Winterberry holly makes us jolly.
Ilex verticillata ‘Sparkleberry’
Diane witch hazel reminds us of basil. No, that’s not good. Think some more on this one.
Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Diane’
Calluna vulgaris ‘Firefly’ reaches for the sky. No it doesn’t, it is quite short in stature. You are going to have to do better.
But poetry was never my strong suit. Here is Firefly in situ, a row of three, it’s the bee’s knees. Now that is just plagerism.
Japanese blood grass kicks you in the… Now you are very close to crossing the line here.
Imperata cylindrica ‘Rubrum’
Persicaria ‘Red Dragon’ is a paragon. Are you trying for those para words-Paramonday again?
Persicaria microcephala ‘Red Dragon’
Ornamental pepper ‘Black Pearl’ is quite a girl. You are getting worse, not better.
Capsicum annuum ‘Black Pearl’
Unknown geranium, the color of titanium. What!!!
With Arctic Fire, Arctic Sun, where is that tag? It doesn’t always have to rhyme, you know.
Cornus sanguinea ‘Arctic Sun’
The real reason for this post.
British Soldier Lichen, Cladonia cristatella, Thanks Lisa!
Found growing on the cedar boards at the corner of the raised bed behind the shed.
Too cool for school.
Frances
Fairegarden 
Wow! That’s cool!
All those lovely reds, and the best of all is that blooming lichen!
Dear Frances, This is so imaginative and such fun. It has completely brightened up an otherwise dull day:
“It was worth rising from bed, to read Frances on red”. Forgive me!
You made me smile at 5:30 in the morning and that’s not so easy…Firefly may be reaching for the sky as hard as she can, she’s pretty. I love the fungi with the orange cap…
hello! dear i realy like you photos and your blog
too cool ^_^
Though not long from bed,
I came to see your red.
I expect to see lovely
grasses and flowers,
but enjoyed your lichens
more instead.
The British Soldier not growing on my shoulder, this rhyme is terrible good thing it isn’t wearable. I hope you aren’t sitting there gagging. tee hee…My neighbor used to have a cedar fence that had British Soldiers growing on it. When they took it down I almost asked for the section that had it growing on it. They already think me odd so I didn’t do it. Actually I think they threw it away when I was not home. I haven’t seen it growing on anything else around here. It must like cedar.
the British Soldier Lichen is great, but the dying ornamental peppers stole my heart. The live parts always look so very strong next to all that decay. Lovely.
I love that bit of red in the garden Frances .. it highlights so many other plants near it with a punch line expression ! : )
I’ve noticed that lichen recently…it’s wonderful! Love all the photos. gail
You are having so much fun! Love these fun musing with photographic characters that bring your words to life. 🙂
You made me smile this morning!
Cameron
Frances, the reds in the winter’s garden display the lingering beauty, but the lichen, your “too cool for school” is an amazing photo!
I’ve never been a huge fan of Calluna, the truth is, but you sure did make that one look good, Frances. The Lichen, however, could launch a thousand posts! Looks like a small city, fer Pete Sakes, in those killer close-ups you take. Absolutely astonishing, actually. Love it.
I love all your reds Frances… will you be having an orange post next?? LOL! I am most captivated by your lichen! I have often … over the years… gotten on my knees to see these little forests of red blooming Dr. Seuss trees! One can just imagine the little creatures running around in that world. I had never gotten a great photo like yours!! Simply Marvelous!! ;>)
Very neat lichen! I’ve not seen one with the red like that.
Wow I love the red lichen spores. I’ve never seen them before.
Pretty good rhyming and quite funny!
What fun!
Red in the dead of winter…living in lichen even. I’m going to have to go see if I can find some here!
You are a fantastic poet! I enjoyed this post a lot! The lichen is very picturesque…that’s a keeper.
Rosey
Hello Frances,
I am really enjoying the photos of Witch Hazel that you and other bloggers have been posting. It is a fascinating looking flower. Of course, your other plants are so colorful too :^)
Beautiful pics. We have a redtwig dogwood in our yard and I love how it looks in the dead of winter.
The poetry made me giggle, and I loved the gorgeous geranium leaf. Enjoy those yummy witchhazel flowers for me!
This brightened my day. I’ve never been much of a poet myself. But I did think if one had allergies they could say Basil makes me nasal. Did I already say I’ve never been much of a poet myself? hehehe Love the bright cheerie red berries and the bloomin’ lichen.
That lichen is amazing! I wish I had some of that. If you like red in the winter, look up Acer conspicuum ‘Pheonix’. It has bright red striped bark. It’s much redder than the usual coral bark maple. I love mine.
Frances:
She may not be a poet,
But she sure knows how to grow it!
Ok, Frances, that’s my contribution to bad poetry today:) Such beautiful photos this morning–they certainly brightened up my day. The calluna vulgaris is really attractive; I’m going to have to check that plant out. But the lichen is the star of the show here today–amazing! I’m a-likin’ lichen. Ok, enough…
I’m likin’ that lichen!
Woah..super beautiful..I love th firefly photos…lovely! Great texture and color! Wonderful post! very alive!
All of them are beautiful, and I especially loved the lichen.
Jen
Wow! wonderful pictures. I can almost touch them.
jim
I’ve never seen a lichen like that before, that is amazing! Your Winterberry is still beautiful. The birds ate ours long ago.
There is nothing on the Web that is such a guaranteed “eye-pop” as opening your blog. Red is right!
If you lived around here I would say you sound a bit cabin feverish but you can still get out and enjoy all the winter loveliness in your gardens. So that can’t be it. Maybe you are just happy. That is the better explanation for all that silliness. Your photos are great and I am so glad that there are gardens to live vicariously in during January and February. THe lichen is very cool. So out of this world looking. THanks for a fun post. Have a nice weekend.
Holy cow ~ that is one COOL lichen. I can see why you are so exuberant over it Frances. So much color there in Faire Garden besides that “bad to the bone” lichen. I seriously need to do something about the overload of brown in my garden…. GREAT photos!!!
That is just the best lichen – I agree it’s too cool. And I’m just in love with Diane this month. I wish I had room!
Stunning photos, Just beautiful! I love your lichen…wish I had me some of that too but it is far too dry here at the moment. We neeed rain!!
That lichen really is amazing. I’ve never seen anything like it.
Oh, Princess witch hazel Diane,
you need to expand to Chickenpoet’s land.
You will be received with such royal appraisal
for you behold my favorite bloom , Ms. Diane witch hazel.
What a bright cheerful post, especially since I just read the previous one. lol I LOVE the flowering lichen. Fabulous photos of the tiny lichen. The color red mixes with stunning clarity against the soft, sea green.
You always give us a new lens for looking at the details in the garden. The lichen is beautiful but requires close attention. We are covered in snow again. White everywhere.
British Soldier Lichen, too cool for school indeed.
Please send me some. I’d stare at it all day.
The unknown geranium is a marvel both in colour and that it still has its foliage.
Your poetry and your inner critic’s responses to it made me laugh. I love love love the lichen fruiting bodies at the end, and your witch hazel pictures made me go check mine again. Still no blossoms. These are very young trees though, and may not bloom this year anyway.
Battening down the hatches for our predicted snow storm here at the Havens.
OK, that titanium rhyme was a huge stretch. But, it made me laugh out loud. I think all your flowers are the bees knees. 🙂
Oooh..the witch hazel is my favorite. So delicate. And pink. Thanks for sharing
BRITISH SOLDIER LICHEN! Thank you SO much for identifying this beauty for me! We’ve got it on our split rail fencing, too! I love it.
Cute post, Frances!
Frances I missed this post till now. I loved it and I am sure you know which pictures were my favourites here – yip you guessed it that lichen soldier. I’ve never seen anything like it before………. or I would have it photographed too! nature sure is amazing. I’ll have to find out if this grows in Scotland :)Rosie
http://roostershamblin.wordpress.com/ would you please spend a few minutes and check out my blog. I am a farmer who has been raising over fifty breeds of chickens for forty years.
Those Winterberries are really making me wnat to buy some. Your pictures and the ones I have seen planted around Lexington are just beautiful plants. Your garden has so much winter interest compared to my past gardens up here in Lexington.
Jake
So nice to see your Witch Hazel blooming…
Mine are extremely late this year. Not even ‘Jelena’ is blooming (no, she is, but only since one week, and with only five flowers), let alone ‘Diane’, who is the latest to flower of my bunch…
Dear Frances~~ Your blog is always such a delight. Your salvia children look healthy and happy as all children should. Don’t hate me but I’m extremely lucky to have Fry Road Nursery [my sidebar] at my fingertips. The owners are constantly taking cuttings not just on many species and cultivar Salvias but Hebes and so many other delectable plants. Most go for 75 cents a piece, fully rooted plugs in April. Have you grown Salvia greggei? Is it hardy for you? It’s marginal here but so worth replacing if it succumbs to winter’s ravages. Gorgeous photos on your previous “RED” post too. I’m so far behind on blog reading, it’s criminal. I thought about you when the weather reports were for a winter blast in your neck of the woods. Cheers.
Thank you for making me smile! I love that calluna plant!