December Garden
Quince Tree
On a mild West Coast December afternoon, Floradora, Tipsy and Arianell climbed up the Quince tree.
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Rhododendron
Arianell sat in the Rhododendron. It was lovely to sit amongst the evergreen leaves and contemplate the buds, which will bloom with early pink flowers in a month or so…
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Witch Hazel
…and Floradora was so intrigued by the little Witch Hazel buds – another early blooming shrub which we planted to cheer our winter garden (not so much needed today, but much appreciated on the usually dark grey, stormy and rainy winter days).
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Brown-Eyed Susan
Look at the Brown-Eyed-Susans – still bravely flowering all the way into December!!
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Rose
And Lo, how a Rose e’er blooming from tender stem hath sprung.
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Snuggle
Quimper Hittys 
It’s good to venture out into the fresh air. Love the blue pot: “The world’s fair rose hath blossomed….” Tell the Hittys to be sure and not catch a cold this close to Christmas.
Winter storms come regularly so when it is at all nice, we love to dash outside – as you say, to breathe the fresh air…some days it is even a balmy 8 or 9 degrees!
Winter cheer is always welcome and going outdoors is the cat’s meow.
We’ll take pictures of the Rhododendron when it blooms (if it doesn’t decide to sulk because we moved it in October) …of course the cat is lying on the back of the sofa, looking out at us with a supercilious air, not deigning to sully her paws…
The hittys climbing in the quince tree is darling. It’s the perfect jungle gym for your girls. We are digging out from a Nor’easter. Our temps go in the teens at night so all remaining un-shoveled snow is glacier solid. Seeing your greenery and flowers is especially beautiful now, (although I do love seeing the first snow storm of the season, as long as I can watch it and not have to travel in it.)
I am sure the Quimper Hittys would love to have a little snow just to make us feel like we’re having a “real” winter but it sounds like you have more than enough!
What an adorable picture of the girls in the tree! We had a blizzard yesterday and I ask myself, when I see your gorgeous photos, ‘Why on earth do we still live HERE?’ . And my husband gently reminds it’s because of the people we love…. sigh. True…. but still…… blizzards vs roses in December? Flowers about to bud… sigh…. Ah, well, I am grateful to be able to enjoy the beauty of the Quimperworld vicariously. Thank you! ❤
I know – I never know if I am going to infuriate people, or make them despair when I show what the occasional beautiful winter day is like here…I hope it is encouraging rather than discouraging though…The “about to bud” flowers are singular, not the entire garden. Most plants are slumbering under mulch for a while yet.
The girls are like little flowers in your garden…even without actual blooms! All is gray here in MO. all tucked beneath the mulch awaiting spring. Thank you for sharing your garden and your girls with us.
Aw, thanks…I like thinking of them as little flowers in our garden (when they are out there for a brief frisk between rainstorms!)
As always beautiful photographs and pictural stories they are all. Especially I loved the deatils in the first one. Thank you, Love, nia
Thank you Nia, the stories follow from the pictures! We are lucky to live in this place!