Early January

January has arrived and with it slightly longer days. Hooray! That is to say the minuscule increase of daylight, no matter how small, is cause for joy for this gardener. Even though there's not much going on in the garden right now, I still enjoy being outside as much as possible. Here's what I am seeing around the property on a cold, early winter day.

 The gravel garden is looking fine. I realize that just about everything I have planted here is evergreen save for a Zauschneria c., Erodium chrysanthum and the odd Nicotiana and Aquilegia seedlings. 

Starting the year off right, I caught a shot of Mount Hood at sunset on New Year's Day. Granted I have to walk to the edge of our property to see this, but I feel incredibly lucky to be able to view it at all. And that I have a great zoom lens on my camera.

Some of the corn we grew last summer was this Oaxacan green corn used for corn meal and special tamales. We shelled the dried corn from the cobs and FM ground it into a fine corn meal. Now to learn how to make tamales!

This second variety, maiz Morado or Kulli corn was also dried and ground for corn meal. In addition, we grew glass gem popcorn and another yellow corn, also ground into corn meal for use in cornbread, pancakes, polenta and the like. It's all so delicious, I doubt we'll ever go back to conventional.  

 New Year's Day turned out foggy. Having just finished the new biography on Edward Gorey received as a Christmas gift, I was immediately drawn to this gloomy ambiance.

I suppose it's not that gloomy. Lovely, though - I always have liked how landscapes look in fog. 

 One of the Japanese maples sporting bright red newer branches.

A favorite Hebe - H. 'Golden Karo Esk'. 

New growth on an Arctostaphylos x densiflora 'Sentinel' 

There is still a lot going on out in the labyrinth garden. While not floriferous, the evergreen shrubs are beginning to fill in while dried grasses and sedums add contrast and texture.

A row of Teucrium chamaedrys or wall germander on the left, there are several others in different parts of the garden. Evergreen shrubs and super easy, these are certainly a staple of the garden here. I will probably cut them back a little in spring. 

The southern edge of the labyrinth garden highlighting evergreen shrubs with an unknown Lavandula stoechas on the left, two different lavender cottons or Santolina sp. in the center; behind them is Ozothamnus 'Sussex Silver'.

Phlomis russeliana dried flowers are still standing and looking fine. The evergreen basal foliage is an added bonus. 

One of the very first things I planted here in January of 2016 were these four Olea e. 'Arbequina' olives which did quite well for me their first year, even producing enough fruit to harvest and salt-cure. The winter of 2016/17 killed them to the ground; fortunately for us, they really want to grow and completely grew back from the roots. This is how they look two years after the fact.

Many call this snowberry or Symphoricarpos alba weedy. For me, it fills space that would otherwise be occupied by weeds and its white fruit stands out this time of year. It is a carefree native, but must be kept in check for it does tend to spread. This area is semi-wooded, the type of landscape it thrives in here in the Pacific Northwest.

Alas, the tall, stately grasses are turned to straw, but the surrounding plants consisting of cistus, creeping thyme and a callistemon are holding it all together in this part of the garden. 

 More of the gravel garden from a different angle. 

Leptospermum lanigerum 'Silver Form', an evergreen shrub also known as wooly tea tree. Fantastic shrub and totally hardy for me. I have two in the garden.

The veggie garden has mostly gone to bed for the winter, but in the background you can see kale, lettuce, broccoli (which I picked small side shoots of yesterday), leeks and other treats. 

The geology of our property is interesting. In certain areas if I dig two or three inches down I find a whole layer of river rocks. This certainly had some water flowing over it at some point, wouldn't you think? At any rate, when I dig them up I save them in little piles all over the garden. I've decided I'm going to put most to use as a very informal edge for the new woodland path. It will take a long time, but that's ok. There's beauty in a slow, meditative process like this. 

I discovered a log covered in fungi, perfect for the shade garden to slowly decompose and add some character to otherwise blank areas of soil. Even better, I made a little critter hole hoping to entice a frog or salamander or some wonderful creature. Calling all frogs: There's a vacancy here.

The rock sculptures gifted to us by our good friend Michi Kosuge were placed in what we think is their permanent home. They remind me of birds or, in my current Gorey-esque frame of mind, creatures of some otherworldly kind, talking to one another.

Those two-plus units of wood chips have been distributed, that task is complete (for now). 

Finally, sunrise on January 2, 2019, with that same fantastic mountain in the distance.

January can often be bleak in the garden, but I am determined to carry on, planting for winter interest and hopefully one day have what I would consider a real winter garden. I enjoy the process of getting there, as there is beauty in every corner of the garden as I see it, no matter the time of year.

I hope that 2019 is off to a fantastic start for you all and that all of your gardening dreams come true this year. Thank you for reading, dear readers, and coming along with us on our journey that is Chickadee Gardens. 

Happy New Year and Happy Gardening, one and all!