Sheltering in the Garden

 As we wait out this pandemic and the arrival of the vaccine, I'm especially thankful for the diverse garden I maintain. It's always true this time of year, when other outdoor activities are curtailed, but it's doubly valuable now. Here's a sample of my garden's winter interest. 

This photo is more to show off my new faux metal concrete planter. I love it!

More bromeliads, these ones all Neoregelias.

Unlike the common Thunbergia alata hybrids, this Thunbergia gregorii has no dark center and just the one saturated orange color.

Babiana shoots. One of the 'early rising' South African bulbs, the pleated leaves appear well before the late winter flowers.

Magnolia Butterflies. Okay, umm, yeah, a photo of a bare tree. But it won't be long before this magnolia bursts into bloom.

Yes, there really is a plant named after Charles Darwin! This Darwinia taxifolia adds nice pink colors to its winter foliage.

Though the flower buds are tiny, it won't be long before this Leucospermum Veldfire is in bloom. Meanwhile, we have its attractive foliage.

It turns out it isn't just we humans that are found of Anisodontea flowers. Here, a honeybee collects nectar from one of the flowers.

Though just a few leaves right now, this Talipariti elatum will eventually get to be a huge tree. A member of thee Malva family, it will eventually produce highly decorative flowers. That's the plan anyway.

Thuja plicata. This is a great conifer if you want a fast growing one. Tough too and for those reasons it's a popular choice for evergreen hedges.

Though not intended, this photo of my Melaleuca incana has a moody quality I like.

Not yet in bloom but my Aloe striata (Coral aloe) is handsome nonetheless.

Leucadendron 'More Silver' has, as the name implies, decidedly silvery foliage.

Loropetalum 'Purple Majesty.' This Chinese fringe flower is just starting to fill out. Slow but sure for this guy.

I recently bought a glass birdbath but had no reliable way to hang it. I finally found this jute and wood pltform hanger and it's perfect!

We tend to think of Philodendrons as houseplants but many do just fine outdoors. Here's an unnamed variety that's been in my backyard for 15 years.

Here's a different collection of bromeliads, making their own little colony in a shady location.

Here are three Art Nouveau ceramic tiles. Very lovely!

This 'wandering' succulent is Orostachys fimbriata. Its many flower spikes are filling up with tiny white star-shaped flowers.

Two more of my favorite bromeliads. One thing I like about them is that they're the easiest plants in the world to take care of. Given the right planting medium - I use half bark and half soil - and a bit of regular water, one not need do anything else at all to care for them.

Another shot of some new arrivals.

Lotus jacobeus (Black lotus). This small bush blooms nearly year round.

Camellia Winner's Circle. One of the earliest varieties in my collection.

Those tiny yellow 'fingers' are the flowers on my Hamamelis mollis. These witch hazel plants usually need colder winters to flower but mine is the exception.

My first mixed dwarf conifer bowl.

It's hard to make out I know but those red clumps in this tree are berries. It's a Pepper tree (Schinus molle) and the berries are a favorite of many winter birds.

Here's a more natural shot of my Melaleuca incana.

Kalanchoe Winter Chocolate. This sturdy outdoor kalanchoe is highlighted by the brown (chocolate) tips on its fuzzy branches.

Ilex dimorphophylla. This holly plant, though tiny, has already produced a few of its signature red berries.