The New Year weather has been cold, wet, frosty, sunny and warm (relatively speaking) sometimes all in the same day! A few days last week the sun was shining and the birds were singing, it was a pleasure to work in the woodland, and so nice that the coat soon came off and was hung on a tree. The woodland is waking up, snowdrops are flowering, a few have finished already, but there are still plenty to come. Other bulbs are putting up their spears so soon this will be my favourite place to be.
Before we get to the woodland though, there are other flowers braving our confused weather. The chaenomeles by the back door is opening more and more buds each day.
Iris unguicularis by the dining room window has opened more flowers than ever before, it has been amazing so far.
The camellia in the corner of the back garden has been flowering since November and doesn’t show any sign of stopping.
In the opposite corner of the back garden, Garrya elliptica is putting on its usual show, if I tap the flowers, clouds of yellow pollen float everywhere.
Into the woodland, cyclamen coum is flowering but the seeds aren’t spreading the same as C. hederifolium. Maybe the ants are tucked up nice and warm and don’t realise that there will be sweet sticky seeds for them to move. Maybe I will have to sow my own seed !
Sarcocca bringing perfume to the woodland.
Butcher’s broom, bringing a splash of red to the woodland.
Winter flowering heather seems to always be in flower, poor thing is taken for granted!
More snowdrops are opening each day, they are early this year, but there are still lots more to come, so I should have some for February!
G. woronowii showing how it seeds slightly downhill on a little slope. When the flower is finished, the stem elongates, then curves over to deposit the seed pod away from the parents, this then forms the next clump.
G. Little John is a big snowdrop, but he is always a lot earlier than G. Robin Hood, I wish they flowered at the same time!
The winter sunshine was remarkably warm when I was working in the woodland, I was also sheltered from the wind.
Magnet has now formed a nice large clump, I will have to think about splitting it and spreading it about.
Early days for G. Diggory, the flowers will soon form their familiar balloon shape.
G. Lapwing has increased nicely and is earlier than usual, I really like this one.
G. Wendy’s gold isn’t going to be far behind.
While photographing the snowdrops, all of a sudden a beautiful perfume reached me and made me realise that Daphne bholua was flowering and I hadn’t even noticed it tucked away in a corner!
The flowers are beautiful and the perfume must be amazing because I am bunged up with a cold and could smell it easily.
I used to have Daphne b. Jaqueline Postill, but sadly she died last year, apparently she can do this without any warning. I must take cuttings of this one so that I’m not left without, just in case it happens again, I would hate to be without that wonderful perfume in Jan/Feb.
Is your garden waking up with a few winter flowers or are you tucked up under a duvet of snow? Of course you could be in the southern hemisphere and be surrounded with summer flowers!
I am linking this post with Carol at May Dreams Gardens for GBBD, do pay her a visit to see what is flowering around the world.
Beautiful! Looks like Spring to me
Happy Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day!
Thanks Lea, some days it feels like spring too! I think we’re in for another cold spell though soon with winds straight from the Arctic!
I’m eagerly awaiting the snowdrops but most of my ‘specials’ are quite young and not doing a lot yet. Sam Arnott put up a bloom only to have it nibbled already!
Another stormy week ahead by the sound of it.. take care Pauline.
It’s the specials that are flowering early Jessica, the wild ones are just starting to come through the soil, I hope they will last into February.
What a night last night, I seemed to spend it listening to the wind howling through the trees and the tiles rattling on the roof, will have to check everything when its light once more!
Looks like spring has arrived where you are, Pauline! So much to love, but I’m especially intrigued by that Butcher’s Broom. Love those berries! And the Garrya dangles take my breath away. I really need to move mine out of the shade, where it’s limping along. I want the big show – how could I have been so misinformed…? All along, I thought it was a shade plant!!! Live and learn…
Glad you like them all Anna. My Garrya was planted by the previous people and is in a very shady corner of the garden, it is being swamped by a yew tree, must cut it back and give the garrya more room.
Wow, you have so much blooming despite your weathers. Happy GBBD.
Thanks Lisa, so glad you like them all! We have been relatively lucky with our weather, mild but wet! We have had a few frosts but nothing serious.
Thank goodness for these winter blooms that keep our gardening spirits going during this sometimes cold time of year and rekindle the desire to be outside. Happy GBBD!
What would we do without them Peter!It doesn’t take much to tempt me out into the garden, but at this time of year it is always in the direction of the woodland. Ther next few weeks should be wonderful!
Your snowdrops look like they are already well on the way to producing a lovely display! Gives me hope thay mine have started slowly growing under the snow. The Butcher’s broom (not heard of that before) is just lovely so I checked but I can’t grow it here unfortunately. On the other hand, the beautiful Garrya should be a possibility, so that I will try!
Yes Denise, the snowdrops are getting better day by day, I just hope I have some left for February when they are normally at their peak! If you do get a Garrya, do plant it in the sun with plenty of room, mine is squashed into a shady corner and would be so much better with a bit of sun and a bit more room.
Thank you Pauline, I will. Does it need any support? Or should it be planted against a wall or snything?
I don’t think it needs support Denise, I’ve seen them grown against a wall, but don’t think it is really mecessary.
Those sunny warm days are so much appreciated in winter, aren’t they? The days have been very changeable here too, with far more frosty nights than I’ve ever experienced before, but this has the advantage of making some of my bulbs flower earlier. It is sad about the Daphne, but as you say they are prone to just dying without cause. I’m glad you’ve been able to get into the woodland and enjoy your lovely planting there.
The odd warm day Christina is wonderful, making us think of spring! Once the snowdrops start flowering, I’m out most days checking on them, but I still have a couple of borders in the garden that have snowdrops in them, that need tidying, so must get them sorted.
Lovely blooms…it’s so nice to have that winter gardening break!
Thanks Leslie, glad you like them! I really enjoy a nice warm sunny day in January, it lifts the spirits after all the greyness and wet.
I can’t believe how quickly your winter comes and goes! It’s like a cool afternoon with a little rain and then suddenly snowdrops are sprouting and the fragrance of blooming shrubs is on the wind 🙂
I’m a little envious right now as I sit home with the kids for another snow day.
At least this gives me something to look forward to, always a beautiful visit at your garden with its wonderful colors.
It hasn’t gone yet Frank, we always think of February as our worst month. At the moment the rest of the country quite often has a covering of snow, but so far, thank goodness none has arrived here, although a little bit would be nice, just for a short while.
Thank you for your lovely comment, I’m glad you like the photos!
Hi Pauline. I’m so amazed at what you have blooming. Here in frosty, old New England, everything is still in a deep slumber but, it’s so much fun to see what your garden looks like. Snowdrops are so sweet. I think I “need” some……
In this part of the country Sally, we have had quite a mild winter so far, with just the odd frost now and again. We have been so lucky, the rest of the country has had a lot of snow. Once the snowdrops start opening, you could almost think that spring wasn’t far away, they are early this year, I just hope I have plenty left for February when everything else starts flowering as its so nice to see them all blooming together.
How lovely seeing all your blooms, especially the snowdrops and iris. Mine are just beginning to come up.It is still bitterly cold here.
I haven’t been receiving your posts of late so dropped by to see if you’ve been posting, for some reason lots of blogs I follow have stopped sending me email notifications of posts, seems to happen every time my lappie updates!!! Have re-followed so hopefully all is sorted. Happy New Year to you.xxx
I’m not sure why my special snowdrops have decided to be so early this year Dina, there are still plenty to come though, so I should be happy for a while yet!
Hope your email problems are now sorted, I hate it when that happens, although I have to admit I haven’t been posting as many as usual lately. Happy New Year Dina!
The Butcher’s Broom is very appealing with the red berries.
I agree Jason, they stood out from everything else, but I can’t say that I ever noticed any flowers on it!
Hi,your garden is beauty ,we cant imagine snowdrops in our hot climate ,Is winter flowering heather a herb haven’t heard about it before .
Happy Gardening
jaipurgardening.blogspot.com
Thank you Arun, I agree, snowdrops don’t like the heat! The heather isn’t a herb, I certainly wouldn’t like to eat it.