12/26/16:
Among the small plants now living on my kitchen windowsill are a few morning glories. I brought these inside since they were getting windblown and chewed on. I've also started an avocado seed in a pot near the window. If this works, it'll likely be years before I have any fruit, but a new little tree would be nice to have around in the meantime.
Outdoors, the lily and gladiolus bulbs are now planted. My hanging fuchsia containers have been relocated to better showcase the Christmas lights along our roof. The roses are pruned back; ivy and rosemary's been trimmed to not look so wild. And as the garden's in its rainy winter state, I've coiled up the lawn-watering hose. I dump sloshy mud from pots that don't drain well, while checking plants every morning for signs of frost damage. So far, so good.
Various non-grass plants are taking over our tiny patch of front lawn. Dandelions have slowed down in the cold temperatures, but selfheal, moss, and clover are flourishing. Perhaps for now I'll just consider it a "meadow" instead of a "lawn."
I pulled up a couple handfuls of the wild leeks (Allium triquetrum) that are thriving in various containers and running rampant in the back patio area. These are a great substitute for scallions/green onions in savory dishes. I used some in a lunch salad on Christmas Eve. Later, Steve cooked the rest of the leeks I'd picked in a beef stew for dinner. Yum!
Clicking on the small images below will bring up a larger version.
Seedlings to go indoors awhile.
Cooking with wild leeks.
Potpourri canister.
I gave away most of my potpourri sachets as Christmas gifts, along with an arrangement of the most decorative dried flowerheads and colorful petals in a glass canister. I'd hoped to make fresh rosemary wreaths, but didn't manage to set aside time for that craft this year.
I'm quite busy with non-garden-oriented tasks for the next few weeks, but plans for projects in the beginning of 2017 include making candles with dried leaves, setting up a plant stand in the corner of the living room, and experimenting with microgreen lettuces.
