My Boxing Day blog. After a decidedly Zoomy Xmas, we’ve just moved into Covid Level 4 in mainland Scotland and Storm Bella seems to have arrived already. Hmmm. It’s going to be a good day to sit by the Xmas tree and browse the seed catalogues. The reason my blog is a bit late today, is that I’ve been transfixed all morning by garden wildlife. I have not managed to get any good shots of the 3 pheasants, 12 blackbirds or multiple fieldfares, but this little chap finally posed for me. We have at least 2 red squirrels in the garden (I witnessed a fight over the feeder this morning), possibly 3. They are endlessly cute.

With the storm coming in, it’s warmish and wild out there, but yesterday was a bit more ‘Christmassy’, at some point I added some boiling water to one corner of the pond, to allow birds to bathe and drink, which was frozen solid all day.

I’ve been fairly relaxed with clearing the garden this year, due to general grumpiness with grey wet weather, but also a sore shoulder. I did manage to get in and tidy up the gunnera for the winter. There are many new buds coming, this plant is a beautiful brute.

Just one veg triumph this week. I DID it…..provided some precious sprouts for Christmas dinner. Home grown do really taste so much better than the bought ones.

I will finish this week with some end of year colour. The first is very surprising. I grew ragged robin from seed for the first time in 2020. They took a while, eventually flowering well into December. But still flowering, and each little flower is like a little Christmas decoration in the sunshine.

Last, some seasonal cheer from skimmia japonica. 2020 has been the year we didn’t expect, I’m getting ready for a few surprises in the New Year, when it comes, hopefully some of them nice ones.

 Don’t forget to follow #SixonSaturday on Twitter, and take a look at other sixer’s contributions via the great Propagator himself.

Six things, can be anything, in the garden, on a Saturday.

Time for a festive six, as this time next week will be Boxing Day. We’re going for a quiet Xmas for two here in Fife, but hope to share garden joy online and with family and friends via Zoom. Let’s start the party with something festive, my home made seasonal wreath, full of berries (though a bit less full than when I started as the blackbirds have had some of them).

For the next few offerings, I’ve gone for things I didn’t expect to see in flower so close to the winter solstice. First, I’ve certainly never seen schizostylis thriving in Fife in mid December, but it’s 12 deg out there, so why not?

Next, roses don’t make it this far usually. I even transplanted this one in mid November, and she’s still flowering away.

And in the veg garden, the Swiss chard are still going strong. A great veg all year round. Hope we’ll have this well into the brave (!) new world of our New Year, when it comes…..whatever that brings, we’ll have vitamins and minerals from these chaps.

Here’s something that should be starting out in December. Hellibore are budding and soon to flower, I need to clear some more of the borders to see if any more of these are hiding underneath.

And last, to celebrate the impending winter solstice, a recent sunset from the garden, looking to the Fife Lomond’s beyond. On the shortest day the sun will set here at 3.36pm…..a change-point in the year….BRING ON THE LIGHT.

That’s my six for this week. Seasons Greetings all, and don’t forget to wasail your apple trees (more on that in the next couple of weeks). Also don’t forget to follow #SixonSaturday on Twitter, and take a look at other sixer’s contributions via the great Propagator himself.

Six things, can be anything, in the garden, on a Saturday.

It’s beginning to be tricky to find new things to share. There is still colour in the garden, but a lot of it has been shared on this blog in recent weeks. So, instead of looking for new, I looked a little closer and found joy in tiny things. First up, I have just one little dianthus in flower, cheerful, but a little lonely.

For the rest, I moved around the garden armed with a macros lens…it is totally amazing what one can now do with just a phone and a little macro lens. Fruits of the season are scarce now that blackbird and fieldfare have been scoffing, here is one of the few remaining cotoneaster berries, hosting a raindrop.

Another flower that has featured on my six in recent weeks is worth a closer look. Individual flowers on each hebe spray are delicate and yet robust to the weather.

There’s a new season on its way, heralded by catkins on the hazel tree. Each is composed of many tiny exquisite scales.

One of the first to come to life in January (not that I’m wishing time away or anything….) will be magnolia. The fluffy buds are already coming to life.

Last, but not least. i did feature this sedum last week, but right up close the individual flowers on the flowerhead are gorgeously bursting with life. It’s December, but there’s so much to see when you look close.

That’s my six for this week. Don’t forget to follow #SixonSaturday on Twitter, and take a look at other sixer’s contributions via the great Propagator himself.

Six things, can be anything, in the garden, on a Saturday.

Winter proper now, and quite a week for me. Our family have decided to make this is virtual Xmas, so I’m looking forward to making mince pies for me and the other half, and sleeping a lot. Meanwhile, the garden needs ‘closing down’ for winter, but non-work days have been wet and horrible…it’ll have to wait, maybe this weekend. The garden itself currently still boasts a mix of autumnal colour and winteriness. My first this week acknowledges that it is still National Tree Week in the UK. I celebrated by moving a suffering quince out of the half-barrel where it was way too dry, to a (hopefully) sheltered corner against a west-facing wall. It’s a low bar to cross for next year, I’ll consider this a success if I get more than ONE fruit next year.

Second this week, I don’t know the clematis variety, but near the quince the garden itself gets a bit dry, and this clematis looks dead for most of the year. yet in autumn, here she goes. Lovely rich red flowers.

Things got a we bit chilly on Thursday, when we woke up to the first snow of the winter, so I nipped out to get some shots. Still trying its best to keep going is feverfew, a few flowers and lovely lime green foliage, with a touch of snow.

Azalea is budding ready for spring, and does look lovely with some winter sparkle.

Sedum autumn glory might not be standing for much longer, she’s even prettier in the snow.

Friday I was woken at 5am by the now infamous ‘thunder snow’….by the time we got up the thaw was well on, and by evening we’d had 4.9cm of rain. In between, I spent a squally morning sitting watching the local native squirrels on the bird nuts (including a fight between 2, too fast to film). Here’s the winner.

That’s my six for this week. Don’t forget to follow #SixonSaturday on Twitter, and take a look at other sixer’s contributions via the great Propagator himself.