HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

 Out with old, and in with the new.

Here's wishing you all, a wonderful, healthy and happy 2010.

Happy New Year!

A Few of My Favorite Things

Ah...Christmas is over.  The decorations are still up.  We've just been sitting back and enjoying the days.

Among the great haul of gifts I got for Christmas....my favorite cologne, fuzzy warm slipper socks, the annual artwork calendar, grandchild artwork, a jigsaw puzzle of deer (very funny)....and, of course...things for the garden.

A package of three really nice seed balls, to feed the birds....and, hopefully NOT the squirrels.

A birdhouse, made from a gourd.

A large, Talavera pottery wall pocket.

This very pretty wind chime.  No matter how I tried, I couldn't get a photo to do it justice.

It has a lot of chimes, but has a soft music to it.  Maybe the sound garden elves would make.

And, speaking of garden elves....they have a place to hang out.  These concrete mushrooms.

Now, if those garden elves would come and dig the beds I need done.   

So...what did you get for the garden?

Merry Christmas

Foliage Follow-Up

Fox Tail? Fern

Last month, Pam at Digging asked us to show our foliage the day after Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, in a Foliage Follow-Up.  Here, at Patchwork Garden, there are few blooms, but lots of foliage.

Some foliage is in sad shape, since the several freezes and frosts, we've had the past few weeks.  One, was a recording setting hard freeze.  Something we didn't expect here in Central Texas, this early in the season.  But, there are plants that just hang in there, no matter what the weather does.

We have several Eleagnus bushes, along the side of the house.  They're on the sunniest side, and came through the hot, dry summer quite well....and, as you can see, the cold, as well.

Nandina, sometimes known as Heavenly Bamboo, is considered an invasive plant here.  And, it can be.  I might not have planted these, myself.  But, they were here when we came.  And, the deer leave them alone.

I actually like the look of them.  They are evergreen, have good fall color..if they get more sun than mine do..and those great, red berries.  So, ours will stay.

There is one of these, in the front bed.  We've decided it's some kind of Viburnum.  There were tiny, white flowers in the spring..now, there are these tiny mauve berries.  Not, showy, but pretty.  It was here when we got here, too.  Along with a boxwood hedge.  Things I wouldn't have put there, but...the deer don't eat them.  And, they've been here quite a while.  So, they'll have to stay.

Another good plant in deer country, is Lamb's Ear.  They don't like the fuzzy texture.  They don't like gray plants much.

Like Dusty Miller.  There will be more of these plants, scattered around the gardens, outside the fenced area.  They're nice, and as deer proof as it gets.

Asparagus Fern is another one the deer don't bother.  I like the way these put on little red berries.  The picture at the top of the post is supposed to be Fox Tail Fern.  I don't think it is.  But, the deer leave it alone, anyway.

Sago Palms are all over the neighborhood.  The deer don't eat them either.  They can grow to be quite large.  The cold has 'burned' quite a few leaves on these, but they should be all right.  They'll just look a bit sad, until new growth comes in the spring.

I like Liriope.  I know it can sometimes be over used.  But, I like the way it falls over paths and even in containers.  Everygreen, and pretty hardy during cold.  I've scattered some along the dry creek in the fenced yard.  I'd love some outside the fence.  But, the deer like to chomp it.  They don't eat it to the ground, but they do it damage.

Maybe Heuchera doesn't really qualify as a foliage plant.  But, the leaves are the reason I bought this one. 

Does a barrel cactus qualify?  This one may bloom, but it's here because of it's structure and....foliage.

This aloe 'Grassy Lassie', is supposed to be safe down to 15 degrees.  But, it goes in and out, when a freeze is predicted.

My neighbor thinned out some of her cactus, and gave me some....actually, enough to share with my daughter-in-law.  I started a dish garden.

The one she gave me the most of, is...I think...Optunia microdasys.  A common name is Honey Bunny.  See the bunny ears?

I bought a small dish garden, to get this.  No one could tell what it was.  I think it's an aloe.

And, this little succulent.  I'd really like to know what they are, and how hardy they are.  I cover them, when it's going to be really cold.

I have quite a bit of the Angelina sedum.  The deer like it, so it's up high or inside a fence.

This Croton will be spending the winter in the guest room window.

There are more foliage plants out there....a bicolor iris (I hope survived the freeze), Texas Sage, boxwood...and the evergreen, vinca groundcover.  And, of course, the Live Oaks and Cedars.

And, up in the trees, or anywhere else it can hold on, is the Ball Moss.  There is some argument about whether it harms trees or not.  I can't see damage where it is in the trees around here.  I kind of like it.  I think of it as foliage. 

In fact, I made a wreath of it, to hang on the veggie fence.

It adds a little color out there, for the season.

So, that's what we have here at Patchwork Garden.  What kind of foliage do you have?

Be sure the visit Pam at Digging, to see other Foliage Follow-ups.

Garden Bloggers Bloomday~~December 2009

On the 15th of each month, Garden Bloggers around the world show you what is blooming in their gardens.  Here, the last month of 2009, The Patchwork Garden doesn't have much to show.  There were lots of blooms to show last month.  But, since then, we've had a couple heavy frosts, a few freezes and one very hard freeze.  That pretty much did the blooms in, here.

The pansies don't mind the cold.  Their little faces cheer up dreary, cold days.

This pretty pink Cyclamen has been going in and out, depending on just how cold it gets.  These don't mind the cold.  In fact, they like it.  But, I won't take chances.  There's a red one putting on buds.  Maybe we'll have blooms by Christmas.

In the mean time, we'll just have to enjoy this one.

The' blooms' on the bottle tree don't mind the cold, or frost.  They add some color and sparkle to the garden.

I hope you have a beautiful Bloom Day, wherever your garden may be.

If you'd like to see other blooms in other gardens, visit Carol at May Dreams Garden.

Deck the Halls

It's beginning to look like Christmas around here.  The wreaths are hung, the tree is done, the lights are strung inside and out.

Pam at Digging asked the question, "What does your Christmas tree say about you?"  Mr. P would say ours, and the whole house at Christmas, say "overkill".  But, we don't listen to him.

I think our tree is sentimental.  There are some very old ornaments, that belonged to our parents, years ago. 

There are sweet rememberances of friends and family.

There are whimsical ornaments.  Some we bought, some were gifts.

Everybody has a cheeseburger in paradise on their tree.  Don't they?

Mickey has trouble with the lights, every year.

Some don't make it onto the tree.  The tree is getting pretty full.

This is this year's University of Texas collectible ornament, from Christopher Radko.  We have others.

Along with other UT characters....both Christmas and year around.

I collect Santas.

There are more, not seen here.

And, twenty two years of Disney porcelain figurines.

But, of course, the true spirit of Christmas, is displayed in this German porcelain nativity.  It belonged to

Mr. P's grandmother.  Some pieces are in bad shape, some are missing completely, and newer ones substituted by Mr. P's mother.

You know....maybe he's is right.  Maybe it is overkill.  There is a lot here. 

But, I don't think I'll agree with him.  Well...not until it's time to put it all away.

That time will be here, before you know it.

So, ok....what does your tree...or decorations...say about you?