Friday, January 7, 2011

Winter Beauty

I'm not sure what type of shrub this is, but it has beautiful reddish clusters of buds this winter. I took a short three-hour seminar several years ago on "winter gardening" and it was quite an eye opener. Plants don't flower, or even thrive, during the winter months in New England, but many shrubs and ornamental grasses have gorgeous winter foliage or limb color and structure. There are Witch Hazels with bright red or yellow limbs, not necessarily apparent in the warmer months. Several ornamental grasses keep their colors and flower stems during winter and can add depth and structure to a yard even in the snow. Evergreens come in hundreds of colors and shapes and their foliage adds color and depth all year 'round. Many spring shrubs set their buds in the fall, such as Rhododendrons, and whatever this one is, lol. The color and texture of the leaves and buds is very striking when you see it in person.

• For an interesting essay on winter gardening, click here.

8 comments:

  1. Wow Casey, I LOVE this shrub! Just beautiful! Did you capture this picture on your walk today?? A much needed bit of color on a drab day...thanks!
    mare

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  2. WOW IS WOW MARE, I AGREE WITH YOU. IT REALLY IS A BEAUTIFUL SHRUB. CASEY,YOU JUST CAPTURE THE BEAUTY IN EVERYTHING YOU DO. DON'T YOU JUST GET SICK OF ALL THE COMPLIMENTS WE GIVE YOU EVERYDAY? YOU BETTER TAKE THEM WHEN YOU CAN GET THEM.LOL
    GN CASEY GN

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  3. I'm just glad I can see the beauty. There were at least 20 people walking by this row of shrubs the other day not even noticing them. They were looking at ME strangely because I stopped to take photos. I took a walk today, but it was FRIGID and just kept my head down, lol.

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  4. I'm with you Casey - to see the world through a child's eyes. Your positive attitude is a energy force to the nth degree, I swear a visit to Casey's blog is like a shot of a mega-vitamin.

    Takes me back to the '60's when all we wanted to do was surround ourselves in love. We are what we wrap ourselves in - this I believe.

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  5. Casey, should get blogger of the year award with his spectacular array of photos, chops and commentaries. He not only makes you laugh but educates you about post war America, plants and nature and sometimes about his own past.

    I am so glad to be friend's with this man. He is kind of like a an older brother and friend at the same time!

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  6. YUP WOODY, YOUR RIGHT. BUT MORE LIKE A SON TO ANNIE, MARE AND MYSELF. HE'S SO LUCKY TO HAVE THREE GRANDMAS' TO WATCH OUT FOR HIM. HOOT WITH A WOOT, WOOT. RIGHT ANNIE AND MARE?

    GRANNY

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  7. Hey, Casey. Love your blog. Always learning something from you! Your beautiful shrub is an Andromeda (Pieris x 'Brouwer's Beauty'). I have it in my yard, too, and it puts on a show every season. It is an evergreen broadleaf shrub, with beautiful white flowers in spring. The flower clusters are upright, and, like you show in your picture, they have deep purplish-red buds in winter. Keep up the great work!

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  8. LCG184: Andromeda, yes!! Thank you. Now it's coming back to me, lol. My floral designer friend, Mary, identified it for me last year, but I had forgotten the name. Thanks so much for writing in and letting me know. It has a very nice creamy white flower in the spring. And thanks for the kind words about the blog!

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