I Say Goodbye 2009 and Welcome to 2010

I say Thank you and Goodbye to the year 2009, not the best of years if you look to the economy, environmental issues, peace talks, the fight against poverty, terrorism and the unfairness on this poor mother earth. It is an ongoing struggle that never seems to add up justly the way I want it. The work in the garden is a more satisfying struggle the only guys I have to fight are the weeds and the terrorists are the slugs and I think I can handle them however I must say sometimes I feel a bit brutal.

I say

Happy New Year

to all my blogging gardening friends!

LOLove TYRA

Helleborus - Ny bok av Claus Dalby

I got this book called 'Juleroser og Påskeklokker' from a friend of mine and it is so wonderful. A whole book about Helleborus - it has these amazing pictures and a lot of useful information for a novice as myself on the subject Hellerborus . I do recommend you to read it, if you’re not great with the Danish lingo it does really matter it is a feast for the eye.

Claus Dalby has written a lot of beautiful garden books through the years one of them is Drivhus drömmar (Greenhouse dreams) and I wrote about that favourite in 2008. More?...Meet Claus Dalby’s fantastic garden in Risskov

Do follow this link to Ashwood nurseries and read more about the Helleborus. They do have mailorder :-) but I guess it would be frightfully expensive for me to make an order from UK. I just have to find a more local distributor.

I haven’t got a lot of Helleborus in my garden but after reading this book and after the 'visit' to Ashwood Nurseries I do have to make a change about that. I wonder if I could grow them from seeds?

Juleroser og påskeklokker

Vilken bok! Det här är precis vad man vill dyka ner och botanisera i under mellandagarna. Vilken prakt, sagolika bilder och så mycket matnyttigt för en novis som jag är på ämnet Jullrosor Helleborus (Ranunculaceae)

Var finns det en bra plantskola som har fina Julrosor?

Finns det någon som kan tipsa om var man kan hitta fröer eller plantor?

Merry Christmas from Engarn

TOMTEN Viktor Rydberg

Midvinternattens köld är hård,

stjärnorna gnistra och glimma.

Alla sova i enslig gård djupt under midnattstimma.

Månen vandrar sin tysta ban,

snön lyser vit på fur och gran,

snön lyser vit på taken.

Endast tomten är vaken.

December blooms - Hyacinthus orientalis

Today we have had a terrible winter storm with up to gale force wind and heavy snowfall. It was a complete chaos in the traffic with a total stand still for the busses. Luckily I could convince my colleagues that they could cope without me and my boss said yes. As a result I have had a wonderful day baking a loaf of fruit bread, taking a long bath, doing some tidying among clothes that I never wear, making a pie for dinner and creating decorative Christmas labels for my Christmas gift.

Snöstorm och trafikkaos, fullständig kaos idag! Det har snöat vertikalt hela dagen och blåst så det har gått rakt igenom huset. Jag skulle bara jobba några timmar idag och lyckligtvis kunde jag övertala dom på jobbet att jag fick vara hemma och komma in och jobba lite extra i mellandagarna istället. Så min dag har varit alldeles underbar, städat lite, tagit ett långt hett bad, bakat ett matbröd med frukt och nötter och gjort en god paj till middag - en riktigt skön dag en andra ord. Nu till blommorna det är ju blommig fredag hos Katarina

Now to the blooms...it is Blomming Friday at Katarina's place

The Hyacinth is my number one among the favourite winter flowers, December blooms anyway... I say this now just wait until the Hippeastrum flowers are 'in floribus' then I'm sure I'll say the same about the 'Amaryllis'. Anyway no Christmas without the Hyacinths. I'm so glad that non in my family is allergic to it.

Blue Hyacinth in the soft daylight of December.

Today it is the day before the day before the day...before the day.

Winter solstice! Sing Halleluja

CHANGE

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Time for me to change the header and to make a small change in the design.

Winter blue and Indian red?

poster from easy art

Winter apples or apple blossoms?


Decisions, decisions...which one to take...hm

Well you already know the answer.

A warm indian red for the border and an impressionistic photo of my appleblossoms.

What do you say, do you like it?

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Inga stora ändringar men jag tyckte det var dags för lite förändring på utseendet. Det var lite svårt att välja, skulle jag ta det kalla eller varma, blått eller rött, vinter eller sommar, Yin eller Yang? Ja...så här blev ett impressionistiskt photo av äppelblom kombinerat med en varm rödton på kantdekoren. Vad säjer ni, ser det bra ut?

Paperwhite - Narcissus papyraceus - Tazetter

I'm continuing on the theme winter-flowering plants, December blooms that have the ability to brighten up even the darkest of days. Last week I got two bulbs of Paperwhites from a friend and now they are 'in floribus', this delicate and elegant bulbous plant native to the Mediterranean region and it is very fragrant too.

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Så här års gläds man verkligen av alla underbara blommor som blommar just nu i advent. Dessa små Tazetter är ju helt sagolika, enkla och på samma gång sofistikerade också doftar det ljuvligt också.

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Den här härliga kommer ifrån bild ifrån ett Smågodis till jul Slottsträdgården Ulriksdal det är verkligen godis i mina ögon.

Så här skriver odla.nu om Tazett Narcissus papyraceus

Namn: Tazett (Narcissus papyraceus)
Familj: Amaryllidaceae, amaryllisväxter.
Ursprung: Sydeuropa, Medelhavsområdet, Kina, Japan.
Beskrivning: Narcissus – från grekiskans narke, bedövning, förlamningpapyraceus – pappersaktig
Namnet har uppkommit därför att avkok på växten är rogivande och i högpotenta lösningar förlamande. läs mer...

Blommig fredag hos Katarina

How to Make a Moisturizing Herbal Balm - Lemon Verbena

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I found this video and I thought it could be a nice gift for Christmas. It looks rather fun to make it too, I'm gonna have a go.

How to make a lovely moisurizing herbal balm with Lemon Verbena, Aloysia triphylla.

Video: How to Make a Moisturizing Herbal Balm - Vegetable Gardener

- I wish they could have better music...I think it is a bit annoying.

Lemon verbena, Citronverbena in Swedish and you say Ning meng mao biao cao - if you speak like one billion 365 thousand others do (mandarin) :-) Picture from Wikipedia.

You could use other plants from your herbal garden. I have plenty of Lavendula augustifolia and Calendula officinalis in my potager so I'm going to try to use some of those plants (dry herbs). Some time hm...long time ago I made bath salt and Rose water and Lavender splashes - Making Scents

Good luck with the cooking!

Winter Flowers - Phalaenopsis

We have now lit candle number two and we are entering the second week of Advent, this wonderful time that comes to an end on Christmas Day.

I wonder... what kind of flowers do you have in your windows during December?

On my windowsill I have a lot of orchids and this one has such a pretty colour, almost Christmas red. I cannot think of a winter flowering plant that is more durable and that flowers for such a long time as the Phalaenopsis.

Tips and ideas how to care for your Phalaenopsis,

about - watering, fertilizer, light, potting etc.

What to do after the blooming is over. After care.

December Frost in Garden

As an amateur photographer I find things like frost crystals, fog, mist and water are just wonderful, it is a great way to capture a bit of 'drama' into the pictures. This is 'Lucia' once again singing the final verse - of the last song of the season. This Rose has been so fantasic this year 'in floribus' for almost 6 months!

In the soft sunlight of December - Lichtkönigin 'Lucia'

And once again the last of the explorer rose The Canadian 'John Davies' now dressed in a coat of frost...

...even a simple straw looks spectacular with the frost crystals

The sloe bitten by the frost, my 'topiary' Blackthorne, now is the best time to pick the berries!

and last a picture of the thornless Bramble

I wish you all a lovely weekend/ Tyra