Garden

[Lilysmom]

Hello everyone.  Once our winter starts, I don't visit here as much as I do in the summer.  I am posting a photo of our nativity scene, one while under construction and a completed one in the snow.  The star throws a beautiful light at night and a spotlight frames the manger.

The figures in this scene are concrete.  Shortly after we put it up, the baby was taken.  I posted in our community FB page for neighbors to keep an eye out in their ditches etc.  It still has not been found.  Our neighbors have two little girls.  They came and put their favorite doll, all wrapped in swaddling clothing, in the manger.  It was the only doll they hadn't donated. Isn't that a heartwarming story?  Certainly in keeping with the giving season.

I will take a walk through the trail below our development in the spring.  I am hoping to find it there.

Merry Christmas everyone.  Thank you for sharing your beautiful garden photos and advice over the years.  This is one of my favorite places to visit.

My best Christmas gift came last week.  My cast is off and my broken foot is feeling very good!!!  LM

[meallen616]

The best of health for 2017!

[Sweetbay magnolia]

Oh how lovely.  And how crushing to have theft.  What a nice ending to the story, though.

Merry Christmas and best wishes for good health, and continued healing to the foot.  As we say, Hope Springs Eternal for the Gardener.

[ValuSkr]

Enjoy a break from your beautiful gardens - but I know you'll be planning for next year!.  I hope your hellebores blossom on schedule!  

 I love the manger scene with snow - so calm and peaceful.

[Kachina624]

So beautiful in the snow.   Snow is like icing on a cake,  it makes anything look better,  covers flaws and warts. 

We had a tiny skiff of snow this morning.   My pup Misty,  who came from AC in El Paso,  went racing out the dog door,  whoa....  put on the brakes and tip-toed out to see what it was.   First thing she did was lick it. 

[Lilysmom]

@Kachina624, the snow does make all the difference.  The kids come every  year for a nativity visit.  We didn't go all out inside this year because of my broken foot but the Bliss lights and the Manger scene are always on at our house over Christmas.

Aren't the dogs funny in the snow?  Our Lab loves winter.  She is always rubbing her belly on the ice.  Makes me shiver but she loves it.  She would swim 12 months a year if the ice didn't stop her.  LM

[Lilysmom]

@ValuSkr, I do enjoy the rest from the garden in the winter.  I could never do all of the gardens 12 months a year.  I will have a bigger clean up job in the Spring as I didn't get all the leaves before I had my cast on.  You know those late falling oak leaves?  Yes, they will still be there in April lol.  LM

[Lilysmom]

@Sweetbay magnolia, the gift of the doll made up for the disappointment of the loss of baby Jesus.  I am hoping someone will put him back Christmas Eve.  Ever the optimist here.  Merry Christmas!  LM

[JustJazzmom]

So glad your cast is off! @Lilysmom. Now life can be 'normal' again.

No snow here yet that is actually sticking in place. One snowball sized mound left from last week's bluster. 

Winter is the time time to sit back, watch the bird feeders -- 2 nuthatches came by this AM, and to do any research on plants you might want to plant in the spring, or do plans for stuff to move in spring.

I plan on dividing a wild (from my MILs former home) lady fern in two. This division will go where I have a store bought lady fern. The leaves do not match for some reason! It's not a mislabeled plant either.

I have a lady fern from a large nursery which just got sold (goodbye Martin Viette) to another buyer that I plan to divide and put under my magnolia tree.  I lost another Carex 'Evergold' for some reason this year so need to fill in those 2 spots. I have 1 left of the 3 planted originally.

I also intend to switch places with 2 peonies -- the ITOH is in the back row and I want to move it to the front row so it can be seen better. The herbaceous peony will go in the back row. This will be done after the ITOH flowers in spring. 

If my wascally wabbit comes back, I will need to put wire fencing around my Asiatic lilies this year when they emerge. I have the wiring, just need to cut to proper size and install around each group. 

I also did a short project for the Extension, gathering some info on clematis we grow on the arbors so adequate signage with thumbnail info on each one is on it, including a photo of the flower(s). Another Master Gardener is creating the signs.

[Kachina624]

Love your poinsettia avatar,  @JustJazzmom.