My sympathies to everyone who has lost their semps to the ravages of winter .
The weather has been wet here and down to -3 °C but no snow .
Here's a few pics of some of my babies in their winter quarters in the back yard .

They are looking really good Paddy. It will be fun to see them in the spring, when the color show starts.

My book "Plant jewels of the high country " arrived today and I've been devouring the contents avidly . It's a second hand copy and was originally in Foothill College Library somewhere in the States .
Still no sign of the one from Fernwood .

Oh Paddy, isn't it the most amazing book. Loaded with wonderful information.
Hopefully your Fernwood book will arrive soon. It is also interesting. When I got mine I bought the CD at the same time. It is full of great photos of many different semps.

valleylynn said:They are looking really good Paddy. It will be fun to see them in the spring, when the color show starts.

Can't wait for spring to come but first I have to start making a batch of containers to plant them in .
What have I got myself into .

Semp heaven?

Paddy said:

Can't wait for spring to come but first I have to start making a batch of containers to plant them in .
What have I got myself into .

Yep, gotta be careful. I got a bunch of semps and then decided to make containers for them. Today I was building shelves for the containers Not sure when the insanity will end








Oh and then of course I had to decorate the shelf a bit..... cause.....uhhm... well you know

That shallower planter you made got planted up pretty nice, Audrey! I really like it.

Oh wow!!!
Audrey your cloth containers are perfect for semps. I especially like the trough shaped one for semps.
Love the way you decorated the shelves.

Thankyou Bev and Lynn. I should have let those first planters I did sit and do there thing longer, but I could not help myself and planted up one of my favorites. I drilled holes in two mushroom plastic containers and placed them over rocks in the drilled container. I filled the sides that were exposed with sand and light weight stones. Still turned out heavier than I would have liked. I was so scared to pick it up and move it, but was just too darn excited about waiting to test out the strength. So, far so good.

I really like the way you used the rock and gravel. It looks so natural.

Your plants should be OK Paddy. You've got a nice collection started already!

Audrey, those are some beautiful containers. I really like that trough shaped one too.

Your planters are fabulous Audrey . I especially like the trough one, the rocks look so natural and they all blend together perfectly !

Some of the heuffelii seedlings from last year are using this mild December weather to increase.
This one looks like a little chocolate rose.

It does!

Thank you Bev. I really am loving the way this one is turning out. It seems to stay that chocolate color through out the year.

It's not the Apache is it, Lynn? I got the Apache from you and stuck it in Hubby's new plant bed near his office/studio so that he has something to look at as he goes in and out of his studio. Here's the bed...semps hard to see as they were just planted in Oct.

The above heuffelii photos is not 'Apache'. It is one of the seedlings from last year. It finally got big enough to see what it looks like.

Love the bed Bev. That is going to be such a beautiful area when it starts maturing.

Greats beds , they'll be really brilliant in a year or so .
Shouldn't that be nine green bottles sitting on the wall ?