This is the time of year when people make enormous pots of chili or soup and those never ending casseroles, feeding on them for days. Well that is some of what you are going to get here. After last month's bloom day where I lamented the fact that my Yuletide Camellia (
Camellia sasanqua 'Yuletide') has never bloomed well, I have now been getting full on it for weeks. I am not sick of it yet and hopefully you don't mind being served a few leftovers.
Let's pull out another dish or two from the back of the fridge before we see if there is any new stuff. I think I have some
Mahonia x 'Winter Sun' still edible from December's GBBD.
Last time we were in the kitchen the unknown Quince (
Chaenomeles) was starting to heat up too quickly, but it has been put back on simmer and maybe it can hold out until February.
I am able to serve you some fresh greens like this
Acorus gramineus 'Ogon' and my
Corydalis 'Can't-Get-Rid-Of-This'.
The foliage on the
Hedera colchica 'Sulphur Heart' is very fresh looking right now, and later on the fruit will ripen, turn black and create a feast for the birds.
Helleborus foetidus is also fresh right now, but we will ignore its very unappealing common names like Dungwort and Stinking Hellebore.
I like to end a good meal with something sweet. Paperwhites are hardy for us here and are the first
Narcissus to bloom. I happen to be one of those people who like their strong fragrance, even in the house.
Here is something I am working on for next month's meal,
Edgeworthia chrysantha. I only have 7 buds this year, and I count them every morning. Long time readers of this blog may remember that this is the shrub I caught my
criminally insane neighbor destroying. It has made a slow recovery, but it will never be the lovely single stemmed specimen that I had hoped for. At least it is alive and it will bloom this year.
It has been great having ya'll over and, I would love to chat, but I must go scour some pots now. On your way home would you mind running this covered dish over to
Carol at May Dreams Gardens? Thanks, I do appreciate it.
Let's pull out another dish or two from the back of the fridge before we see if there is any new stuff. I think I have some Mahonia x 'Winter Sun' still edible from December's GBBD. 
Last time we were in the kitchen the unknown Quince (Chaenomeles) was starting to heat up too quickly, but it has been put back on simmer and maybe it can hold out until February.
I am able to serve you some fresh greens like this Acorus gramineus 'Ogon' and my Corydalis 'Can't-Get-Rid-Of-This'.
The foliage on the Hedera colchica 'Sulphur Heart' is very fresh looking right now, and later on the fruit will ripen, turn black and create a feast for the birds.
Helleborus foetidus is also fresh right now, but we will ignore its very unappealing common names like Dungwort and Stinking Hellebore.
Here is something I am working on for next month's meal, Edgeworthia chrysantha. I only have 7 buds this year, and I count them every morning. Long time readers of this blog may remember that this is the shrub I caught my criminally insane neighbor destroying. It has made a slow recovery, but it will never be the lovely single stemmed specimen that I had hoped for. At least it is alive and it will bloom this year.
It has been great having ya'll over and, I would love to chat, but I must go scour some pots now. On your way home would you mind running this covered dish over to Carol at May Dreams Gardens? Thanks, I do appreciate it. 
Les,
ReplyDeleteThe Edgeworthia is SO fragrant. Camellias are a nice bit of color in the winter. Do you have a favorite Camellia?
Janet
Les,
ReplyDeleteYou are such a talented and creative writer (not to mention gifted gardener). I always look forward to visiting your site. I usually come away with a chuckle. Crazy neighbor, by the way!
It is such a pity that you can't see the verification words we get: "Hort off"!
ReplyDeleteWonderful thoughts spring to mind ;-)
With a Camellia like that, nothing else is needed.
Mine dropped all (I repeat: all) of their buds, so envy is in the air.
Happy scrubbing.
Gorgeous!!!!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE camellia sasanqua, Les, and I'm not tired of it in the least.
ReplyDeleteVery nice lineup Les! That 'yuletide' is a great looking camellia. I’d love to learn more about that Hedera colchica 'Sulphur Heart'.
ReplyDeleteCooking and gardening go together so often, Les - but not always in such hilarious fashion. Thanks for the laugh.
ReplyDeleteSo that's what Yuletide is supposed to look like? Among the stack of empty plastic containers that came free when we bought this house was a 1 gallon pot with a Yuletide label. It sure wasn't planted in this yard and I always wondered what a real one would look like.
After reading about your plant-destroying neighbor the folks who just let dogs poop on my garden don't sound so bad.
Happy GBBD!
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
My word is skinsin!
Put all the Left-overs together and you have a great meal for the eye!
ReplyDeleteA lovely post! I wish I had these left overs in my garden~~the camellia is beautiful. Gail
ReplyDeleteI always stop by here and find something that I run to find out more about - the diversity in your garden is so enjoyable (and I'm guessing that you enjoy it to). Your 'Yuletide' looks like a rather large one - I have one that is about 2-3', it has only been in my garden for about a year - and I'm really impressed by how long it blooms compared to the other sasanquas.
ReplyDeleteNow how have I not noticed Edgeworthia chrysantha before? That is just nuts, and I do remember a neighbor chopping something down - but now that I've looked into what it is - well, that is just terrible. Are there any tricks that I should know about growing them, if I decide to give them a try? And - I've always been under the impression that Corydalis is a more northern zone plant (at least than me - but we're fairly close) - I feel like there might be some that are native and grow in marshy (freshwater) areas. I need to learn about them - their foliage looks beautiful in your garden.
The first person's comment 'Do you have a favorite camellia?' made me smile. My octogenarian camellia friend's response to that question is always 'the one that is in bloom'.
Your garden is enjoyable, as always.
I love the analogy to food! Your leftovers look great to me. Thanks for joining in for bloom day!
ReplyDeleteCarol, May Dreams Gardens
Janet,
ReplyDeleteI would not be able to give you my favorite. I have several that I like alot, and I am drawn to certain shapes and colors.
Kate,
I am glad you enjoyed your visit and thanks for the compliments.
Jo,
Would Hort-Off be some sort of competition to see who could double dig the fastest or who could grow the truest of the true blue flowers?
Helen,
Thank You!
Pam of TX,
I am glad you are not tired of it, but this will probably be the last Sasanqua post until next fall.
Alan,
The Sulphur Heart is a big leaved Ivy that is not invasvie (yet) and is not as hardy as English Ivy, but it has done well for me in Norfolk. It does prefer pt. shade but is flexible. I have some on order for this spring.
Annie,
This particular gardener likes to eat as much as he likes to garden. Regular trips to the gym only keep the fat at a manageable level.
Skeeter,
I hope you left a little less hungry.
Gail,
After the last couple of nights, my leftovers are ready to be scraped off the plate.
Pam of SC,
Thank you for the kind comments. You DO need to get an Edgeworthia. I know it would be hardy for you and despite it being a Daphne relative is easy to grow. Good drainage and part shade would make it happy. It has a tendency to sucker, but this is only a cosmetic concern. I do have a diverse garden, but I am limited on space. If I had a bigger yard I would be in real trouble.
Carol,
Thank you once again for hosting, it must be a onerous task.
Les
Great post, Les. I have lots of similar leftovers, although after our temps of the last couple of days, there may be a few things that have passed their "sell by" dates! I got a tiny plant of Edgeworthia chrysantha "Red Dragon" last fall, but it arrived kind of disheveled and it's still not looking great - I'm nursing it in the coldframe right now. We'll see if it leafs out in a couple of months.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how I missed your Bloom Day post Les! Clever comparison "Leftovers in the Fridge", lol You have a beautiful garden even in January. I could never get tired of looking at the Camelia.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful post and what lovely pictures! Many thanks.
ReplyDeleteGreetings from London.
You have a quince too.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment re the latest Tree Walk. I laughed out loud at the end!