"Stephen Henning" wrote in message
news
Our garden is beautiful here in Zone 6. We have:

winterberry holly with red berries - ilex verticillata
ahhhhh I can see the deep red berries against the green pointy leaves very
well! g

witch hazel with flowers - hamamelis virginiana
I have the variety "Diane" which has red flowers....now I have to go back
outside and see if she has unfurled her buds today.........

lenten rose is preparing to bloom - helleborus varieties
And since writing my ramble, I need to see if buds are forming on the clumps
of Helleborus I have tucked here and there..............

rhododendrons with fall foilage - especially PJM
despite that rhodies love it here enough to be a native shrub up in the
mountains across from me, I can't get any to live for me. I'm attempting to
get "Flame" azalea to survive for me which is a native here, and if that
works, I'll hunt for a more cast iron rhod to put into my dry woods. Winter
bones are essential!

red twig and yellow twig dogwoods add color to the garden

You have stirred my memory that the yellow twig that survived is down in the
first woods room of my chaos, you have inspired me to wander! Thank you
Steve!

spring bulbs preparing to burst into bloom
I have so many noses up all over and in every pot I'm actually stressing
that frigid temperatures will nip their shows of flowers now. We're due for
a cold snap now behind this false spring. Today's highs are predicted to be
upper 60's. I don't believe it. It's overcast and unless the sun comes out
to shine all day, I think it'll stay to the upper 50's and low 60's like it
is now. (58o and holding a degree or two)

trees preparing to burst into bloom
I tend to agree with you on that too...my Cornelia cherry is loaded with
buds that give me the first blossoms, and it's straining to begin. I hope it
holds back. Last year I had just a few "cherries" on the small tree and woul
d love to see it covered in late summer with them. Only if we have no
freezes will I experience this.

evergreen holly keeps their berries all winter.

Since my neighbor who shares the driveway has a massive holly with berries
on it, I enjoy his and dig up their daughters out of my woods. I'll leave
one or two to keep of the larger ones, but they can be a weed sometimes.

-- thanks for inspiring me to go back and check the doings in the raised
beds.
madgardener
Pardon my spam deterrent; send email to
Cheers, Steve Henning in Reading, PA USA
http://home.earthlink.net/~rhodyman