My Garden in December 2023

Welcome to my December garden. It's filled with a quiet and peaceful atmosphere. The colorful autumn leaves have fallen, and the trees have bared their branches, solemnly signaling the arrival of winter.

The leaves of "Cordyline Can Can" are slowly turning brown, and I'm not sure whether to dig it up and keep it in the garage for the winter. It would be easier if it could just stay in its current spot and grow new leaves next spring.

In contrast, the Dwarf pampas grass is thriving with lush green foliage. Although it didn't flower, the plant has grown larger, so I plan to divide it before spring arrives. I usually prune roses around the end of January.

I was longing for a garden with Acanthus mollis and was searching to buy one, but I came across Acanthus "Whitewater" and purchased it instead. Currently, the aboveground part seems to be wilting, so I'm debating whether I should dig it up and put it in the garage. Is this plant the type that dies back in winter and sprouts again in spring?

This area is part of the shade garden. I have planted hellebores, hydrangeas, tiarella, and ferns. Specifically, I've planted Crested Surf Japanese Painted Ferns. In winter, it seems that the aboveground parts of the ferns wither, but they sprout again in spring. It's a fern with incredibly beautiful colors.

Thinning out primroses can be a challenging task due to their lush foliage, but it's important work to prevent moisture buildup. Carex plants maintain their beautiful foliage even in winter without withering, and they can be propagated freely through division. I trimmed the long leaves of muscari to keep them tidy.

"Helleborus Snow Fever" stands out even more in the lonely winter garden with its white serrated leaves. It has grown larger, so I'm planning to divide it after it flowers. And I'll plant the divisions somewhere else.

I planted this rhododendron about 10 years ago. Initially, I expected it to grow to about 8 feet tall, but its thin, weak branches have only stretched a little and droop under the weight of the leaves, so I've pruned it to maintain that size. Since the leaves quickly get sunburned, I planted a smoke tree in front of it to shade it from the sun. I hope the smoke tree can provide height in place of the rhododendron. Additionally, the reddish-purple color of the leaves adds a lovely hue to this spot.

I cover our Ceanothus concha with plastic bags at night as a precaution against the cold, although I am unsure of its effectiveness. I am absolutely determined to protect these plants, so if necessary, I'll overwinter them in the garage. I've always admired California lilacs when I've seen them during summer vacations, so I've been wanting to have them in our garden. Last year, the California lilac "Victoria" in our garden did perfectly fine even in winter, but I'm unsure about the cold tolerance of this concha variety.

The glossy green leaves, gentle shades of blue, and tiny yellow spots on the flowers are truly beautiful. The slightly purplish color of the buds is also lovely.

Thank you for reading my article once again.

Please feel free to share your thoughts and memories about your garden and plants.

Your stories will surely be a great inspiration to all of us.