Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day & Foliage Follow-Up December 2018: Winter Landscape Interest

December 2018 Garden

Welcome to my December Long Island garden! Only six days away from the official start of winter in the northern hemisphere, the garden has quietly gone to sleep. Colorful evergreens and structure are the main focus during this time of year. Come along with me to see the ever-changing landscape. Better bundle up...it's cold outside!

Welcome!

With daytime temperatures in the mid to upper 30's over the past week and a few snow flurries, winter seems to be arriving sooner than later here in the northeast. Now that all the leaves have fallen, evergreens are holding down the fort with their color and interest. Some semi-evergreen perennials, such as Heuchera (Coral Bells) are still displaying their caramel and purple coloring. The evergreens seen here include Western and Emerald Green Arborvitae (backdrop), Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar (left), Gold Mop Cypress (left under Cedar), and Gold Spot Euonymus (middle).

Northern Border

I always enjoy pine cones, but they become more prevalent at this time of year, as you can see on this Weeping White Pine by the back pool area.

Decorative Pine Cones 

Garden Gal is still holding her basket of Black Mondo Grass. She got an honorable mention in my newest book, Dream, Garden, Grow!-Musings of a Lifetime Gardener, which I am pleased to announce just released a week and a half ago!

Garden Gal

I love the color on this Dwarf Cryptomeria (making its first appearance) in the wintertime. It turns from a lime green to this bright golden-yellow.

Dwarf Cryptomeria Autumn/Winter

In the driveway garden is Skyland's Golden Oriental Spruce. As you probably know, it was planted as a memorial tree for my mom back in 2008 and has great sentimental value. It is also one of my favorite evergreens on the property for its seasonal interest.

Skyland's Golden Oriental Spruce

Here are the interesting seed cones close up, which appear purple in early spring as they are forming.

Skyland's Golden Oriental Spruce Seed Cones

The Northern Cardinals are so beautiful and appear exceptionally vibrant during this time of year.

Cardinal Visitor

The leaves have fallen off everything except this particular Weeping Japanese Maple in the front yard. It just doesn't want to give up fall. 

Weeping Japanese Maple Autumn/Winter

I enjoy focusing on its structure when I can see it. The changing seasons do have their benefit in showing the garden in a different perspective.

Weeping Japanese Maple Autumn/Winter Structure

There is something alluring about dried hydrangea flowers. I even like to enjoy them in a vase during winter, as it's a way of bringing a little of the outdoors inside.

Mophead Hydrangea Dried Flowers

As we move along, here is the front walkway and planting leading to the front door. The Golden Variegated Sweet Flag on the right under the Weeping Birch is one of the most reliable perennials on the property. It has been there for about twenty years, stays evergreen and needs no maintenance. It's a win-win plant when put in the proper location. This is eastern exposure with morning light and shade under the tree later on in the day.

Front Walkway

In front of the Sweet Flag is Juniperus 'Blue Star' and to the far left on the island bed is Hinoki Cypress 'Fernspray', which reaches about fifteen feet.

Newest Garden Addition

Here's the newest statuary addition to the garden with Dwarf Maiden Grass 'Yaku Jima' plumes behind her.

Holiday Bear!

As the holiday season has arrived, I wish all my readers the best for wonderful times spent with family and friends, with good health, peace and happiness in the new year.

December 2018 Garden

I hope you enjoyed your stroll through my December garden. Please feel free to stay a while and catch up on some of my other posts. Special thanks go out to our hostess Carol at May Dreams Gardens, who makes it possible to see blooms on the 15th of every month with her meme Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. Also, special thanks to Pam Penick at Digging who has hosted Foliage Follow-Up for all these years, a meme I will still continue to honor. I am also linking with some other wonderful hosts and hostesses at Floral Friday Fotos, Macro Monday 2, Nature Notes at Rambling Woods, Dishing It & Digging It on Sunday with Angie the Freckled Rose, Image-in-ing weekly photo share every Tuesday with NC Sue and Gardens Galore Link Up Party on the 17th with Everyday Living.

Check out my newest book Dream, Garden, Grow! - a story about a dream, a garden and growing as a lifetime gardener (more info to follow).

  ~As Always...Happy Gardening ~

Author: Lee@A Guide to Northeastern Gardening,© Copyright 2018. All rights reserved.