What 14 below looks like

     When I took these photos this morning, it was 14 below zero Fahrenheit (minus 26 Celsius), but that didn't interfere with the beauty of my Japanese garden out of my new 8-foot-wide picture window.  The first photo shows the view from as far away as the kitchen, giving an idea of the great scenes I see.  The only improvement would be of a few mosses popping through.

New Zealand--Round Three

     Here are some more interesting plants from New Zealand.  The first two photos show Cordyline australis, or the Cabbage Tree.
     The third photo is of a nice combination of boxwoods and roses in the city of Omarau.
     Moss can be a very tough plant, as evidenced by Hedwigia ciliata growing in the hot sun on an old piece of road equipment in photos four and five.
     The last two photos show a very common tree there, but a very vibrant one with yellow leaves.  One town loved them so much they matched the color with some low-growing evergreens.

   
  

New Zealand--Round Two

     Here are a few more interesting samples of what New Zealand has to offer the plant lover.  The first three photos were taken in Fiordland National Park on the south island.  It is a place where the Red Beech tree thrives.  Its scientific name is Nothofagus fusca, and it grows up to 140 feet tall.  It loves wet conditions, which is also conducive to lovely moss growth.
     I saw the first stumpery of my life in the town of Invercargill, in the very south of New Zealand.  It is amazing what can be done with a bunch of dead twigs and logs.
     The last photo shows some impressive azaleas in the public garden of the small town of Omaru.