December on the central coast is a different kind of winter wonderland. There are evergreens with red berries (Toyon--and I want to know how to have them be beautifully laden with shiny berries when they are so popular with the wild life! This sad little spray is about all that is left on two toyon bushes. Hey you guys, leave some berries for decoration!!)
Santa has brought the hummingbirds penstemons that are finally blooming. They were planted late this year and are late to bloom.
We did have some cold weather last week. You know it's cold when your fig leaf is frozen! ;-)

This hydrangea is only really pretty at this time of year when the flowers are dead and the leaves are reddish. So far, it has led a sorry existence in an odd spot. I'm not sure whether I will keep it here and plant around it or move it to a location nearer to the camelia garden where it might do better.

Below is a picture of the new fence in the northwest corner of the yard. The plants you see are the pink currants (ribes) that I planted summer before last. They have really taken off and should be beautiful against the fence this spring. The twiggy thing in front is a golden ribes. They lost their leaves really early. The evergreen is a pacific wax myrtle that has taken off, but has some sort of fungus (really yellow leaves with spots). So I cut it back.
And now for the grand finale of red and green! I got a packet of Flanders poppies when I ordered some seeds earlier this year. They are said to grow well in disturbed soil (thus they are the symbol of veterans of WWI) so I planted them in the camelia garden area where all the construction destruction had been. If the buds are any indication, this one is only a preview of the show to come.