I just thought I would have a quick whizz around the garden and see if anything was flowering on the first day of the year. In the front, by the door, is where my first snowdrop should be. G. Mrs Macnamara is being a bit slow this time, she is there but doesn’t want to open. I think maybe it is far too shady for her and I really ought to move her so that she has more light.
Just a couple of degrees warmer and I think she would open.
In the woodland is G. Little John, almost opening, I can’t remember if this one is supposed to be early or not.
Of course you have already see the state G. Farringdon Double is in, from my last post, I really can’t think what could have chewed the label?!
A lonely Meconopsis cambrica is flowering near to the bog garden, it survived the frost the other night, although one of the buds doesn’t seem too good.
Primroses are starting to flower, this one has seeded itself where the nearest ones are about 20 ft away, I like the way they are seeding around the garden all by themselves.
This is the Camellia which got an unexpected short back and sides from someone who was trimming the Laurel hedge behind! It doesn’t seem to have done it any harm and the shrub is covered with flower buds!
The Camellia, which I showed you earlier in December, hasn’t suffered any frost damage, thank goodness and is looking as good as ever.
The Chaenomeles by the back door also didn’t suffer any frost damage the other night, it is still flowering merrily away and is absolutely covered in buds.
Quite a few of the Polyanthus are flowering, but are also showing a bit of frost damage. I must remove the rotten flowers, there are plenty of buds to take over,
Under the dining room window, where I can keep an eye on it without going out into the cold, is Iris unguicularis Mary Barnard.
Some seedling Honesty that had got overlooked in the woodland, have decided to flower. Poor things, I really must get them planted!
The ubiquitous Campanula porscharskyana never seems to stop flowering, it is everywhere!
Garrya eliptica is covered in buds which will elongate into silver grey tassels. I’m so glad to see the tassels this year, last year it didn’t have any flowers at all, I think I pruned it too hard!
One tiny little forget me not is braving the cold temperatures. I wonder what makes one flower open and others nearby stay tightly closed?
Quite a few roses are still flowering, some looking decidedly worse for wear, R. Graham Thomas can represent them all as I think he is in the best condition.
Winter Jasmine is still flowering by the front door, I think it should be in more sun, but it was here before we were and I never got round to moving it, maybe I ought to try some cuttings.
I can remember saying last year that I must find out which this snowdrop is, flowering opposite the back door, I still haven’t done it! At least I know it is one of my early ones!
I thought this little group in the woodland look like baby birds in their nest, waiting for a parent to bring them some food.
It won’t be long before G. Atkinsii opens up properly, then the snowdrop season will have started!
But what is this in the back garden?! I have some early narcissus in the woodland, but this one has never flowered so early before. It is in a clump that I must have planted 20 yrs or more ago and they always flower in March, it is a bit battered with the wind that we had yesterday.
The weather today, January 2nd, is so much better than yesterday, it is bright sunshine and hardly any wind, I might be tempted out to do some much needed work in the garden. Is your weather tempting you out today?
