Christmas Day

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A frosty start to a most unusual Christmas Day. It had been -3C in the greenhouse overnight but no sign of snow. Whilst having breakfast I watched the start of a rerun of the mens Cricket world cup final from last year and I had to keep reminding myself that it is OK for there to be a crowd and that they weren’t wearing masks – what a difference a few months makes. However the flora and fauna continue as usual. I’ve seen deer, squirrels, pheasants and the usual little birds including long-tailed tits, nuthatches, wrens, dunnocks and robins. I realised that I haven’t seen any greenfinches for some time – it will be interesting to compare my list from the big garden birdwatch next month with previous years.

Plants looking at their best at this time of year include Miscanthus sinensis Kleince Silberspinne, the Chinese Silver Grass. I have three different types of miscanthus, but it is always this variety that is the star of the garden at this time of year. The plumes become more fluffy as they mature and are amazing with the sun behind them. The colours of Leucothoe Curly Red seem more intense at this time of year, and the flowers of cyclamen always make me smile. The leaves of the Liquidambar Gum Ball in the front garden have turned a lovely rich shade of red.

The blossom is that of the winter-flowering cherry Prunus Autumnalis Rosea, and at this time of year it is a particular favourite of the pigeons that love eating the flowers. The stems of the various varieties of Cornus (dogwood) stand out against the tall conifer in the morning sun, alongside the variegated leaves of Euonymus fortune Blondy which is kept in shape by the deer! I love the corkscrew stems of Corylus Javellana contorta Red Majestic (the red corkscrew twisted hazel) next to the miscanthus.

The flowers of cowslip and hellebore have been wilted by the frost, but they will bounce back when it warms up, along with the frosted leaves of cyclamen and ranunculus Brazen Hussy. The pond has frozen overnight, freezing the leaves of a water lily, and the bridge across the pond is heavily coated in frost. I keep the waterfall going throughout the winter to ensure that the pond doesn’t totally freeze over and to provide bathing facilities for the birds. The frost has also caught the edges of my containers with the dwarf conifers.

Even at this time of year, if you look closely, you can seen signs of new growth with bulbs appearing out of the frozen ground and buds on the stems of a lilac. But the star of the garden is the miscanthus.

Images from the garden on an unusual Easter Sunday
A Cold Start to 2021 and Big Garden Birdwatch

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