What is out on Christmas Day?

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A brave yellow rose blooming against the cottage wall.


The hammamelis mollis. Every year it takes me by surprise. For weeks it is an undistinguished little tree in the corner of the field and then one day it is full of gorgeous spidery blossoms with a clear sweet scent.

The new White Wyandotte hens out for a scratch and a wander.

A tiny pink flower on the scented geranium, protected by being just under the canopy of the yew tree on the edge of a sunny wall.

Comments

  1. Don26 December 2008 at 14:48

    Merry Christmas!

    It is so interesting to see the differences in our weather!

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  2. tina26 December 2008 at 14:52

    Your witch hazel is fantastic!

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  3. Kim26 December 2008 at 15:25

    Gardening continually amazes. Those hens are really beautiful.

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  4. Leenie26 December 2008 at 16:44

    It is interesting that the UK is so much farther north than the US yet you have much milder winter weather. Having that ocean current really makes a difference. Like the hens and the scented geraniums.

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  5. Barbee'26 December 2008 at 19:07

    Re: hammamelis mollis
    And, every year I say I'm going to plant one, but I don't see one out there, yet. Thank you for sharing yours.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Jude26 December 2008 at 19:28

    First visit to your blog, lovely!
    I shall be visiting again very soon.
    I come from Llangollen originally and love to see photos of the Welsh countryside.

    ReplyDelete
  7. laurie26 December 2008 at 20:05

    wow..... everything here is encased in snow and ice. let's see, what was out on christmas day?

    canada geese
    a few brave robins
    squirrels
    rabbits
    our dogs!

    merry christmas.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Maggie May27 December 2008 at 08:50

    I love the little white hen..... just another day for her!
    Great photos!
    Hope you had a lovely Christmas.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Gilly27 December 2008 at 09:30

    Wonderful photos! You must be more sheltered than we are, though not all that far away!

    So pleased to have found your blog!

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  10. Kitty27 December 2008 at 09:38

    Wonderful, you have more going on than here - mainly dead old stems covered in frost this morning, there must be a few seeds there too as the Goldfinches love them.
    Hamamelis is a definite must-have for this year, I'm going to put it on the list now!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Elizabeth Musgrave27 December 2008 at 10:15

    Don, just been looking at your pictures and see what you mean!
    Tina, so easy to grow, just sits there unfussily.
    Kaycie, I am really fond of the hens. The garden wouldn't be the same without them now.
    Hi Leenie, and thanks for visiting. Yes, let's hope they never turn off the Gulf Stream.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Elizabeth Musgrave27 December 2008 at 10:20

    Barbee, if you have room I really would go for the witch hazel. they are lovely when there is so little going on.
    Jude, just visited your blog and seems like a very different Christmas you have there.
    Hi Laurie, yes no shovelling here but loved your blog about the shovelling at yours.
    Maggie, yes the hens are great, such good noises!
    Gilly, thanks for visiting. We are quite high but sheltered from the wind and also in the rain shadow of Snowdonia.
    Don't be fooled Kitty. There are wastes of mud all around which I didnt photo!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Pipany27 December 2008 at 11:13

    Lovely and very much in keeping with what Kitty has written. We are all looking to the ew year and Spring! Hurrah! Can't wait to get in the garden and wish I had a Hammemelis too! Glad you had a good Christmas Elizabeth xx

    ReplyDelete
  14. mountainear27 December 2008 at 12:41

    Yes, I need a Hammemelis too - flowers when one needs them most and a glorious scent.

    Frosty this morning but rather dull now. I can't help feeling it looks as if it might snow - but it's not forecast. Would be nice....

    Love your White Wynandotte.

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  15. Chris Stovell27 December 2008 at 13:20

    Lovel photo of witch hazel. Looks colder up your way than here by the coast.

    ReplyDelete
  16. The Weaver of Grass27 December 2008 at 14:18

    Yes welsh hills - if we trawl our garden there are things out - several peace roses (looking a bit sad), a dark lady rose, tiny cyclamen, the odd geranium dalmaticum - they all look cold and unseasonal but they are out.
    Happy New Year to you.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Pondside27 December 2008 at 17:09

    Loved that hen! Our current batch is a fairly nondescript red hen sort - will have to search for some prety white and black hens again.
    Your photos were lovely!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Norma Murray27 December 2008 at 22:29

    How lovely. Nothing is out in our garden, not even me!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Anonymous27 December 2008 at 23:30

    Lovely hammamelis mollis Elizabeth - have you enjoyed the same wonderful weather over the christmas break as us?
    Warm regards
    Karen

    ReplyDelete
  20. CAMILLA28 December 2008 at 12:57

    What lovely pictures Elizabeth,

    Thank you for the tip on Hammamelis mollis, certainly one that I will try growing over here, is this is a sister of lady's mantle Elizabeth?

    Very cold and frosty here in norfolk today.

    xx

    ReplyDelete
  21. Fennie28 December 2008 at 16:07

    Park-puk-puk-puk-puk-puk (always an odd number of puk's, have you noticed?) park. Chickens in winter. They don't like winter and winter does not like them. But without winter however would they get from autumn to spring? But that heaving chicken sigh that comes of being too long shut in paaaaaaaaaaaaaa.....aaaa....aaaark
    is the real sound of mid-winter blues in chickenland.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Elizabeth28 December 2008 at 18:57

    The chicken is a delight.

    ReplyDelete
  23. LITTLE BROWN DOG1 January 2009 at 20:33

    We used to have a lovely yellow rose in our last house that always came out at Christmas. And I love that hammamelis mollis - must make a note of that, I've not seen it before.

    Wishing you a very happy rest of the Christmas season and a good new year. xxx

    ReplyDelete
  24. Cait O'Connor1 January 2009 at 20:35

    Gorgeous photos Elizabeth. I read on Kitty's blog that you have been reading the Morville Hours, me too! Isn't it wonderful?

    ReplyDelete
  25. Milla15 January 2009 at 13:19

    oh no! This was the year I was most def going to get a witch hazel (has to be bought in flower, you will agree) but also the year that they are too expensive. NEXT YEAR. Maybe.

    ReplyDelete

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