Brrrrrr! It's chilly out there! Thankfully my garden isn't very big and I don't need to wrap up as if I'm going on some exhibition to the North Pole to pop out and see what's blooming this month. Not that there's a lot too see anyway. Looking back at other January posts and old pictures, I think this January is a little disappointing bloom wise but weather wise that I'd probably describe this winter as a normal winter here in Edinburgh. With the last few winters being somewhat out of the ordinary, it's a nice change. We've had just the right amount of everything so far. This of course is based on no scientific data whatsoever, just my observations.
As I look around the borders, bulbs are bursting through the soil everywhere. The bulbs are now spreading themselves around the garden. I see the odd Crocus popping up in spots I hadn't planted them. This I think is a side affect of me moving plants around the garden and taking with them bulbs in the surrounding soil. Most though are a month or so away from flowering. However, there is one wee sign of spring this bloom day. Some Crocus are racing on ahead - this little clump of Crocus chrysanthus are in a sunny wee spot, one of the few wee spots that gets some direct sun in winter. I thought these Crocus were early this year but checking back they were at a similar stage in the previous Januarys I have on record.
The January winds have been relentless this last week, again nothing out of the ordinary for this time of the year. Thankfully little or no damage in my garden. I do see damage to a few fences in the neighbourhood and a couple of the greenhouses I can see from my upstairs windows have all suffered. It's at this time of the year I get kind of pleased I don't have a greenhouse.
The 'Special' snowdrops are all up too, but are a wee bit away from flowering. The first flower of Galanthus Mrs Macnamara began flowering back in November and it's second flower is out in time for this month's post.
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| Galanthus elwesii Mrs Macnamara |
There are not many shrubs that flower in winter and those that do are really welcome. Both the Hamamelis and Mahonia have been blooming since November. Hamamelis x intermedia Jelena has flowered sparsely but is really now coming into her own. Is there any other plant with such fascinating blooms? They are hard to beat.
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| Hamamelis x intermedia Jelena |
I won't bore you with more photos of the Mahonia, besides the winds are making it rather difficult to get a good picture. One of my New Years Resolutions for the garden was to get a grip with my plant list and yet the first plant I have to look up for confirmation of it's name I find I haven't recorded, nor can I find the label. It's not like me to forget, I usually have some kind of take on the name in my head but this one, my mind is blank! Does anyone know how to tell the difference between S. confusa and S. hookeriana? I can remember it had a scent when I bought it but I can no longer smell it. Final size does not help me either as it's still relatively small and has only been in the garden 2 years.
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| Sarcococca |
One group of plants that rarely let us down at this time of the year are the Hellebores. Some of my favourites are from the H. x ericsmithii hybrid collection. I promised myself a new one this year if I was given vouchers for Christmas. I did just that but the one I bought is not blooming right now, however one of it's relatives is just coming to bloom. A lonely bloom amongst a mass of buds on H. x ericsmithii Pirouette which was new to the garden last year.
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| Helleborus x ericsmithii Pirouette |
Whilst there are slim pickings from my garden this January, it is full of February Promise! Meantime please join me and other garden bloggers at
May Dream Gardens to see what's going on in their wee corners of the globe.
