Friday, December 27, 2013

Most of the Snow has Melted

It's been quite cold lately, but the last couple of afternoons have been warm.  My husband Larry has been sick, and finally went to be seen yesterday.  When I got my coat on to go get his prescriptions and a few groceries, Heidi got up, hoping my plan was to go out with her.  I decided to take her out awhile, and take some photos with my new camera.  (The photos in the previous post were taken with it, too.)

It's back to looking like fall.  I continue to enjoy the plants throughout the seasons, and am hoping the critters are making good use of the food and shelter they provide in the winter.




This is the east side of the front yard.


There are still some seeds left for the birds t enjoy.


This is the east side of the house.



Amsonia hubrichtii is one of my favorites, and it has pretty blue blooms in the spring.


The Hellebores seem to be pretty much evergreen.  In the spring, when the bloom stems come up, I need to remember to take last year's leaves off.


See, there was still a little snow left.  I'm thinking after today's 60 degrees, it may all be melted.



The tall plant in the fenced area is asparagus.  I am looking forward to seeing how it does this spring.  It will be the fourth season for it, and I will be able to harvest it for a longer period of time.


We walked back to the front yard, and this is the east front yard bed.  The dark in the corner is from the lens hood Larry bought for me.  I will have to be careful not to have the camera set to the widest view, or else take it off to take the wide shots.  I spent quite a bit of time cropping photos last night.


I have been using the setting on the camera that senses what kind of shot you are taking, and adjusts.  It will figure out when the macro setting needs to be used.  I need to read the manual and do more experimenting.


Here is my favorite area of the yard, right in front of our house, where the tree used to be.


I'm glad I didn't dead head the Golden alexanders.



The sky sure was a pretty blue, and the Cup plant is another one I decided to be brave and not deadhead.


I love the look of the spent Cup plant blooms.


Hey birds, I hope you eat some more of these seeds!


I love the colors of the Switchgrasses and such.


Wild quinine is one of my favorite plants for all season interest.


This was my first year to grow Illinois bundleflower, and it stole my heart.  It's another favorite.


The Liatris is holding up well.


The Wild senna is also holding its own after the snow melt.


The Heuchera richardonii continues to look good near the porch.

 
 I love to show the view from the front porch.


Here's one more from the front porch.


This is a bit of a hodge podge post, but the main point of wanting to do one is to show that the snow has melted, and we are no longer looking white. 

I hope you enjoyed the Christmas season, and celebrate the New year coming in a safe, healthy way.  I am pleased that the days are now getting longer, and am hoping spring comes as quickly as winter did.

Hey, I just remembered I didn't do a Wildflower Wednesday post.  I think there may be enough wildflowers in this post to go ahead and use it.  Gail did a round up post.  Go check it out.

12 comments:

  1. I always look forward to reading your blog posts. Your time and effort are appreciated. Wishing you and your family a peaceful and prosperous 2014, and happy gardening.

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    1. Thank you, BriarRabbtz, I see you are from Texas, but don't have a blog listed. I hope your new year gets off to a great start, too. Do you have a big garden? I imagine you have a nice long growing season where you are.

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  2. Sue, this December has been a month of extremes here. Yesterday was above 50 today will be nearly 50 before plunging into the cold weather again. Earlier is was below zero several times with wind chills into the -20 range. Now, just as your area, the snow has disappeared. Christmas only had patches here and there. Your pictures really do look like fall pictures.

    I planted some lettuce in a small container under grow lights in hope of a small fresh salad or two. It's just something to pass the time during the Winter months. Actual garden seed planting for the garden plants will start around February 1st. I did grow some awesome cabbages last year from seeds .... or so the rabbits thought. I'm planning on trying again this year will a little more protection from the those pesky rabbits.

    Have a great Winter garden day.

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  3. Ooh yummy, asparagus! I'll be interested to hear how it turns out.

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  4. Nice that you got the snow.
    Have a happy new year!

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  5. Hi Sue, I hope you had a good Christmas. I am surprised you have no snow. And 60 degrees? I'm so jealous! Our fog cleared out for a few hours today. It was very nice. Then it got dark. I hate that it gets dark so early, hence the daylight savings countdown. I was unable to find the spring coutdown that I usually put up. I'll check back to see if you have found it. Have a wonderful New Year my friend.

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  6. I think you definitely did a Wildflower post Sue. I hope your Christmas was good, and that your husband is feeling better. One of my daughters was very, very sick before the holidays. I see so much promise and food in your garden. Promise of spring and food for the birds.~~Dee

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  7. I also choose to brave the many seedlings of Cup Plant because I can't stand to cut them back. I just planted Hellebores for the first time this year. When do yours usually bloom? Hope you had a wonderful Christmas!

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  8. Great shots! I hope you're having fun with your new camera. My son gave me his for Christmas because he's planning to upgrade. So now I have three cameras plus my iPhone. Sometimes I like to use a point-and-shoot--especially in the winter because my fingers get so cold. Anyway, I LOVE the shot of the Illinois Bundelflower. I think I might need to plant that because I've envied it on every post where you highlight it. Happy New Year, Sue!

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  9. It looks like you're having fun with your new camera Sue. I hope you and Larry had a great Christmas and will have a happy New Year too. I hope to be able to visit more blogs in the new year than I did this year. I'm all out of touch!

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  10. Great photos, Sue! We don't have any snow either; it all melted a few days before Christmas when it got really warm here. But I'm sure we'll get our fair share before winter is over:) I agree with Beth--I've been admiring the Illinois Bundleflower every time you've shown it. Hope Larry is feeling better by now; I finally went to the doctor on Friday, and the antibiotics have really made a difference. I hope you had a very Merry Christmas, and wishing you all the best in the New Year, Sue!

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  11. Hi Sue, Looks nice and warm there. Send that weather east, would you? We have LOTS of snow on the ground and it's been snowing all day as well as all night. It's been really cold, too. Hope 2014 brings you peace, joy, prosperity, and good health.
    Beth

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I welcome comments and questions from anyone, including those who do it anonymously. Some people find my posts by doing searches, and I like hearing from them. I guess spammers won't even read this message, but I will delete spam as soon as I see it.