Friday, February 15, 2008

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - February '08

The pickings are slim for February's Bloom Day here in snowy upstate NY I'm afraid. Nothing is blooming outside. Like other cold climate gardeners I'm looking out the window and sighing. I need to go shopping for something.....anything with some bright blooms to add a little color to this white world of winter!
Happily though, I do have one plant showing some new color.
It's the palm I posted a photo of for January's Bloom Day.

The first flower cluster bloomed at the end of January and then dropped all its tiny yellow balls just last week. I was afraid I'd be left high and dry for this month's GBBD, but I'm pleased to report that the little palm came through with another bloom just in time!

There are 3 more clusters to look forward to, so I certainly have to give this plant a big E for effort :)
I saved some of the little yellow balls because they look like seeds to me, and plan to try germinating a few in a damp paper towel to see if they're viable. I don't really want another palm, but I'm curious to see what will happen.

Apart from that I mostly have green plants. There are a few 'starts' just taking root, passed along from gardening friends, and some established plants here and in other parts of the house.

Upstairs in the bedrooms most of the over-wintering plants are still surviving. There are still some blooms on the white wax begonia, and a few on the Marinka Fuchsia. Posted by Picasa

The faithful Poinsettia is still looking good, and decorating my dear husband's new computer corner.
Yes, he now has his very own spot, due largely to the fact that we both wanted to use my computer at the same time! Now, I don't mind sharing, but he was cutting into my valuable 'blog reading' time and enough is enough I say! So now we're both happy.
This is a guy who didn't want anything to do with computers when I first got mine, and now he has his own e-mail. He seems to have settled quite happily into the world of technology :)
I hope we'll see some Snowdrops by the time the next GBBD comes around, but you never know with our weather. We might still be under mounds of snow! Until then, I'll just have to vicariously enjoy the blooms of gardening friends in warmer climes. Posted by Picasa

27 comments:

  1. Kerri, it's pretty sparse here too. Hopefully March will be better for us. I'm really glad I don't have to share my computer!

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  2. Hi, Kerri. February is a tough month in the cold climates, isn't it? So much winter, too little bloom! But your palm tree is sure trying to keep you in some bloom.

    Thanks for joining us for garden bloggers' bloom day again!

    Carol, May Dreams Gardens

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  3. That's a nifty little palm with very interesting flowers. I hope they grow for you.

    Loved seeing Ross's computer - but why isn't my photo on there as a screen saver, etc?...LOL

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  4. What would we do without our indoor plants to care for during the winter..as I look at your poinsettia
    I feel bad that I neglected mine and tossed it yesterday..I will be going to Arizona for the rest of the winter
    so I'll be posting SPRING blossoms in the desert! Tune in...hugs NG

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  5. The only thing I have blooming is my little African Violet. I'll have to check on the winter garden downstairs since I haven't looked in over a week. Maybe I'll get a nice surprise.

    I'm anxious to see if your palm seeds sprout.

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  6. Anonymous11:15 AM

    Hey, that's neat! I don't think I've ever seen a palm flower before. Hopefully things will start warming up for you outdoors soon.

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  7. Kerri, your post made me go look at my palm. My palm's blooms are a whitish color. I think it needs more light. At Christmas I shoved the palms over into corners of the dining room to have room for the tree and they didn't ever get moved back to their normal positioning.

    I would be interested if you get some seeds to germinate as my palm is making those little blooms too.

    I just love begonias. I once had a large collection of them. I have only one now. It is some big leafed variety. My MIL gave me a start several years ago. It blooms during spring when I first put it outside. It is funny in that when it is in the house the leaves thin out and become larger and when I put it out they become more numerous and get smaller.

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  8. I had nothing for GBBD :( I suspect you and my sister will have snowdrops next month but I suspect I'll still have snow.

    We have sun today!

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  9. It will be so interesting to see if the palm nuts will grow for you. Our big queen palms in the yard drop their nuts and we end up with small palms everywhere. There are people here who rave about the sweet taste of the nuts and collect them for eating.

    Your husband's desk looks so pretty with the Poinsettia sitting on it. I can't wait to see pictures of the Snowdrops.

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  10. Anonymous6:50 PM

    I saw the forsythia blooming outside in long hedges beside the highway. It took my breath away. Spring is just a month away, certainly?

    Tabor

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  11. Isn't is nice to have your own computer? My husband and I sit side by side in the evenings. He is at his computer, and I am at mine. We have a good time together talking about things we find and what people say. We laugh at comments, watch videos on YouTube, but there are times of silence when we read and do research.

    I enjoyed learning about the palm. I had one for about ten years, then I think I neglected it after we moved.

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  12. Well I might have been able to show a Forsythia bloom but the snow killed the few that bloomed out in the warm winter sun. It's very unusual for the Forsythia bush to be blooming during the winter, but this is the second time this winter that it budded and bloomed.
    Other than that everything looks bleak outside here too.

    Good for Ross getting his own computer and having his own quiet space. Jimmy showed early signs of taking over my computer by playing solitaire and I suggested that we buy a second one for him, but he's quit playing now and refuses to have anything to do with it. If he wants to know anything he has me Google it for him, and then he sits beside me and reads it.

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  13. Love that palm bloom; it is the first one I've ever seen.

    I wish I could get my husband to use his computer corner. He has one, but he prefers mine. :-/

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  14. Anonymous12:33 AM

    Watch out---your husband will be blogging next. This computer stuff can be kind of addictive, can't it?

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  15. They say every room needs a touch of red and the flowers on the computer desk says it all.

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  16. Here in Scotland we have snowdrops, crocuses, Christmas roses (hellebores), forsythia, polyanthus...

    No snow. On the other hand, no grandchildren and only two cats!

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  17. Last year at this time I had sprouts coming up. Now I wouldn't know because there is so much snow still. When I joined the blog world last year this time I remember yours was one of the first blogs I read and loved the way you wrote about gardening, your animals, and life in general. You have continued to be an inspiration. Thanks for your cute comments on my bloke Shelby's post!

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  18. That poinsettia is holding up well, isn't it? I'm glad you still have a few blooms around the place to cheer you in winter!

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  19. i am waiting for your spring bounty....your garden overflows with colors and happiness in spring :)

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  20. Hello dear Kerri.
    Lovely to be back visiting.
    You're not missing anything very interesting over this side of the world either- the predominant colour these days is grey- l actually would love some snow to brighten it up a little!
    Hubby and l have our own computers too- only a couple of meters away from each other. G gets annoyed when l have him spinning around on his chair looking at this and that-lol.
    I’m starting to feel much better now. Thanks for your kind words Kerri- meant so much.
    Hope you and Ross have been keeping well.
    Hugs and bests

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  21. It's still pretty bleak around here too. We did have rain yesterday and it took the snow down quite a bit but it's got a long way to go. I did buy a fern yesterday at Lowes. It's really healthy looking and I hope it likes it's new home.

    I'm going to miss my granddaughter's birthday next month as I am going to be in Florida that week visiting my parents. I feel sooooooooo guilty about it as I have never missed one before! So I know how you feel about missing your grandson's birthday.

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  22. Dear Kerri ~~ Your poinsettia looks
    wonderful I can never get them to last too long. The palm is interesting too, and hope you can grow some baby palms. Glad you and your husband each have your own computers ~ makes for a happy home.
    Glad you enjoyed the cartoon and the kid's answers to the Bible questions
    They say the cutest things. Take care
    myy friend, Love, Merle.

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  23. First I just felt: What in the world, do they have this lovely flower in the garden in bloom already???. Then I realized it was indoors!! Must say it was a relief for me (that longs for spring now!) as we still have winter, even if it's very strange. Mostly rain and grey days. Snow is something we haven't had for many years here. Only some days now and then. Miserable!!
    Hope you're having a good Wednesday.
    Love Elzie

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  24. Hi Kerri,

    I'm in the same place that you are - not much blooming. I liked the Palm!

    It's great your husband has his own computer now. More blogging time for you!!

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  25. Funny to see your little palm with the yellow "balls". I just saw a big one with the same "balls" in Portugal last week and I was wondering, whether they could be seeds. Now you had the same thought.
    Your poinsettia looks great. Mine I had to throw away just after Christmas. It lost all the leaves and I don't know why (I always have this plant for Christmas time, but I can never hold it a second year!)
    It is probably not my plant!!!

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  26. Hi Kerri,

    It would be hard to resist trying to germinate the palm seeds, even if there's no space for another plant... just because you can.

    The pointsettia looks great near your husband's new computer spot... we had the opposite experience since Philo always worked with computers and I ignored them. Then I saw a garden bulletin board and was hooked. We have a small office with two desks and two computers now, much better than fighting over one!

    A late happy Blooming Day to you from

    Annie at the Transplantable Rose

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  27. Hello Kerrie
    Loveley poinsetta.Mine poinsetta sees
    similary out,I hope I bring they over
    the summer.We have also two Computer,
    it is better for all.
    Best wishes from Germany
    Regina

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