It's the final bloom day post of 2014 and it seems a couple of plants are ending the year exactly as the started it - in bloom. The great year has in fact returned to a winter I am much more accustomed to. We are experiencing frosty conditions, thankfully nothing too bad and the lowest temperatures have been a warm -1°! Snow has been falling and lying elsewhere but thus far, my garden has escaped it.
There really isn't a lot going on right now, which is a good thing, as I'm currently up to my armpits in cards, wrapping paper and sellotape. I put down the scissors for a wee while and got myself out into the fresh air.
The witch hazel has been throwing out the odd bloom here and there since October but has finally started to get it's act in gear this month. I love those copper-orange ribbons. They are a real treat at this time of the year. What Jelena lacks in autumn colour, more than makes up for in winter blooms.
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| Hamamelis x intermedia Jelena |
The Mahonia on the other hand has been flowering profusely since the beginning of October. The starlings have devoured all the berries that remained on the bottom half of the plant. I've given up on ever getting the scent from this shrub.
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| Mahonia x media Charity |
The third shrub still producing flowers this month is Viburnum tinus Eve Price - like the Hamamelis and Mahonia, started flowering back in October. As you can see there are still loads more to come - it will be interesting to see how many months they can feature in Bloom Day Posts. The record holder this year is the Persicaria that has featured in 5 of them.
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| Viburnum tinus Eve Prince |
Lack of light makes photographing the blooms extremely difficult, particularly white flowers. They seem to glare in what little light there is. Mrs MacNamara is still in bud. New to the garden last year, I'm pleased to see I am going to have 2 flowers this year. Sitting beneath the berberis - the flower stems have a slight list. Since she is one of the earliest to appear I wonder if the reason for this is the fact that the deciduous shrubs are still in leaf when it emerges and it reaches out for light at that time. I need to look into this and perhaps find a spot that is a bit more open. Thanks to Chloris over at
The Blooming Garden, I've also discovered that this snowdrop, named after Dylan Thomas's mother in law is sometimes referred to as G. Milkwood. I am not familiar with Dylan Thomas's work but know enough to recognise the Milkwood connection.
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| Galanthus elwesii Mrs MacNamara |
I blinked and almost missed the first of the Hellebore to flower this winter. A lesson I learned last year was that the hellebores with variegated/interesting foliage look much better in bloom with their leaves remaining (I used to cut them all back), I just couldn't help myself this afternoon - I cut the foliage away. I hope I won't regret that! I obviously missed some earlier flowers too.
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| Helleborus x sterni White Beauty |
Regular readers will know that no blog from my garden would be complete without the odd bloom out of season. There is never a month goes by without something or other flowering when it shouldn't. I kind of like the suspense of the days preceding bloom day to see what will be in bloom for each post. I also love the fact that like me, my plants don't read many gardening books, blooming when they feel fit rather than when the experts say they should.
Roses flowering here in winter is a common sight. In fact, going round the neighbours delivering Christmas cards earlier today, I spotted lots of folks with roses flowering right now. Many of the roses in the front garden are abundant with buds, others with single buds - the race is on for roses to bloom in January. Of course, that will all depend on Mother Nature - it's out of my control.
Roses blooming in the garden today are both climbers. The race to the top of the Pergola has finally been won. The Wedgewood Rose, blooms far from perfect, is a reminder of summer past.
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| Rosa The Wedgewood Rose (Ausjosiah) |
Doing exactly as it says on the tin - Rosa Warm Welcome - is exactly that!
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| Rosa Warm Welcome (Chewizz) |
Whilst most of the hardy geraniums are long gone, the tiny vivid blooms of Bill Wallis are just not for giving up quite yet. You can also just make out a few magenta pink blooms of Potentilla Ron Mcbeath in the background.
Also known as 'The Beacon' the brilliant red blooms, admittedly, not quite so brilliant nor red - Achillea Fanal sprawls out over onto the lawn in the front garden.
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| Achillia Fanal (syn. The Beacon) |
The last hazy reminder of summer is a plant that was moved from the back garden round to the front garden, where drainage there is better suited to it's needs, back at the end of summer. Verbascum Clementine is listed as a short lived perennial, so whether or not it returns next year is anyone's guess really.
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| Verbascum Clementine |
I purchased some Digitalis Milk Chocolate for the front garden at the beginning of autumn, which should, theoretically bloom next year. It is presently giving me just a little taster of things to come.
When I say little, I truly mean little, the tiny flower stem is around 6 inches high and producing perfect blooms in miniature.
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| Digitalis parviflora Milk Chocolate |
Well, that's my lot this December Bloom Day. If you fancy more then please head over to
May Dream Gardens where bloggers from around the world share what's blooming in their garden on the 15th of each month.
