The Garden in November and December is basically at rest which is not to say that it is devoid of color. In fact many of the plants continue to be in bloom. These include among others: Polygala, Verbena, Lantana montevidensis, Cuphea, Solanum crispum, Buddleja, and Dimorpheca all show off their purple flowers. Salvia coccinea, and Aptenia cordifolia add a touch of red. The many shades of green are supplied by Thuja occidentalis, an assortment of spreading Juniperus chinensis, Westringia rosmariniformis (the Australian rosemary), dwarf Pittsoporum tobira, Grevillea rosmarinifolia. Shades of contrasting silver and gray are provided by Stachys bizantina, and Cerastium tomentosum. The rainy season is with us for good which means that the winter weeds especially Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica), Chickweed (Stellaria media), and Shepherd's Purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris) are beginning to run havoc over every inch of bare soil. Of course all these 'weeds' are medicinal herbs and could be appreciated as such. While most of these weeds/herbs were native to my lot, they were given an extra boost by the addition of sheep manure. I now have switched to another source of organic fertilizer which is locally available-- worm castings. With the onset of the rains and cooler weather, the vegetable garden is thriving. Planted in the raised beds are: a variety of lettuces, rocket, radishes, scallions, beets, as well as parsley and dill. December really means two things in the garden: planting and pruning. I have my eye on a the evergreen bush or tree--Dodonacea viscosa 'Purpurea' the Purple Leafed Hopseed Bush which grows to 5 meters and has green foliage that turns to brilliant purple with the onset of cold weather. The pruning has already commenced with the cutting back of the rampant growth of the Bouganvillea, Plumbago, and Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica). The Santolina chamaecyparissus and Lavandula vera have been trimmed back to maintain their mounding shapes. Salvia farinacea after its long flowering season has been cut back to the ground. The rest of the heavy pruning will wait for February and will include the cutting back of the Buddleja, jasmine vines, and the climbing roses.
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