Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - March 2018

Hyacinth

Happy Ides of March! After record warm temperatures on Monday, it's definitely feeling like spring. A lot of winter blooms are still going strong, but spring is ready to shine. I seem to acquire a lot of blue and purple flowering plants, and this week the bulbs have been really glowing in the sunshine (and not phased by the rain either).

Thanks to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for hosting this monthly roundup of blooms. There are plants blooming somewhere every month but now they're really taking off.... at least in the northern hemisphere. 

Hyacinth

Crocuses are starting to fade

Crocuses

Grape hyacinth popped out suddenly

Newly planted corydalis

Rock cress just starting to bloom

Helleborus x hybridus 'Black Diamond'

Helleborus x ballardiae Gold Collection 'Maestro'

Fading camellia 'Yuletide'

Fritillaria meleagris

Newly planted Saxifraga 'Touran - Deep Red'

Sunset maple

Cyclamen coum

Sunny daffodils

Daffodil

Forsythia in front of pieris japonica

One of my baby osoberry bushes has a bloom!

Indoors, one amaryllis is blooming for the second time this year. Also my Christmas cactus has had a few blooms at a time since January but I keep forgetting to get a picture. 

What's next? Flowering currant and Oregon grape are so close, plus a lot more daffodils.

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - January 2018

Hamamelis x intermedia 'Diane'

I'm feeling rather pleased with myself for finally planting for winter interest last year, so there are quite a few blooms in my yard this January. Of course that makes me want to plant more, surely I have room for a few more witch hazels and another patch of hellebores?

Yesterday was bright and sunny with record high temperature of 57F, but I hope the plants know it's not spring yet. I'm betting we'll have more cold weather to come.

Thanks to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for hosting this monthly roundup of blooms. There are plants blooming somewhere every month!

Hamamelis x intermedia 'Diane' just starting to bloom

Camellia 'Winter's Snowman' 

Camellia 'Winter's Snowman' 

Camellia 'Yuletide'

Helleborus 'Cinnamon Snow'

Pieris japonica

Sarcococca

Chimonanthus (Wintersweet) just starting to bloom

Viburnum x bodnantense 'Diane'

Calendula, seems likely to live through the whole winter

Borage is also hanging on

Indoors, I bought two new amaryllis bulbs this year and they are spectacular. One of my old bulbs is getting ready to bloom too.

Amaryllises in the kitchen window

Amaryllis 'Rosy Star'

Amaryllis 'Tres Chic'

Only one African violet is blooming now

What's next? More hellebores, and I'm excited to have snowdrops coming up (and so far not eaten by the wildlife).

In bloom this week: Feb. 28, 2017

Amaryllis

Hello, spring - wait, have some more snow! I still love the snow but also waiting eagerly for spring in my garden. I guess that's a good thing, I'll be happy no matter what the weather is.

Indoors, one of my amaryllises put on a nice show, with three flowers. This is one of two that I've had for years, plus a bunch of baby bulbs that I hope will someday bloom. Two of my African violets are blooming, and a third has buds. A spider plant has been blooming all winter and shows no signs of stopping. And I've been buying tulips for the kitchen window, which one of our cats loves to chew on. 

Cat nibbled tulips

Outdoors, we are definitely lagging behind last year with nothing new in bloom in the last two weeks, except a gorgeous witchhazel 'Diane' that I just planted this weekend. The hellebores, rosemary and pieris japonica are still lovely too. 

Witchhazel 'Diane'

A little snow doesn't bother witchhazel

Hellebores stay cozy and warm

Pieris japonica

Pieris japonica doesn't mind snow either

Rosemary wishes it had a snow picture too

What's next? Crocuses, hyacinth and a daffodils are coming up, but I wouldn't bet on blooms within the next week. The forsythia is close though.

Forsythia