Through the Garden Gate in 2017

December is quite a bleak month in the garden so this month I am going to concentrate instead at looking back at just a few highlights from my gardening year......

It wasn't a bad year in the garden we had an abundance of flowers and vegetables, the bulk order of cow manure did  help. We did run out of water from the water barrels, the slugs and snail numbers are increasing and they have now been joined by moles!


I aimed to produce the same view from 3 locations in the garden each month - I have just realised I wasn't as strict about doing this as I had thought!


Although my favourite flowers are tulips, roses and geraniums, sweet peas and cosmos and they always feature, some less popular plants should also be given some of the limelight from the Blue echinops above to this wonderful pink hollyhock.....



and finally this white verbascum chaixii  album, which was magnificent with so many flowers from May-July that were also such a favourite with the bees. We find them so much easier to look after compared with lupins or delphiniums. This is the second verbascum we have planted in the garden, after this success I will try and source another one next year!

What is it like in your garden in December? What were your favourite plants in the garden this year?

 Thank you to everyone who has joined in with Through the Garden Gate this year, I have really enjoyed visiting your gardens through the months too.If you would like to join in with Through the garden gate each month please let me know in the comments below and I will add your site. 

Comments

  1. (my post is half done ... tomorrow)

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  2. Your beautiful garden reminders are such a welcome sight after the snow and then bitter cold we are having.

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  3. Oh what glorious photos. I do so love to see pictures of the summer garden in the depths of winter and remember just how beautiful it all is. Nothing happening in my garden except the quiet, slow growing of a row of garlic and the ongoing battle with the puppy over where the pond iris should be. I still have a list of garden jobs to be done. When there's time and a dry spell... I've so enjoyed your garden posts over the year, and I'm looking forward to many more. Wishing a wonderful New Year to you and yours. CJ xx

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  4. Beautiful photos Sarah. I must make a note of that Virbascum. Looks lovely and it flowers for a good length of time. I love to encourage the wildlife too.
    Happy New Year
    Jacquie x

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  5. I have loved taking part this year. Hopefully you will continue in 2018. One thing on my list looking at your photos are some lovely blue echinops, they are a stunning plant. It’s great to see the same view through the different months, just shows how everything changes. Looking forward to the lushness of May and June. B x

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  6. Dearest Sarah, your garden flourishes any time of the year, but these collages of its former glory are INSPIRING! As we ring in the new year, it won't be long until life pushes through the dirt once again, to enchant us. Peace to you in 2018!

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  7. Wonderful photos of your garden over the year Sarah, and indeed it was a good year for the gardens, it was especially 'a good year for the roses', my favorites.
    Wish you a Happy and Healthy Gardening Year!

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  8. http://eefalsebay.blogspot.co.za/2017/12/false-bay-garden-in-december.html

    Happy New Year!

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  9. It is lovely to see them in a block like that so you can see the changes through the months. I would really love to join in but not sure I wouldn't fall after the first hurdle.
    Wishing you a happy and healthy 2018 and of course lots more gardening. x

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  10. I always enjoy reading your Through the Garden Gate posts--they're filled with flowers. I love hollyhocks. There is a Frank Lloyd Wright designed home in Los Angeles which is called Hollyhock House. There are hollyhocks all around the gardens.

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  11. I'd say you had a successful gardening year from the look of your photos! I think I will do a monthly gardening post next year although I won't have as many months of flowers to show as you do--only about 6 months.

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  12. Hey Sarah,

    I'm always amazed when I look at photos of my summer garden during the depths of winter. Did it look that colourful and full?! You have such a beautiful garden, slugs, snails and moles not withstanding. I'm going to look into verbascum as a lupin/delph substitute. My sister in law had wild ones self seed in her garden this year, and I took some seed. But some other colours would be nice too. Happy New Year Sarah. May your garden reep and sow in 2018.
    Leanne xx

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  13. Gorgeous garden review!
    Happy New Year 2018!
    Best wishes
    Calendula

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  14. It's lovely to look back and see how colourful the garden was in the Spring and Summer. As you say December is such a bleak month but there's a lot to look forward to for next year

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  15. I can understand your preference for that beautiful verbascum. I gave up on lupins due to aphids and delphiniums due to slugs. A lovely garden review, best wishes for the New Year.

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  16. Great pictures of your beautiful garden !!
    Happy New Year !!
    Greetings

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  17. Lovely to see the photos of your flowers during the year. It is nice to see them all, and then decide what to plant in my garden. I used to have hollyhocks, and I'm inspired to try them again in 2018. Happy New Year for Through the Garden Gate, even though I don't join in, I enjoy looking.

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