This is the journal of my endeavours to grow a range of fruit, veg and flowers from seed, grow organically, and my attempts to create a personal paradise with 1/2 acre of maintained gardens and 1/2 acre wild meadows. Northern Ireland's average daily high temperatures are 18 °C (64 °F) in July and 6 °C (43 °F) in January. Soil type: Clay

Sunday 15 January 2012

Blogger's Bloom Day Jan 2012

It's Blogger's Bloom Day (15th of every month) so I was out in the cold garden (at least it wasn't raining) and here's what I saw...

Crocus are starting to come up. (I also saw that I need to spend a day or two tidying up leaves etc from the garden beds.)
Snowdrops are starting to show.
A few random Muscari are in flower.
Poached Egg Plant (Limnanthes Douglasii), a hardy annual, hasn't died down and is flowering.
Broccoli continues to flower - next year I might grow it solely for the flowers!
Above: a rather poor specimen of a flower - Vinca Minor Argenteo Varigatia. Perennial. The plant tag says its spread is "indefinite" - that's always a bit of a worry!
Azalea
Heather
The first double bloom on the Christmas cactus - growing in an unheated glass room. Above photo: two cuttings taken from a bigger plant. I had an established plant and this young plant indoors in a heated room for several years and neither would flower. Moved them to a colder spot - success!

My 2011 post on crocus and snowdrops is at http://kelliboylesgarden.blogspot.com/2011/02/crocus-and-snowdrops.html

For more on blogger's bloom day check out http://www.maydreamsgardens.com/2012/01/garden-bloggers-bloom-day-january-2012.html

15 comments:

  1. Your bulbs are way ahead of mine - the pickings are very slim for flower photography - I think you did well to find the few that you did.

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  2. Crocus and snowdrops...oh how I miss them. It was always so thrilling to see them sprout through the cold earth bringing the promise of spring.

    Have you ever seen double headed sunflowers? I posted some on my blog this week...wow they are just a burst of sunshine...If you want to see take a peek...

    http://neesienatters.blogspot.com/2012/01/double-headed-sunflowers.html

    Enjoy what's left of the weekend :D

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  3. So your Crocuses are already flowering then? I thought mine were well advanced for the time of year, but none of them are showing any colour just yet.
    I've still got Geraniums flowering outdoors, which is little short of a miracle for January, but that's about all.

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  4. You are further along than us too - my sister has some snowdrop buds but ours are not showing any signs yet. Is the azalea outside?

    We have a variegated vinca and it does spread but it can be handled so don't worry.

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  5. Thanks Elaine!
    Neesie, your sunflower post is lovely. Sunflowers are a favourite of mine; they're so cheerful.
    Mark, I was surprised to see the crocus in flower as well; I hadn't even noticed them until I went out in the garden to see what I could post for BBD. Geraniums will keep going and going especially if they are a bit sheltered.
    Sue, the azalea is outside in a pot against a West facing wall. I perhaps should have brought it indoor (into unheated sun room) but I haven't bothered.

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  6. Perhaps if I would plant early bulbs I would enjoy the bit of late winter color that you are enjoying. Here were in the brown months, gasping for moisture. Anything. Snow, rain, sleet. We have had wind and cold, and while other parts of the state have had snow (but little of it) we are brown dry. I have enjoyed your color this early Sunday morning.

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  7. Your bulbs are romping away, I haven't seen any crocus's out yet. It's amazing that some of last years blooms still haven't died down when this year's are already starting.

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  8. My goodness, you have been mild! Your crocus are already blooming?! Wow! I miss snowdrops. I need to add them into the mix at the new house next year :) You have lot's of lovely blooms in your winter garden Kelli! Cheers, Jenni

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  9. I can't believe you have more spring blooms coming up than in my garden. I can't wait to see the first crocus bloom! I don't think I've ever seen a plant tag that said "indefinite" spread! But, I think the tag was correct! Love the heather! Happy GBBD!

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  10. I still have some blooms on my Christmas cactus...seems it just keeps going. That is so nice in the midst of winter. Some of my bulbs are beginning to break through the soil's surface, but no blooms yet. Yours are lovely!

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  11. Oh you have a lot of lovely blooms! My Christmas cactus has never bloomed at Christmas, partly because I never remember to put it in a dark room/closet. I love that you have veggies that are still blooming. The hard frost we had took all mine out.

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  12. Such pretty blooms in your garden-wow...your crocus are blooming! Enjoy and a happy GBBD to you!

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  13. A touch of spring... how wonderful... can't wait, although it's a long way off here I'm afraid... it seems like we're just now getting winter! Larry

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  14. I can't believe you already have bulbs blooming! Isn't it really early? Let us hope there is no more really really cold weather and that you have an early Spring!Very pretty post!

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  15. You seem to have a lot in bloom, Kelli. That poached egg plant just shouldn't be there.

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