Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - December, 2018

Yarrow and blueberry leaves

We had hard frost in early December, at least two nights in the 20s, so I'm surprised the fall blooms are still going. The winter blooms are starting too, giving a nice mix of little surprises around the yard. I started to look for more winter flowering plants two years ago and it's nice to see those growing in. Gives me a reason to go outside in the dark of winter!

Thanks to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for hosting the monthly roundup of blooms.

Penstemon

Borage survived the frost

Lewisia

Hollyhocks

Hollyhocks

Daisies

Fuchsia 'Delta's Sara'

Fuchsia 'Genii'

Yarrow in the lawn

Alyssum in the lawn too

Anemone 'Ruffled Swan'

Creeping rosemary in the retaining wall

Helleborus, labelled as 'Midnight Ruffles', but I think it's too light

Helleborus 'Cinnamon Snow'

Indoors, the African violets are taking a break, but my birthday orchid is blooming in the kitchen window, and downstairs the Christmas cactus has a scattering of blooms.

What's next? Many more hellebores, and camellias!

Helleborus 'Cinnamon Snow', just getting started

Camellia 'Winter's Snowman' 

Camellia 'Yuletide'

In bloom this week: December 1, 2018

After being out of town for Thanksgiving and then sick all last week, I finally got out to wander around the yard today. It's soggy out, as one would expect for November - err, December! I expect we'll have a heavy freeze early next week, so this will be the last of the fall blooms. They're looking a little sad and tattered anyway, ready for the crisp colors of winter to take over. The hellebores are ready.

Lewisia

Nasturtium

Hollyhock

Hollyhock

Anemone

Daisies

Penstemon

Fuchsia 'Genii'

Fuchsia 'Delta's Sara' - the blue has faded

Borage plans to take over the world

Hellebore, I'll have to look up the varieties for winter

Hellebore

Hellebore

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - July, 2018

Love-in-a-mist

Another month gone, where do the days go? There's an inverse relationship between how often I post and how much time I'm spending outside in my garden, which I guess is not a bad thing. I need to do some catch up posts one of these months though!

Meanwhile, here's what's in bloom around my yard now. Thanks to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for hosting the monthly roundup of blooms.

A lot of my flowers right now are in the area around my back patio, where I plant annuals and other plants that I can easily water. 

Cosmos

Dahlia

Nigella, love-in-a-mist

Petunias - the white should be mixed white and purple
but some environmental condition isn't right

Cosmos, balloon flower, yarrow, lavender, love-in-a-mist

Hens and chicks in a planter

Ornamental oregano

Bee balm

Gladiolus, leaning over so I can't get a good picture

New wind spinner in the background

Also a lot in bloom down to the bottom of the hillside where I have more native plants, but of course these aren't all native.  

Coreopsis

Sedum, I think this is oreganum

Coreopsis

Seaside daisy

Crocosmia

Crocosmia, yarrow and lavender on the hillside

Coneflower

Self heal

I never remember what this one is called but I like the spikes in front of the vine maple

Various other areas around the yard:

Baby blue eyes and alyssum in an "eco turf" mix

Hollyhocks

Hollyhocks

Double hollyhocks

Gladiolus

Gladiolus

More gladiolus

Hydrangea paniculata - forget exactly which variety

Star gazer hydrangea, with guardian dragon

Hydrangea 'Niko's Blue' - planted this year, should turn blue, our soil is acidic

Fuchsia 'Delta's Sara' - flowers open a deep blue

Fuchsia 'Genii'

Yucca

Hummingbird salvia growing into the red twig dogwood

Daylillies keep going and going, but they are all too sunny
in the afternoon to get good pictures