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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.

Friday, December 15, 2017

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day December 2017

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day is hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens.  To see what's blooming in gardens all over the world, click here.

In my western Washington zone 8 garden blooms are fewer during this darkest time of the year.

Viburnum × bodnantense ‘Dawn’ will be opening fragrant blooms all winter long.

Mahonia "Soft Caress"

Mahonia 'Charity' is a hummingbird favorite.

Sweet Alyssum with a little frost.

Crazy daisy doesn't know how cold it is outside. 

Arbutus unedo 

Winter pansies have been found by slugs. 

A brave or foolish pelargonum.

Fatsia japonica

There are still a few fuchsia blooms.

Of course, the hardy abutilons are still doing their thing.  


 Meanwhile, inside the greenhouse, the less than hardy abutilons are blooming.
Echeveria

The carnivorous Pinguicula 'pirouette' or Butterwort has been blooming for several months now.

The greenhouse is delightfully fragrant with the large brugmansia covering a quarter of the ceiling with booms.

The schlumbergeras are a little later than usual this year.  

Back outside, the tropaeolum speciosum planted closest to the house still has a few blooms

and some lovely blue seeds. 

Saxifraga fortunei 'Magenta' is blooming for the first time in my garden. Such a nice saturated jolt of color for fall and early winter. 

Days will soon be getting longer again even though the coldest part of the year is yet to come.  I wish you joy and happiness during this holiday season!

20 comments:

  1. So many blooms for December. And in Washington! You put my zone 9a garden to shame. I see that we share the sweet alyssum. I didn't recognize it because I just wasn't expecting it as part of a wildflower mix.

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  2. Beautiful flowers indoors and outside!
    Love the cactus - such a pretty color
    Happy Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day!
    and
    Merry Christmas!

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  3. Those Brugmansia blooms are so lovely, and covering at quarter of the ceiling!? Lucky you.

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  4. Your Fatsia japonica is looking amazing, not specifically for of the blooms, but the entire display of vibrancy. I have a variety of Saxifraga, all of them displaying insignificant white blooms. I'll be on the look out for that extraordinary magenta fella.
    TGIF. Merry Christmas and Happy Chanukah!

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  5. Many blooming flowers, Peter.
    Happy GBBD!

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  6. Thank goodness for foolish and ill-time blooms to keep our spirits up! But, in just a week, the days will start getting longer again!

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  7. Hooray for the solstice! Happy Garden Bloggers Bloom Day!

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  8. I covet your Tropaeolum speciosum, Peter. I'm a sucker for those leaves, and now that I know they also produce blue berries... well, what can I say. Maybe Santa will bring me one - it is by now most definitely on the wish list! Happy GBBD and Holidays, both! Soon, we will march toward lighter, brighter days!

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  9. Wow, you have such lovely blooms. I really loved the tropaeolum speciosum and its' blue seeds.

    Happy Christmas holidays to you dear Peter ~ FlowerLady

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  10. Still so much to see in your garden. I'm gaga over your Brugmansias - they're beautiful!

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  11. You have so many flowers for this time of year Peter, and I especially enjoyed your Viburmun and Mahonia blooms. Your Brugmansia are gorgeous too! Wishing you all the best for a wonderful holiday season!

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  12. You have 100% more than what I have in my upstate New York garden. We brought in some hanging baskets to try to overwinter them (an experiment, as we just can't let go) so it is gardens like yours that will bring me through your winter. Happy GBBD!

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  13. Peter your garden has many blooms even in winter! My abutilons and fuchsias are beggining to bloom now. Your Brugmansia looks very nice! Some days ago I took two cuttings from an orange Brugmansia that grows in the street and they rooted quickly. Have a great weekend!

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  14. It's always fun to prowl around outside in search of the smallest blooms this time of the year.

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  15. Amazing how much you still have blooming. Happy GBBD.

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  16. How wonderful to have some things still blooming! It is snowy and cold here, so the only things blooming here are indoors. I am hoping that we will have a white Christmas, though!

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  17. Hummers like Mahonia? Did not know that. Now I need one.

    Do you need to heat your greenhouse in the winter?

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  18. Alas no greenhouse or blooms here. But it looks quite lovely there!

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  19. I am amazed by the variety of these blooms my friend,very interesting looking and some are totally unfamiliar ,thank you for such beautiful sharing ,i wonder how can these blooms stay blooming in such arsh winters as here mostly blooms are seen in mild weather

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  20. I like the Pinguicula, nice color. The Fatsia japonica looks good. There should be a Fatsia cultivar called 'Domino', if there isn't already.

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