I knew there wasn’t much to see, but I went out to take photos for Bloomday anyway. After 8 years one can’t miss a monthly posting just because your garden happens to be a winter (caused) wasteland. Trouble is after a few warmish days (highs actually above 50, and the sun made several appearances) things look even worse than I was prepared for. This winter has severely changed my landscape. I don’t even know how to think about it, so many changes ahead. But, that’s a post for another day. Today we just need to look for flowers…
Let’s start with the Hamamelis x intermedia 'Rochester' – thought this one was a goner when I discovered it folded under the weight of snow and ice. Thankfully it was bent, but not broken and I think it’s gonna be fine.
Another bent bloomer, Grevillea victoriae 'Murray Queen'…
It’s on my list for staking this coming weekend, there are flowers hidden where the humingbirds can't get at them.
Arctostaphylos x ‘Austin Griffiths' is done blooming and A. densiflora ‘Harmony’ has yet to start, but A. densiflora ‘Sentinel’ is going crazy.
All the Eriobotrya japonica blooms I could see were toast, post winter madness. Then I spotted this little cluster, it's like winter never happened.
Euphorbia rigida. Last February these were much further along in their bloom cycle. They do however seem extra orange this year, which is nice.
Euphorbia 'Ascot Rainbow' is much more raspberry than ever before. Must be the cold?
I waited until the last possible moment to photograph the Edgeworthia chrysantha 'Nanjing Gold', thinking surely there would be more than this to share. But there is not. Hey, at lest they're still opening!
The one Hellebore that's on schedule, Helleborus argutifolius. Then again it was opening while buried under snow...so I don't think anything could stop this one.
Now we enter the world of the newly bought. Cheating? Some my think so. But whatever. They're blooming and they're in my garden, just not planted yet...
These were purchased at different nurseries and more than a week apart, but they're charming together don't you think?
Helleborus x 'Golden Sunrise'
Helleborus 'Ice 'n Roses'
And we can't forget H. foetidus! I had one of these previously, it (sadly) kind of got lost in the shuffle and then disappeared completely. So now a new one.
There's one more, but since I specifically picked out one that wasn't yet bursting into bloom there's not a flower to share, H. 'Black Diamond'...maybe you'll get to see a flower on March 15th?
Now because walking my garden was so depressing, with all the death and destruction, I did let myself come in and photograph the Valentine's Day flowers. Cause those bright ginger flowers make me happy!
Bananas! I have never, in all my years, received a bouquet with bananas!
Normally I would be anti-cut palm fronds, but these really worked. Really.
Aucuba foliage in an arrangement, who knew?
And these twisty things, WTH? I love them, but they are weird.
Once they start to yellow I will definitely be doing a little investigative work to see what's going on there.
So that's my February Bloomday, complete with a little filler. We do what we have to do, right? Visit May Dreams Gardens for links to all the bloggers sharing their blooms this month.
Weather Diary, February 14: Hi 50, Low 34/ Precip .01
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