Frostycrustygrasses

Pennisetum Orientalis ‘Tall Tails’ shining in the cold morning air

Again yesterday morning I woke up and saw everything covered under a thick hoarfrost. A real winter has started these days, they said it’s cold wind blowing from Russia… I looked out of the window and I think I saw a penguin for a sec, while drinking my hot cup of tea. He was running awkwardly in the grass garden. Then I think I woke up. Finally. Or maybe it was just Rudy finding a hidden place to do its morning things…

Amni Visnaga seed heads amongst stipa tenuissima on the right and gaura on the left (yes, I know they look alike but trust me)

I couldn’t miss to take some photos, could I? The morning light shining through the dry flower heads of grasses, that chilly air that really wake you up and pinch your chicks… and I was late for work already.

Again pennisetum ‘Tall tails’, a pennisetum alopecuroides seedling in the background, panicum ‘Warrior’ and a few, bare, skinny branches of the birch holding its seed pots like precious decorations

Pennisetum incomptum ‘Purple Form’

I feel a little sad because I’ll have to cut everything back as soon as this harsh air from mother Russia will pass off. I reckon the garden still looks good, ok I have no flowers at all and the only green you can see is the one of the box balls by the pool and the hedge but textures, colours (somehow) and volumes are still holding up pretty good, I mean it still looks proudly like a garden and I am very happy with most of my choices, grasses at first.

Molinia ‘Heidebraut’ was a disappointment last summer but with her arching and subtle stems she proved to be a good plant and I had to change my mind. Molinia ‘Transparent’ has been a disappointment too the first year, now is one of the plant I wouldn’t give up

Eutrochium atropurpureum (I prefer to call it Eupatorium though) looks like a group of tall, skinny, clumsy drunks, with white hair

I’ve decided I should cut everything back earlier than usual this year because of the warm winter we had and because I’m afraid the plants will start sprouting. Then the garden is going to look like a ground zero, I hope the bulbs I’ve planted will make their show.

Achillea 'Hella Glashoff' on the right is ephemeral and held up by some pennisetum ‘Magic’ stems, in the background there’s echinacea purpurea seed heads

Everything was bright white or sepia tone, here is Molinia ‘Transparent’ centre stage

Helianthus salicifolius seed heads look like little men fighting against something, with their heads down and punches up

I would not leave, why people does have to go to work? There’s loads of more exciting little things to do instead…

The car window had defrost and it was time to go, hell I’m late this morning too.

Calamagrostis ‘Karl Foerster’ stems look like little shap blades

Still remember my adored rosa ‘Single Cherry’? Could you imagine I adore its bare stems too??

Muhlenbergia capilaris is like a frozen seafom, overwhelming the echinacea

In other fronts, last week I put an ad online to give away the puppies because everybody kept telling me I wouldn’t have never find someone for them if I didn’t get a move (I wouldn’t…). Well after less than 2 days I had so many contacts I had to deactivate the ad. After a few days a couple came to see Luna and they wanted to take her away immediately. The girl is pregnant and they want a puppy to grow together with their baby… How could I say ‘no’ to the Sweethearts Family?!

The day after that another young mum with two daughters came and see Chico. They fell in love and wanted to take him away immediately. She had a big car and the children were sweet and polite… I think Chico is now having a drink from a coconut glass with a little coloured umbrella on it, sitting by some big swimming pool, with some slave cat refreshing him with a big fan (hell, I know it’s winter but he deserved some kind of ransom to whatever his bigger brothers did to him).

So there’s only one left.

I promised him to a nice guy that has children and a few dogs already, living with the family. He wants to train the dog for Truffle hunting. I think some training will do good  to the little one and then he already has a job. I am growing fond of Fiocco, so I told the guy to come asap and take the dog away otherwise I’m going to keep him. Ale wants to keep him more than me… I think they will call him Whisky. I don’t think it’s appropriate calling a baby after some spirit but it’s not my call. Not anymore.

I'm drunk of him

Tags: achillea hella glashoff, amni visnaga, dogs, dry flower, echinacea, eupatorium atropurpureum, flower heads, foliage, frost, grass garden, grasses, hoarfrost, light, molinia heidebraut, molinia transparent, open border, panicum warrior, pennisetum, pennisetum alopecuroides, perennials, puppies, tall tails

• 19 January 2012
• Cà Rossa
• 32 Comments