December Floats in on a Breeze

December has quietly arrived

and the decorating along with all the other hustle bustle of the season is officially underway.

Some of favorite flowers are in bloom at this time of year. Last November I placed four camellia plants around the base of a live oak tree, and this year they rewarded me with tons of purplish-pink blooms. The plants are loaded with blossoms and have been in non-stop bloom for the past month.

One of my favorite azaleas (Fashion) is starting to bloom. I love this azalea because it fares well in full sun and the blossoms last from now until January/February. That's a lot of mileage for azalea blooms.

A couple of summer stalwarts that are still in bloom-producing mode are these two Indian blanket flowers. A red and yellow combination, and

a solid yellow variety. I just cleaned up the spent blossoms on them a few weeks ago, gave them a shot of fertilizer, and they're back on track to bloom through the winter months.

The berries on the Nandina or Heavenly bamboo plant have turned red, and even the foliage is showing a tinge of blush. It's a plant that looks great all year, and then changes to add some color interest to the autumn and winter garden.

Our roses take a break from blooming during the hot summer months, but milder temps along with a quick haircut and a handful of fertilizer reinvigorates them and they happily produce new blooms before winter arrives.

These blossoms and the plants below are the Knock-out variety. Great hardy shrub roses that take very little care. As you can see on the photo above, the leaves look healthy and great without any evidence of black spot. And the best part is that I never, ever spray them!

Plus, their red color adds a little holiday cheer to the yard.