Earlier this week I was determined that I would work in the garden on my day off, no matter how cold it was or what was falling from the sky. I have been putting off pulling expired summer annuals, cutting back the banana clump, raking the fallen leaves from my neighbor's tree and clearing the porch pots of dead plants. Things were looking rather trashy, and all the bent over shrubs from the Christmas snow needed staking and or cutting back. Among all this work I was pleasantly surprised to see some blooms, not many, but at least there are a few.
The Yuletide Camellia (Camellia sasanqua 'Yuletide') must be using the Julian calendar and is celebrating Christmas in January.
The Mahonia (Mahonia x 'Winter Sun') flowers have been preserved by the cold air, and are still holding lots of color.
Though flattened by several snows, the Pansies still bloom. The first two are Radiance Red and the next two are Delta Tapestry.
In my side garden near the street, I was surprised to see this volunteer Rose coming up. I'm not positive, but I think it is Rosa hiberniana, and have read that some people value its medicinal properties.
If you would like to see what January looks like in other gardens, then please visit Carol at May Dreams Garden. She is the hostess for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day held on the 15th of each month, and she does a fine job.
Those are just beautiful photos, especially of the sweet sweet violas! Love also the camellia celebrating Christmas late and wish I could grow that mahonia. The Rosa hiberniana is not unknown to roadsides here in Connecticut!
ReplyDeleteThe photos look like it's warm, they are very nice. We have different types of roadside Rosa here.
ReplyDeleteEveryone in Georgia seems to consider Mahonia an invasive, but I can't get enough of it. The Irish Rose would perhaps make the gardening clean up a little more fun in this cold!
ReplyDeleteYou are a comedian, rose indeed. I need to check my Camellias and my With hazel....with all this white, I am not sure there is any color yet.
ReplyDeleteYour Mahonia is doing more than 'holding on' to its color, what a bright yellow bloom.
Thank you for the colorful photos! What would we do for Winter without Violas, huh? :) Happy Bloom Day!
ReplyDeleteWe are thawing out but still covered in snow for the most part. I didn't even look for blooms this month.
ReplyDeleteA beautiful post Les. I love drying flowers~they look like beautiful water colors to my eyes. This year for sure mahonia will be added to the garden~Rosa hiberniana is often found growing near Hedge at this time of year along with Cola x Cola. gail
ReplyDeleteYou sound like you don't like snow, but I value it immensely for protecting my plants, especially hellebore buds, from the cold temperatures. I also just plain love it. Beautiful camellia, the singles are my favorites. We don't live on a road so no wild Irish roses, but our neighbors have them. I'm not jealous.
ReplyDeleteThis was an interesting and funny post full of beautiful, well photographed images and pretty blooms.I really enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteI have a rose (yes, literally one rose) blooming for bloom day...not sure of its medicinal qualities though! Happy Bloom Day!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to learn I'm not the only tidewater gardener who has been too chilled to rake the neighbor's leaves! Brrrr.
ReplyDeleteIm surprised there are so many flowers still blooming during winter and they are beautiful. Great photos too!
ReplyDeleteLes,
ReplyDeleteYuletide is beautiful is it blooming right now? Planted Yuletide here and it barely bloomed then died in the garden. Looks like they left you a little rose in that bottle!
What a treat to see that camellia flower. I've got nothin' blooming here, Les, nothin'!
ReplyDeleteSure is nice to see some color. Just about all we have, besides the birds, is white!
ReplyDeleteSo glad I stopped by. Sure enjoyed your collection of photos.
ReplyDeleteExcellent color and photography. I think you live in a climate a bit similar to mine here in Italy as you have the same blooms I have now—only difference, Italians only drink out of a glass!
ReplyDeleteComplaining about the cold AND you have flowers in your garden. Should I tell what you can do with that, or would you like to guess? Our winter here in NE is weak--only 8" of snow so far, which makes me worry about my fall-planted things. Hang tough, friend.
ReplyDeleteYour Mahonia shot is good one (of course), and it's curious to me that the volunteer rose was left behind, since it still appears to have some "life" left in it.
ReplyDeleteThe light on the Mahonia leaves outshine the bloom IMHO. It's nice to see the storms did not wipe out all the color. I was thinking of venturing out to try to capture some snowy winter interest, but it seems like old old news. Looks like someone pinched your volunteer rose!
ReplyDeleteFun post. Love the Violas. I planted them in February last year with good results, so it isn't too late for me to have some.
ReplyDeleteLovely colours in these pictures - I wish I had some in my garden right now. Oh do be chopping back the banana.
ReplyDeleteThat is the ugliest rose I've ever seen. It must be the wildest of the Irish ones I supposed. Watch out for Rose Rosette which attacks both other roses and human noses.
ReplyDeleteAll kidding aside, I think you have a lot growing and blooming where you live. Sorry it's been so cold.~~Dee
I prefer Old Bushmills myself..
ReplyDeleteand i thought pansies were tough to last through the cold... that glassy rose at the end puts them to shame i guess... hilarious.
ReplyDeleteI have been tempted by the Mahonia. It booms in winter at the clients down in town, is evergreen, and has a form like Nandina. It's just so sharp! You have humid cold yes, so it must feel awful.
ReplyDeleteWonderful photos and some almost dramatic like the first one, great job Les.
ReplyDeleteYour flowers are lovely but I have to admit to a fondness for the dead bouquet and the booze bottle. I usually find flattened cigarette packs and some kind of beer or other bottle when the snow near the road melts each spring. I've actually pasted the disgusting cigarette packs in my garden journal. Happy GBBD!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful shot of the Mahonia. I always forget to plant pansies and always regret it. They are so cheerful with their bright colorful faces.
ReplyDeleteWell you have a surprising number of things blooming. My garden is all mud. Even the pansies are on hiatus.
ReplyDeleteles, i believe you could put the flowers in that first photo in a bowl and call them potpourri - they're beautiful! my mahonia is still in the bud stage and i'm looking for hellebore and winter honeysuckle fairly soon, but nothing yet.
ReplyDeleteI want to thank all of you for stopping by to comment. A better blogger would thank you individually, or at least a blogger with more time on his hands. For my slow time of the year, I am quite busy. Weather watchers out there may be interested to know we got into the upper 50's today and the sun was shinning creating quite an attitude change.
ReplyDeleteThanks Again!
Les
I love your pansies and that Irish rose looks like it could keep you warm after a day working in the garden.
ReplyDelete