It’s that time of year again and this season, I am doing the best I can to avoid any form of cold injury. Last winter I suffered from a mild case of chilblain and I was quite miserable.
Some of you may remember the furry Report Cove, an Alpine-inspired boot. I purchased mine back in 2006 (just because I found them interesting). They turned out to be very useful 12 years later and are now part of my favorite Winter boots.
Report Cove Boots.
Although I am not a fan of UGG® (some of the designs can be an eyesore, to say the least); however, these shoes are well made, light, extremely comfortable and will keep your feet comfortably warm.
UGG® Maylin Ankle Boots.
Surprisingly, my UGG® Raana Rain Boots are the most comfortable of them all. Too bad I can’t wear them all the time.
UGG® Raana Rain Boots.
I like UGG® Boots and I love Sneakers, so when I saw the gorgeous fusion in these UGG® Mika Classic Sneakers, I was drawn like a magnet. They are not only beautiful, but comfortable and warm too. I got all the colors available (Antilope, Black and Chestnut).
UGG® Mika Classic Sneakers.
I hope you keep your feet warm throughout the Winter season.
I hope you had a wonderful time celebrating and you are now ready to win battles this year. Best wishes. I enjoyed the holiday break and rested well. It rained a few times and we loved it.
Months before Christmas (including birthdays), I ask my kids to make a list of three things they really wanted, with the understanding that only one will be bought. We decided to get them everything on their list because it was the last time they would receive gifts as they are getting too old for that. They will now receive a Christmas allowance, for things they really need.
My avid readers got lots and lots of books.
My daughter LEGO sets, but went gaga for the ultra-rare L.O.L. Surprise! Punk Boi and Lil Punk Boi dolls. She also got L.O.L. Surprise! Under Wraps Scribbles and Lil Scribbles. Her brother got her the L.O.L. Surprise! Rocker doll.
L.O.L. Surprise! Punk Boi and Lil Punk Boi.L.O.L. Surprise! Under Wraps Scribbles and Lil Scribbles.
The kids are out of school for Winter break and I am so happy to finally get some personal time to tend to my plants. Yes, it’s cold outside, but I have a few unfinished projects. The mountains are once again covered in snow, and the view from my backyard is breathtaking. All I need is a cup of coffee and a nice spot where I can soak up some (limited) afternoon sun.
So far the days of the week have been brighter than the previous week as we went through a few days without seeing any sunlight. We have beautiful sunrises and sunsets. For the first time in 12 years, the intensity of raindrops from the heavy, non-stop rain we had a couple of weeks ago created soil erosion here and there, and the ground in some areas is still soft.
Rain (double rainbow), Fog and Frosty Roof.
Heavenly Bamboo also known as Nandina, is a beautiful evergreen shrub, drought tolerant and a toxic plant too. This plant as well as Dwarf Nandina ‘Nana’, add dimension and color to the landscape as their foliage make them a great accent to the yard as they brighten and light up the grey, dreary days by becoming the focal points in Winter.
Heavenly Bamboo.
This summer we redid our 44 years old driveway and in doing so, we had to remove three of our mature Photinia Fraseri ‘Red Robin shrubs. There is still a gap next to the gate and as you can see, the ugly stumps in the landscape. The good news is that new growths are forming at the base of the stumps and they will continue to fill their place in the landscape as they regrow.
Photinia Fraseri ‘Red Robin.’
My Agave Ovatifolia has gotten really big. Five pups can be seen coming up from the larger mother plant (the 5th one is still breaking through). There is another pup that is not in the photo because it’s growing on my neighbor’s yard.
Agave Ovatifolia ‘Frosty Blue’. Mother plant and pups.
I went to Lowe’s last week to get a couple of fuses for the Christmas lights and I ended up buying a few Asparagus plants, including Plumosus, as seen below.
I am still collecting Antique cast iron patio sets. The arm chair is one of the new additions I got this year (the matching bench/settee can be seen in the first picture). I am searching for the extremely hard to find planter.
Asparagus Plumosus.
I am grateful that my yard is still weed free. I did well, the weekly maintenance if paying off. This is also a good time get outside and pull out those weeds, while the ground is soft and the weather is not too cold.
Weed Free Yard.
It has been a wonderful year with no set backs:
We are safe, happy and healthy
Our families and friends are doing great
We completed two major projects
We were given so much and we gave as much in return
It’s almost that wonderful time of year. It’s cold outside and some mornings are ice cold.
We have been debating whether or not to put up the Christmas tree this year. It’s fun setting things up and decorating; when it comes time to take everything down and storing, none of my helpers are to be found. Either way, having a Christmas tree gets us into the holiday mood as well as listening to Christmas music.
Holiday Elves.
We didn’t go for a white Christmas this time. We opted for the little green Christmas tree and a few of our favorite ornaments. This year, the huge elves are on the shelves and their fun mischievous (medium size) replica on a ladder next to the Christmas tree.
Christmas Tree and Elves on Ladder.
This year, my favorite ornaments on the tree are the Lauren Conrad Christmas ornaments below. The Mouse Candy Cane, Fox and Bunny Ballerina. They are beautifully well made.
Lauren Conrad Christmas Ornaments.
I love the nativity scene glass cloche below featuring Mary, Joseph and Jesus.
Nativity Scene Glass Cloche.
I found the beautiful miniature living Christmas trees at Walmart earlier this morning. Went in to buy a t-shirt for my son’s project and couldn’t resist bringing one home.
Miniature Living Christmas Trees.
For the first time in many years, the neighborhood is alive this holiday season. Most of the neighbors have decorated their yards and put up lights and the sight is beautiful at night (which is enough for us). We are keeping things simple and to a minimum.
We are extending our attitude of gratitude by continuously giving to charities.
Warmest wishes of the season from our family to yours.
It’s Saturday and Saturdays have become the day we rake leaves and clean up the front yard. We no longer have trees in the front yard. Strangely however, with a little help from the wind, these falling leaves from neighboring trees tend to find solace in our yard.
Fallen Leaves.
I noticed a while back that one of my Photinia Fraseri in the front yard wasn’t as tall as the rest and I suspected that it wasn’t getting enough water. Sure enough, while inspecting the plant I realized that not only was it not getting water, the irrigation tubing was damaged. Somehow roots found their way into the tubing and clogged it. We checked how far the damage went, cut out the damaged section and replaced it.
Damage Irrigation Tubing by Plant Roots.
I planted two Dwarf Myrtle shrubs a few years back, only one survived. This drought tolerant, deer resistant and evergreen shrub with delicate creamy-white flowers is one of my favorite shrubs in the garden. The foliage and stems exude a pleasant scent when crushed. I usually don’t pay much attention to the plant once its done flowering. I recently and accidentally realized it was covered with dark blue berries.
The leaves, flowers and berries are edible. The berries are used to make essential oil, jam, alcoholic beverage and tea. I heard it’s a plant that represents love and death (get more interesting facts about the plant here). The plant attracts many pollinating insects, such as honey bees and butterflies. It will also attract birds.
Dwarf Myrtle stems with dark blue berries.Dwarf Myrtle flowers (June, 2014).
The evergreen Asparagus Fern is a beautiful ornamental plant, ideal for hanging baskets. It is said that the stems of the plant are safe to eat. The fruits however are toxic to humans as well as dogs and cats; causing symptoms such as stomach pain, diarrhea, vomiting and skin irritation. Birds are highly attracted to the fruits.
Asparagus Fern green and red berries.
The cold weather has given the bulbs I transplanted a head start.
Allium Drumstick shoots.
New buds emerging at the crown of Julia Rose Itoh Peony plant.
Julia Rose Itoh Peony Buds.
Happy gardening as you get yourselves into the holiday spirit.
By JM Perez
