![\"DSC05084\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gardenescapades.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC05084.jpg\")
<\/a> ![\"DSC05081\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gardenescapades.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC05081.jpg\")
<\/a> ![\"DSC05080\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gardenescapades.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/DSC05080.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nTemperatures dropped a bit below freezing, but not super cold.\u00a0 The next few days are projected to be sunny and clear.<\/p>\n
In my walk around the property, I saw a few things preparing to bloom or blooming.\u00a0 The cherry tree has lots of great-looking buds:<\/p>\n
The Lenten rose that brother Tim gave me years ago has some buds showing amidst the ring of foliage:<\/p>\n It will be a few months before these open up, but cheerful to see them popping up, for sure.<\/p>\n The precocious blackberry still has its buds\u2013hoping it will hold them until a more suitable time so we get some berries!<\/p>\n For winter interest, the black raspberry is stunning with the whitish bloom on its canes:<\/p>\n You can also see the alpine strawberries in these pictures and how hardy they are\u2013not fazed at all by the frost!<\/p>\n A few plants are blooming on this last day of the year:<\/p>\n Calendulas act like they have no idea that it is cold and the days are short:<\/p>\n A few borage plants are still attempting to bloom, as well, and the feverfew in the pot under the Douglas fir:<\/p>\n The\u00a0thug geranium on the sunny side of the house is blooming and the wonderberries still have some edible berries:<\/p>\n The greenhouse has a few orchids blooming and a holiday cactus:<\/p>\n I did manage to plant about 20 different kinds of seeds and set them on the heat pad\u00a0in the window in the house.\u00a0 We\u2019ll see if any of them germinate.\u00a0 I used seed mix mixed with cactus\/succulent mix for drainage, as many of the seeds are cactus and succulents and bulbs.\u00a0 I am not super optimistic that any of them will be come up, since the seeds are mostly older, but it seems likely I\u2019ll get a few seedlings and end up with a few greenhouse treasures from this investment.<\/p>\n I\u2019m doing some planning, as well, and looking through catalogs.\u00a0 I love the looks of David Austin roses:\u00a0 http:\/\/www.davidaustinroses.com\/american\/advanced.asp<\/p>\n I picked out five of them that I would like to plant around the edges of the orchard garden, once I cut the butterfly bushes that live there now way back.<\/p>\n I\u2019m looking at these (photos from davidaustinroses.com):<\/p>\n Olivia Rose Austin<\/p>\n Boscobel<\/p>\n Fighting Temeraire<\/p>\n Kew Gardens<\/p>\n Lady of Shalott<\/p>\n Brother Tim is looking for a local source of the beautiful Austin rose \u201cEddie\u2019s Jewel\u201d:<\/p>\n I also have decided to dedicate more of the veggie beds to perennial food plants in 2016, so I\u2019m looking at adding some rhubarb and strawberries.\u00a0 I plan to order these two berries:<\/p>\n Mara de Bois from Gurney\u2019s nursery:<\/p>\n One of the tastiest berries we\u2019ve tried! Developed by a French breeding program, this everbearing, day-neutral variety produces attractive red, small to medium berries that are intensely fragrant and flavorful. Enjoy a heavy set of berries in early summer followed by several more light flushes in late summer and fall. Good choice for terraced beds, barrels or pyramids. Zones 4-7.<\/p>\n And the strawberry, Tristan, from Farmer\u2019s Seed:\u00a0 https:\/\/www.directgardening.com\/144-edibles\/3501-tristan-strawberry#\/quantity-1<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Over a year of blogging about the garden and greenhouse!\u00a0 Here we are on New Year\u2019s Eve and things are pretty quiet from a gardening standpoint.\u00a0 It is truly winter, and you can see that in the following frost pictures.\u00a0 I couldn\u2019t resist! Temperatures dropped a bit below freezing, but not super cold.\u00a0 The next … Continue reading Last Day of 2015<\/span> <\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n<\/a> <\/a> <\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a> <\/a>\u00a0 <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\nMara Des Bois Everbearing Strawberry<\/span><\/h1>\n
Intensely Fragrant and Flavorful<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n