Celebration!

I woke to a frosty morning, an icy crust on the garden, a low brilliant sun lighting the mess that remains from Hurricane Sandy, the worst storm in local recorded history, and a heavy wet snow that fell a few days after. I thought the garden was at an end, but these photos give the lie to that. Instead, they celebrate the strong, intricate structure of the grasses and perennials at Federal Twist. The frost and light create a delicate, ephemeral landscape.I rarely take a "how to" approach to blog posts, but it may be helpful to see how some plants weathered the storms and remain to give pleasure, so I'll name the survivors below. The empty spaces usually incidate plants there earlier in the season didn't last through the storms. I'll name some of them too, though I certainly don't suggest you avoid them.Most of the remaining plants have been identified at least once, so you're on your own.The Hydrangea quercifolia in the next three photos turned very late, leaving this dark wine color.The boxwood and Thuja evergreens add more than just color interest in winter. They make an important contribution to structure. I plan to add more.At risk of boring some, I want to add many more miscanthus next year. It can't be beat as a ruthless ground cover, and it lasts through all kinds of weather. I do want to introduce more named cultivars. I have only two Ferner osten, which has extraordinary autumn color and a well controlled form.Time: about 8:30 in the morning.To read comments from the original posting of this article from December 2012 please visit http://www.federaltwist.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/celebration.html