There are many yew cultivars. Some are tree form, growing to over sixty feet tall. Others are low growing spreaders that make good ground covers. Many are shrub-like and can be clipped into hedges. There are English yews, Taxus baccata, and there are Japanese yews, Taxus cuspidata. And then there are combinations of the two, Taxus media. 

All yews have short, flat needles that are dark green on top with lighter green undersides.
New spring growth is a fresh green color.The plant is evergreen and looks best when combined with lighter shades of green and colors such as gold, silver, blue, and burgandy. The following photos show how the deep color of yew combines with the chartreuse of my moss path, as well as the lighter foliage of the Japanese maple 'Waterfall', shown in the first shot.

Yews like sun to shade and once established are drought tolerant, growing in hardiness zones 4-9, depending on the cultivar. They like well drained, neutal soil. Emphasize the well-drained part. Usually yews are unbothered by disease or insects, though occasionally scale, weevils, or root rot may affect them. Yews don't do well everywhere on my property. In fact, I have killed several by planting them in clay soil. But in a particular part of the Woodland Garden the soil is rich and deep and nearly the color of charcoal. Here I planted two low growing, spreading yews, Taxus Baccata 'Repandens', and they have thrived. After about five years the two cover an area of about fifteen feet. They anchor a corner of the woodland's main planting bed and provide year round structure to this part of the garden. One can see them in the lower right corner of the following photo, taken in March 2010, before most other plantings in the area had leafed out or begun to grow.

Be aware that all parts of the yew plant are poisonous. Female plants may produce attractive red berries if a male yew is in the area. If yews grow too large or ungangly, they can take severe pruning, but thus far I have not pruned mine. They truly have been low maintenance plantings. I can't help loving yew!

I have a question for those whose children have left the nest: Do you expect them to someday provide for you? Sort of as repayment for all those years of feeding, clothing, providing shelter, mentoring, and encouragement? If the answer is yes or maybe, then don't judge too harshly when I tell you the following story.

Lou recently watched as a young female Cooper's Hawk caught a mouse and carried it to a limb in a tree near our patio. The bird had just begun to enjoy her meal when another, larger hawk flew up and landed beside her. This larger hawk was also female, and Lou supposed them to be mother/daughter. Well, no sooner had Mom landed when she knocked against the younger hawk, then reached with her beak and grabbed the mouse for herself. Daughter glared at Mom for a moment, then flew off, no doubt to find herself another lunch!

When Lou told me about it, at first I was offended that a mother bird would treat her offspring that way. But then, maybe she thinks she deserves it after all she did to incubate and then care for her daughter when she was just a nestling!Hawk flying high

Soon spring will be here and Mom and Dad Hawk, who mate for life, will be preparing for a new family, and I suppose daughter will be looking for her own mate. There's a lot going on in the garden! Spring is leaking though the seams of winter and is about to burst through with full force. However, February is still winter, and we had some of our coldest temperatures this past week. But the subfreezing temperatures didn't last long, and I was relieved that most of the blooms in my garden came through OK. Here's a quick look at some things in my February garden:

Some recent scenes in the Front Garden:

This little rabbit stays in a pot by the front parking court:

Some random flowers and foliage:

Some woodland scenes:

I will end with moss and lichen, for winter is always a good time to appreciate these often overlooked denizens of the garden:

 Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you all have a great week!  Deborah

Whatever the zone, today was cold! Did I say something about spring in a previous post? This afternooon was so sunny I was expecting pleasant temperatures. I put on a light jacket before grabbing my camera and heading outdoors. Well, I was outside about three minutes before I came back inside for a heavier coat!

We are expecting temps well below freezing tonight, and I hold my breath for all the blooms in my yard. You would not guess how cold it is in the following photos. Not a snowflake for proof!

No worry for this thing I found, for the living dead have no concern for the frost!This rotting log is encrusted with fungi and lichen, and a close view reveals otherworldly beauty.

Hellebores were hunkered down this morning but perked up by the time I took their photos this afternoon:The frecked hellebore in the top photo is a chance seedling. I hope more like this one pop up!

Daffodil blooms stood up to last nights frost. I don't know if they will survive tonight's.
Above are back and front views of the same bloom.

Some more colors to cheer this February day - see the pansy with the smiley face:

Here's a view across the Front Garden. Can you feel the chilly air?A note about those round balls: I have tried hard to train Lou not to prune our yaupon hollies into round balls, but so far my training has not worked. He does it when I'm not looking.

And finally, here's some images from the Woodland Garden:

By now my fingers were frozen. Back inside! What's that smell? Lou is cooking up some fresh collard greens, just picked from the vegetable garden. Frost, they say, makes collards tender, so these should be very good!

So I decided to make a list of my top ten plants for foliage. This was not easy! There are multitudes of foliage plants with wonderful textures and colors. How to choose? I finally set up the following criteria:

I must love it. The plant must have been growing successfully in my garden for at least three years. This means it has lived through drought, as well as weeks of torrential downpours, steamy summers, and unpredictable winters. It has not succumbed to bugs or blight or strange fungal diseases that appear overnight. It has taken care of itself through weeks or months of neglect. I eliminated all annuals — maybe not really fair, but this helped me to shorten my list of potential choices.

So, here are my personal top ten foliage plants, in no particular order; I have provided links for those on which I have written more detailed plant profiles:

1. Deodar cedar, 'Feelin' Blue':I have often featured this small weeping evergreen tree in my blog posts. I can't say enough good things about it. It has incredible color, and I love its form and feathery texture. It grows on the sunny edge of my woodland garden.

2. Japanese maple, all of them. I couldn't choose which of my thirteen I love best. Their foliage, with many shades of green, gold, red and orange, is beautiful from spring through fall, some with lacy textures, some with weeping forms, all gorgeous.

3. Juniper 'Saybrook Gold'. This is another evergreen planted along the sunny edge of the woodland garden. It has marvelous evergreen foliage. In spring it is pure gold, turning more limey green in summer. The long branches are held horizontally, and it also has a feathery texture I love. Last fall I cleared away the cotoneaster on the woodland bank. They were perishing from disease and stress, so I replaced them with additional 'Saybrook Gold' plants. Right now they look funny alongside their mature hillside mates, but already they are putting out lots of new growth. Grow, grow! And catch up with the others, I say.'Saybrook Gold' is growing behind Japanese maple 'Waterfall'. Both have fabulous gold springtime foliage.

4. Hostas. The three that have prospered in my garden are 'Elegans', 'Sum and Substance, and 'Francis Williams'. Seedlings have sprouted which are, I believe, hybrids of 'Elegans' and 'Francis Williams'. They all like moist, rich soil and shade. As time passes I am adding more hosta cultivars to my garden. Time will tell which ones will do as well as these three.

5. Autumn fern. I haven't had success with many ferns, but this evergreen one has thrived. New fronds have a beautiful coppery color.

6. Variegated Hydrangea. I keep this deciduous shrub mulched with pine straw, and I do water it during dry spells, but otherwise it is easy-care. It has lovely summer flowers, but its remarkable green and white leaves brighten the shady entrance to the woodland garden from spring through fall.

7. Rosemary. I grow a couple by the patio. Its evergreen, needle like foliage is terrific, and it's even better that I have a handy supply of this aromatic herb for recipes. It has grown into a nice shrub, and I like the way it combines with other plants in the area.

8. Heuchera. This native plant is increasing in popularity, and there are many great cultivars. I grow them in semi-shade in several garden areas. The airy summer blooms are a bonus.

9. Canna Lily 'Tropicanna':I didn't want to like this gaudy plant, but it has pulled at me to embrace the tropical side. When the sun shines through its huge, multicolored leaves, I am reminded of stained glass. I can't stop taking photos of it. It goes dormant for winter but has proven hardy in my area. It carries its bright orange summer blossoms like a torch, but I would like it just as well without them. It is planted in a sunny area near the house, and I have a good view of it from my front windows.

10. Fothergilla major. This southeastern U.S. native is a great shrub in my woodland garden. It has delightfully fragrant bottlebrush blooms in the spring, but the leaves are what won my heart. They are a lovely blue-green in spring and summer and then turn multiple shades of purple and orange in the fall. Fothergilla gardeneii is a dwarf form.

These are plants that do well in my garden. It is always fun to see what does well for other folks. I enjoy being a member of Blotanical, a worldwide community of garden bloggers who share ideas and experiences in their gardens. Many have inspirational gardens and terrific knowlege to share. Some of these bloggers have become true, if virtual friends. Recently three different bloggers gave me the Versatile Blogger award. Now, I think all gardeners have to be versatile! Thanks so much to:

Bumble Lush, who gardens outside of Washington DC and specializes in growing vegetables in containers.

Casa Mariposa, who has an organic garden in Zone 7, also near Washington DC.

Lyn, The Amateur Weeder, who gardens a world away from me in New South Wales, Australia. 

If you are not familiar with their blogs, I encourage you to get to know them!

Last year I received The Stylish Gardener Award, a similar award which had the same requirements for acceptance, including posting seven random facts about myself and listing additional great blogs for readers to enjoy. These awards are fun and a great way to find out about other bloggers. So if you missed it last year and are curious, click onto A Stylish Award for Someone Who Wears Baggy Pants.

Thanks to all of you who follow my blog. Happy gardening!   Deborah

I was in the garden, digging up baby forsythias around the edge of a shrub where tips of branches had touched the earth and rooted to produce new growth. The earth was very damp and easy to dig. Most of the diggings would go to the brush heap, but a few would go to a friend. Once every few years I prune my forsythias and dig up unwanted shoots to keep the shrubs within their boundaries. I was late to do this. Already the forsythias are beginning to bloom!

It was a perfect day with crisp air warmed by sunshine. Birds, squirrels, and other animals were frisky, and so was I. I looked up when I heard the familiar shrill call of a Coopers Hawk. I followed his flight and watched him land above me on the branch of an oak tree. I grinned. He had settled within inches of another Cooper's Hawk. I knew there were two of them, but I had never before seen them together. I think they must be making plans for nest and family.

I know I have already published several photos of my Coopers Hawk, but here's one more. Don't look too close if you are squeamish!

Most of January was dreadfully dreary and very wet, but finally we have had some beautiful days, still frosty at night but with daytime temperatures warming up into the 60s. I know it's too early for all these flower buds, and there will certainly yet be a killing freeze. But I have decided to enjoy them while they are here. Goodbye January, hello, spring!

So, here are some blooms in my garden on this, the last day of January:

A view of the camellia 'Red Candles' in the woodlands. It is still a small, scrawny shrub, but it is loaded with blooms:

Some more camellia shots:Top photo is of 'Something Beautiful'. Middle photos are of an old camellia that was here when we arrived in 1985. Lower photos are of 'Red Candles'.

Daffodils:

Hellebores:

Quince:

Here's another look at the woodland garden, taken a few days ago. Everything is wet!

Water droplets cling to a native red cedar in the woodland garden:

Another view in the woodland garden, looking over the blue bridge. The moss path is lush after all the January rain:

Gardening is about passalong plants and friendship, about lush blooms and feel-good foliage, about weather and work and wildlife and walks to think about and enjoy it all. It's often a solitary endeavor, but the results are most satisfying when they are shared. I hope you have enjoyed a peek at my early spring; and if it freezes over, I'll tell you about that, too!

These lovely Crane-fly Orchid leaves are growing in the Woodland Garden.

Then yesterday while browsing the internet (Do you remember the world before the internet?) I came across a photo of my wildflower, and I finally had an identification: Tiliparia discolor, also known as Crippled Crane-fly or Crane-fly orchid. 

I have orchids growing in my woodlands!

You may have some type of native orchid growing near you, too. The orchid family is huge, with almost thirty-thousand naturally occurring species of orchids growing worldwide. There are also over a hundred thousand man-made orchid species! The family is extremely diverse. Orchids may be tiny wildflowers, or they may be showy prize-winners grown in hot houses, but they all have a couple of things in common. First, they all have three sepals that form the calyx of the flower. The calyx is the protective layer around the flower in bud. When one looks at a flower bud, one is looking at the calyx. All orchids also have three flower petals. One of the petals is dramatically different from the other two and is called the lip. The lip is the most attractive part of the plant. It draws in pollinators, pointing the way to the central reproductive organ, called the column, which contains both male and female parts.

The Crane-fly orchid is a native plant to the eastern half of the United States, growing from Texas to New York and Massachusetts, hardiness zones 4-10. It grows in the woodland setting and requires mychorrhizal fungus to grow along its roots to survive. The symbiotic relationship is interesting. The fungus gains carbohydrates from the orchid's roots, while the orchid draws water and mineral nutrients from the fungi. This is especially helpful in poor, shallow soils of dry woodlands. In some areas it is a rare or endangered species. Each Crane-fly orchid has a single leaf, which can be either smooth or corrugated, and they tend to grow in clumps. After the leaf dies back in summer, the orchid sends up a single purple stem about one to two feet tall. Each stem has a couple dozen greenish-purple, translucent flowers.This is a public domain photo of a Crane-fly orchid. I hope to make photos of my own this summer!The thin stems and small flowers are easy to miss in the woodland setting, but I think I have seen these! I did not know what I was looking at and did not associate them with the pretty leaves that had disappeared in early summer. Night flying moths don't overlook these flowers, however. They are drawn to the pale flowers and the sweet nectar and are the primary pollinators of this native plant.

Now I am looking forward to the hot, muggy days of late summer, when I will be outside, searching for Crane-fly orchid flowers.

But after a while I must. 

Only to find tragedy. Outside the kitchen door are mockingbird feathers, scattered across the patio. I look around for the familiar mockingbird who guarded this territory, who established a nest in the weeping yaupon tree next to the patio last year. I don't see him. Mercifully, the body is gone. Was it a neighbor's cat, or possibly the Cooper's hawk? I would feel better if it were the hawk.

This weeping yaupon holly grows outside our kitchen. Mockingbirds love the berries.Still saddened I look around for something to brighten my spirits. I don't have to look far. Below the weeping yaupon tree, the hellebores are beginning to bloom. There are several varieties growing here, and they have intermingled and self-seeded to produce nameless, illegitimate offspring. I don't care. I think they are lovely.

As I walk in the garden I find other spots of color. The winter daphne is budding and has opened one tiny flower. I grow this beautiful, sweet smelling plant in a pot to ensure good drainage. Clay soil and long rainy days would spell death to it otherwise. An ornamental cabbage, above left, also catches my interest, as does the remains of a bright seedpod on a gardenia bush. There are quite a few of these orange and yellow pods on the gardenia bush in the woodlands.

 And then I find this odd rock:

I love rocks! I love the permanence of them; I love their varied textures and patterns and colors. Here are some more rocks in my garden, each with holes and a story to tell, if I knew it.

First, a white one:

A yellow one:

And an orange one:

Now I'm on a roll, taking picture after picture of rocks, and I'm enjoying myself.
At last I turn back toward the house, again to see mockingbird feathers near the kitchen door. The fleeting life of a mockingbird; the solid rocks that will be here long years from now. But the holes remind me that even rocks are not eternal, for eventually they too are turned to dust. I sigh. January is getting to me. It's time to go inside and fix myself a cup of cappuccino with my new cappuccino machine!

Here are a few of the 'best of the rest'. For each month of 2011, I picked one previously unpublished photo taken that month. I chose them for different reasons, and the selection was harder than I thought!

January:Naked trees are beautiful! January may be a dreary month, but even as a few dead leaves still cling to tree and shrub branches, I appreciate the sculptural quality of the landscape. It's a good month to see the 'bones' of the garden.

February:Snowfalls are few and brief here in Helena, Alabama. I enjoyed pretending this is the normal winter appearance of my yard! The blue bench in the Front Garden is beautiful whatever the season.

March:Only six weeks after the previous photo, dogwoods and some azaleas and other flowering shrubs are blooming. The Japanese maples also put on a show this time of year.

April:I have had this concrete squirrel ornament for many years. He moves around the patio and surrounding area according to whim. 

May:The swing in the Lady Garden is a favorite spot to watch and listen to wildlife. Hawks, owls, bluebirds, robins, cardinals, and many other species of birds frequent the area. Not to mention squirrels, chipmunks, and bunny rabbits. Occasionally there are raccoons and foxes, opossums, and snakes. And lots of insects!

June:This year I added several hydrangeas to the ones already growing along the little path that connects the Lady Garden to the Front Garden. I now have a hydrangea walk! 

July:This 'Butterfly' Japanese maple was planted earlier this year. It grows near the hydrangea walk. I love its variegated leaves. I once had another one of these, unfortunately planted in poor soil in way too much sun. It was a deadly location. I hope this one will like its shady site with soil enriched with lots of organic matter. It's looking good in July, and so far, so good.

August:Many plants and people suffer through the summer doldrums in August, wilting in the heat. The bright foliage of weeping Deodar Cedar 'Feelin' Blue' is a refreshing, deceptively cool note in the Woodland Garden.

September:Look very closely amidst the garlic chives. Can you find two hairstreak butterflies?

October:This October photo looks over the herb bed. One can see down the slope to the arbor in the Lady Garden. This area becomes wild if I don't trim and weed it regularly through the summer, which I never do because it's craziness to do that kind of work in July and August! I clean things up once the weather starts to cool. The herb bed is on my list for a major renovation. It's not at the top of the list, but it's on there.

November:The ivy that grows in the woods beside our drive may be beautiful, but it is terribly invasive. Lou cuts the ivy from around the base of as many trees as possible each year, but it is a losing battle. The lady who built my house sixty years ago loved ivy and planted a few sprigs here and there. I wonder what she would think if she could see it now. I have to work to keep it out of the main part of the Woodland Garden.

December:I love these variegated poinsettias. Each year many of my Christmas decorations are plants, and that is no surprise to anybody!

I hope you enjoyed seeing some of my leftover photos. May you have happy gardening and make many good memories in 2012!

If that's not enough, also see 2010 Leftovers

Moss makes a wonderful, low maintenance path, and, yes, it is perfectly OK to walk on it, though high heels are not recommended! Jogging is not great, either, as this is likely to tear chunks of moss out of its place. But the foot automatically slows when it steps on the velvety surface of moss. Walking on a moss path transports one to a hushed and older realm, far from the stress and pace of modern life. It is best to savor the experience.

Moss has roots that anchor it to the surface, but these roots don't absorb water or minerals. Unlike more advanced plants, moss does not have a vascular system to transport water and nutrients. Instead, moss absorbs moisture directly from the air and uses sunlight to produce food through photosynthesis. If moss is covered up, it will not grow successfully. Because moss doesn't get its nutrients from the soil, it does well on poor, compacted soil and even solid surfaces such as stone or brick.

It will also grow on trees, but fortunately it is non-parasitic, since it does not steal nourishment from its host. Moss cannot store moisture and will dehydrate during prolonged dry periods. Nevertheless, many mosses spring back to life quickly once they are rehydrated. My moss path doesn't receive supplemental water but has easily survived several droughts.

Moss does not produce seeds or flowers. Spores are borne on long filaments in spring, but propagation by this method is difficult. The best way to get your moss path going is by adding plugs or sheets of moss wherever you want it to spread. Moss either grows in clumps or spreads horizontally, and the spreading type is best for paths. Local moss will be most suitable to your site. Just rough up the surface of the bare ground, put the moss on it, then firmly press or step on it to help it attach. Moss was already growing in a few places within my paths when I first got started, which is what gave me the idea to let it spread throughout. I found moss growing in other spots on my property and added plugs of it to the paths. I was thrilled when I found moss growing over the surface of a large flat rock. With the help of a trowel, pieces peeled off easily and made perfect transplants.

If you have the right conditions, allow some moss to grow in your garden. A path or even a moss lawn may be just what you need to lower your blood pressure or to restore your frazzled spirit. Don't have so much space? Then try a moss garden on a smaller scale. No room at all? Moss, along with a petite fern, miniature hosta, or a wildflower or two can make a delightful dish garden to sit in a window or on a patio. 

Peace to you.   Deborah

And so it is in my garden, as 2011 comes to a close. We have had some frosts, but mild afternoons have persuaded some plants to start new growth. I hate to see it, for those tender shoots are doomed. Go back to sleep I say. You've hardly had a nap. But plants listen to rhythms other than my voice.

The garden is not colorless. In many ways it still looks like late fall. Crinkly piles of leaves are everywhere. A few colored ones cling to branches here and there, and evergreens brighten the landscape with various shades of green, sometimes tinted with gold, purple or red.Top photo above looks across the patio, while the middle photo is taken from the same spot, with the camera turned to look over the lady garden. Lower left is a portion of the drive, and lower right is the upper end of the hydrangea walk.

More color comes from rose hips and berries:Top photo is a rose hip. Berries shown clockwise from middle left: Ilex vomitoria (yaupon holly); Symphoricarpus doorenbosii 'Kordes' (Amethyst coralberry); Cornus florida (flowering dogwood); Ilex verticillata (common winterberry)On a cold, gray day I found bare branches, empty seed pods, and other signs of winter, but an orange pumpkin, three months old, still brightens the landscape where I set it after taking it and other parts of an autumn display out of the front planter. Its colors are striking, and I'm not willing to put it in the compost while it remains in good shape. I found signs of spring, too, as early daffodils push up from the earth.

Winter blooming camellias provide spots of color. There is beauty even in the fallen ones, I think.I am pleased with my fall vegetable garden, and I have discovered that growing food this time of year is easier than struggling to keep vegetables alive through a bug infested, disease ridden, hot and dry summer. But I am not a vegetable gardener, as the broccoli in the collage below testifies. Lou told me days ago that we had broccoli to pick, but in the busyness of the season, I forgot about it. Today I was horrified to discover that some of it had started to flower! Fortunately, there was plenty still good to pick, but I felt bad that I had neglected it.Top photo is decorative cabbage which borders the vegetable patch. Non edible, but I want even this utilitarian area to be pretty! Lower shots are of my neglected broccoli and swiss chard, which has flourished in spring, early summer, fall, and now early winter. Frost has not bothered it.What season are you in? Here is whatever you name it. My garden has a little of it all, with surely some surprises waiting around the corner in 2012.

Happy winter gardening!