Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - January 2011

All blooms shown on this frigid January Bloom Day are inside, and we are thankful for each and every one of them.

The brave little Hellebore is buried under at least a foot of snow, but on January 1st, when I last saw it briefly uncovered, there were still blooms - albiet most of them tattered - but there were also buds showing promise of blooms to come. It'll be interesting to see how it fares after so many weeks under a cold, snowy blanket.

This lovely African Violet/Saintpaulia is the current star of this bleak mid-winter Bloom Day.
My past track record regarding bringing African Violets into bloom has been dismal, which is why I'm thrilled to pieces with this gorgeous plant.

I love everything about it, including those healthy heart shaped leaves.

My dear gardening friend, Jean (who will turn 90 next week), brought the plant to me when she and her daughter-in-law visited last October. It was a seedling separated from one of her plants and was blooming a little when she brought it. This is a second batch of blooms, but so many more this time.

I haven't been so lucky with the Christmas Cactus/Schlumbergera/Zygocactus. There's only one bloom on the white flowered plant and none at all on the pink. I fed them during the summer but I'm wondering if they need more humidity in order to set buds.

 (so I just did a little research)

Yes, they need humidity! Place a tray of water beside the plant or you can make a humidity tray by placing the pot on a saucer that is filled with gravel and halfway filled with water.

They are also supposed to be kept in a dark place (a closet or unused bathroom are ideal) for about 12 hours each night for 6-8 weeks or until you see buds forming.

I forgot to do this. 
I wonder if it would still work.

The dear little "Rose" Begonia is still going strong. These blooms last a very long time.

If you click to enlarge this photo you'll see just how much they look like tiny, full-blown roses. 

This Begonia is a "Babywing"

I'm overwintering this pretty Wax Begonia (plus some white ones upstairs).

I particularly love those burgundy leaves.

The Hoya has 2 bloom clusters at the moment.

Just a couple of blooms on the Streptocarpus/Cape Primrose.

One of my favorite Christmas gifts was this lovely Holly plant.

The fake berries were added by the florist to dress it up for the holidays. 

I planted three Paperwhite bulbs in mid-November and they bloomed during Christmas and for a few weeks afterward.

The lovely blooms are spent now but they were such a cheerful sight for several weeks and their scent was delightful. 

I have a number of Amaryllis growing in pots but none are even close to blooming at the moment.

A few Ivy geraniums upstairs have blooms and there's a pretty pale pink zonal geranium blooming in the cellar "garden". 

This has been a very cold and snowy winter so far and there certainly doesn't seem to be a break in sight, so we're hunkering down for the duration.
Dreams of daffodils, tulips, green grass and summer gardens will have to sustain us until our corner of the world spins toward the sun again.

 

Meanwhile, be sure to visit Carol of May Dreams Gardens to feast your eyes on what's blooming in warmer parts of the globe and in other indoor gardens.

Happy Bloom Day everyone!