NOID Arctostaphylos
Speaking of fragrance, Viburnum × bodnantense ‘Dawn’ smells divine and has been blooming since November.
Yes, even through our freezes, Abutilon megapotamicum has continued blooming albeit a bit slower.
Mahonia × media ‘Charity’
Grevillea victoriae 'Murray Valley Queen'
In the house, the schlumbergeras (Christmas Cactus) continue to be covered with color and the new orchids are blooming while in the greenhouse there are more blooms:
Many echiverias are blooming.
I haven't killed the new gardenia yet and here are the paperwhites that picked themselves up from being a bit floppy. Go figure.
Lemon blooms. Does anyone know if these need to be pollinated with a paintbrush if they're growing inside?
Cyclamen persicum
Still going from summer are Impatiens 'Congo cockatoo,'
Brugmansias
And pelargonium.
On the fifteenth of each month, Carol at May Dreams Gardens hosts Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day to remind us that we can have flowers nearly every month of the year. To see what's blooming in gardens around the world this December, click over to Carol's blog. Thanks, Carol for once again hosting the blooming party and for being our favorite petal pusher.
It's all marvelous. I must speak about winter honeysuckle. Mama called it January Jasmine or something like that. I haven't seen one in years but catching that fragrance takes me back to a happy time.
ReplyDeleteIt's a powerful and delightful fragrance! Would you like one? I'll try to root some cuttings in the spring if you do. If you'd prefer a plant larger than a cutting, here's a link to a place in Georgia that sells gallons via mail order. http://www.shop.shadygardensnursery.com/Lonicera-fragrantissima-Winter-Honeysuckle-Price-Incl-Delivery-312.htm
DeleteAll your blooms now certainly does bring winter cheer Peter :) glad that the shortest day won't be long now. It would have been better though if immediately after that the daylight will be rapidly longer but alas it's still a long wait before the lengthening is discernible.
ReplyDeleteIt would be nice if the days got longer faster! January and February can surprise us with cold weather but I'm hoping for a mild winter.
DeleteI am also happily anticipating the solstice, and the return of longer days. You have so much more flowering than I do. I also have a Grevillea, but the flowers are still mostly closed. I have heard that Meyer lemon blooms need to be pollinated by hand, but I have no direct experience of it.
ReplyDeleteI'll go out to the greenhouse, brush in hand, to assist in the plant sex. Thanks!
DeleteThat fringed pelargonium in the bottom image, does it have a name? It is outrageous!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure that it has a name but I found it without a tag in a back greenhouse of a nursery where there was a flat of them.
DeleteOh there are beautiful blooms in your garden even in December!
ReplyDeleteWe are lucky to have a few things that bloom in the winter here.
DeleteA still blooming Abutilon? Your garden is magic!
ReplyDeleteThose of us who don't garden in the PNW say that about *all* of your gardens up there.
DeleteBelieve me Alan, mine looks nothing like this :) But it's kind of nice to imagine it.
DeleteI can't explain it. The fuchsias all gave up during the freeze. Alan, we in the PNW say that about all of the gardens in California's bay area.
DeleteYou are magic, like Loree says. I'm in awe! So much cruisin' along you would think it's spring or something.
ReplyDeleteIt's been an interesting fall this year. We tend to be a bit warmer than you in the winter and about 10 degrees cooler in the summer. Maybe that particular abutilon is in a sweet spot.
DeleteJust as Summer solstice is touched by a bit of sadness, Winter solstice is a favorite day of mine, where I celebrate the beginning of the end of winter. I know officially it's the start of winter but it doesn't make sense to me or stops my jubilation.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I read online, the lemon could use a little help with pollination. Between the gardenia and the lemon you must be dizzy with the intoxication fragrances in your green house.
Thanks for the advice abut the lemon! Yes, the 21st is special even though there'll be a month or two of looking at plant catalogs and dreaming before spring comes. Surprisingly, with the circulating fan going all of the time the greenhouse isn't overwhelmed by the strong fragrances, possibly because it's not all that warm out there right now.
DeleteYou must be so enjoying your new greenhouse Peter.
ReplyDeleteAbutilon megapotamicum is hardier than it looks. I've succeeded with one outside in England too. Alas I left it behind at the previous house. Time for a new one!
The new greenhouse is a joy but I do want to do some re arranging one of these days. Oh yes, a new abutilon for your present garden!
DeleteBeautiful!
ReplyDeleteThat bright red cyclamen is my favorite
Happy Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day!
Lea
Thanks, Lea!
DeleteHappy GBBD to you!
I enjoyed all your wonderful blooms that you have growing during the cold winter months, inside and out. I can't believe your viburnum is still blooming and the cyclamen is just beautiful!!!
ReplyDeleteThat variety of Viburnum doesn't start blooming until November and continues through the winter until it's time for new leaves to emerge in April or May.
DeleteAnd here I was overjoyed to find one Viburnum tinus 'Robustum' sporting a few opened blooms.
ReplyDeleteViburnum 'Dawn' just does that winter blooming thing from November until May regardless of what I do or don't do.
DeleteYour post is another reminder that I must find that Abutilon. Your plants seem to like their winter space - I wonder if they'll protest when you send them back outside in spring? Happy GBBD Peter!
ReplyDeleteHappy GBBD, Kris! I think that some of the plants (heat loving agaves and cacti) may stay inside this summer. The others will be fine as long as they're hardened off well.
DeleteIt's always fun to find blooms outside this time of the year.
ReplyDeleteIt is at that, especially for one who came from a place where the garden was covered in snow for months!
DeleteThe Abutilon blossoms astound me! Mine are long gone. Yours must be in a very protected spot - or is it in your lovely new greenhouse? Regardless, I see you're putting it to wonderful use for Bloom Day flowers. Happy GBBD!
ReplyDeleteI can't explain why that abutilon keeps blooming outside. It's in a pot sitting atop a four foot concrete column. One would think that the cold air circulating all around the pot would have stopped the blooming during that freeze we had.
DeleteWhat a fantastic selection of blooms you have, indoors and out. I was very surprised to see your Abutilon still flowering, it's beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI used to have a Meyer's Lemon which used to come into the conservatory for the winter until it got too big, then it had to go to a new home where they had more room. I never pollinated it but always had plenty of lemons!
I'm as surprised as anyone by that crazy abutilon. I fear that this will be the last month it'll be blooming until summer comes again. Glad to hear that fruit may set without my playing matchmaker with a paintbrush!
DeleteI will always admire yours and Loree's Mahonia × media ‘Charity’... what a stunner. Those brugmansia blooms are very cool, too!
ReplyDeleteMahonias are such a wonderful group of plants! Brugmansia would be hardy in the ground for you I think...
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