Autumnal winter in the garden

  • Post author:
  • Post category:Food

As I walked around our garden today, I discovered that, despite the fact we are now into winter, there are some beautiful things flowering or just looking beguilingly wintery.   It seems I have a blend of summer, autumn and winter at the moment.

A “Bridal Lace” rose still brightens my day, and has been flowering since spring.  Now into winter it continues to flower and produce more buds to come behind this bloom.  Soon my thoughts will turn to pruning and preparing for the next delightful spring flowers, but for now I will let them blossom.

The elm tree, which provides deep cooling shade in the height of summer, is always late losing its leaves, despite this being an expected autumn thing, it never loses its leaves until June.  Its canopy thins out as its leaves turn yellow, drop away and reveal the thick grey winter clouds above.

The Alstroemeria ‘Princess Lilies’ which die down completely in summer, and come back to life once the days cool in autumn, have been blooming for about 3 months now – pretty in their pot by the hedge, giving colour outside my back door.

A terracotta pot filled with colourful pansies brightens one corner of the courtyard and will last all winter, revelling in the cool days and colder nights.

A row of rocket, planted in late summer is flourishing in the veggie garden along side the broad beans and continues to provide spicy, peppery leaves to enjoy in a salad or in a wrap.

 The arum lilies are just coming into to flower – a sure sign that winter is on its way, defying the cold and enjoying the rain, their blooming heads poke up above the lush leaves which surround them.

I’m grateful that I don’t live in a climate where it snows in winter and covers up these cherished delights – it such a pleasure to walk amongst their colour and fragrance in the cool of a winter day and enjoy the changing of the seasons.

This Post Has 2 Comments

  1. The Little Locals

    We have thoroughly enjoyed reading your blog. It is lovely reading something that reaffirms some of our own beliefs.

  2. starproms

    My pansies last the winter too, but they often get covered in snow. I cannot imagine the winter time without cold winds and snow. To have Christmas in the heat with the sun blazing would be so very strange. However. if I had been born down south, I would be used to it, wouldn’t I.

Comments are closed.