Sleet and Ice

 

Yesterday beginning about lunch time, we started getting some sleet and ice.  Cold temps will keep it with us for another day.  My camillas and gardenia are droopy.  There's a fine sheet of ice on everything.  

Lily, Roxy and the Little Kitty are inside as well as the chickens (well, they're inside their coop).

Cat in a Box

Camillas

Camillas are such beautiful and easy plants to have in your yard.  Some have been in the yard over 30 years or more.  They are very hardy, provide beautiful flowers in the dead of winter (it's not been winter here yet) and disease free.  I have several pinks, variegated pink/white, double reds and variegated red/white. 

Nandinas

The nandinas in my yard are stunning right now.  With the camillas already blooming, my yard is full of color.
Even though I don't care much for nandinas, they are a great low-care, no-nonsense plant that can take just about any type of soil (think hard clay), no fertilizer, cold, heat, no real pest or disease problems - well, you name it and nandinas can survive. 
They are great to use in holiday decorations (used the berries on my mantle this year with cedar, pine, etc.)
They are nicknamed heavenly bamboo, because they produce suckers that quickly turn into tons of baby plants and the birds drop the seeds and plants sprout everywhere.
And even though they are not my favorite plant, I have lots in the yard and some are probably fifty+ years old.  They're tough.

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/04/21/2011605/nandinas-thrive-anywhere.html#storylink=cpy

Happy New Year 2013