American Holly, Ilex opaca, in the Woodland Garden at Havenwood
“I heard a bird sing in the dark of December,
A magical thing, and sweet to remember:
"We are nearer to spring than we were in September."
🌟 Oliver Herford, “Hope”
Welcome to Havenwood in mid-December!
Our nearly one-acre garden is in northwestern Pennsylvania, zone 5/6, and the garden is in its winter garb, suitably dressed for Christmas. Red berries and evergreens take center stage in December, but there are a few flowers to be found as well. Also there are the seed heads that catch the season’s snow and glisten with a bit of frost. After a mild autumn, we have plunged into proper temps with wind chills making it feel like 2°F (-16°C) outside for my walks this past week. Freezing rain, snow, and howling winds mean December is properly here.
There are over a dozen different garden rooms in our British-style garden, so I will do my best to give you a quick walk around today to see the December highlights of many of our areas.
We will take a look at the best of our December berries, seed heads, flowers, evergreens, and also a peek at our Potting Shed getting ready for Christmas…
St Francis in the mid-winter Woodland’s golden hour.
Berries
‘Tis the season of decorative bobbles, and the garden will not be outdone by the indoor ornaments. The Winterberry Holly (Ilex verticillata), Beautyberry (Callicarpa), and American Holly (Ilex opaca) are each taking up the challenge of adornment while also feeding the birds in the Woodland Garden this week.
Winterberry Holly (Ilex verticillata) are getting tall enough to be a proper hedge around the southern corner of the Woodland Garden.
The vivid purple berries of the Beautyberry (Callicarpa) are beginning to shrivel, but still retain their color near the garden wall.
For several years I thought that we had an English Holly (Ilex aquifolium) at Havenwood. But after a UK garden friend visit last year and mentioned that it did not seem the right color, I realized my mistake. American Holly (Ilex opaca) is very close but a bit more dull, and its leaves are a bit more rounded in overall shape. It is reseeding around the Woodland, and I am beginning to use these baby shrubs to fill in for the Buxus which is not doing as well.
The golden light on our Linden trees caught my eye when I was outside the garden looking in.
Seed Heads
After being captivated by these fading flowers in the snow fall this week, I decided to include them in our garden tour. They may not be green or red, but these plants add something special to the winter garden, and I wouldn’t be without them at this time of year.
Bronze fennel is a favorite seed head to look out on covered in snow. It seems to catch all of the moisture just right. It is in the Hot Border near the house.
Japanese Anemone fluffs are a favorite in the Cottage Garden. They are like suspended snow.
Anemone fluffs on top and snow on the bottom of the Cottage Garden.
Our Hydrangea ‘Limelight’ hedge looks good until spring, especially with native Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) as a ground cover near the road.
Clematis fluffs are quite fun as well at this time of year. They make a great addition to a floral table or wreath.
Flowers
Nice to have some flowers at this time of year! They are a bit spread out, but worth looking for: Witch hazel, snowdrops, and Christmas roses…
Lemon peel-colored Hamamelis ‘Ice Queen’ near the Moss Walk.
There are several Galanthus elwesii up in the garden now near the Birch trees, but they always get a little worn at this time of year. The free and thaw soils the petals, and the rabbits like to take a nip here and there.
Buds of Helleborus niger ‘Josef Lemper’ with some snow.
Evergreens
The flowers will continue to pop up on the mild weather days to come, but the winter in our area really belongs to the evergreens. They begin to shine in November as the leaves turn, but in December the hold the picture together. They are the walls of some of our garden rooms, or they are the accents and focal points.
Boxwood (Buxus) make up the parterre in middle of the Hot Border room.
Evergreen Hedges & Perennials: Epimediums on Hellebore Hill; Arborvitaes by the drive; Hemlock framing the Daffodil Dell; and Autumn ferns in the snow.
Our largest Yew (Taxus baccata) is about 9 feet tall and a giant gumdrop shape at the end of the Pergola Walk.
White pine is a beautiful native tree. We have been told that our Woodland contained many dozens of pines not long ago, and so we have added them back in. One clue that tells me that there were more pines here is that Canada Mayflower (Maianthemum canadense) is growing in the places where we have added a few pine needles from our Christmas trees, including the ones that I have dragged home from the neighbors’.
These views of the Kitchen Garden and the Lantern Walk would not be as good without the evergreens
Bonus: The Potting Shed & Greenhouse
We finished remodeling our Potting Shed in April, so this is our first winter having in put together. Last year, the window were all sitting in the basement waiting for their holes to be cut in the siding. So it is exciting to have it as a space to use this year. It is quite cozy, even without heat on a cold day, when the sun is shining through the glass.
The Potting Shed near the pond and a borrowed view of our neighbor’s Weeping Alaskan Cedars.
View inside the shed towards the pond…
…View back to the doors and the Long Border.
Lights in the Potting Shed, and my first winter looking out these vintage windows at our pond.
Trees at twilight reflected in the vintage window of the Potting Shed.
Looking towards the Long Border and the Kitchen Garden at twilight.
Looking down at the Potting Shed and Kitchen Garden from the steps. The “full cold” moon has been amazing this week!
All of the full moon names for 2024 are below:
Some lights on the empty greenhouse that is waiting for its pots.
Thanks for taking a quite walk around Havenwood for December!
Always nice to have visitors. And thanks to Carol for instigating this tour with her GBBD!
What is blooming in your garden this month? Love to hear!
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