Cyclamen and pansies look nice planted together. This is an pic from winter 2017.
Pansies are more than pretty winter flowers. Their petals are edible and be added to salads, used to decorate cakes and cupcakes as they are or candied. Here are some pretty creative pansy recipes.
Red leaf lettuce in the winter sun.
Autumn Joy Sedum returning/growing from the roots. I wish all plants were this durable and adaptable.
A sneaky squirrel in one of the strawberry barrels. I should have already added two or three inches of mulch on top of the strawberry plants or a layer of row cover fabric for extra winter protection. The mulch you see is pine needles. I prefer pine needles to hay (has seeds that will produce weeds).
Some potted petunias that I continue to enjoy on the patio during the warmer winter days. If temperatures will be 32 degrees or lower, I bring the pot into the garage for the night.
Red Devil's Tongue lettuce.
A few greens that I picked before covering their beds with blankets to protect against low temperatures of 21 to 17 degrees over the next few days.
Catnip or catmint in the evening sun. Catnip like other mints is easily propagated by adding a cutting with the last two sets of leaves/stems removed into a clear glass of water. Sit the glass on a bright window sill. The catnip will develop roots and can then be potted.
More heavenly smelling Moro Blood Orange blooms. They were hand pollinated with a small paint brush since no pollinators are in my bedroom this winter.
