Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - January 2019

Hellebore

This has been one of the mildest winters of recent years. Rain, of course, a little frost, no snow. I'm always wishing for snow, even when sprouting bulbs and buds on trees hint that spring is around the corner. It's certainly a time of mixed feelings! Perhaps by saying that this has been a mild winter, I will jinx us and bring some snow.

Thanks to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for hosting the monthly roundup of blooms, even when her garden is buried under six inches of snow.

First snowdrop

Wintersweet - chimonanthus

Rosemary

The slugs like primroses

Camellia 'Winter's Snowman'

Camellia 'Yuletide', seems oddly late this year

Hamamelis x 'Birgit' - hard to see in photos, but a brighter red than 'Diane'

Hamamelis x intermedia 'Diane'

Hamamelis x intermedia 'Diane'

Sarcococca scents up the whole corner of the front yard

Cyclamen coum, also a favorite of the slugs

Fuchsia 'Genii' may bloom year round

Helleborus 'Cinnamon Snow'

Helleborus, unknown

Lewisia continues to bloom

Inside, my kitchen counter is crowded with bulbs. Paperwhites that I picked up on sale after Christmas are blooming. Hyacinths that were forced in the fridge and then the garage are coming soon. And I've just finished repotting my amaryllises, the four big ones spent some time in the garage so hopefully they will bloom; the others are babies.

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).

Happy new year!

Helleborus 'Cinnamon Snow' today

Where did December go? (For that matter, where did all of 2017 go??). I did a little work digging borders and cleaning up the rose garden this month, but not much else outside. December's weather was a mix of rain, light frost, rain, heavy frost, snow, rain and a little more frost to end the year. Not really unusual for the month, but I loved the snow and the frosty mornings too. Here's a mix of pictures from through the month and from today.

Mums in the frost, they are all gone now

Fuchsia 'Genii', also finally done blooming now

Pieris japonica buds in the frost

Snow on the pieris japonica

Frosty rose

Snowy rose

Camellia 'Yuletide' in the snow

Camellia 'Yuletide' today

Camellia 'Winter's Snowman' 

Helleborus 'Cinnamon Snow' in the snow

Helleborus 'Cinnamon Snow' today

Dawn viburnum, just planted in October

Rosemary, it blooms for me all through the winter

Borage blooming today!

What's next? I was pleasantly surprised today to see a lot of buds in the garden. Winter is officially just starting, but I've been working on my collection of winter blooms - and spring is never too far away too.

Snowdrops - planted a few different varieties

Cyclamen coum, see the pink buds around the edges

I think this is Helleborus 'Pink Frost'

Just a hint of color on the Witchhazel 'Diane' today

Sarcococca

Wintersweet buds

Oregon grape