The birds in the garden on December 10th

 On December 10th the robins flocked to the holly berries and devouvered them all by early afternoon.  The birds were a couple of weeks early this year.  Those berries have been known to be ready on Christmas morning.

 Some of the flock of robins in the English Oak tree, what is in the back garden.  The robins were having trouble sitting on the branches of the holly tree, if there got to be too many of them at once.

 On the same day there were wood peckers on the other trees.  None of my pictures were very good.  But this is the only shot I have of the red headed woodpecker in the front tree.

 The downey woodpecker was on the apple tree, searching out bugs to eat.  There was a Flicker on the neighbours house, and a Starling in the holly tree for only a moment. 

 A photo of the Lily of the valley shrub in front of the Japanese cedar in the woodland, on Dec. 2nd.

An abstract for my Ice Art album.  This is ice on the patio table on the deck, highly photoshopped.

December: The little rockery in the back garden

 the strawberry jar on the little rockery in the back garden. 

 the lewisias on the little rockery in the back garden.  As you can see this rockery needs to be cleaned up, compost added and more pea gravel top dressing.

 The dwarf evergreen on the little rockery in the back garden.

 This little rock plant is a cutting from an older plant that is in the little rockery in the front garden.  I cannot remember the name of it.  It loves to have rocks to grow over.  It has tiny pink blossoms in the summer.  It spreads over top of the rocks.  It is easily propagated.

 This rock plant is an ice plant, delesporum.  I have taken cuttings of it and have them growing in tiny pots on the deck.  I will plant them into the little rockery in the front garden.  They spread quick fast.  I might want one under the magnolia tree, too.

 I spread chopped up leaves that I ran through the lawn mover, over the cutting garden.  I will add a light layer of compost over the leaves in the Spring.

This is the view of the little rockery, the troughs, the strawberry and rhubarb patch, with the cutting garden at the back.  This area has lots of tree roots and needs to be fed.  The English Oak tree leaves fall on this bed and become mulch.  I am slowly establishing a few perennials in this area.  I try to encourage the columbines, foxgloves, dames rocket, malvas, feverfew and other self seeding plants.  The michaelmas daisies are far too invasive, so they are not encouraged.

December: the old sidewalk in the back garden

 The orange trees on December 2.  I am going to leave them out all winter.  They are never going to bloom, so I think I will reuse the pots.

 The new Rhodo Oreotrephes planted in front of the old camillia.  The camillia is growing more branches, so I think I will keep it pruned and keep the rhodo trimmed also.  This will give some good screening for our back patio.  A couple of weeks ago I fed these plants, and the rest of the rhodos some rhodo food. 

 The old sidewalk from the steps to the back border of firethorn bush.  The lily of the Nile has turned a lovely golden color that looks good with the greening of the moss on the sidewalk.

 Another view of the old sidewalk to show the perennial bed that I renovated last Fall.  Hopefully the milkweed plants I put in there will grow next Spring.

 Further to the right of the renovated perennial bed is the apple tree and the stepping stones leading over to the little rockery and the strawberry patch and cutting garden and the neighbors fence.

 A closer photo of the Lily of the Nile plant.  This is plant is slowly spreading and is a very good plant with nice strap foliage and tall stalks of blue flowers in the late summer.  This flower bed beside the old garage needs some compost added.

a closer photo of the lily of the Nile.  You can see the spent flower head in silver high above the golden foliage.