An unapologetic plant geek shares advice and opinions on gardening, the contrived and the natural landscape, as well as occasional topics from the other side of the gate.

February 15, 2014

Bloom Day - Giving You All I've Got

       If you live anywhere west of the Rockies, than I probably don't need to make any comments about the weather. We all know how supremely awful it has been, especially so for those of us with nary one cell of Yankee blood coursing through our veins. Even though the Norfolk area was one of the few places that dodged this week's white bullet, we were hit by others, and area gardens have suffered. I am certain this is the year many zone pushers will hit the edge of the envelop. The tally in my own garden remains to be finalized, and I will have to wait for spring to see which marginals made it, and which will become fond memories.

     Back in January I could only offer one bloom, but this month I reluctantly picked everything that was blooming. Though I would have rather showed you the blooms in place, a very cold rain was falling this morning, yet again. Below on a bed of variegated Persian ivy (Hedera colchica 'Sulphur Heart') I have my first hellebore bloom of the season, my first snowdrop (Galanthus sp.), one of many Edgeworthia chrysantha blossoms about to open, an unnamed Viola, and a bloom from my Mahonia x 'Winter Sun' still blooming since January's Bloom Day.

February

     If you would like to see what other garden bloggers might have to offer for the month, than you should visit Carol, who I guarantee is not the only gardener dreaming of May.

(BTW, check back with me next week sometime, despite the weather, or because of it, I will be launching this year's Winter Walk-Off. I hope you can all join.)

15 comments:

  1. My goodness, Les...I'm glad you picked them in order to get such a fantastic arrangement and photo...but to even have blooms this time of year is an accomplishment! Nothing is in bloom in my northern VA garden because it is all covered by a foot of snow. The hellebores were in 'bud' and a galanthus had a bud as well...prior to the foot of snow; but no blooms just yet. That is a gorgeous shot!

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  2. Les, oh, that photo is wonderful! The gold motif really works.

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  3. What a wonderful idea to make this gorgeous composition of your blooms on Bloom Day. The colors are perfect. Happy Bloom Day.

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  4. Happy GBBD, Les. That is a very stylish posy you have managed to put together, despite the weather. I get very envious of gardens with hellebores - so delicate compared to our often gaudy tropical blooms. Beautiful!

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  5. Well, it looks like you carefully chose the blooms that look best together instead of the only ones you had. I read tonight that cities are emptying out their coffers to pay for road-mending overtime, rock salt, etc. Hope it warms up for you soon.

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  6. Good job...my garden is roughly at the same point as yours, but we are so far behind last year that I found it too discouraging to make the effort for bloom day. I hear we might have some seriously spring-like temperatures later this week though. Finger's crossed.

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  7. You mean EAST of the Rockies, right ? ;-)

    You realize that I will have have to wait a few months before I see anything blooming ? And the last blooming plants were gone by late October ? And hence I am jealous of your lovely mild climate Les !

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  8. You've got a lot more than we have here, Les. I agree the yellow scheme is dreamy.

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  9. My Hellebores are under about 3 feet of hard packed snow drift, as are the galanthus....
    Lovely color palette though!

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  10. Here's hoping that more of your marginals survive the ridiculous weather than you fear Les, and in the mean time, a beautiful posy.

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  11. The photograph of your blooms is both clever and beautiful! You have a lot more blooming in your garden than here. We are covered in a blanket of snow! Happy Bloom Day!

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  12. What a lovely combination of blooms. I'm worried about my plants, too, although most of them are hardy to zone 4, so I should be OK. It's giving me pause about pushing zones at all, though. I will plan to travel south to see those plants. I do hope to join in your winter walk-off meme this year. Thanks for the reminder.

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  13. I dread seeing what this winter has done to our garden -- we're big zone pushers and probably the chickens are coming home to roost this spring. My husband said the pittosporum looks dead, after maybe 8 years of doing well here out-of-zone. The ten year old Alponse Kerr bamboo may have bit the dust too. Somehow the loquat tree we grew from seed (from VB) seems to be hanging on. And I know that many perennials that kept going over the winter the past few years will, at best, be starting from nothing this year. I'm trying to approach all of this with equanamity as you are, Les.

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  14. I'm impressed that anything is blooming after your unusually harsh winter. We're in the midst of another snow storm and nothing will bloom in Maine until April so thanks for sharing your blooms. Happy GBBD!

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  15. Only thing in bloom here are the roses I received for Valentine's Day!

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