It’s a gloomy day today but the countdown has begun. The shortest day is twelve days away. It’s a fair way to go still until Spring but I’m feeling a twitch of positivity. I have planted the last of the tulip bulbs and have set out some new hellebores. The lawn is squelchy but there was a brief morning of dry weather and the fig leaves were mowed up and deposited in the leaf mould cage. I am beginning to feel that the last of the gardening jobs are being ticked off. Here’s my six for the week.
One
This comes with a warning of rampant spreading. Pachysandra terminalis. I have two plants in a thin border at the back end of the garden and if they spread I will (I think) be very happy. I have not chosen successfully here in the past, so here’s hoping they will settle in well.
Two
The new hellebores, fifteen in total, are in the old gooseberry patch border. Here they will have the white tulip ‘Maureen’ and hydrangea quercifolia ‘Snow Queen’ for company.
Three
About now I start looking for something interesting in the garden for Christmas wreath making. It is going to be a challenge as everything is so wet. I cut back the hylotelephiums and I will keep them to see if they dry out and are useable.
Four
In cutting back they hylotelephiums I pulled off a few new buds. They had the barest amount of root attached so I swiftly potted them up to grow on. They are usually fairly easy to propagate so I am optimistic.
Five
There’s not much colour in the garden but the seeds of iris foetidissima are just about holding their own against the rain.
Six
To end, a grainy photo of the parakeets and persimmons taken through the kitchen window. A bizarrely exotic site for a gloomy garden.
Jim, our laudable host will have much to ruminate on as usual. Stop by and take a look and happy gardening to you all as usual!
n20gardener 
It’s surprising to see all these parakeets which are rather exotic, but I understand that there are many (too many) of them in the UK such as grey squirrels. I hope the rain will stop soon for you, so that you can collect materials for your wreath.
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You are right. The screech of the parakeet is not the most charming sound and I have plenty of grey squirrel visitors too!
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I’m surprised that the parakeets thrive in winter.
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Gorging on Persimmons isn’t exactly a niche that native birds could complain about losing. Do they take up residence until the fruit is all gone or just call for a quick snack and move on?
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They around and about most of the year but particularly come for the persimmons. Once they have broken the skin I notice that smaller birds also feed on them.
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“Parakeets and Persimmons” would be a great title for a book. Do you purposely leave them for the birds? Fifteen new Hellebores is exciting, I hope they are all different colours. I have quite a few, but mostly the white ones. I went outside today to cut off all the old leaves and was pleased to see evidence of new growth.
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I will be transplanting some of the “offspring” of my hellebores soon.
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That is exactly how I got my hylotelephium spectabile (or Sedum spectabile). Bits came up with the deadheaded stems. I did not plan on growing them, but I got them now. Iris foetidissima is native here.
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I look forward to seeing how the Hellebores do. I’m a fairly new convert to them but must resist buying any more. Wow to the Iris seed – they’re really colourful.
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Those Irish seeds are gorgeous. Even a tiny bit of colour at this time of year is much appreciated.
Pachsyndra is doing well for me under a dense Acer. Doing well mean is spreading, but not everywhere.
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Hoping my pachysandra will do same. Happy Christmas
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