Winter is said to be the garden’s resting season. It’s true that not much goes on after the leaves have fallen, but here on the fortunate west coast of Canada, some plants are still active or starting new growth.

Click on the smaller photos to enlarge.

Some persist, continuing to bloom or at least looking good out of bloom.

Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii foliage is durable and looks good year round. The semi-tropical Cuphea “Vermillionaire” is still producing its little orange “cigars” (one of its common names is Cigar Plant) that attract hummingbirds all summer. In the second photo it’s looking good alongside Jacobaea maritima, otherwise known as Silver Ragwort or Dusty Miller. The last photo is of a few Borage flowers on a plant that looks tired, but is persisting.

Then there are plants that look great (or at least interesting) as they exit the scene.

Such as Aster “Pink Cloud,” whose many pale pink flowers have turned into fluffy little seed heads making a pleasing contrast with the bright yellow leaves.

This lacecap hydrangea (growing in a pot whose soil is alkaline enough to make its blooms pink rather than the blue ones of its planted-in-the-ground neighbour) has developed all sorts of foliage colours as its flowers have faded to white. It’s never done this before, but I was happy to take photos of it.

Some plants produce new growth in winter and die back in summer.

Arum italicum, an ornamental plant (albeit with weedy tendencies in some places) does this. It sends forth its marbled leaves in fall. They persist all winter, dying down after the unspectacular (and smelly) flowers appear in mid-spring.

Ivy-leaved cyclamen, Cyclamen hederifolium, blooms in early autumn and then grows its abundant patterned leaves, which persist through the winter and die down in spring.

Then there are the true winter-bloomers.

Iris unguicularis, the Algerian iris, is a surprising sight in December. Weather permitting, it blooms sporadically until March. Snowdrops are also starting their long blooming period. I have no idea what the species or varieties are at my place, but they have spread throughout the garden. Hellebores (like this one with lime green flowers) are budding up, and the Winter Jasmine has been blooming since mid-November. Its yellow flowers attract Anna’s hummingbirds, who are year-round residents here.

I took almost all these photos on December 21st and a few on the 23rd.

Happy New Year, everyone!