-

-
Although this could very well be a picture of me finding a new treasure at a favorite nursery, it's actually an illustration by David Catrow for a children's book called Plantzilla.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day January 2013

 Oy, gevalt! Blooms this time of year?  January is the least floriferous month in my garden.  Most of the hangers on from autumn have usually finished their acts and the stars of the winter garden are still in their dressing rooms.  There is some precious color going strong out there though even through winter arrived this week with nights diping into the 20's.
 
Grevillea victoriae
 O.K. this is just rediculous.  Three years ago, I plopped this annual ostiospermum in a pot with a few other plants to give a little splash of purple.  The darned plant has now taken over the pot and is hanging over the sides all the way to the ground eliminating any structural/color interest from the pot itself.  I just kept thinking that it'd die but since it obviously wants to live and bloom in January, It will be at least getting a big haircut this spring!



Garrya elliptica issaquahensis


Viburnum x bodnantense 'pink dawn'
 
Jasminum nudiflorum

I don't believe it either but these abutilons didn't succumb to the freezes!  These have been blooming since at least July. 

 Stachyurus praecox buds are swelling promising blooms for February.
 
Not quite out yet but still looking kind of bloom like is Helleborus foetidus.

Last but certainly not least, the honey-scented blooms of Mahonia delight gardener and hummingbirds alike!
Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day is hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens.  Be sure to click on her link to see what's blooming in gardens around the world!

22 comments:

  1. Must add Garrya elliptica to our must have plants this year!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wonderful, evergreen, needs no care, blooms in the winter - Who could ask for anything more?

      Delete
  2. I want to move to a place where Abutilons bloom outside in January! Happy GBBD!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Go west young woman! Come on over, gardening is lots of fun here!

      Delete
  3. Our Abutilons are still blooming as well- must be in a warm spot. I adore the Mahonia blooms. Happy GBBD!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Happy GBBD to you! Our abutilons are mostly summer bloomers here so this winter business is pretty special. I've heard that they stop blooming in your summer heat. We don't have any issues with heat here in the summer.

      Delete
  4. My Mahonias aren't blooming at all this year, I am so bummed. I don't know why, not even a sign of a single bug. I have nothing, absolutely nothing out there flowering.

    I need to get an Abutilon megapotamicum. I'm so amazed to see it flowering!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Abutilon megapotamicums for everyone! Sorry to hear about your Mahonias! Perhaps hope for spring is flowering in your heart. That's a little harder to photograph, though.

      Delete
  5. Viburnum is so lovely! I love Mahonia, its evergreen leaves are under the snow now in my garden. But if I shoveling I can see its leaves like in summer!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Everything looks so beautiful and clean when covered in a blanket of snow!

      Delete
  6. Honey scented Mahonia blooms!!?? How come I didn't know this? Guess I better go stick my nose in my flowers! (that sounds weird eh?)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I read that somewhere once and am choosing to believe it. The only fragrant ones that I've noticed are the little scraggly native ones that I inherited with the parking strip that bloom later in the winter. On a warm day they do smell pretty sweet. Hey, what you do with your nose in the privacy of your own garden is your business, I'm not here to judge.

      Delete
  7. I know the feeling when it's hard to find something to bloom.. You've done great finds! I should shovel..., and hardly find ...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You have indoor blooms on your hellebore! Hope for spring is blooming in your heart.

      Delete
  8. My mom had many sayings, one of which, uttered with enthusiasm, was "Oy gavalt". Thanks for the trip down memory lane. And for enforcing my growing desire for Garrya eliptica.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Glad to bring back a fond memory. Everyone needs Garrya eliptica!

      Delete
  9. You make me reconsider Abutilon. Is it perennial for you, and if so what species or cultivar is yours?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Abutilon megapotamicum has been the most hardy one for me. Highly unscientific but has been true in my experience - the ones with smaller leaves are more hardy than the ones with the larger maple-like leaves with 'Nabob' and Abutilon vitifolium being the exceptions. A. vitifolium grows quickly into a beautiful bush or small tree which is covered in gorgeous bloom for months but only lasts a few years in my garden but sometimes self seeds. For me, they are semi evergreen and only loose their leaves when it gets very cold. We had a couple of winters with record breaking lows - one came with extreme dryness, then the cold and wind. Took out my abutilons in the ground and in pots. I've had them for years in exposed pots and in the ground & some can get quite tall. Try 'em, you'll like 'em.

      Delete
  10. Sheesh. You've got A LOT blooming in your garden. My Abutilon isn't quite as floriferous as yours but it has a few remaining buds. I've got it perched in a container by the door and I guess there is enough warmth to keep it going. Fancy that. My Viburnum looks exactly like yours.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. In 1993, I got a copy of Dan Hinkley's book Winter Ornamentals (darn, can't underline in comments!) and tried to find just about every plant in the book. I'm easily influenced by garden books. The abutilons were happy with our mild fall, heaven only knows what will happen now. We're lucky both have that Virbunum - it's such a sweet thing to see it bloom this time of year.

      Delete
  11. Lucky you! Great pictures. I've never seen a yellow jasmine before.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's also called Winter Jasmine. No fragrance but it blooms from late November until May so it earns a place in winter gardens.

      Delete

Thanks so much for taking the time to comment! I love to hear your thoughts.