January Garden Colour

Putting my fingers where my mouth is :D



Winter aconite - comes as a corm, a hard wizened woody thing. Best planted in the early autumn in a partial moist shady area under trees. Pretty little thing.



Erica - often sold as winter flowering heather, but it is not a true heather (calluna)and is not as lime hating. Comes in a range of leaf and flower colour - and indeed size and is in leaf 12/12. Plant in container or ground in the autumn but I would use or add ericacious compost to give it a good start. Will tolerate light to partial shade Great food for bumble bees that show their faces on any mild day.

Thats my January starter, February in the next day or so.

[ 06. September 2005, 08:46 PM: Message edited by: Fran ]

 

Hi Fran,
Great pictures,i love the yellow and green flower! i'm going to enjoy this section..having only just started this summer, i'd love to see whats available certain times of the year!
Gillx

 

Marley - hellebores I love, and Dahne - is that oderatum (? spelling).

Can you give a bit more of a description things like size, and how to plant etc. Especially the oderatum, as I think I have managed to kill the one I bought from Anglesey Abbey and planted late spring.

 

Great pictures Fran and what a good idea to do this especially for those of us who have nothing out in January (except berries). I'll look through my pictures to see if I have any pictures of my garden taken in January.
I start my open garden programme in early February and the only flowers out in that particular garden are aconites and snowdrops. It's a large estate and there are masses of different varieties so it's well worth seeing.

 

Here are two pictures first one of my garden with the red crabapples and the second of the garden which opens for our charity in January with the snowdrops

 

Lovely pictures Petal - colour is definitly not absent in the winter.

 

Marley that was brilliant - helpful to me and any new gardener. Thank you very much. Nice to hear I got it right when planting my Daphne but sadly between planting, when it was in flower, and now - the flowers dropped and no leaves appeared. Gonna leave it til next year before a I declare it a non survivor.

I shall look forward to seeing your pictures in January colour

 

Lovely - hellebores have such a range, and that picture demonstrates it - I really must have more of them

Thanks for sharing

 

Thought it was about time to give 'January' a bump :D

Not in a garden but I'm giving a plug to our local parks and gardens (always good for inspiration ) These were taken on Sunday 15th. Jan 06 at Pittencrief Park, Dunfermline.

Mahonia (I think it's 'Charity'). Provides a lovely splash of early colour. Most varieties have a good scent so if buying get them when they are in flower. On average will reach a 4ft high x 4ft. spread

Hardy perennial, tough as old boots, evergreen with a holly type leaf and reasonably tollerant of most soils providing it's not too chalky (they are related to Berberis). Follows up with bunches of blackcurrant sized purple berries covered with a yeast bloom. Very tannic but are edible (no problem with kids or pets) and a few can be used to add colour and bite to otherwise insipid home brewed wine musts providing you get there before the birds. Doesn't like to be moved when established but can be propagated by layering, cuttings or even seed if you are patient, but it's probably easier to search for self-set seedlings round the bush or nearby trees and fences.



I also found this shrub in bloom but I don't know what it is. Not much scent and was growing to about 6 ft high

 

At a guess thats Viburnum Tinus - can grow into a monster (I have one that has ) but will take brutal hacking - being careful to leave it till after flowering. Flowers from December onwards, followed by small black fruit. Tough as old boots, and tolerant of sun and shade.

Thanks Frogescue - I will add some more for this month in a week - hopefully. Hopefully Marley will post her hellebores but as a taster from Anglesey



[ 17. January 2006, 05:35 PM: Message edited by: Fran ]

 

Thanks Fran - That's the one! I had thought of Vibernum but gave up before I got to the 'T's :D

Edit: I've never been a fan of helibores (aka Christmas or Easter Rose) but you could convert me, some of them are gorgeous!

[ 17. January 2006, 05:49 PM: Message edited by: frogesque ]