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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.

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day January 2014

In looking at last year's GBBD post, it looks like many of the same things are blooming in my garden this year with the exception of the abutilons that, after this year's freeze are bare branches.


Grevillea victoriae ‘Marshall Olbrich’


Garrya elliptica

 
The first of the hellebores to bloom this year!

Petasites


Viburnum x bodnantense 'Pink Dawn' continues to delight with both bloom and fragrance.

The flowers of Sarcococca are so small that I usually notice the gorgeous vanilla fragrance wafting in the air before I see the blooms.  These January fragrances make us think that it's already spring.  It is winter but the new growing season has certainly begun!


Jasminum nudiflorum or Winter Jasmine offers it's cheerful yellow color during the darkest and coldest parts of the year.

As do these lovely Mahonias.
Happy Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day everyone and do click on over to May Dreams Garden where blooming posts from around the world await you.  Thanks Carol for hosting the party on the fifteenth of every month for the last seven years.  Carol tells us that this is the 84th GBBD.   Congratulations!

20 comments:

  1. With all those blooms it looks like it's spring there already!

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    1. We're having mild weather right now and it almost feels like spring. We'll have to see what February brings.

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  2. Happy GBBD! I have Sarcococca blooming in my garden too. Yesterday I was on my hands and knees near it cleaning up a bed, and the scent was wonderful.

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    1. I love that nose noticing first thng about Sarcococca!

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  3. Fragrance in January makes up for a lot that isn't blooming. My most spectacular blooms have no scent.

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    1. I love the sweet winter fragrances wafting on the air promising us that summer isn't far off!

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  4. I was at a nursery this past weekend and they had one of those Viburnums...its smelled heavenly :-)

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  5. I love that Viburnum - and a quick check indicates that it's supposed to be suitable to my Sunset zone 23/24. Now, I just have to find it...Happy GBBD!

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    1. It's a wonderful plant and I hope you find one so that you can enjoy the long and fragrant bloom time.

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  6. Well said! (It is winter but the new growing season has certainly begun!) Your garden is way ahead of mine, my Jasminum nudiflorum has nothing going on and my hellebore buds are still curled up tight. Nice showing!

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    1. Your deeper freeze set your plants back more I think. I miss the abutilons that were blooming last January!

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  7. The Grevillea is beautiful. Sarcococca constantly surprises, its perfume travels so far. It's interesting you find vanilla in it. I can't make up my mind what it smells of. It is delicious though. I wonder which Hellebore that is? It's lovely.

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    1. I may have stolen the vanilla bit from someone else as I have trouble comparing fragrances sometimes. The hellebore is Helleborus argutifolius 'Pacific Frost' which has lovely variegated foliage.

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  8. Oooh, choice plants, and a very nice garrya, Peter!

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  9. What a show! Love the Grevillea and the Garrya and anything with a (good) fragrance is always a pleasure. Oh heck they're all great! I rescued a Garrya several years ago from a discount graveyard. It's bloomed once that I know of ( planted at my parents' house, so I don't get to see it often) and the inflorescences were short. Still not sure if it is a female or if they were short because it was still recovering. Poor thing went through the PKWs right after I got it and the deer defoliated it in their desperation for food during those hard winters (don't even get me started on the bucks rubbing their antlers on it). It actually looks like a decent shrub again in the last two years. Maybe it will bloom again one day, unless it's in too much shade like I think it might be. Oops.

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    1. Thanks Evan! What a great story about your Garrya surviving all of those hardships to become a good looking shrub. Shows how resilient plants are.

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    2. Glad you enjoyed my ramblings. I'm always good for that!

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