Gardening with Julia · Bran, Romania
A garden among the mountains.
Stories through the seasons.
I’m Iulia. Welcome to my garden: flowers, experiments and the little things that make each season different.
Bran, Romania · 770 m
NOVEMBER 2026 · BRAN, 770 M
This month in my garden
Amid rain and cold nights, the garden still gives us flowers.
It is the last month of the year in which we can still enjoy the colours of the garden’s flowers, while the hellebore (Helleborus), the delicate winter rose, opens its buds and tells us that winter is close.
After almost two weeks of rain and nine nights below freezing, the season of major garden work has ended for me. Daily rain left no window for spraying; I can see rust and black spot on the roses.
Still flowering in early November
The Fairy · pink, magenta and red Hydrangeas · paniculata and macrophylla Snapdragons Chrysanthemums English daisies · Bellis perennis Erica Calluna Pansies Hellebores Buddleja
The Zepeti roses are also flowering; I have bushes and a small standard approximately 60–70 cm tall.
Three priorities for days when the weather allows
01
Collect fallen diseased leaves
When the ground is accessible, I collect affected leaves beneath the roses to reduce sources of infection for next season.
02
Check where water collects
I clear fallen leaves from drains and the drainage holes of pots. I wait for the soil to dry out enough before working it.
03
Prepare winter protection
I check rose ties and shelter the pots. I choose protection according to the plant and the weather, paying attention to sensitive and newly planted specimens.
Seasonal journal
The garden changes its rhythm
Spring
First tasks after the snow
Gentle tidying, observation and room for new beginnings.
Spring
Perennials that came through winter
The plants that return and the signs I look for at the start of the season.
Practical guide
Sowing and seedlings
How I get plants started in a cool spring.
Summer
Summer colors in Bran
Flowers, scent and color combinations that change with the light.
Summer
Roses after the rain
The beauty of rain-soaked flowers and the care they need afterward.
Plant profile
Garden phlox
Color among the roses, with flowers that keep coming back.
Fall
The garden in October
Planting, bulbs and fall tasks, guided by the weather.
Fall
The garden in November
The final preparations before the garden settles into winter rest.
Winter
The garden under snow
A different light, new shapes and patience until spring.
Winter
The garden under snow
What I notice, look forward to and learn while the garden rests.
Practical guide
Protecting the garden in winter
What I protect and what I leave to settle naturally into dormancy.
Practical guide
The garden calendar
A guide to the colder months and the first signs of spring.
Getting started
Where shall we start?
Sowing and seedlings
How I get plants started in a cool spring.
Pruning, plant by plant
Different approaches for roses, hydrangeas and fruit trees.
Getting ready for winter
What I protect and what I leave to settle naturally into dormancy.
Garden atlas
Meet the plants in my garden
Hydrangeas
Different shapes, colors and growing needs.
Garden pinks
Plenty of flowers, returning clumps and the importance of good drainage.
Roses
Stories, varieties and observations from my garden.
Garden phlox
Color and flowers among the roses.
Practical guides
Beyond the flowers,
the work of gardening.
Every beautiful garden story also has days of sowing, pruning, mulching and waiting.
Notes from the garden
New stories and seasonal observations from my garden in Bran, gathered in the journal.