Calgary Garden Coach

Hello December!

Brrr, it is cold.  This is a bit of a shock, after such a mild November, isn't it?  As a gardener, I am at least thankful that we have some snow cover for this cold, windy spell we are having.  I am also thankful for ornamental grasses and tall sedums, because they look great in the snow!

 

more frosty pics from this morning's walk

In addition to the amazing blue oat grass, here are some other plants that caught my attention:

A frozen white phlox backlit in the morning sun.

A frosty cotoneaster with the leaves still green from the late summer weather and then sudden freeze we had.

Plants can be beautiful even in our crazy, frozen October, can't they?

helictotrichon sempervirens (blue oat grass) in snow

I snapped a few pictures on my way to work this morning.  A gardener in my neighbourhood has lots of mature blue oat grass in her front yard and it looks amazing.  All year, actually.  But particularly in fall (once the seed heads have matured) and winter - these plants will look great like this all winter long.  Each of the clumps below are planted in groups of 3 for a larger effect.  I have two specimens of this plant in separate spots in my back adventure garden, but none in the front.  I think I must add some next year...