Berry Heavy Holly Fruit

Winter is here and we are bundling up. Fleece and down feather jackets sound so good right now. It's 27 and I've still got to get some perennials in the ground that have been in pots for awhile.


I have one small bush of this wonderful winter shrub. It's a holly called "Berry Heavy" that looses it's leaves early on so the red orange berries are on parade. I recommend it for gardeners and crafters who make their own winter wreaths. Put it next to your ornamental grasses for a pleasing garden plant combination.

Christmas Westie Dog in Cool Holiday Colors

Christmas colors in cool tones. While I was weeding amongst august moon (lime green) hostas and african hibiscus (red/plum) the other day I marveled at the colors. It was Christmas colors in warm tones and 98 degree weather. I came in and used those colors in this painting but in totally cool tones. You don't see any yellows in westie, just cool shadows. Red colors can either be warm reds or cool reds. We gardeners work with colors all of the time. Sometimes to amazing achievements and other times a few disappointments, but we learn from each combination we try. Too much fertilizer can almost change a flower color from warm to cool or vice versa. Amazing. (Really gardening is the hardest art of all.)

Westie's other eye is hid from view because of the lush hair and head turned just so. Plus all westies love to roll around and fluff up their facial hair to the max!

We love to dress westies in red for the holidays. The great part about red is it's for both boys and girl westies dogs. And it stands for L_O_V_E.

For sale on ebay titled, HAPPY IN RED.

Shabby Pink Cottage July Flowers

It can still look like England outside even in this heat wave of 100+ degrees. These soft pink/plum flowers are blooming now. Love the colors of this one over many other ones!

Doesn't this mallow, or hibiscus, remind you of raspberry ice cream?





It's paired up with Monet Moments, a bright pink lobelia. This one is to be much hardier for us than most. I love it up against the weathered gray fence.

Sedums For Everyone

Sedums are grown for their foliage and are getting more popular grown in pots. They look like succulents, but are very winter hardy, first to come up in spring and die down last in the fall. No green thumb needed.

Gather up a few different varieties and plant them together in a large pot or for the center of your outdoor table that gets full sun. They are super in sunny windowboxes. This year I am going to put a few cannas in the very center, for height, with the sedums. You could use ornamental grasses with them with wonderful results as well. Or a small topiary shrub. One thing about gardening everyone creates their gardens a bit differently and that is exciting.

My cannas I started earlier are starting to finally get going and stretch upwards. We've had so many cool rainy days the last two weeks that has almost put them back to sleep. Yesterday afternoon it got up to 80 and today is to be hot so they will shake a leg and get moving now. I think they give the garden a tropical exotic touch.