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

~~~

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?

~~~

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.

~~~

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.

~~~

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

~~~

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

Blooming Friday - White Dahlia in my Potager

White Dahlia in my Potager

It is now the last of 'Blooming Friday' of the month of November, ah...I'm so glad this month is finally over I'm not a huge fan of November it is sooo dark. Soon we enter Advent and that is wonderful period these four week before Christmas, so much happens. We can all light our Advent candels and feast on our Advent treats.

This is the blooming potager in July almost more flowers then vegetables, no just joking it is just that the flowers are taller. Find more interesting participants at our host Katarina

Now to something completely different it is about a new group on Facebook, it is called 'KÖKSTRÄDGÅRDEN' The Vegetable Garden and you are all very welcome but it is in Swedish so I guess it narrows down the members to us Scandinavians. Now I'll change to Swedish for those who prefere that.

Ny grupp på FACEBOOK! Är du intresserad av att odla din egen mat? Då är det här gruppen för dej. Skriv bara 'Köksträdgården' i Sök rutan när du är inloggad på Facebook så hittar du oss.

Välkommen in i köksträdgården!

"Från frö till tallrik. Intresserad av att odla din mat? Som medlem i 'Köksträdgården' kan du läsa och skriva om att odla din mat. Dela med dej om dina erfarenheter och din kunskap.Du kan gärna lägga in egna bilder och vara med att kommentera andras bilder ifrån köksträdgården."

I wish you all a wonderful first Sunday of Advent!

Happy Thanksgiving

Crab Cactus - A Light in the Darkness of November

This post 'A light in the Darkness of November - Crab Cactus' was originally uploaded by Tyra in the blog Tyra's Garden

Crab Cactus

a.k.a Thanksgiving cactus Schlumbergera truncata just perfect 'in floribus' in time for Thanksgiving.

Thank God for durable colourful winterflowering houseplants that costs next to nothing, like the African Violets, Kalanchoes, and this Crab Cactus they really helps us through the dark winter months especially now in the darkest month of them all November.

The Schlumbergera belongs to the Cactaceae family and lives wild in the tropical rainforest, it is an epiphytes what lives on rocks or in trees. On our window ledge they prefer welldrained soil with good aeration and hate to be waterlogged. Needs to be repotted just every third year, that's good isn't it.

Happy Thanksgiving to you All!

LOLove TYRA

Ready at last - Harvesting Mulching Material

This post 'Harvesting Mulching Material' was originally uploaded by Tyra in the blog Tyra's Garden ..

...

Sunday evening - I'm so content because I'm ready at last. Yesterday we had a marvellous day with sunshine and quite warm weather for the season.

At the moment I’m reading a very interesting book about the No-Work garden a Swedish book by Ingrid Olausson and it is based on a meeting and interview with a most fascinating lady Ruth Stout the author of No-Work Garden Book, it is an old book from 1971, I got a Xerox copied copy from my dear neighbour ‘Nuttan’ this is her nickname she is not at all nutty as a matter of fact she is a really smart lady. A lot in the book is about mulching and for that we need hay, straw and leaves and that I still had plenty of in my garden. Well…boots on and out to gather all that absolutely free mulching material…one and a half day later I’m done. Hard work for a No-Work garden ;-)

The kitchen garden is now tucked in, ready for the winter.

Borago officinalis - A Medicinal Herb in the Kitchen Garden

I always appreciate if you leave a comment/ TYRA

~~~