Sunday, December 15, 2019

The Garden in December

Here's what's flowering in the garden today. Be warned - there are a lot of pictures of flowers here!

Parrot's beak (Lotus berthelotii):

Echeveria:

The bergenia still has a few flowers:
I will have to split this clump soon, it is taking over this corner of the garden.

The pansies are not doing brilliantly this year:
Something seems to be nibbling the flowers before they open properly. This one is hiding under the leaf of a hellebore. None of my hellebores flowered this year!

Geraniums and pelargoniums are flowering profusely in a few spots round the garden:

Rugosa rose:

Daylilies are popping out all round:

Three in one photo - penstemon, kangaroo paw and lamb's ears:

Roses:

Red hot pokers that are actually yellow:
There are red and orange ones elsewhere in the garden.

This orange freesia surprised me as I didn't know it was there:

Tag is buried somewhere in this mass of flowers. A native like billy buttons:

Chincerinchee:

Can't find the tag for this one either:

A bee and a skipper butterfly of some variety enjoying nectar from a succulent:
The skipper on its own:

A bee in one of several salvias starting to flower:

Nepeta:

Cistus petals looking like they need a good iron:

A surprise agastache growing behind a shed:
I didn't know it was still there! Two or three were planted a few years ago (before the shed was there) then disappeared. I assumed they had died but apparently one was still growing behind some other plants.

This escallonia was a gift from the next door neighbours:

Phygelius aequalis "Yellow trumpet":

One of several echiums flowering, with a bee gathering pollen:

Almost the last of the pigface, with a surprise caterpillar visitor:

English lavender with bonus skipper butterfly:

Other plants flowering but not shown here include waterlilies, sweet peas, hebes, citrus trees, aloes, philadelphus, and probably others I've forgotten. The first gladioli are just peeping out of their buds and will be open in a few days. And I didn't even go into the fruit and vege garden, where there are sure to be lots of other flowers happening.

11 comments:

Jeanette said...

A feast for the eyes. Love those skipper butterflies skipping about. Or was it just the one attention seeker.

jacaranda said...

A palette of colour. Something was eating my hanging pots of pansies also.

Julierose said...


One is more beautiful than the other--gorgeous colors....
thanks for sharing--another gray day here...snow expected tonight...
hugs, from wintry Ct Julierose;)))

Cheryll said...

Ohhhh they are all so GOrgeOus...
Merry Christmas...xox

chris said...

Amazing garden!

Marie Králová said...

So many beautiful flowers. I envy a little. In our country it is cold, harsh and raining. Marie

Pamela said...

It must be wonderful to have so many colorful flowers. Some are very unusual looking

Laura said...

Lovely flowers! We are having a very brown and rainy fall, so I appreciate your pictures. I don't think we could grow all of those here in Virginia.

Sue SA said...

Beautiful collection of flowers, my day lilys were ready to start but off for a walk now to see what survived yesterdays heat and what needs more water to cope with today's super heat!

Needled Mom said...

Sooo beautiful.

Wendy said...

Great Post - You have given me some ideas for battling DD's weed infestation!
I was interested in The Parrot Beak for my garden (bit garden isn't big enough) but should help DD! Cheers