Our Garden - December 2015
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December arrived with strong, gusty winds so I thought I should walk around with my camera before everything was blown away.

There are still a few coloured leaves around, plenty of berries and even the odd flower here and there.

leaves

pyra

Hard to photograph berries (or anything else) when it's windy!

berries

It will soon be time to say goodbye to my lovely, faithful shed but my new one will be delivered soon so this one has to go. The floor is so rotten in the corners that there are holes rather than floorboards!

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berries

The berries should, hopefully, keep the birds happy. Their feeders were blown over the other night in the wind. We've put them back up but the dome that stops the squirrel from getting to the food on one of the feeder areas broke in half. The squirrel uses the remaining half to sit on while eating so we really must get a new one!

berries

We have cotoneaster here and there - lovely at this time of year.

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berries

I wonder if the red berries taste better than the yellow or orange ones or if they simply taste different.

pyra

strawberry

The food plants also provide a bit of colour - strawberry above and raspberry to the right.

raspberry

berberis

The berberis will lose its leaves soon but they are a lovely deep purple colour at the moment.

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joshua beans

The Judas tree is really pretty in the Spring - less so at this time of year with its dried beans. I've not tried eating them and have never seen the birds eating them but I leave them where they are until early Spring then strip them off.

catkin

The pampas isn't the only plant showing off at this time of year. The hazel catkins are starting to come out as well.

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choisya

Some of the trees are still hanging on to their leaves, making for a lovely yellow spread against the sky.

fir

The fir trees provide lovely shapes and foliage even when most of the other plants have died back for winter.

The grass on the right was blowing around like nobody's business in the wind!

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fir

The blue fir at the other side of the garden adds a lovely, different splash of colour.

leaves

The cornus (right) really comes into its own at this time of year. The photo on the right is from the back garden whilst the three photos below are all from the front.

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dogwood
doogwood
dogwood
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false divinity

The false divinity is usually over and done with at this time of year but it's been really mild this year so it's OK for now.

cyclamen

This cyclamen is the first to flower this year. Thanks to Christine for her cast offs!

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heather
heather
pansy
The heathers are starting to come into flower. The pansies are called "Mickey Mouse" and are new this year.
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red robin

The red robin seems to think it's spring already. Hope it doesn't suffer if / when the cold weather comes along.

heuchera

The heuchera bed is always full of colour.

heuchera

patio

viburnum

This viburnum is just the other side of the table. It had been badly eaten by some creature or other earlier this year so I cut it right back and it now seems to be thriving.

pigs

You can see the poor old robinia in the photo on the right (it's the one that looks like a large twig on the left!). It was heavily pruned while I was between jobs in October. I'm sure it will be very leafy again next year despite the damage caused by woodpeckers, parakeets and squirrels!

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rose

The photo on the left is of the front garden which is where you'll find this lovely rose. Hard to believe we still have roses (only a few) in December!

teasel

If you look really carefully you can see a sleepy ladybird at the bottom of the teasel. Best not deadhead the teasels for now!

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spiraea

The last few leaves on the spiraea.

stinky iris

The stinky iris will no doubt self seed a bit more but I love the orange colour of the berries.

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There are a few evergreens around, not just the fir trees.

If you look out at the garden it seems that the sedum have already lost their pink colour but when you get close, there is still plenty of colour.

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pelargonium

Another plant you wouldn't expect to see in flower in December but a welcome sight nonetheless.

orange bush

We can see this lovely orange bush from the kitchen door - a blaze of colour and nice that it's so near to the house so we don't have to go out into the cold to admire it.

That's it for this time, and for this year. More in 2016.

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