Garden Share Bristol

Snow? Ice? Who cares!

Whatever you choose to celebrate, best wishes for peace, joy, and good health!

autumn shadows

Those of us  who are avid gardeners and living in the Northern Hemisphere can't wait for the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. Then the days will begin to lengthen and we can look forward to the gardening season once again. Whoo-hoo!  This year the solstice occurs on December 22nd, and to celebrate I'm posting a photo-a-day countdown with some of my favorite photographs of 2011.  Enjoy!

Brassica oleracea

Those of us  who are avid gardeners and living in the Northern Hemisphere can't wait for the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. Then the days will begin to lengthen and we can look forward to the gardening season once again. Whoo-hoo!  This year the solstice occurs on December 22nd, and to celebrate I'm posting a photo-a-day countdown with some of my favorite photographs of 2011.  Enjoy!

Hibiscus sp.

Those of us  who are avid gardeners and living in the Northern Hemisphere can't wait for the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. Then the days will begin to lengthen and we can look forward to the gardening season once again. Whoo-hoo!  This year the solstice occurs on December 22nd, and to celebrate I'm posting a photo-a-day countdown with some of my favorite photographs of 2011.  Enjoy!

mushroom, unknown

Those of us  who are avid gardeners and living in the Northern Hemisphere can't wait for the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. Then the days will begin to lengthen and we can look forward to the gardening season once again. Whoo-hoo!  This year the solstice occurs on December 22nd, and to celebrate I'm posting a photo-a-day countdown with some of my favorite photographs of 2011.  Enjoy!

Hosta sp.

Those of us  who are avid gardeners and living in the Northern Hemisphere can't wait for the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. Then the days will begin to lengthen and we can look forward to the gardening season once again. Whoo-hoo!  This year the solstice occurs on December 22nd, and to celebrate I'm posting a photo-a-day countdown with some of my favorite photographs of 2011.  Enjoy!

Paeonia lactiflora

Those of us  who are avid gardeners and living in the Northern Hemisphere can't wait for the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. Then the days will begin to lengthen and we can look forward to the gardening season once again. Whoo-hoo!  This year the solstice occurs on December 22nd, and to celebrate I'm posting a photo-a-day countdown with some of my favorite photographs of 2011.  Enjoy!

Allium sp.

Those of us  who are avid gardeners and living in the Northern Hemisphere can't wait for the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. Then the days will begin to lengthen and we can look forward to the gardening season once again. Whoo-hoo!  This year the solstice occurs on December 22nd, and to celebrate I'm posting a photo-a-day countdown with some of my favorite photographs of 2011.  Enjoy!

Iris germanica & Tradescantia x andersoniana

Those of us  who are avid gardeners and living in the Northern Hemisphere can't wait for the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. Then the days will begin to lengthen and we can look forward to the gardening season once again. Whoo-hoo!  This year the solstice occurs on December 22nd, and to celebrate I'm posting a photo-a-day countdown with some of my favorite photographs of 2011.  Enjoy!

Pulsatilla vulgaris

 Those of us  who are avid gardeners and living in the Northern Hemisphere can't wait for the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. Then the days will begin to lengthen and we can look forward to the gardening season once again. Whoo-hoo!  This year the solstice occurs on December 22nd, and to celebrate I'm posting a photo-a-day countdown with some of my favorite photographs of 2011.  Enjoy!

Those of us  who are avid gardeners and living in the Northern Hemisphere can't wait for the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. Then the days will begin to lengthen and we can look forward to the gardening season once again. Whoo-hoo!  This year the solstice occurs on December 22nd, and to celebrate I'm posting a photo-a-day countdown with some of my favorite photographs of 2011.  Enjoy!

Magnolia stellata

a mature sycamore tree in Denver, Colorado

This plant profile is a bit different because it features a plant that I do not recommend. However, it's a plant that I think is visually intriguing and worthy of closer examination if you happen across one.
Platanus occidentalis, American sycamore, is native to eastern North America. It's found in deep, moist soils - not a characteristic of Colorado's front Range - and is very large, 75 to 100 feet tall with a similar spread - so not great for most residential landscapes, either.  This specimen is located in an irrigated park (32nd Ave and Federal Blvd, Denver) with plenty of room to grow. The texture is irregular and coarse with rangy branching and large leaves.


These trees definitely fall into the "messy" category. There's a mature sycamore in a yard right around the corner from me; I walk by that property all the time and I've noticed the constant litter of twigs (and branches after snow storms).

The beauty of a sycamore is in the amazing bark, which shifts from chunky, grey tessellations on the trunk to large, multicolor, flaky sheets on the lower branches, to smooth creamy-white bark on the upper-branches.

love the lichen on the north side of this old tree!

hues of warm browns, greys, and cream

And did I mention the cool fruit? Another sculptural component of Platanus.

Keep your eyes open for sycamore trees and enjoy them when you see them - just don't plant one!

stenciled detail from the ceiling of the historic Waring House at Denver Botanic Gardens

view across the lake to the willows

On a recent visit to my local Crown Hill Park, the beautiful light of late autumn inspired a flurry of photos.  Flora, fauna, and the water itself captured my attention. Here are a few of my favorites:

common cattails, Typha latifolia

native milkweed, Asclepias speciosa

Mr. Muskrat, Ondatra zibethicus

tangled cottonwoods, Populus deltoides

happy Mallard pair, year-round residents to our region. Anas platynchos

European mountain ash, Sorbus acuparia

the mornings are downright frosty these days!

fox squirrel enjoying my Fraxinus americana 'Autumn Purple'

This American Red Squirrel  Fox Squirrel is one of many that call my neighborhood home. I enjoy watching their antics in the garden, but don't appreciate their persistent attacks on my bird feeders!

Are squirrels a part of your garden's ecosystem? Do you consider them friends or foes?

ETA:  Thanks to Connie who correctly identified this squirrel species!

Freeze-dried:  Amelanchier x grandiflora 'Autumn Brilliance'

Remember this?

The lovely 'Autumn Joy' sedums that I photographed just a few weeks ago now look like this:


  They had not had enough time to dry out and harden off before we were hit with a couple of heavy snows. Some years they will stay perfectly upright and the flower heads will dry to a rich, brick red, adding texture and color to the winter landscape. 



 This year it was just not meant to be!