January 2012

It has been a mild winter up until the first week of this month, with the temperatures plunging into the low 20's for a few nights.  This killed off the foliage of the few remaining herbaceous perennials.  But some other specimens are holding their own, such as the Viburnum Alleghany bush, seen on the left.  This bush was severely damaged last year in a similar sudden drop in temperature, with large sections killed in spite of its hardy nature.  So, the few surviving old sections are blooming, even though the new suckers have not gotten mature enough to do the same.

Some plants, like the Sedum 'Angelina' that grows beneath the Inkberry hedge along the road, resist the cold.  This particular spot is protected enough that the intensity of the chartreuse color has not shifted.  I have no idea where that beech leaf could have come from, since there are none in the immediate area.  At the top right you can see how the zoysia grass has faded into its tawny color for the winter.  While many people dislike this characteristic of zoysia grass to shift from green to brown in the winter, I rather like the way it changes everything.  For four or so months green is not the dominant color, and anything that is green, such as the Sedum, becomes more noticed.  Last weekend with the full moon, the lighter straw color of the grass seemed to shimmer in the moonlight.  That would not have been true if it were still green.

The thyme that grows in some of the narrower sections between the paths of the labyrinth is also looking very strong and healthy in the softer winter sun.  I love the way the reddish lavender highlights appear in the cold weather.  I haven't figured out what causes some of the stems to have it, while others don't, but the variegation provides a subtle bit of warmth to the patch.  This year I hope to find and plant some more varieties of thyme into these different sections in addition to this one and the lemon thyme next to it.  They enjoy the long hours of hot sunshine, can survive being run over by the mower wheels or even chopped off by the blade if they get too tall.  As one of the few plants avoided by deer, who seem to avoid many of the herbs, thyme would also help protect the bulbs planted underneath.  Sad to say the deer have been nibbling at the tops of the daffodils and other bulb leaves that are supposed to be deer proof!  So, a disguising layer of thyme may be in order another year.

On the other side, at the edge of the parking pad, the Magnolia 'Little Gem' has recovered very well from last winter's destruction by heavy snows.  There has been vigorous new growth throughout, from near the ground and all the way to the top.  It has been spoiled this summer because we could not get the faucet to completely close, so there was a constant drip of water over its roots.  Once we spent the three hundred dollars to get a plumber out to fix the faucet, it will have to keep going on its own.  It was even spared losing branches for holiday decorations, but that means all the more for next year. 

There are more pictures to come, but they will have to wait for another day.