Snowy Erikas

The garden is ready for advent,

though the purple colour of the Erika is hard to see

under the snow cover.

There is an advent party going on

over at

Britt-Arnhild's House in the Woods.

Garden moved indoors

My window sills are perfect places for growing plants during the winter months. Three hyacint bulms have had their first weeks down in a cold room in the basement, and are now moved up into the diningroom. For still one week they will be dressed in green hats, they ¨don't like too much light after their time in a dark basement.

I started to grow them a little late, so I don't think I will have blooming hyacints for Christmas. But January is also a perfect time to fill the house with some sweet, pink fragrance.

Frozen water

Animals in the garden

I have been away for some time, so as soon as it was light enough this morning I was eager to go out into the garden. It has been snowing for a couple of days, but today the sky, though grey, is quite bright. The trees are covered in snow and make my world look like a winter wonderland. The first squirrel of the day was already visiting the feeding area, though he had to search in the snow for sunflower seeds as I hadn't filled the feeders yet.

Hidden by the darkness of the night the deers had been searching the garden high and low for something to eat. The snow make winter a hard season for them. They are eating the last roses which were about to bloom when the snow came, but exept fdrom that they don't seem to destroy much in the garden.

Winter activity

Internet will never take over for real books in my life, neither will emails and blogging comments take over from real letters. The Blue Garden has a blue book where I write down all entries, and glue all photos from The Blue Garden blog. I am behind in the project, but long and dark winter nights are perfect crafting time. With scissors and glue I enjoy looking back on a summer which is now history.

The lavender will survive.

.....and I have the fragrance in bouquets and small bowls around indoors.

Winter visitor - garden fun.

Colour Schemes for the Flower Garden. Booktalk in The Blue Garden - 2

Twice I have visited Gertrude Jekyll's garden on Lindisfarne, the first time in late autumn, the second in early spring. The first time a little too late for the garden to show its best, the second time a little too late. I plan to go back to Lindisfarne next year, and this time in August, and look forward to see what the garden will look like then.

As a gardener and a garden lover I have known about Gertrude Jekyll for years, but it was not untill my Lindisfarne visit this spring that I bought my first book from Gertrude's pen, Colour Schemes for the Flower Garden. And many a summer night was spent out in the Blue Garden reading from this book, learning about how to grow a painting.

The colours of the Blue Garden are covered under a white quilt now, but the dreams of a next year and another colourful painting lives in me, and trough long, dark winter nights Gertrude Jekyll walks with me in my dreams.

Snowy fairyland.

This is what I see from my studio window today. I was out as soon as it was light enough to fill the feeders and to take photos. Now I can enjoy it all from a cosy room of my own.

The smell of a sweet foccaccia in the owen makes my stomack cry, and to make time pass I am working on some felted ornaments for Christmas. Somehow the snow fills me with inspiration. The studio is transformed to an artist's workshop.

everlasting leaves

Before the maple leaves were all gone I saved a few and pressed them.

Now they will be everlasting memories of a colourful autumn.

Some will be made into cards and mailed around the world.

Let me know if you want a card.

Mostly indoors

I miss garden life.

These days I run out in the mornings to feed the birds and squirrels, and that's about all I see of the garden.

Though one morning earlier this week I went to work a little late,

and it was light enough for a few snow shoots.

The autumn decoration outside the play house looks Christmassy

sprinkeled in snow white.

One of the squirrels has been out before me.

The leeks are surviving a little snow
and will keep on giving flavour and vitamins
to Blue Café dinners.

Cuttings

When the weather prevents me from garden fun, there is still alot to do indoors. Like potting a few cuttings. I now have two more plants to help survibe the winter. One is a geranium from a plant I bought this spring, the other is a lemon geranium cutting I took Taking cuttings is not stealing, is it.....) from one of the green houses in the botanical garden in Padova.

Early with her preparations?

Is the rhododendron a she? I think mine is anyway :-) And like so many shes, she is early with her preparations. Buds are already formed and will now sleep through cold and darkness, to eventually open into huge, pink beauties next spring.

Booktalk in The Blue Garden 1

I have a basket filled with garden magazines and books. In the summer this basket often find its way outdoors, and in between garden work I sit down to get some new inspiration, or read stories written by other gardeners. Outdoor life is history in The Blue Garden for this year, but the basket has alot of new books. On Sundays I have a booktalk over at Britt-Arnhild's House in the Woods, and with winter just around the corner it is the perfect time to start a booktalk tradition here in The Blue Garden as well. So put the tea kettle on, wrap yourself in a favorite quilt and come travel with me to the land of garden books.

Barbara wrote about The Essence of the Garden by Hannah Willets some time ago. I did a search on amazon and didn't hesitate long before I ordered a copy. It arrived in the mail a couple of weeks ago, and now I spend long, dark autumn nights enjoying Hannah Willets musings from her Shropshire garden. A perfect bedside reading, and at the same time filled with information and descriptions. I wish I could compose symphonias with words like Willet does.

Rain or shine

Rain or shine, the garden needs its man and its woman. Snow is coming and going every second day now, though luckily no frost yet. There were still some pots waiting to be emptied before the long darkness sets in, and today was the day we had to do it. Raining cats and dogs? No, it was raining elephants, but as born stubborn Norwegians, rain doesn't prevent us. We just wear wellingtons and waterproof jakets, raise our shoulders up above our ears and are ready to meet any task.

Some of the clay pots have been hosting annuals this summer. I gathered the plants in a corner under a fir tree down in the backyard, where Terje covered them in a thick quilt of fir branches. Hopefully the plants will make it through the winter months and can be planted out - somewhere - next spring.

Because of all the snow we get during the winter, we carry all pots inside the garage in autumn, but first a cleaning prosess was essential. Icy cold water from the pipe and icy cold water from the sky.

Now we are back inside and I am baking a sweet foccaccia. As soon as it is finished I'll make a huge pot of coffee and we can get some warmth again.

Through my studio window

I was out this morning photographing the virgin snow which came during the night, and had planned to show a few of the photos here. I lifted my eyes from the computer screen and looked out my studio window - and here is what I saw.

Two mooses passing just outside the window. Having my Nikon at hand it was easy to get these photos.

You don't need to travel far and wide when you live in The House in the Woods, excitement can be found both inside and outside the studio window.

Every season.......

I am a summer girl. The Nordic summers are never too hot not to be comfortable, the light is on all night and the colours are divine through our summer months. But walking in the garden a morning before work in this red light I have no problem in admitting that every season has its charm.

I was out this morning with my usual ration of sunflower seeds for the birds and animals which visit daily, some of the creatures have even moved into the garden and can't be called visitors any more, when this warm, glowing red light filled the air.

Lucily my camera wasn't far away, and though the colours on a photo can never be the same as real life, I think you here can get a good image.

We have had several snow showers already this autumn, but every time the snow has melted in a few hours. And luckily no deep frost yet. I still have winter preparations to finish, and hope to find time for that this week-end.