It was a frosty and foggy morning. The garden was particularly fetching in glittery sparkles. There was winter interest.
Winter interest can be defined as anything that pleases the eye, be it colorful foliage, interesting shapes and textures or good tonal contrast in the garden and beyond.
In its fourth year now, the Fairegarden is maturing. Nearly constant tweaking, trimming, moving and rethinking has been ongoing whilst the plants have been steadily growing on.
The lawn/,meadow is filling in with self sown volunteers and a variety of small trees, shrubs, perennials and groundcovers that are sorting themselves out. I step in when necessary to edit, but leave it be to see what develops.
Salix brizensis is coppiced yearly to provide long spindly twigs that wave in the westerly winds. Winter is their season to shine.
Winterberry hollies, Ilex verticillata ‘Winter Gold’ and I. ‘Winter Red’ offer not only visual interest but also food for hungry birds.
The mix of red and gold berries shows up better than the gold alone, although those are still fabulous.
The carnivorous bog garden has filled in nicely. These pitcher plants, various Sarracenia sp. are winter hardy and will be cut down in late winter for fresh new growth. They remain colorful well into the new year.
Concrete projects from years gone by are solid soldiers and rearranged on the regular. Glass art also is shifted from site to site until it finds its niche.
Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Little Honey’, on the left seems happy. The same cannot be said for the H. macrophyllas on the right. They have gotten zapped by late cold snaps every year. Maybe 2019 will break the non-blooming streak. The stems are still shapely and contrast well with the lighter browns and tans of this shady bed.
Frozen figs hang like ornaments.
The fog is lifting now.
The door of a new day opens, with a promise of good things to come.
May the days be filled with love and joy for you, dear readers, as the end of 2018 nears and let their be hope for the future for us all.
Frances
Fairegarden 
Lovely winter garden!
Thanks, Carol, and thanks for visiting!
Frances, thank you so much for posting. I was thinking about your Fairegarden the other day and wondering how it and you were doing. It is an inspiration to me to see such a lovely garden in this part of the country (East Tn.)
Wishing you joyful holiday season.
Alice Woody
Thank you, dear Alice, for thinking of me! I so appreciate it. I know it has been a long time, over a year, since I last posted. It felt good to get back in the saddle. This is indeed a beautiful area.
So glad to see a post from you in my inbox today. Your garden looks spectacular in its winter finery. Merry Christmas. Valerie
You are so sweet, Valerie, thank you. The garden is growing in a way that is more pleasing, it seems, and calls me to take its picture. Merry Christmas to you!
I am so happy to find your post! Your garden is maturing and more and more dazzling. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Thank you for the kind words! The garden is coming along, finally. Merry Christmas to you and yours.
Just lovely and the garden is an amazing testament to your skills. So good to see a post from you!
Thank you, my dear friend! Your words, like the garden, fortify me.
So lovely to hear from you and see how your garden fares (or faires). Best wishes over the holiday season and the coming year.
Good one, Jennifer, thanks! The best to you and yours!
Frosty goodness in your garden. Loved this.
Thank you, dear Layanee.
Oh Frances, how I’ve missed you and the lovely Fairegarden! What a treat! Peace to you and yours and Merry Christmas.
What a sweet thing to say, Vicki, thank you! Peace and best wishes to you and yours.
This is so whimsical I loved reading through it and the pictures are so inspirational. As new landscaper in Zone 4 do you have any recommendations of plants that most people don’t use these days?
Hi Harley, thanks so much for visiting and the kind words. As for plants, in your zone, I would check with Kathy Purdy of Cold Climate Gardening. http://www.coldclimategardening.com/ I am zone 7, but there are probably things for colder zones growing here. I don’t have enough expertise to help much.
Why not start here, Harley? http://www.coldclimategardening.com/2018/09/16/unusual-plants-for-the-autumn-garden/
Will do! thank you
Gorgeousness in Fairegarden! Have missed your posts and thrilled to not only read but see your lovely frosty garden. xoxo
Thank you, dear Gail. It felt good to share the garden once again. xoxoxo
It is so good to hear from you Frances! Your garden is a delight. Amazing such structure and fullness, all in such a short time. I wish for you and yours to be healthy and happy…always.
So good to hear from you, too, Lisa! Thanks for visiting and the kind words. This garden is still young, but it’s growing. May you and yours enjoy all the season has to bring.
You are the carnivorous plant whisperer! It’s all just lovely.
HA, Cindy, thanks. I won’t speak of all the ones that died. Nope.
So nice to see Fairgarden make an appearance in my email subject line. It immediately made me wonder if my spam filter was kidnapping your posts… so I was reassured to read in the comments that others have felt your absence also.
I love the colorful Salix brizensis stems and the photo with the clump of pitcher plants is spectacular…they look like a luscious dessert dusted with sugar. This greedy gardener has her fingers you don’t make us wait a year for another posting.
Ooh, called out for not posting for so long! I deserve it, truly. It seemed I couldn’t take a decent photo and the words were locked up without images to free them. I can’t promise anything, but will make an effort to take more pictures. Also, I need a new camera. This is the best both the willows and the pitchers have ever looked. All this rain has helped the garden, and me. I hope you are well and happy!
We are somewhat in the same general age range…give or take a decade or so…with you being on the younger end. Anyway, I’m just glad that you are well and still loving and working on your new garden. Any public posts are icing on the cake.
What a beautiful, misty atmosphere. Thanks for sharing! The Winterberry Hollies are lovely, and your Sarracenia collection is impressive! Happy Holidays!
Hi Beth, thanks so much for stopping by. Happy Holidays to you and yours!
You do have a good eye, and you’ve done Piet proud.
HA, Kathy, thanks! Piet is definitely my design role model.
Oh Frances, it’s so delightful to see your post. Like others, I have been missing you and hoping all was well. Each of your photographs is like a jewel, highlighting color, form and of course the soul of the garden. Your photos are always good, but these seem to shine a little more brightly than normal, perhaps because of the magic of fog and frost.
Hi Barbara, thank you for the kind words, they really make me smile! Photographing this new garden has been a challenge. You are right that the fog and frost helped give a mystical, magical look to everything. That is what drew me out in 23 degree weather to try to capture the way it looked. My efforts didn’t even come close, but good enough, as they say. Maybe a new camera? HA
Your garden is full of winter interest and I especially enjoyed all of the glass art. What a beautiful foggy/frosty morning. Sending those wishes for hope, joy, and love-filled days your way as well. Your garden is gorgeous!
Hi Peter, thanks so much for your support and readership!
Thanks for updating us. The fog is so mystical and pretty!
Thanks for visiting and the kind words!
How wonderful to see your post. You were the one who inspired me to start blogging so it was quite fitting. https://grammapennysgarden.com/
So glad to have played a small part in your blogging, Penny. Thanks for reading!