Walking Around the January Garden

I’m sure you can understand why the January garden doesn’t get much picture time here. It’s not because it doesn’t look great – even though it doesn’t – it’s because it’s pretty darn cold! This winter has been one of the coldest we’ve had in a long time here in Tennessee and I like it much warmer. I remarked this morning to my wife that it feels like we’ve already been through the winter and now it’s time for spring to start. Unfortunately it ain’t so as winter has only just begun! One thing is for sure – if a seed needs cold stratification this winter it’s going to have good germination when spring comes!

Yesterday I took a walk around the winter garden and took a few pictures.The self-sowing garden is a mass of dead foliage, seed stalks, and left overs from the 2010 garden. I’ll cut things back on a nice warm day in a few weeks – assuming we have one!

Just beyond the self sowing garden is the corner shade garden. Not much to see at the moment but we can stop and check anyway. Please enjoy the modern garden art in the back – I call it “gas meter.” I think it goes really well with its companion pieces “electric meter” and “water meter” but maybe that’s just me.

An ajuga I found this spring and transplanted here is showing its winter foliage. I’m not sure where it came from but I like it! It’s summer color is awesome even though it looks a little like frost bit lettuce right now.

Nearby a ‘Southern Comfort’ Heuchera looks rather uncomfortable in this cold winter weather. Perhaps it’s in need of some Southern Comfort itself…hmm.

The focal point of the corner shade garden is the oak leaf hydrangea which is lucky to have a couple leaves remaining!

Also in the corner shade garden you will find hellebores with a flush of green leaves.

Around in the backyard the birdbath garden looks devoid of life. It’s nearly all deciduous with the only real foliage remaining on the ‘Powis Castle’ artemisia and some leaves on the butterfly bush.

 A little wilted but still hanging in there!

The birdbath looks quite strange…

without the bath part!

Sure looks like I have some work ahead of me!

4 thoughts on “Walking Around the January Garden”

  1. My garden is looking rather similar to yours. It won't be long now before we are complaining about keeping the garden watered during the hot part of summer.

  2. Mine is looking similar to yours as well and it's been very cold here. The larger problem for me is the lack of daylight – when I get home from work it's dark outside. I never finished my fall garden chores. I fear a long cold January and February ahead. But in February the daffodils will begin to show. . .and then the Hellebores will bloom . . .and the crocus. . .and hurrah, Spring will come!

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