Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - January 2013

Last January (2012) I didn't have anything to report as far as blooms go. This year I am happy to say I can at least report that my indoor plants are still blooming. The small Orchid, and Begonias are keeping gardening thoughts alive here.

Outside is a completely different matter. It is cold. I didn't expect to find anything blooming. I did find one pansy that appears to have been frozen in place.

 I also found that there is a lot of promise in the garden. Hellebores are setting buds.

As are the honeysuckle,

and the snowdrops.

The daffodils have pushed their strappy leaves out of the soil about two inches. It just makes you wish and hope for some of those warmer winter days and early spring flowers. 

For those of you that don't have much blooming in your garden and those that want to see blooms from around the world see quite the show at Carol's May Dreams Garden. 

Winter Gardening Indoors

I don't have a greenhouse or a sun room. I have windows but none face due south so my indoor gardening suffers. Yet I have found some plants that like my indoor conditions. The most common one are orchids. It is amazing how many types of orchids there are to choose from and they don't need a lot of sun. Just some bright light. My kind of plant.

In this day and age we are truly lucky gardeners. Even a few years ago one would never think of orchids as being common. Now they show up for sale everywhere.

I didn't always sing the praises of Orchids. I have struggled with them for the most part. This past year my DB convinced me to try them again since his brother has such good luck with them. I learned from Brother that you have to water them regularly , FERTILIZE and don't cut off the old bloom stems. The plant reuses them.  Who would have thought it. Our routine has worked. 

It has worked so good that one of the plants is making new plants at the end of two of those old bloom stems.  I had no idea that these plants reproduce like this.

On the photo above do you wee the little root coming from under the leaves?? Have any of you had this happen? When should I try to pot up this little plantlet? I would appreciate any and all advise.

Another plant that likes it indoors here is the Staghorn Fern I have had the past 5 years or so. I have become quite attached at this (almost) no care plant. 

As you can see this behemoth has created its own world in this pot. I didn't start two plants growing back to back. It came to me this way and it has flourished. It came to me from Florida in a stainless steel basket that had other around the parameter of the basket. Only the core plants survived but survived they have. 

Last winter they started making babies. the plants are growing upon the outside of the old shield layers. I got brave this early winter and cut one off and mounted it onto a nice piece of wood with a little moss at it's back. The mother plant and start seems to have survived.

I am so looking forward to spring so I can set the plants outside so they can revive from this hot dry house. As the snow melts my thoughts are turning to spring Are yours?

Yes, a shot of sunlight would be nice. I am finished with fog, snow and overcast skies. Let us remember this  this summer. 

New Year Beginning

The past year on the first of the month I have stepped out the door to take a picture of the garden from the back steps. The beginning of this year has certainly been the most dramatic of shots. It appears that we have a blank slate here what with at least 10" of snow still on the ground. This snow is left over from the 20" we received a week ago. The snow isn't disappearing very fast because we have had such cold weather.

Like the beginning of the new year. I always feel like there is so much promise. A new garden journal is begun. I am most pleased that I found a journal that fits in the leather cover I like to use.

This quote came to me on a card I received this past year. It is felicitous for the beginning of the new year as well as a new day. 

This sprig of Camillia poking out of the snow is definitely giving me hope for a great gardening year. The snow gives me hope for a break in the drought. Here is to hope, which is what all of we gardeners are especially good at thinking. 

I hope you are all tucked in by the fire, surrounded by loving family, good books with garden thoughts swirling in your head as we get started with the new year.

Merry Christmas - 2012

Merry Christmas everyone.

As you can see in the above picture we have had quite a bit of snow. We were so blessed not to receive this until early this morning. I am hoping that like us most people got their presents opened and returned home to be safe and sound before the snow moved in. 

This huge white lump is the pyracantha that is featured in my header photo. The snow has it all weighted down. I hope the birds can get under the snow to dine on the berries.

It all depends upon which tv station you listen to as to how much snow we had. I am inclined to believe what I see here in the drive. Eleven inches is the official reading by the weather channel, so far. 

My Dearly Beloved and I got out and shoveled the snow out of the driveway so we can eventually get out onto the public streets when we have to. 

I also went out to shake the snow off of some of the shrubs that were overwhelmed. We don't often have such huge amounts of snow. I was wondering if I was doing the right thing by shaking off the snow. It hasn't been too cold today. The temp is hovering around freezing. The wind is picking up and it is supposed to get pretty cold tonight.

A fun thing to do when you can't get out is feed the birds. We have a whole lot more birds at the feeders today. I got a new bird for the garden today. It is a Rusty Blackbird. Do you see the yellow eye on the bird in the center of the picture?  These blackbirds aren't typical garden birds. They hang out in big groups in fields and around swampy areas so it was a treat to see one here. 

Inside it is all warm and toasty. My 'Black Truffles' begonia is starting to bloom. I was so surprised to see these little polka doted buds. 

They are so small and delicate. They pop open to reveal a begonia-like bloom. 

I hope you are all enjoying the holidays. 

Wonderful Surprise

This fall I was the lucky recepient of some trial plants from Southern Living. They were one of the gracious supporters of the Spring Fling that I attended this year in Asheville, NC. Their representatives gave an informative talk and offered some plants to trial in our garden if we wanted one.

Well, I ask you, does any gardener say no to free plants?  Especially when they offered to mail them to you at a later date so you didn't have to try to cram them into your already packed vehicle. I mean just imagine 3 women traveling several hundred miles over 10 days, all that luggage needed, then set loose in a few nurseries. That would be three women that like to garden. It is a good thing that Rose can back up her vehicle using the side mirrors is all I can say.

The Spring Fling was in May so by September I thought well, that was another promise not kept. I was oh so wrong. The last day of October I received this huge box with these amazingly large starts of plants. Now that is what I call mail order done right. Only I didn't have to order them. They were free. 

Thank you SOUTHERN LIVING.

They are all tucked into the garden now. Amazingly I have had to keep them watered this fall. The drought just doesn't want to give up it's grip. We were 2 inches behind on rain in November and we are still having dry warm weather. I am not complaining though. It seems my new plants are taking the planting late in the season just fine. 

I am a little concerned that all but one is hardy to a zone just south of my zone. Hmmm We will see if global warming will be on my side in regard to these plants. I have planted them in areas I think might have a micro climate a little warmer than other areas in the garden. It will be exciting to see if they survive.

As to the plants the Purple Pixie Weeping Loropetalum is the most yummy color. I just love that purple/red color and it blooms. While most things in the garden have been frosted and frozen enough to lose their leaves  if they are going to this shrub still looks like the perky little sprite that arrived here over a month ago. 

I am not very familiar with Mahonias. The Mahonia they sent me is called 'Soft Caress'. It has bamboo-like foliage. It will get bright yellow flowers in early winter they say. This will be a real treat if it survives. I have always admired those big mahonias in the South that have big blue berries. If this one lives I will be trying one of them here too. 

My favorite plant  that they sent was the Gardenia, Gardenia jasminoides 'Leeone'. It even had a couple of blooms on it when it arrived. Those glossy leaves are marvelous and the big white blooms, mmmmmm I can't wait to have a shrub full of them. I am very hopeful that it will survive despite the zone being illadvised here. What gives me the greatest hope is that Lee, who lives and gardens in Conneticut, has a gardenia that survives and blooms. Where he lives is the same zone as where I live. His area does get more snow cover that might help it along. I don't know. We will see. I am so excited about this though.

Last but not least is the only plant that is recommended for my zone Little Bonnie Dwarf Spirea. Isn't that the sweetest name for a shrub? It has dainty blue-green foliage which I love and it blooms too. The foliage color blends well with my color scheme in the back garden. 

I put links to all the plants so you can read why I am so excited about them. I haven't taken pictures of them in situ because most of everything looks a little sad at this point in my garden due to the frost and freezing. I am looking forward to seeing how these plants do in my garden. I will keep you up to date. 

Lost Love

Luna

September 2002 - November 2012

Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing you all a yummy love-filled day.