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

Thursday, 15 December 2011

Blogger's Bloom Day

It's the 15th of the month - Blogger's Bloom Day. And ten days to Christmas!

Left is one of my favourite plants this time of year - Poinsettia. I buy a poinsettia every Nov for the holidays.



Below is a snapshot of the last bit of colour in the garden...
A few roses are still in bloom. Let's just say they aren't looking their best (the plants look rather cold). Normally I would give the  hybrid tea roses a rather hard cut in December, but I haven't bothered.
There are still some Malope blooms but the plants aren't looking too great. This is a hardy annual so surely it won't last much longer.
These primula  look a bit battered.
The topiary azalea plant is in bloom. This was a gift a year or two ago from a friend.
The Irish heather is going strong!
Even some snapdragon are still flowering. These are hardy annuals so shouldn't last much longer.

Calendula Orange King, a hardy annual, struggling on, but almost finished.


Prolific flowering at the minute - Broccoli '(Autumn) 'Green Calabrese'. 

My first year growing broccoli and I didn't manage to eat much broccoli as the plants always seem to want to flower. And they're still flowering!


Happy  December 
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16 comments:

  1. cathy@home15 December 2011 at 01:53

    Lovely flowers even after all the weather you have had.

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  2. Malay-Kadazan girl15 December 2011 at 02:02

    You have many Christmas colour flower! How nice that you have many fresh cut flowers for this festive season.

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  3. Sue Garrett15 December 2011 at 02:25

    You can always rely on heather can't you?

    I'm not sure that you're allowed a poinsettia in a blooms list though :)

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  4. The Musical Gardener15 December 2011 at 02:35

    I'm envious, you still have some colour. Everything is grey, grey, grey here, well except for my poinsetta inside.

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  5. Jo15 December 2011 at 04:49

    It's amazing that summer bedding is still flowering so near to Christmas. Surely they can't go on much longer, can they?

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  6. Galveston Gardening15 December 2011 at 04:58

    Very cool...
    Always interesting to see how other "islanders" garden. Thanks for sharing.

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  7. Mark Willis15 December 2011 at 05:10

    Looks like you still have plenty of colour in your garden, considering that it's December. This time last year you were probably under two feet of snow!

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  8. ann15 December 2011 at 05:57

    Kellie, I never realized that N. Ireland had such a mild climate that you still have such robust color in your garden. I, too, love poinsettias. I always buy two bright red ones, but I love the color of yours. I always wait until early spring to cut back the roses.

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  9. Rainy Day Gardener15 December 2011 at 10:20

    My goodness Kelli, you still have some pretty color around your gardens! My heather is blooming too. How does one tell if you have Scottish or Irish variety? :)

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  10. TheGardeningBlog15 December 2011 at 11:55

    You really do still have lots of colour in your garden! Lovely! I do enjoy Poinsettia, they give a wonderfully Chrismassy" feel this time of year.
    Happy GBBD :)

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  11. scottweberpdx15 December 2011 at 14:24

    Lovely post...just love that pink Heather!

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  12. Janet16 December 2011 at 09:11

    Kelli, have you ever tried to keep a poinsettia from one year to the next? It's a challenge I set myself every year. I haven't managed it yet, but heigh-ho I've just been given my annual poinsettia present. Is it time to try again?
    I'm amazed how much you still have flowering in your garden!

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  13. Egretta Wells blog16 December 2011 at 14:28

    Hi Kelli,
    You have lots of color in your garden still, and I found that quite surprising since I know you have had a little snow and some fierce winds. Lovely flowers, all.

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  14. Peggy16 December 2011 at 15:37

    Hi kelli, I am amazed at the amount of colour in your garden even if it is a bit battered!I have kept a poinsetta up to March but either I or it lost interest after that and it died but it is a Christmas plant,it would lose its appeal if it flowered all the year round?

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  15. Kelli17 December 2011 at 05:25

    Thanks for your comments. I'm suprprised too that annuals are still blooming. Suppose the weather has been mild-ish. Surely hardy annuals won't last much longer!

    Jenni, I'm not too sure the difference between Irish and Scottish heather. I think the ones I bought years ago were from a local grower so I assume 'Irish'. I bought plants approx 2 by 3 inches are not about 2 feet wide now!

    Janet / Peggy,I try to keep the poinsettia growing healthy indoors each year (after the holidays). Last year it survived to Spring but then was losing too many leaves so I gave up. Its a great plant for Nov-Jan.

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  16. Andrea18 December 2011 at 18:24

    Oh you have plenty of blooms yet, looks like you're not in deep winter yet, like the rest of them.

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