Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day & Foliage Follow-Up January 2014: A Closer Look

January Garden Bitter Freeze

At this time of year when there is a stillness in the air and temperatures colder than I care to encounter, it is time to gaze into the garden for a closer focus on the details that may normally be overlooked.   The winter is a time to concentrate on the inner beauty of the landscape...the part of the garden that is sometimes hidden from view.  

Snow Covered Barberry

With my increasing growing interest in garden writing and photography, I strive to capture a view that is a little different from the ordinary.  Over time I have found a new appreciation for the simplest aspects of nature, such as the snow covered barberry in the photo above...

Blue Atlas Cedar (Cedrus Atlantica)

or the branches of a Blue Atlas Cedar against the backdrop of a blue sky...

Acer palmatum Sangu Kaku (Coral Bark Maple) and Golden Oriental Spruce 'Skyland'

or the exposed coral red branches of a Japanese Maple against the yellow-green needles of a Golden Oriental Spruce.  I am trying to look at nature in a different light as some may say.

Acer palmatum Sangu Kaku (Coral Bark Maple) Branches up Close

It was good timing to have camera in hand in order to capture the branches of the Coral Bark Maple. The frigid temperatures have dramatically brought out the colors and they are more vivid than I have remembered for some time.

Backyard Side Garden (Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar, Gold Mop Cypress, Royal Burgundy Barberry, Euonymus 'Gold Spot', Arborvitae, Dwarf Butterfly Bush, Knock Out Roses and Heuchera 'Caramel')

Here is one wide shot view to show a little perspective in the garden.  This is the backyard perimeter garden in winter mode.  I wait in anticipation for the emergence of burgundy and medium green foliage, fragrant purple blooms, pink roses and caramel colored perennials once spring arrives. 

Hydrangea 'Tardivia' Winter

In an effort to get a little more creative with the lens I aimed upward into the sky when trying to capture this 'Tardivia' Hydrangea faded bloom.  While still working on the perfect focal distance, I was fortunate enough to have just the right amount of back lighting to provide some contrast. 

Weeping Japanese Trunk Maple Winter

Weeping Japanese Maple is a tree I really have grown to appreciate all year round.  It has reached a mature age of somewhere between twenty and thirty years and each winter the trunk becomes just a little more twisted and contorted in character.

Magnolia 'Royal Star'

Here the new buds of the Magnolia are growing larger and larger each month.  Spring is on the way slowly but surely.

Moss Covered Rock and Sweet Flag

Why am I taking a photograph of moss?  There was something about snow next to this moss covered rock with the yellow-green of the sedge that caught my eye.  Nature really does have a lot to offer and I try not to let it go unnoticed.

Nandina domestica (False or Heavenly Bamboo)

Here is my Nandina domestica.  I have had it for years and have grown to love its vibrant red berries in winter.  Sadly this is the last photograph I was able to take of it before it was moved today to work on the oil tank.  It will likely not make it through the winter so I will have to get a new one in the spring for both myself and the birds. That means I will have to work in the garden...it's a tough job but someone has to do it!

Nandina domestica (False or Heavenly Bamboo)

A piece of branch fell into the snow and gave me the idea for this photograph. I really do like this plant.

Rosemary in Herb Garden

Normally my Rosemary in the herb garden does not make it through the winter but I have actually had this particular one for three years now! It was planted during a year with a mild winter so it was able to harden off and develop into a miniature shrub.  This has been an exceptionally brutal winter so I am hoping it continues to thrive.

Garden Friends

Structure is so important is a garden and besides many evergreens in the garden I also like a little whimsy.  This garden statue is one of my favorites!

Juniperus 'Pro Nana' and Heuchera 'Caramel'

It is difficult finding blooms in the garden at this time of year so I rely on foliage and these Heuchera 'Caramel' never cease to amaze me with their striking foliage that lasts throughout most of the winter.   

 

That ends our walk around the January garden for now. The first month of 2014 came in like a lion with winter storm Hercules on January 2nd bringing a foot of snow and 16°F temperatures, followed by a warming trend with torrential rains and daily temperatures back into the 40's for now.  The garden is still changing in each month and I enjoy looking to find its inner beauty. 

 

Drop a note to let me know you've been here and I will be sure to visit you as well. Also please visit our hostesses Carol at May Dreams Gardens for January Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day and Pam at Digging for Foliage Follow Up. 

 

(This monthly garden diary can also be viewed on the new My Gardens page.)

 

 

As Always...Happy Gardening!

 

 

Author: Lee@A Guide To Northeastern Gardening, Copyright 2014. All rights reserved.