Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - December 2010

Believe it or not something is blooming outside in our upstate New York garden in the middle of December!

The Helleborus Niger is still going strong!

No wonder it's called 'Christmas Rose'

There are still many buds waiting to open.

This is what it looked like on December 1st. The first buds appeared near the end of October (pictured here) and it has been blooming profusely ever since (November Bloom Day pics here). The flower on the far left is the original bloom. They just keep going, opening pure white petals which eventually turn pink.

Not surprisingly, all other current blooms are indoors.

Streptocarpus/Cape Primrose is related to African Violets. It's the large plant in the picture above this one.

Anemone de Caen/Dutch Windflower

Planted in a pot in the spring of 2009, the bulbs didn't bloom last summer but are beginning to bloom now.

This pretty begonia has tiny 'rose' flowers

Aren't they sweet?

It's another passalong from my friend, Marie.

The Hoya is still blooming, currenting showing off 3 flower clusters, with more to come. I fed it all summer.

here are the little 'stars' before they open....

...to reveal these ruby red jewels.

There's a flower cluster preparing to open on the Parlor Palm.

Upstairs quite a few Ivy Geraniums are still producing blooms.

And the Orchid Cactus bloomed just recently.

This is the third time it's produced blooms this year.
Quite an amazing plant.

The Kenilworth Ivy/Mother of Thousands is flowering too.

I found it easy to root cuttings of this plant. It's hardy here in our northeast zone 5 garden, although this one is in the pot with the Orchid Cactus. I have a piece of it in a pot on the unheated, covered side porch and plan to plant it in the garden next spring. I saw it growing on top of a stone wall last spring and it was the perfect place for those pretty leaves and dainty flowers to meander along. 

These are wax begonia cuttings that didn't get planted last summer. I'll put them in a pot and plant them next spring.

Jasmine and Hannah are missing their outdoor time. They go out for short periods but are very anxious to get back into the warmth of the house. They entertain themselves by watching the birds at the feeders on the front porch and just beyond. 

The weather outside is frightful, but the dream of spring warms our thoughts.
Christmas lights reflect on the snowy porch railing as snow lightly falls tonight.

It's been a week of frigid temperatures and snow showers, but so far not as much snow as last week brought. Here's what the front yard looked like last Wednesday under a foot or more of snow.

The Sedum and Mallow are now cloaked in white.

 

But let's finish with color!

Here's another peek at the pretty little 'Rose' Begonia.

Be sure to visit Carol of May Dreams Gardens to see what's blooming in gardens all over the world.

Happy December Bloom Day everyone!
And may visions of sugarplums dance in your head.

A Late Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - November 2010

We were away this past weekend celebrating our oldest grandson's ninth birthday, and I guess my mind was elsewhere, because the 15th of the month crept right up and surprised me.

Working and posting don't seem to fit very well into the same day for me anymore, but I had today off, so here finally, are my mid-November blooms. 

Some of the Helleborus niger/Christmas Rose petals are now tinged with pink, and this delightful plant steadfastly continues to hold up through all kinds of weather.

Severe frosts and cold days don't seem to phase it at all. I hope it blooms with the same enthusiasm when spring comes again.

I love the combination of pink and white blooms on the same plant.

We had a 4 beautiful, sunny days last Thursday through Sunday, but today the weather has turned blustery, wet and very wintery - not a nice day to be outdoors.

Hubby recently noticed that the Honeysuckle over by the grape vines still has a few blooms.

It looks like Lonicera brownii (Dropmore Scarlet) to me, but being a passalong I can't be sure.
This pretty vine began blooming early in the spring and even now it continues to produce blooms!

Bright red berries have taken over the color show now that the leaves are gone from the little burning bush.

Frosty mornings add a sugar coating,

.....enhancing the beauty.

Behind the Burning Bush the Weigela has grown considerably this past summer and its fall color is gorgeous. 

Rimmed with frost...

....the leaves are especially beautiful.

The gardens are mostly bare of blooms now,

but until very recently this tall Mallow (Malva zebrini) was still loaded with pretty purple blooms.

Only the most severe frosts have finally finished its late show.

Frost adds a beautiful touch to Sedum Autumn Joy's rich rufous fall tones. 

Another passalong from my friend, Marie, this little pale pink Chrysanthemum produced a few brave blooms and held up well to the frosty mornings.

Purple Alyssum generously sprouted beside the usual white Alyssum this past summer in the cracks between pavers of the back door patio. It laughs in the face of the cold.

Scabiosa (Pincushion Flower) "Summer Berries Mix" has just recently finally been stopped by the frost.

And the heavy frosts have taken a toll on the Gaura as well.

The large Spirea bush is beautifully dressed in its fall shades of red.

On the covered, unheated side porch the Ivy Geraniums and Fuchsia "Marinka" seem to like the cool temperatures and are blooming happily.

"Butterfly"

"Taj Mahal"

"Marimba"

When the temperatures drop closer to freezing on the porch I'll move them to upstairs bedrooms.

This Hoya is the house plant of the moment, showing off 2 lovely bloom clusters, with a few more tiny ones showing promise for the future.

These blooms are fascinating, beginning as little closed stars and gradually unfolding tiny pockets...... 

....to reveal shiny gems of rasberry red.

As an added bonus, the blooms last for quite a while. 

Jasmine is a cat who obviously appreciates beauty!

Not very long ago I snapped this shot of her admiring the last gorgeous bloom of Clematis "Carnaby". This long lasting bloom is still there, albiet a little worse for wear, but hanging in there. Homestead Verbena and white Alyssum are still showing a bit of color as well in the Rose/Clematis garden, but even these last few stalwarts will soon be gone and the garden will sleep until spring returns again.

Be sure to visit our gracious hostess, Carol of May Dreams Gardens  to discover what's blooming in gardens all over the globe. 

Carol's inspiration for Bloom Day was inspired by the words of Elizabeth Lawrence - "We can have flowers nearly every month of the year"