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: Aug. 2, 2016

Coreopsis 'Red Satin' and Gaillardia 'Arizona Sun'

I have a fondness for blues and purples, so much that I have a hard time buying plants that will bloom in other colors. A little white is necessary for balance, pink and red tag along with purple, plus those are classic rose colors and I love my roses - but yellows, oranges and dark reds are rare in my garden (and my wardrobe).

Here's a few of those rare colors in bloom now:

Zinnia, outside the front fence

Zinnia, outside the front fence

Achillea millefolium 'Desred', in the rose garden (also planted on the sunny hillside)

Calendula in the rose garden, a volunteer from the neighbor's yard

Gladiolus between the shady bed and bottom of the rose garden

Coreopsis 'Red Satin' on the sunny hillside

Gaillardia 'Arizona Sun' on the sunny hillside

Oregon stonecrop on the sunny hillside

Crocosmia on the sunny hillside

Crocosmia on the sunny hillside

That is almost every single plant in my yard with yellow, orange or dark red flowers! Here's a bonus with dark red foliage - well ok maybe almost purple!

Ornamental maple