Searching for New Growth

We had unseasonably warm weather earlier this week, with a high of 52F/11C on Tuesday. Our forecast next Monday calls for a high of 5F/-15C. I was concerned about the emerging plants...and it turned out my concerns were justified.

Helleborus orientalis

1. I know many of you have Hellebores blooming in winter, but the growth shown here is way too early for my climate. Hellebores generally don't bloom here until March or April. I added more leaf litter and mulch to protect them. Snow will add a blanket, too.

Phedimus kamtschaticus

2. These Sedum seedlings likely will be just fine; they often form early in the season. But they'll be tested. They're in a barrel, which provides warmth, but they receive little to no snow cover.

Allium 'Ambassador'

3. The Alliums are sprouting around the garden, and some are breaking through the ground. They'll be fine with additional soil, mulch, leaf litter, and snow.

Chrysanthemum x. morifolium hybrid

4. The Mums are on their own...we'll see what happens. I enjoyed the variegated foliage, so I added them to my "six."

Hydrangea arborescens subsp. radiata

5. Before the snow, dried Hydrangea seedheads offered a rusty glow.

Hylotelephium 'Autumn Joy' and Conoclinium coelestinum

6. The remains of 'Autumn Joy' Sedum and Blue Mistflower hugged each other in the warm sun.

That's it for my "Six on Saturday" entries for this week. Thanks to Jim at Garden Ruminations for hosting!

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I didn't include this next photo in my "six," figuring most people are tired of snow...

...but here it is. I guess it provides needed projection for plants during the cold days ahead. Stay warm!

Six on Saturday: Looking Ahead

"Six on Saturday," hosted by Jim at Garden Ruminations, is a great meme! One of its most helpful features is that we must narrow our observations down to six! This week I'm cheating and looking ahead.

The list of anticipated 2026 garden highlights is endless. So, here are my six: one for winter, two each for spring and sumer, and one for autumn.

1. Winter: seed-starting. It's cold outside! It's fun to be outdoors in this Midwestern U.S. climate...but only if you're moving and you're wearing warm gloves. I don't enjoy winter photography. With that said, I do enjoy starting seeds and caring for overwintered plants in the sunroom (more on that in a later post).



2. Spring: flowering bulbs and Hellebores. When these beauties make their appearances after a cold, dark winter...wowza! Pure joy!



3. Spring: native ephemerals. My philosophy in this garden is to nurture a variety of plants near the house, but to dedicate areas further out on the property to native plants. These include ephemerals like Spring Beauties (Claytonia virginica) shown here, along with many more.



4. Summer: Fresh-cut flowers. What a joy it is to arrange flowers using cuttings from one's own garden. The options are plentiful, particularly during the summer.



5. Summer: hummingbirds. These little buddies are magical visitors. They often return to the same location year after year: Banding research has shown they even show up on the same day, or near it, from year to year! I consider the hummers that return to be "old friends."

6. Autumn: Colorful leaves. It's a wistful season, with gardening ending and winter ahead. But it's also a gloriously colorful time. Nothing beats the beauty of autumn leaves—Oaks and many others.

That's my "six" for this week! For more garden observations from around the world, head on over to Garden Ruminations!

Vibrant Hues Framed by the Absence of Color

This year's Pantone "color of the year" has been on my mind lately. It's "Cloud Dancer," or ... white. As many folks have noted, white is actually the absence of color and it seems like a funny choice. With that said, white makes all colors near it "pop." Of course, that's obvious, and I've posted about it in the past. But it's been a couple of years since we've had a consistently "white" landscape here in winter.

Fresh snow makes every color around it appear more vibrant!

Japanese Yew (Taxus Cuspidata)

The greens and reds of conifers stand out in the winter landscape, although that happens even without snow and blue sky.

Red Osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea)

Red-Twig Dogwoods are much more dramatic after a fresh snow.

White Oak (Quercus alba)

But even the warm, rusty colors of Oak leaves are brighter and more eye-catching framed with white.

Spent Aster seedheads

Empty Aster seedheads sparkle like bright and cheerful stars.

Dried grasses

Dried grasses and sedges, barely noticeable without snow, are so colorful blanketed in white!

Mixed shrub stems

Even multihued shades of brown stems are much more warm and rich with color when surrounded by "Cloud Dancer."

Maybe this was a goal for this "color of the year" selection—to highlight all the true colors? Regardless, I appreciate the role of white in nature's palette!

With that, I wish you a very Happy New Year! Vist Garden Ruminations for more "Six on Saturday" entries.

(Most observations were recorded at local parks and natural areas.)

The Butterflies of 2025

Northern Crescent

A highlight of 2025 (as with many years) was observing and photographing butterflies. Even a short span of time tracking and counting the various species is fun, cathartic, and physically and mentally refreshing and healthful. The butterflies (and one moth) included here are among many I saw and reported to wisconsinbutterfies.org this past year. They're included in roughly the order I observed them—from spring through fall.

I'll keep the words short and let the fascinating winged creatures speak for themselves:

Coral Hairstreak

Common Wood-Nymph

Eastern Tailed-Blue

Baltimore Checkerspot

Bronze Copper

Luna Moth

Gray Comma

Eastern Tailed-Blue

'Summer' Spring Azure

Great Spangled Fritillary

Hackberry Emperor

Least Skipper

Monarch

Orange Sulphur

Black Swallowtail

Pearl Crescent

Silver-Spotted Skipper

Meadow Fritillary

Cabbage White

Viceroy

Cabbage White

Monarch

Clouded Sulphur

Red Admiral

Sachem

Monarch

All butterflies (and the Luna Moth) shown here were observed at local natural areas, botanical gardens, and on our property. Here's to another great year of beautiful and graceful inspiration!