is what our winters are for...well, sort of, at least a slow down. Christine is still on me to get that 'Wisp of Pink' chrysanthemum..."yes dear, yes dear." Your garden still looks awesome with all the stones, begins to look quite alpine. And I know we go back and forth on this..but Snooooow! You already got some...lucky. I hope we get some this year.
Oh, and here's a handsome holiday update. Merry Christmas, buddy.
I probably shouldn't be the first in line to comment on your delightful sketch, David, but I'll be on the go, go, go track for the rest of the day so I just gotta' say WOW...you really nailed it. Agave and all!
Hahaha. Thanks, Michaele. Couldn't help myself. Merry Christmas.
You're killing me!
:)
It is nice to have break from gardening, to be sure. I'd just prefer to have that break and not worry about ice or scraping frost off my car in the morning!!
There are a couple of other Thistle and Brush mums on Kings Mum site. I might try another in the spring. Mine is a very gangly, rangey plant. I've been a little reluctant to keep it cut back during the season because it blooms so late. I bet you'd have a gorgeous plant with your milder weather.
And really, a talented artist and a talented gardener. Crazy.
Wow!!! I can't believe you drew this so quickly, David! You are definitely a man of many talents!
Hi Sheila. I actually did the sketch a few weeks ago, but when I saw Ol' St. Vojt, I made a quick modification. Thanks a bunch.
Wow. Most people don't pick up on the Saint part of my character. You are a super-sleuth.
You are one talented, funny man, David:)
Thanks, Linda
David, just got on the site after a brief peak this morning. Your drawing is amazing. When I saw it, I let out a very loud "Wow", which caused my wife to come running, wondering what was going on.
Thank you, Kevin.
Great photos as usual. Very nice combination of the tillandsia and ficus. The big gray tillandsia on the right with the crazy curly bottom leaves has a lot of character. There's a character in the second photo as well but I won't mention that. What type of lady slipper orchid is that in the photo?
You certainly find unique plants. Tried googling 'Wisp of Pink' mum and I got plenty of photos but little info. On the third page I found links to today's GPOD post and a post on another blog of your garden from last year!
I am going to have to look into that Agave harvardiana since it is allegedly hardy to zone 5.
Hey, Chris. That Paphiopedilum orchid is one I bought out of bloom for next to nothing, but I don't have a name. It has great leaves with purple spots when it is out of bloom. I've gotten two flowers in two years. I have another with a green flower that blooms about once a year as well. They seem easy to please.
Kings Mums in California seems to be the only place that sells a wide selection of mums anymore. Most don't seem very hardy, which is why I have this one containerized. I planted several cuttings out this past spring, so I'll see how it does over the winter. Mums tend to die for me during their second winter, which is odd.
I have high hopes for Agave havardiana. I've killed many hardy Agave in the garden, probably because it is too wet. If they are a little drought stricken when the cold sets in, they do better. These pups have survived one winter. They are right next to the south side of the house, so stay dry and benefit from the radiant heat.
So lovely and beautiful. I love the pink chrysanthemum. What zone is it hardy to? Also where in Ohio do you live? My daughter moved to Dayton last year, so I'm curious. Have not visited her yet however…
Hi Lily. I'm in Columbus. Dayton is not terribly far, but I've only ever driven by it on my way out of the state and haven't spent any time there. They have a nice little art museum that I would like to visit.
I'm not sure about the hardiness zone for the mum. I think most of the unusual mums are only hardy to zone 7; perhaps 6 with good drainage. I have some plants of this mum in the ground for the first time this year, so I'll see how it does. I've mentioned elsewhere here that I've had quite a few mums in the garden and they seem to survive their first winter but not their second. It puzzles me.
Thanks, Diane. It's hard for me to find plants that look good in early winter. It's fairly hopeless to find anything that looks good in Jan-Feb! I do love my limestone sphere. It was a fortuitous find at a stone yard. They had two and gave me a good price, but I regretfully only purchased one!
I do love the wooly Verbascum. We have a native one that is not very nice and it seems to seed around because I remove them. I've never had the really wooly one I've grown, V. bombyciferum, seed about.
This one is from seed I bought from someone in Greece, and they are not the species they said they were. I'll be anxious to see how they bloom next year, assuming they are hardy. The biggest problem I have with these wooly verbascum is that we have wool-carder bees that strip the blooming stalks of all of their fuzz, removing a lot of the charm.
Loved looking at these pictures of your amazing garden Tim. I have to share the picture of the Chrysanthemum 'Wisp of Pink' with my garden buddies...it is so unique! That Santa sure has a "twinkle" in his eye. :) Vikki in VA
Thanks, Vikki. That mum is so great that I give it lots of special treatment!
I don't think there's a twinkle in that Santa's eye; it's probably a brunch mimosa.....
:0
Ho, ho, ho!
Yay... a holiday post from my favorite plant collector with the awesome white beard! What a fine way to start this very busy day. Tim, I love seeing your gardens through the lens of your phone/camera no matter the season because around every stone lies another unique plant I have never imagined. Do you soar the skies in your sleigh to pick up your rare beauties? Do your reindeer relax in your 'back 40' in the off season when they are not guiding you around the world? So many questions...
All kidding aside, I'm crazy about the placement of your Adiantum venustum next to the stone sphere, opposites definitely attract! Then there is your front slope... I fell in love with it's beauty when I saw the FG article years ago. What I didn't understand then was that it is equally beautiful with or without your plants in bloom. I could go on and on but I'll restrain myself. Thanks for sending this special treat to GPOD... HoHoHo!
I don't know where your head is at, Sheila Schultz. Hitting the eggnog early today?
1. Using my sleigh to pick up personal plants would constitute a conflict of interest, according to a very, very important Claus in my contract.
2. Reindeer in the back 40? I don't have a back forty, plus everyone knows that when reindeer forage for lichen, they tromp through the garden and uproot tender and expensive plants. They are stabled for most of the year, which makes santaclausing a very, very expensive pursuit. That's why I've started a gofundme page to help pay for stable and feed throughout the year. You can to to reindeergamesinthestable.gofundme.com to contribute.
I promise I won't use the money to buy more plants.........
HoHoHo
Okay, you got the first snort of the day out of me and it wasn't of the 'high test' variety either, although that sounds like an excellent idea! I'll be checking out your gofundme page post Christmas bill paying... honest! ;)
Ho, ho, ho Santa Tim, your garden still looks good even after the recent harsh weather. That pink chrysanthemum is a stunner. Also, your Himalayan fern looks way healthier than mine considering that I'm sure your temps have been colder. Does it stay green all winter for you? Thanks for sharing and Happy Holidays!!
Hi Linda. It's getting colder and colder here. I know its normal here, but I'm not a fan! The fern stays fairly green all winter, depending on the severity of the cold. Sometimes there is winter burn. I've only had it about three years, I think....I'm sure there is genetic variability, but it is so much hardier than many sources suggest!
Happy Whidbey holidays!
Tim, what a unique Christmas tree. My hubby sports a white beard that, although not as long as yours, is almost as Santa-ish. Your garden is beautiful in the winter. The maidenhair fern with the limestone ball; the ‘Wisp of Pink’ chrysanthemum (gotta have; much nicer than a Mimosa tree); your rocky, sloped hill; and the Yucca spewing forth from the snow are all just lovely. Every time I think I have my landscape plan nailed down, ya’ll throw another plant or hardscape idea my way that I just have to find a place for. ‘God’s Little [½] Acre’ is getting quite full. Having grown up on a farm in rural South Georgia, verbascum, as lovely as yours is, is one of those plants that trigger memories of the tobacco we grew and in whose fields I spent a lot of long, hot, hardworking summer days. We went thru the fields prior to harvest time and hand cut, called topping, the flower spikes off each individual plant,… 20, 30, 40+ acres of them so the plant energy was spent on leaves & not flowers. Not an act I want to repeat or remember. In the past, I could never get orchids to re-bloom because of low light conditions; so, I treated them like cut flowers. In my new home I am enjoying repeat blooms and will have to give the Paphiopedilum orchid a try. Wishing you a jolly, holly Christmas, Santa Tim!
Thanks, Sonya. The internet is very hard on my budget. GPOD and other sources constantly expose me to new plant and new ideas. Other than time and budget constraints, my fickle gardening-nature allows me to quickly tire of a plant if it doesn't perfom well, so a quick pull and Voila: room for a new plant!
I never knew about the Tobacco topping. Fascinating. I grew up in Iowa and the big summer job was roguing soy beans (hand pulling large weeds) and de-tassling corn to control hybridization/pollination. I never did it and it was hot, hard work. I can truly imaging why you don't wish to remember or repeat topping!
My wife likes to treat grocery store orchids like cut flowers. I am finally learning to let them go instead of trying to save and re-bloom each and every one!
Holly Jolly to you and yours.
Lovely. I confess to being really fond of the garden in winter, and these pictures are just right, and especially the pink chrysanthemum. Thanks.
Thanks, Edith and it's a lovely confession. A garden can be so lovely in winter, especially if there is snow, evergreens or hardscape. I think part of my problem is actually being at work during most of the daylight hours! I'm trying to consider views from windows now, thinking about winter interest.
What a handsome Santa! Love the yucca in the snow, the mum, etc. but the thing that blew me away was the Paphiopedilum hiding in the foliage. It is gorgeous! Love all the discourse and the extra pictures.
Thanks, Shirley. The hidden orchid is my wife's touch. "There's too much stuff!" quoth she. I do rather like the mash up!
May I respectfully disagree - there is no such thing as too many plants! That gentian is absolutely gorgeous! And I think maybe the reason yucca do not do too well here in the PNW is the amount of rain in the winter. I keep losing prairie plants that don't like their feet wet all winter, but they are so pretty I plant them again with better drainage and hope.
Well, we definitely think alike! I do prefer crowding of plants outdoors as opposed to in, however. We have plenty of moisture over the winter, but with our freezing temperatures, it's an entirely different situation. But trying again and again, and changing conditions is really part of the fun of gardening-at least when it does not involve super-pricey plants that one kills over and over. Been there-done that!
Being enamored with rocks as I am I love your rock quarry on your front bank. As all of the hidden plants have gone to sleep for the winter it is fun to imagine how they will all burst out with the first warmth - and I do remember how full and beautiful that garden becomes. And I have always swooned over your brick path. It is exquisite! Lovely and oh so interesting photos Tim - including the 'Santa' man, very cute. A very ho-ho-ho Christmas to you and your family
Thanks so much, Linda, and my best to you and yours!!
I'm trying to imagine how it will burst forth in spring to keep me warm over the next few months!
Fabulous exotica, Tim .,. A such a charming Santa you are !
Aww, thanks. It's not often I'm called charming!
:)
Really loving on the pink mum
She gets lots of care lavished on her pink puffs!
The Santa must be real! He looks much better that the store Santa.
Love your pictures Tim.
Thanks so much, Catherine. I try to keep a sense of humor! :)
Ho, Ho, Ho, Tim. Merry Christmas to you. Sorry to pop on so late. I saw your photos in the morning, but only had a couple of minutes before going to work, and I wanted to post the Wollemi pine photo for Frank.
Always impressed by your garden pictures. You have expanded my horizon for plant lust, especially with zone pushing plants. Well done.
You certainly would make a great Santa. Have you made your "Naughty and Nice" list of GPOD posters. I will be checking out my stocking after your big night. If I find a Picea glauca 'Conica', then I know I was on the naughty list.
I did not realize the West front hill had so many rocks, even after revisiting the Taming a Slippery Slope article. They serve as great companions to many specialty plants you want to highlight.
As always, you have added to my must have list for next year. Love the Yucca linearifolia. I thought it would be too tender to overwinter. Looks great with the snow. You have me drooling over the adiantum venustum. I have a few other Adiantum's and just love the shade of green with their delicate texture. The Gentiana scabra is really cool, even with its dormant foliage. Do you have a photo in bloom?
I know everyone raved over C. 'Wisp of Pink'. I generally do not like Chrysanthemums, because I am not a fan of the foliage, but this plant is a knockout. Thanks for providing the link.
Have a restful and fun Holiday season.
Thanks for your nice comments, Kevin. I have not made my naughty-and-nice list, although I'm sure it would be easy with all of the GPOD plant lust tipping the scales to 'naughty'.
When I go back and look at photos of the front hills right after I finished them, I find I miss the stones' prominence. I have scaled back some of the plantings, but another issue is lichen. It's tending to give the stones a uniform texture and removing some of the differences for which the stones were chosen. I love the lichen and texture, but it is definitely something I did not anticipate.
This yucca seems to do fine here, although it gets some burn. It pumps out new foliage pretty quickly over the summer, however. Someone in PNW told me they were unable to keep it alive, though. Not sure why.
I'm with you on Chrysanthemum foliage. I'm the same way, only more extreme, with asters. I really think asters and goldenrod are super weedy-probably because they grew as weeds and covered fields where I grew up in Iowa.
Below are two more photos of Gentiana scabra; one from Nov 15 and the other from Nov 21. The flowers open when it is warm and bright and close when cold and gloomy. Truth be told, the plant is smaller than when I planted it summer before last and I thought I had lost it this past spring. I'm so glad it survived because it has simply slayed me with its performance this year.
Happy Holidays to you, too.
Tim!
LOVE your Centrepiece!! Tillandsias. variegated FIcus, a stately Paph and ornamentation to scale. Kinda traditional and kinda edgy!! NICE!
It looks like you may be training the Ficus into a bonsai? Wonderful and exciting architecture going on there!!
And, like others, LOVE the stonework in the front garden! Do you collect them as do I, or must you purchase by the pound/pallet? Either way, I think the way you/ve pulled off a tumbled and aged alluvial slope is masterful! Quite the difference from your Summer scenes, but still eye catching and colourful during the dark time of the Year!!!
We also grow Verbascum here, or more correctly we let them volunteer and prosper here!! While most folk here on the edge of the Great Plains consider them weeds, we love their unique statement! jesse
Hi Jesse! Thanks for your kind comments.
I never call the ficus a bonsai because I'm not very technical about it, but I've had it for 27 years and have upsized the container once. I just did a good hacking back a few days after I took the picture. It's a really fun place to hold my Tillandsia collection.
Most of the stones on the front hill were collected over a period of years at construction sites around town. They are glacial erratics, that turn up during excavations. I've purchased a few choice or large stones.
I edit out the native Verbascum here because they aren't terribly showing and Verbascum are notoriously promiscuous....although most of mine seem quite celibate and do not set seed.
Looks like Santa is really happy and has a perfect winter garden in Ohio! Ho-ho-ho. That Santa selfie of yours is truly priceless Tim! I'm still in love with that garden pathway of yours. You have some of the coolest plant specimens I've seen. I'll never be cured of plantlust being around you (nor Jeff, Sheila, Jeanne, etc.). Wishing you and yours the best that the holiday season brings!
Thanks, Cherry. The wishes and feelings are mutual. Whether plants in your garden, in your containers, or photos from your nursery visit; they all incite plant lust!
I'm looking forward to a long weekend and some warmer weather, to get out and at least survey what's going on in the garden.
Just went back to review your pics, Tim. Simply marvelous! Just love your compositions and the plants you chose to be in them. The Cyclamen pic and the Gentiana were particularly striking to me but then, I also love your use of big and small rocks! Again, simply marvelous!
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