Early Winter Walk

Autumn has passed. Skeletal remains of leaves are everywhere, lots of crinkly brown shells upon the ground and others still clinging to trees.

I find a single oakleaf hydrangea leaf that still has its fall color. It is the last one, as far as I can see.

I appreciate the Spartan beauty of winter, especially on a pleasantly crisp day with a brilliant blue sky. I walk out on the patio and hear the call of two red tail hawks, soaring high overhead. I breathe in the air and smell the tea olives down in the arbor garden, their blooms tiny and obscure but with a wonderful fragrance that carries on the breeze. I realize this is a perfect day for an early winter walk, so I hurry back inside for my camera.

Back outside, I point my camera at some bright dogwood berries with the cerulean sky above them.

I walk a little farther and take a shot across the front lawn, a view stripped now almost to its essentials. Many dried Japanese maple leaves hold desperately to branches, but other trees are bare: 

Evergreens stand out and provide structure and color to the December garden. Below is a small sampling: Clockwise from top left: Rosemary; Deodar Cedar 'Feelin' Blue'; Japanese Cedar; Cryptomeria japonica.

A group of evergreen Nandina 'Firepower' grows next to the front parking court. These sterile nandinas provide a lot of color through the winter:

Another evergreen with winter interest is Pieris japonica 'Cavatine', laden with buds that will open next spring:

I walk along a path that leads to the arbor garden. I recently planted several Winterberry hollies next to this path. 'Winter Gold' is filled with golden berries that the birds will soon consume:

The bark of a large oak tree catches my attention. Moss highlights the bark's lattice pattern:

Near the oak I spy some acorn shells:

Edgeworthia is a deciduous shrub with wonderful structure, cinnamon-colored bark and outstanding buds that will open in late winter:

Eventually I wander over to the woodland garden, where fallen leaves are thick upon the ground. Lou works hard to keep the paths cleared, but the leaves come quickly behind him. In places the path is nearly obscured. I have been out for a while now, and it is late in the day. Long shadows stretch across the land.

I realize the sun is beginning to go down, and the air is suddenly cold. The days are so much shorter now. I pause to take one last photo, this one of the jasmine arch, lit up for Christmas. The light is just dim enough for the lights to be seen. 

I am content as I enter the house. A walk in the garden always refreshes my spirit, and it has given me unrushed time to reflect upon the Christmas season. Peace to you all!   Deb

Distylium, a New Low-Maintenance Shrub

Sometimes skeletons are lovely. Most of the time we ignore the skeletons in our gardens, those sturdy background plants that give structure to the garden and that support more exciting specimens. These may be trees or shrubs, and often they are evergreen. We walk past them, but how floppy would the garden be without good bones?

One may think of Distylium as a skeleton plant, but newly introduced cultivars are worth more than a passing glance. The shrubs all have beautiful form and are good alternatives to plants like cherry laurel, indian hawthorne, juniper, and boxwood. Never heard of Distylium? Neither had I until this year, but for me it was love at first sight, despite a name that hints of illegal booze-making. 

Distylium is a member of the witch hazel (Hamamelidaceae) family, and the resemblance is seen in the tiny red flowers that appear in late winter and early spring. Don't expect to be thrilled by the blooms, if you happen to notice them. The beauty of distylium is the shrub's nicely elongated, evergreen leaves, which lie in a herringbone pattern.

Dystilium is a native of eastern and southeatern Asia, consisting of about 18 species of evergreen shrubs and trees. There are three Dystilium hybrids recently introduced to the United States. 'Vintage Jade' is the one I acquired. The lustrous, arching foliage has a bluish cast. It grows only to about two feet tall, but will spread to five to six feet wide. It can be used as a ground cover, as a low hedge, or as a border along paths.Distilium 'Vintage Jade'

Distylium 'Blue Cascade' is another introduction that has a nicely cascading habit. It grows about 3 feet high by 4 feet wide. This one has matt, blue-green leaves. It is a nice accent plant or can be planted as a hedge.

Distylium 'Emerald Heights' has an upright, dense form, growing to 5 feet tall and wide. It has dark green, glossy foliage. It makes a great privacy fence or hedge.

One reason I am attracted to this plant is its ease of care. Distylium is both drought tolerant and wet soil tolerant, though it grows best in well-drained, slightly acid soil. It likes sun to partial shade, and it is not bothered by diseases or pests. Growing in hardiness zones 6b-9, it takes both heat and cold. It sounds as good as it looks!