From beige blahs to winter beauty ahhhhs
I'm on a quest to find some beauty in my garden as the plain old beige blahs are everywhere at this time of year. Quite frankly with a quick glance my garden doesn't look pretty at all.........though a lot of that is down to me having the garden more 'wildlife friendly' rather than 'viewer friendly' during the winter months. There isn't the impact from a distance that many winter gardens display but on closer inspection as I walk around the front and back gardens there are a few winter beauties to be found.
I can really appreciate the silver penny translucent orbs from the Lunaria annua (Honesty) seed heads dancing in the winter sunlight.
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| Honesty |
The exfoliating layers of cinnamon peel off the bark from the young Acer griseum (Paperbark Maple).
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| Paperbark Maple |
While not far from the Acer grows the Carlina acaulis (Dwarf Carline Thistle - a native). It looks very blah but with a touch of frost those seed heads transform into something very pretty under the inspection of a macro lens.
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| Carline Thistle |
The twists and turns from the Corylus avellana 'Contorta' (Harry Lauders Walking Stick) stems never ceases to amaze me with its showy male catkins and tiny pink female flowers at the base of the catkin. As the plant is grafted the odd straight stem from the 'avellana' root stock needs pruning out every now and then.
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| Harry Lauders Walking Stick catkins with a tiny pink female flower |
The Euonymus alatus 'Compacta' (Winged Spindle Tree) even gives winter interest in its deciduous state with its corky ridges on the stems.
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| Winged Spindle Tree |
And finally to warm you up there's a blaze of fiery stems from the aptly named Cornus sanguinea 'Midwinter Fire" (Winter Beauty Dogwood).
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| Dogwood |
Complimenting these are some evergreen conifers and soon to join them a host of understudies like Crocus and Primroses though I don't think they'll be in much of a hurry as winter has awakened here with a vengeance............brrrrrrrrh!
Interested in this topic? You might enjoy another article I’ve written called
"Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse." Romans 1:20
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13 comments:
You certainly managed to find some winter beauties in your garden. Lovely shots.
HI Sophie: I love it you are capturing nature at its finest.
Have a great day,
John
Brrrr! Hi Rosie, i can feel the cold from your post. What is beautiful with blogposts is that we can look at isolated scenes and not the wide angle ones, and the camera can produce wonderful works of art if the eyes of the holder are very artistic. Now i look at your photos looking for leading lines and ROT! I still am amazed with your f1.4, haha.
[re-your question. Most flowers including Tillandsias' fade through time till dehiscence. T cyanea (in my office before turn light pink from purple). Other flowers even become white, off white or purple. Those are the characteristics of carotenoids. Maybe sunlight can affect the rate of change but not much, as it is really in their characteristics.
Beautiful images of winter interest, so often overlooked. The detail is amazing.
Love your header! All the pictures are so pretty, and it's almost like seeing the year at a glance. You have some very pretty winter plants. I really want a Harry Lauder's Walking Stick! I need to write that down so I don't forget!
What beautiful winter textures ans macro pictures. I love all of the details in the closeups. Gorgeous pictures!
I think the first photo is my favorite.
I am particularly drawn to the warm colours of that lovely Paperbark Maple, Rosie! Your photography is truly stunning - and I always enjoy your commentaries! We were very struck last months with how many Plane trees there were in Philadelphia ... and also on Liberty Island, NY.
Such beautiful photos with such good detail. Love the contrasts of the plant material.
Love how you searched and discovered beauty deep within a dreary covering! It's been a weird winter here... Hardly any frost or snow to dress up the winter browns. But that's ok, cause spring is coming! :)
Have a blessed day, sweet friend!
When I go to your blog I am always enchanted with your photos!
The perfection of detail leaves me breathless!
The pictures are beautiful and re-evaluate a season often overlooked!
A hug!
Titty
Honesty is one of those plants that really works hard for a living. Perhaps even more beautiful at this time of the year than when it is in flower. The bark on your maple is glorious Rosie. I was having a struggle yesterday to pull out some cornus where it had rooted and was sending out stems onto the pathway :)
There is always something wonderful to find in Creation if we take the time to look closely, isn't there? Thank you for highlighting this so beautifully.
If you liked this article I encourage you to retweet, share and + 1. Now it’s your turn - Share some of your own experiences in the comments and I'll catch up with you over the next few days !
Rosie