Garden Photo of the Day

Winter has arrived in Jeanne’s Washington garden

Today's photos are from our good friend Jeanne Cronce out in Port Orchard, Washington. (Previous posts HERE.) Jeanne says, "It has been so cold here, 20's at night and lower 30's during the days. We had a light dusting of snow and with all of this it has helped me to see the "bones" of the gardens. So I thought I would share some pictures that might encourage us to look at the garden while other perennials and deciduous trees are asleep. Evergreens make a wonderful anchor for the garden. They give wonderful texture and green color, which really is more of a backdrop in summer for all the beautiful colors of flowers and leaves of other plants. There could also be boulders, stumps, arches, and fences that help hold our gardens together. It is a lot of fun year-round with gardening. Brrrrr…" Beautiful, Jeanne! I'd love to see more winter pics from everyone–send them in!

SEND ME PICS OF YOUR GARDEN, OR A GARDEN YOU'VE VISITED! Email me at [email protected]. Thanks! –Michelle

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  1. Nurserynotnordstroms 12/04/2014

    Jeanne your gardens are lovely striped naked(except a layer of snow) I love winter and enjoying the structural elements of gardens and yours is certainly beautiful. Our snow and then freeze has really made it difficult to get the rest if the leaves cleaned up they are frozen in place. It has been really pretty with the sun shining on the snowy gardens though. Enjoy Winter

    1. greengenes 12/04/2014

      Hi Nurserynotnordstrom... thanks for the comment. The snow does give the gardens a sort of beauty all its own. To me it speaks of rest because there isn't much going on. Now if only I would rest! But I had gotten behind with the leaves and trimmings and they are frozen in a pile on the lawn so maybe today I will be able to get them up. Yes, hasn't the sun and blue sky been so beautiful lately! I love it when it is like that! But it looks like we are in for more rain soon! Happy winter to you!

  2. perenniallycrazy 12/04/2014

    Winter really highly the structural beauty and architectural forms in the garden, and boy Jean, your garden surely has lots of it! Yours is truly a garden of 4 seasons.

    1. greengenes 12/04/2014

      Thanks Perennially Crazy, Yes, there is something going year round here. That would of made a nice name for our place," The Four Seasons Gardens", ha ha! I have been looking at "corten" metal which has wonderful rusty colors when left untreated and then you can seal it. It would be so wonderful to have some art out of that planted around! We will see what happens with that next year! Have a great winter!

  3. User avater
    meander_michaele 12/04/2014

    Very lovely, Jeanne...your photos even stirred up a little snow envy in me. I felt a smile come on when I saw your signature purple color show up...it looks great as an accent whether its surrounded by green or white. Is this cold snap and accompanying snow this time of year early for you?

    1. greengenes 12/04/2014

      Hi Meander1, thanks for the comments. This cold snap is about right for timing I suppose. This happened last year and then it was just wet and warmer the rest of the winter. But we will see what we get this year. Sometimes it surprises us! We really need the cold to kill bugs and slugs! Plus it is pretty when it does snow. We have had clear blue skies though with the cold and it has been beautiful. Well have a wonderful winter!

  4. User avater
    Tim_Zone_Denial_Vojt 12/04/2014

    Your garden has some great bones, Jeanne! Really love the gracefully arching bamboo. It looks so shy and elegant.

    1. greengenes 12/04/2014

      Thanks Tim. Yes, the bamboo is a graceful grass. The wind blows and they make a nice rustling sound too. This fall since it has been so cold I have seen the humming birds coming out of the deep part of the bamboo where there is dead leaves. I think they must be sleeping in there for the night. It quite a little rustling noise they make! Have a great winter, Tim.

  5. GrannyMay 12/04/2014

    Always love your garden, Jeanne, in all seasons! Echoing Tim, great bones! Among other beauties that you grow, that bamboo never fails to draw me in - what kind is it? Do you have to restrict its roots? Does it get damaged by our occasional heavy wet snows?

    Your ingenious structures have just given me an idea of how to deal with an ugly eyesore post that is propping up a leaning Eucalyptus tree. What do you grow up the green post-and-hardware-cloth structures?

    1. greengenes 12/04/2014

      Hi GrannyMay, Well the bamboo is a "golden bamboo". This has never spread for years. But we had taken a small section out and moved it to another spot and within three years it had started to spread quite fast into the outer garden so we had to get a 3ft barrier and put in around it. But this clump in the picture seems to stay put! At least for now. Its about 30 years old. The heavy snow seems to not hurt it much. The branches bend from the weight and then spring back up when it falls off. I do go out and shake off the deep heavy snow if it happens here, which we haven't received for a few years. Those two green posts have clematis vines on them. This next season they will grow better as they were just planted this last spring. So you have an eucalyptus tree! Awsome! I have tried to grow those and they have always died back to the ground. I so enjoy the smell and color they have! Have a great winter May!

      1. GrannyMay 12/04/2014

        Thanks Jeanne. I'll have to see if I dare add the golden bamboo, but I'll read up on it first.

        My Eucalyptus is the only survivor of many I have tried. Unfortunately, it leans more and more every year and there is nothing in the right place behind it to try to pull it upright with. Back in February (2014) we had 2 days of heavy wet snow that did a lot of damage in my garden, in spite of my efforts to shake or knock the snow off the most vulnerable plants. The Eucalyptus almost fell over with the weight. Since then I have removed a lot of branches and have propped it up to prevent a mishap this winter. I hope!!

        1. greengenes 12/04/2014

          Looks like you have gotten a lot of snow! That is a beautiful eucalyptus tree! Great size. Too bad there isn't anything you can use to pull it upright with. Hm... I will think about that for awhile what you could do... I know we have placed steel t posts deep in the ground and then pulled up the tree to the upright pose and tied it to the post. They do make 8ft posts and then you can drive it into the ground quite a ways. But your tree looks pretty big. Sound like it might be a group effort On this one! Well have a good day, May. Iam going out to clean up leaves...

  6. GrannyCC 12/04/2014

    Interesting to look at the structure of the garden at this time of year. Yours has good bones as several have said!! We too on Vancouver Island have have had a dusting of snow and cold weather. When the sun comes out it is beautiful.

    1. greengenes 12/04/2014

      Oh iam sure your place is beautiful in the snow, GrannyCC! You all up there seem to get more of it than us here near Seattle. I recently purchased a book called," Pacific Northwest Garden Tour" and it showed some gardens on Vancouver Island. Someday I would like to spend some time up there and explore around! It is so beautiful up there! Have a peaceful winter!

  7. sheila_schultz 12/04/2014

    It's the bones of our gardens that set the tone for all 4 seasons and you've got a darn good skeletal system going Jeanne! Your bamboo is quite dramatic, actually my first thought was that it was a cedar. Geez, even your grass looks good!
    I think I need to work on my 'winter' needs list...

    1. greengenes 12/04/2014

      Thanks Sheila! Yes, I have those lists too! Now is a good time to see new aspects of the garden.I see plants that I want and need to move or divide. Its so fun year round! Books and magazines hold me over in the evenings or rainy days outside. And now we have the blog to immerse ourselves into! Have a good winter, Sheila!

      1. sheila_schultz 12/04/2014

        I do enjoy winter, having the time to actually dream and plan for next year is fun. You have a good winter, too!

  8. schatzi 12/04/2014

    Hello again, Jeanne. Great pictures! We had an inch of snow here at Lake Tapps too, and it never completely melted away until today, when it stayed in the 30s overnight. Very pretty, very cold. But gorgeous blue sky and plenty of sun for my solar collectors - yes! I also enjoy devouring plant catalogs and planning further gardening adventures this time of year, but I also need flowers in the house to keep me going thru the gray we have so much of in the winter. You have a lovely garden - great structure. I hope to copy your idea for the clematis poles - I really like that. I had a beautiful black bamboo for 10-15 years, until it decided to take over the neighborhood. I finally removed it. But I still find starts. It is persistent. Enjoy the winter. And keep thinking about the F&GS folks. A meet-up would be great fun.

    1. greengenes 12/04/2014

      Hi Shirley! Solar collectors, huh? I sure would like to have that for our 16x 24ft greenhouse! Cha ching! So your need for flowers in the house... do you have any orchids? They are such a wonderful houseplant to grow. Their blooms seem to last for months! Do you do flower arranging? That's always a fun thing to do. Sounds like we are set for the winter! That's amazing that you are still finding starts from the black bamboo! Pot them up! We grew a black bamboo in a huge pot for awhile but it needed to get out and we planted it in the ground with a barrier around it. It has gotten huge. They are always green and beautiful. Its probably my favorite grass!
      I would love to meet up with you and others. It looks like there will be a fine gardening blog show on the first day of the F&GS at three oclock. Maybe we can all meet then and go for a bite to eat somewhere afterwards?

  9. Meelianthus 12/04/2014

    Hi Jeanne ~ Yes, hasn't it been so very cold here in the PNW and so early for us to have snow. I just wish it would snow during the day as half the beauty of snow is watching it fall. Your sights are wonderful, a real wonderland. Makes things stand out in such a different manner than other seasons. Beautiful Jeanne!

    1. greengenes 12/04/2014

      Hi Linda! So you probably received more snow than us. I heard about the wind storm up there. Yes, it is nice when it is snowing during the daytime and to go and walk around in it. It gets amazingly quiet out. I love that! Thanks for the comments Linda and we will get together soon! happy winter!

      1. Meelianthus 12/05/2014

        Yes, we had quite the wind storm which always scares me as I hope those giant firs stay firmly planted in the ground ! I think we had about an inch of snow and it is almost gone now with the warm up. I will email you Jeanne.

  10. NCYarden 12/04/2014

    Aw man, snow already. So lucky, and I'm jealous. I love snow, but it's so hit or miss here. Loving the winter wonderland. It's amazing how a even a little frosting can really alter the look of the garden. How bare limbs can bear new appeal. It all looks beautiful, Jeanne.Thanks for sharing.

    1. greengenes 12/04/2014

      Hi NC Yarden... Don't you over there in NC is it?, get a lot of snow? We don't get that musch usually. Its nice if it stays around two days then when we have to drive...yuk....I don't drive. There is so much to keep me busy around here.

  11. schatzi 12/04/2014

    Thanks for your reply, Jeanne. Our solar consists of 34 solar voltaic collectors that put energy into the grid, as well as supplying some of our own needs. Love it! We had it installed some years back when we received an inheritance and so did not have to finance it. Orchids - yes, cymbidiums and phalenopsis. Also African violets and their cousins, and this time of year, the gorgeous amaryllis. They are so much fun to grow and have such glorious blooms. And I love to arrange flowers. The black bamboo is in an area that is very heavy with drain rock, so it is quite difficult to dig up the starts, but I keep trying. As for the first day of the F&GS meet-up, I'm in! Sounds great! Come one, come all!
    Oh, and then there is my attached greenhouse, where I have many colors of zygo cactus - red, pink, white, orange, and soon, I hope, yellow; many specimens of orchid cactus, which are neither orchid or cactus, but have glorious blooms in red, pink, white, yellow...and some of the summer pots that I moved in to over-winter are still blooming. Color! I need color! To give you an idea, my living room carpet is grass green - I call it my indoor lawn. Happy days, everyone.

    1. greengenes 12/04/2014

      Oh it all sounds so nice, especially your "lawn!"

  12. Cenepk10 12/06/2014

    These Pacific Northwest gardens are making me jealous...Even when they are " sleeping". Sigh.

  13. thevioletfern 12/06/2014

    Beautiful - so peaceful. You have a wonderful mix of evergreens, shrubs, grasses and structures. Even though I've added dogwoods, grasses and evergreens to my own garden for winter interest, I seem to appreciate this more from Florida and not zone 4.

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