Mid-December blooms shouldn’t be easy to come by. I’m actually pleased to report that the kniphofias have finally fallen and as you can see the astrantia, sturdy old thing, is looking a little on the done side finally. But I can hardly believe that I found a dianthus in the just-past bloom stage in the Rock Garden. I refuse to show its picture even if it is Garden Bloggers Bloom Day (visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens to see what’s in bloom around the world). I’m even disinclined to show our greenhouse beauties although the Ponderosa lemon is just getting going and the enormous Impatiens sodenii is quite spectacular. I’d much rather scout around for bloom-ish sorts of things, and things that maybe once were blooms, and things that resemble blooms, and things I might not have thought to notice if there were other things actually in bloom.

So without further ado, Mid-December (not) blooms:

(hover over for captions and click on for a larger view.)

And because they are so pretty and I just can’t help myself, here are pictures of the lemon’s flowers and the impatiens too.

What’s (not) blooming in your garden?

The other day during lunch I cast my eyes around the room as I always do and instead of looking through it to my own messy thoughts I actually saw the clutter and made a mental note of it. And rather than just noticing a mess in need of a tidy – which it most definitely is – I saw how interesting the day to day clutter of our work is. Now, before you think this is just an ingenious way of procrastinating neatening, let me reassure you that I have no intention of making a permanent museum-display out of the stuff. But part of me does, of course, want to interpret it for you. I’ll spare you that too though and only confess that I did take a little license and removed a box of Miracle-Gro Miracid from one of the still lifes. (I’m loathe to give that company any placement in a picture but have to admit that Miracid, applied by Gail a couple of times over late summer, is responsible for the re-greening of yellowing citrus leaves.)

Heading full-speed as we are into the Thanksgiving/re-opening-day week it’s abundantly clear that life is not still at all. In fact, isn’t this when we’re all in a big hurry to clean up the residual unintentional still lifes of summer (if we haven’t already *ahem*) and make new intentional ones? Maybe one reason we decorate and go through all of the hoopla of setting tables and carefully laying out food, is for the glimpse of stillness we get in the microsecond before plates are heaped and passed. And maybe one reason to visit the mansion over the holidays is to take a moment’s pause in the freeze frame of lavish decoration and sparkle.

The onset of winter itself begins to resemble a still life too – some life is dormant anyway – and we gardeners at least might take a little solace in quiet winter landscapes during the frenzy of the season. I know I will (probably right before pie). You too?

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

The boundary between this world and the next is said to be thin right now. – Personally I think it’s on the thin side most days but it’s good to have a reason to honor the ancestors and welcome them back among us. Blithewold’s family is never far from here and our hearts – they live on through the property and our collective love of it. And I feel certain that they were overseeing our work yesterday as a few volunteers finished burying the undead (the tulips!) in the North Garden.

I thought it was only fitting for this Halloween post to visit the place where some of the ancestors have been laid to rest. Juniper Hill Cemetery is a 19th century garden cemetery, which is a type of burial ground designed as much for the solace of the living as it is to house the dead. Juniper Hill is a place of pure quiet and deep shade on a hill overlooking Bristol harbor and, these days, seems forgotten by all but a few dog walkers (and the Bristol Historical Society which offers grave and tree tours occasionally). I have to admit that I visit this place weekly, if not daily, but I think it has never been more sublimely beautiful than it is right now.

Happy Halloween!

Just in time for Freaky Friday and Valentine’s day (I love that these days are back to back this year), my favorite Tim Burton creation, the Witch hazel (Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Diane’) has just begun unscrunching little paper heart shaped flowers.  I’m in love!  — I guess it doesn’t take much, especially this time of year.

And in honor of Garden Bloggers Bloom Day even though it’s still days away, here are a few other bloomers from the greenhouse.  Please accept them as a special Valentine from all of us at Blithewold.  As (almost) always, hover over over for captions and click on for a dramatic display.

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!   (be mine?)

and have a wonderful extra long weekend full of hearts and flowers

I have always loved Groundhog’s Day (the actual day more than the movie) because, whether Phil sees his shadow (he did this morning) or not, it signifies to me that spring is on its way – a mere 6 weeks away!  I have to admit though that in the last few years I’ve become a little ambivalent about that.  There’s a really big part of me that is looking so forward to spring – I even plan on celebrating later today by cutting branches to force.  But there’s this other little part of me that loves winter more than I used to because of the chance it gives me to slow down, bundle up, contemplate and recharge.  The temperatures in the last couple of days have soared nearly into sweater weather, the birds have started singing in earnest and the vents have been opening in the greenhouse – all signs that point to a change in seasons.  Those signs along with my favorite holiday are now reminders to me to savor what’s left of winter.  With more snow in the forecast for tomorrow, I expect I’ll get that chance…

Meanwhile, warm air brought a snowy fog and the most dramatic light show I have seen here yet.  In my pious youth I probably would have called the beams “the hand of God”.

Click on pictures for a larger view (Hooray – lightbox is working again! – chalk up the lapse in functionality to operator error.)

How are you celebrating this High Holy Holiday?  Are you ready for spring already?