Season of Darkness

From Thanksgiving to Washington's birthday in February is my "season of darkness".  It's dark by the time I get home from work and I can't do even little garden tasks for 5 or 10 minutes.  It's not that there is much to do in the garden--it's more a mental and physical need to take in the sights and smells of a garden.  So this is my time of waiting, planning and dreaming.

I did get several new shrubs planted last weekend that I had bought earlier this fall. The first is a Variegated Bush Ivy (Fatshedra Anglo Star).  I'll need a larger trellis in the spring since this will grow to six feet.

The next is Mahonia 'Soft Caress'.  The texture of this plant caught my eye and it has a typical Mahonia flower spike forming.  It should reach 3-4 feet and if it is like my other Mahonias it will be slow growing.

The shrub that I have great expectations for is Chinese Fairy Bells (Disporum cantoniense).  I've planted it in the mostly shade corner of a new fence and hopefully it will reach a height of six feet.  I also incurred the wrath of my wife when I cut the fiber cable to the house digging the hole and we lost internet, TV, and telephone.  Rabbit ears worked better than I expected until it was repaired and cell phones easily replaced the land line.

The last new plant is a Dwarf Honeysuckle Cool Splash (Diervilla sessilifolia 'LPDC Podaras').  The culture information I have says it is good for woodland, part shade, and drought tolerant--I've got it in the perfect spot.  A number of plants have gone from this spot to the compost pile--as a garden optimist I just know this is the plant for this spot.

I also addd a Dogwood 'Cherokee', Oakleaf Hydrangea 'Alice', and a Camelia earlier this fall to the garden.