Unfortunately my buddy Nick was recently diagnosed with a compressed disc. Throughout his life he's occasionally had back problems and over the past year the episodes have become more frequent. Last week we had to make a trip to the ER vet. Monday was the x-ray appointment. Tomorrow we have an appointment with Dr. Amy, Nick's holistic vet. I'm hoping that accupuncture and chiropractic combined with a limitation of his activities (my boy has always been a climber and a jumper), will keep him comfortable and moving without expensive and invasive surgical intervention. Please keep your fingers crossed.
Anyway, on one of my forays outside over the weekend I noticed a few shrubs were still sporting some eye catching foliage. Now that just about everything is fifty shades of brown, any color stands out like a beacon.
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Hydrangea quercifolia 'Little Honey' |
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'Little Honey' wide angle view. |
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Zenobia pulverulenta 'Woodlander's Blue' |
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Hydrangea quercifolia 'Amethyst' |
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Spiraea thunbergii 'Ogon' |
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Hypericum 'Blue Velvet' with the everblooming Daphne x transatlantica 'Summer Ice' |
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Unknown Leucothoe from Fairweather Gardens |
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Abelia x grandiflora 'Confetti' |
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Hypericum x moserianum 'Tricolor' |
Some years I wait too long to decorate the urns for the holidays and the soil freezes. I ran out of time on Sunday but wanted to at least get the container next to my side door decked out. Using fresh foliage from the garden can sometimes be a challenge. So far I like this theme of using spent Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight' flowers as a focal point. What do you think?
Time to break out the eggnog and deck those halls!
Sue~
Love your urn! Hydrangeas are my favorite - and every year I decorate my window boxes with the spent blossoms and mixed greens. My husband thinks I'm crazy - but I think they are every bit as beautiful when they are that lacy brown color as they are when they are in full bloom blue in the summer.
ReplyDeleteDo you bring those urns in when the frost hits? I've had so much bad luck with ceramic urns and pottery that I've opted for resin.
Your bottom picture of the red one is beautiful! Perfect for the holidays!
Thank you! I have a few glazed urns that stay out all year. What I do is fill the bottom quarter or so with crushed plastic bottles. They improve drainage and allow for the expansion and contraction of soil. So far none have cracked during even the coldest and snowiest winter
DeleteSo beautiful Sue, that holiday urn is really gorgeous. Little HOney is right at the top of my favorite shrubs list. great post!
ReplyDeleteDuring the growing season your Little Honey looked infinitely better than mine. I think mine gets too much sun.
DeleteLove those Hydrangea quercifolia. I'm trying one once more and will see what this winter does to it! I'd have a hedge of them if I could! Also I'm thinking about Spiraea thunbergii 'Ogon', though I'm not a huge spirea fan usually.
ReplyDeleteI laughed about the "fifty shades of brown". The book coming out on the US sex scandal with General Pretraeusthis will be titled "Fifty shades of Khaki". That's a joke by the way...
'Ogon' is a nice shrub. It can get big. Usually I cut it back hard after it blooms on the spring but I didn't have to this year because it was still sulking from being moved last year.
DeleteFifty Shades of Embarrassment should be the Petraeus book title. Sheesh-what a mess!
I use spent Hydrangea flowers all time in the house over winter, so I am totally on board with your arrangement. You still have some nice foliage going on there!
ReplyDeleteFoliage from lesser used shrubs I think. I'm hoping that Daphne Summer Ice is still blooming on the 15th so I can do December bloom day!
DeleteLots of fabulous color in your garden. The container looks great too.
ReplyDeleteThanks Michelle! I can't say I enjoy the winter containers quite as much as their summer cousins but they are fun.
DeleteSending happy warm thoughts for Nick...and enjoying your foliage show as well.
ReplyDeleteThanks Loree-the patient is doing well tonight.
DeleteSue, your fine eye for design makes your garden look terrific in every season. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteThank you Lee. It's time to relax and enjoy the holiday season!
DeleteThis is the first year my zenobia pulverulena had any fall color, but nothing like the rich garnet yours shows! (it's Woodlander's Blue like yours). Mine is more russety, but nice. I do love that plant.
ReplyDeleteYou've got such nice foliage combos going -- the hypericum and daphne -- and I am lusting after that lovely abelia. Nice.
The urn is classy. (I have a friend whose Christmas tree every year is a soft white pine with dried hydrangea blooms hung on it, nothing else. It is beautiful)
The Zenobia has not been a strong grower. I have it in western exposure with quite a bit of afternoon sun so maybe that explains the deep fall color.
DeleteAfter designing the urn, the worn fake wreath on my side door stood out like a sore thumb. I think I'll take a ride to Natureworks this weekend and check out some of the fresh evergreen arrangements they've been touting all week on their Facebook page.
I do hope you find the right regimen to keep Nick ambling along. Couple days ago Ein came up with a limp, and I thought Marty was going to pass out. I asked, Did you check his paws? So we did, and there was a small stone stuck in one of his back paws. Removed it, fixed the limp immediately, and Ein trotted off, but Marty was a shattered man the rest of the day.
ReplyDeleteSo glad plants don't break our hearts (much!) I didn't know abelia would grow for you -- thought it was too tender. Wonderful color, esp. love the hydrangeas.
It is good seeing the limelight hydrangea used in your winter bouquet. I put in a limelight hydrangea hedge this fall and have high hopes for getting four season benefits.
ReplyDeleteHope that Nick is doing better! Love your urn but,being the tacky Christmas decorator that I am, I'd be tempted to spray paint the hydrangea blooms some metallic color, gold, bronze, copper.
ReplyDeleteI certainly have my share of silver and gold metallic Christmas decor kicking around the house. As far as I'm concerned there's room for everything.
DeleteUpdate on the Nickster?
ReplyDelete(I too use dried Hydrangea blooms indoors...but only where the cats can't reach them, namely a different part of the house from them entirely!)
Any update on Nick?
ReplyDeleteMarie, he has a compressed disc between L1 and L2. The holistic vet says it's an old injury. The rest of his spine looks good. He's been on a muscle relaxer (Robaxin) and a low dose of anti inflammatory (Metacam)and is pretty much back to his old self. My challenge is to keep him from jumping off furniture and to keep the cat from jumping on him.
ReplyDeleteYou certainly have a challenge there! Best of luck!
ReplyDeleteSorry about the disc issue. That is a challenge. Your containers and your fall color are both inspiring.
ReplyDelete