The Last Window Opens in the 2009 Garden Bloggers' Advent Calendar: December 24

Happy Christmas Eve everyone!

This one works whether it's the name of the blog it appeared on (first) or the name of the person in the photograph - so take your pick.

Right - that's your lot! You now have all the windows open, and hopefully all the letters you need to come up with the answer.

If you're still a bit stuck, take a look back at the day a window was opened as I've given a few little hints and tips along the way. And then there are the original rules, explanations and excuses here.

In the spirit of Christmas generosity, I'm also going to give you a big fat hint which should help you get the final answer.

As I said in the original post, I'm looking for the name of a Christmas present a gardener would enjoy: and also the name of a genus of plants, many of which are in flower at this time of year.

So here's your clue:
I want 4 words in all
3 of which will be the name of the Christmas present.
2 of the words are the name of a well-known gardener and designer.

And it's the short version I'm after, not the long one.

Now that's quite enough clues for you all.

If you think you've got the answer, email it to sally [dot] nex [at] btinternet [dot] com. First person to email me with the correct name of both Christmas present and plant gets the prize!

If it's all just too difficult and nobody manages to guess within a week, I shall help you along a bit; and if nobody guesses it after that, I'm keeping the prize msyelf as I want it too. So there.

Happy Christmas to one and all and may all your Brussels sprouts be crunchy!

The 2009 Garden Bloggers' Advent Calendar: December 23

Oooooh! Nearly there! Time to open the penultimate window of the festive season....

For rules, explanations and excuses see the original post here.

The 2009 Garden Bloggers' Advent Calendar: December 22

Oooooh.... not long now! Are you feeling Christmassy yet?

For rules, explanations and excuses see the original post here.

The 2009 Garden Bloggers' Advent Calendar: December 21

Today's hint: this object has a name: but it's the owner's name which will give you the letter you need.

For rules, explanations and excuses see the original post here.

The 2009 Garden Bloggers' Advent Calendar: December 20

Bit tricky, this one, so here's a slightly cryptic clue: you won't find it on the boring version. And the letter comes from the flower depicted, not the blog's name.

For rules, explanations and excuses see the original post here.

The 2009 Garden Bloggers' Advent Calendar: December 19

Phew.... less than a week to go... the end is in sight, folks...

For rules, explanations and excuses see the original post here.

The 2009 Garden Bloggers' Advent Calendar: December 18

The thing in the picture behind today's window has acquired legendary status in the garden blogging world this year. However, you'll get your letter not from the name of the blog where it achieved such fame, but from the name of the thing itself. And be very specific.

For rules, explanations and excuses see the original post here.

The 2009 Garden Bloggers' Advent Calendar: December 17

For rules, explanations and excuses see the original post here.

I interrupt this advent calendar to announce....

It's snowing! It's actually snowing!

In December! In softy-southerner Surrey!

Apologies for the unseemly excitement here but this is unheard of. I can't remember the last time it snowed before Christmas here or indeed anywhere south of about Oxford (which is the furthest north I've ever lived and where it did, while I was there in the 1980s, snow an awful lot from about October onwards).

This has to be the best chance of a real, bona fide, proper white Christmas in living memory. Right, that's it - I'm digging out the Frank Sinatra and the sleigh bells. Never mind all that pretending with robins perching on snowy fork'andles on Christmas cards and the like - we might, just, have the real thing just around the corner this year...

The 2009 Garden Bloggers' Advent Calendar: December 16

Another hint with today's clue: this picture appears in a lot of places but it's not the event, it's the original blog's name I'm after. But don't forget the exceptions listed in the original rules, explanations and excuses here.

The 2009 Garden Bloggers' Advent Calendar: December 15

For rules, explanations and excuses see the original post here.

The 2009 Garden Bloggers' Advent Calendar: December 14

For rules, explanations and excuses see the original post here.

The 2009 Garden Bloggers' Advent Calendar: December 13

Not the name of the blog this time, but the author.

For rules, explanations and excuses see the original post here.

The 2009 Garden Bloggers' Advent Calendar: December 12

You get a hint with this one too...

This picture appears on several blogs - but which glittering, star-studded event of the garden blogging year does it refer to?

For rules, explanations and excuses see the original post here.

The 2009 Garden Bloggers' Advent Calendar: December 11

I'll give you a hint on this one: this is inspired by a blog (and a particularly delicious one at that) but I'm not after the name of the blog. The picture is of something that's frequently a matter of discussion on said blog - and be specific :D

For rules, explanations and excuses see the original post here.

The 2009 Garden Bloggers' Advent Calendar: December 10

For rules, explanations and excuses see the original post here.

The 2009 Garden Bloggers' Advent Calendar: December 9

For rules, explanations and excuses see the original post here.

The 2009 Garden Bloggers' Advent Calendar: December 8

For rules, explanations and excuses see the original post here.

The 2009 Garden Bloggers' Advent Calendar: December 7

For rules, explanations and excuses see the original post here.

The 2009 Garden Bloggers' Advent Calendar: December 6

For rules, explanations and excuses see the original post here.

The 2009 Garden Bloggers' Advent Calendar: December 5

For rules, explanations and excuses see the original post here.

The 2009 Garden Bloggers' Advent Calendar: December 4

For rules, explanations and excuses see the original post here.

The 2009 Garden Bloggers' Advent Calendar: December 3

It seemed to be confusing everyone terribly updating the original post, so at the risk of the next 21 posts looking just like the one before I'll start doing it this way :D

For rules, explanations and excuses see the original post here.

The 2009 Garden Bloggers' Advent Calendar

December 2:

(click on the pic for a (slightly) larger version)

Since it's horrible weather, I've cancelled all gardening and I have time on my hands, I thought I'd throw all conventional blog posts out of the window between now and Christmas and launch a little competition.

As you will see I got busy with my Paintbox and have created an advent calendar. I will be "opening" a new window for you each day to reveal the picture behind it.

Each of the pictures is taken from a blog (³) somewhere in the gardening blogosphere (almost all of them already listed on my favourite blogs list).

Each will give you a clue to a letter: usually the title of the blog, but not always (¹). I've also thrown in a few memorable events from this year, plus a few clues refer to authors of blogs not the blogs themselves (I don't want to make it too easy, for goodness' sake).

The 24 letters, when unjumbled, will give you a two-part answer:

- what the first prize is: something every gardener will want at the top of their Christmas present list this year (⁴)

- and the genus name of a group of plants which you should be able to see in flower now.

The first person to email me both parts of the answer after the window of no. 24 is revealed on 24th December will get the prize :D

1: A few clues:
- When it's a blog beginning with the word "the" I've usually left out the definite article - so "The Manic Gardener" would be "M" (for Manic). Note the 'Usually': there is one exception.
- where pets are pictured, the letter is always the name of the pet (with one exception, though that particular 'pet' is more of a visitor and hasn't got a name anyway)
- in two clues the name of the blogger is required, not the blog: in these cases it's always the first name (so James as in Alexander Sinclair). And they're not at all obscure, so you should be able to find out easily from the blog itself.
- I'll be around to answer any queries and duck any brickbats throughout via the comments section and will also give you a final clue as to the answers on the final day just in case you're stuck.

2: Rules and regulations:
- if you recognise a picture from your own blog, please could I ask you to refrain from posting the answer and giving the game away
- you may post your guesses below for each day but please don't post guesses for the final answer - if you do I'm afraid you'll make yourself ineligible for the prize
- I will be giving clues to the more tricky ones: keep an eye on the comments section
- answers and prizewinner announced as soon as I've recovered from my Christmas hangover (hopefully before the end of December)

3: Apologies, excuses and abject grovelling:
I realise the graphics are pants. I am not, have never been, and on current evidence will never be able to master Javascript as relevant to blogger.com so I have given up in disgust and you'll just have to make do. It is possible that they may improve as the month goes on but they may well not. Sorry.

I may well get into quite a lot of trouble with this as I have filched all the clues from other people's blogs. I'm hoping you'll all take it in the spirit in which it's meant - i.e. as a way of sharing with people the gardening blogs I've enjoyed this year and hopefully getting lots of people to come visit your blog. I will, at the end if not before, make sure that when the answers are given they include a link to the blogs concerned. I would have linked the pictures except that that I think that requires Javascript, so I refer you to the apology above.

If you really, really object to my using material in this way just get in touch with me (post or you can find my email via my profile) and I will change the clue and grovel even more abjectly.

4. Well, quite near to the top if you don't count Matthew 'Darcy' Wilson. And Cleve West's thighs.