Colour is still showing in the bulbs and plants which we have in the cool conservatory, they have now been joined by Hippeastrum and Narcissus, some of the early ones to flower have now finished and will soon be planted in the garden, at least they will be when the rain stops and the garden dries out a bit!
Narcissus Tete a Tete.
N. Tete a Tete that are planted in the garden were flowering before the ones I put in a pot in the conservatory, if you look closely, you will see that this one has 3 flowers on the one stalk.
Maybe it should be called Tete a Tete a Tete!
Hippeastrum Black Pearl. This isn’t anywhere near as dark as I thought it was going to be, but the petals have a lovely texture.
H. Black Pearl.
The sun shining through the petals is quite beautiful.
Cool conservatory plants.
Flowers are lasting a long time where there isn’t any heat. A little heater gets put on at night if frost is forecast, otherwise they are on their own!
As the days go by, the colour is getting deeper on this flower, it is beginning to look like velvet.
My other Hippeastrum is just coming into flower, it’s name – Purple Rain?! Maybe it will change colour when fully open.
The hyacinths in a basket are now over so the second hippeastrum can take its place.
I think by the time these flowers are all over, there should be plenty of colour in the garden to keep me happy. Hopefully the rain will stop soon, then the garden can start to dry out and I can then get on with all the tidying that needs to be done.
Is the weather stopping you from gardening today?
Lovely to have all this colour in the conservatory when the weather is grim outside. Do you ever manage to keep your Hippeastrums and get them to flower again? With me they just produce leaves the following year.
I am hoping to get out today, so much needs doing, but it is all so wet.
It cheers me up to see the colour the bulbs are producing, everywhere outside is so grey and brown!
This is the first time that I have kept last years bulbs and am trying to get them to grow again, the ones in the post were new this winter. Anna Pavord’s book of Bulbs says that if you have 5 leaves the previous year, then you should get flowers the following year, we will see, so far nothing has happened with last years bulbs even though I have repotted them and fed them some fertiliser.
I have just reread her instructions and she says they hate being repotted, just remove the top layer of compost. She also says that sometimes the bulbs will take a year to flower again so patience is needed!
I think I will stay inside today, in the warm and dry!
yes! When it’s hot I don’t try to garden. I don’t mind rain or cold (cold by our standards, that is) but gardening in the heat I don’t think is good for human or plant health. So mainly I focus on keeping the water in the bird baths clean. Your conservatory looks cosy and colourful with a great view of the garden, Pauline.
I’m not surprised you don’t garden when it’s hot Catmint, we sometimes get a summer’s day when it is so hot that the best thing to do is retreat into the shade with a long cold drink and a good book!
The colour in the conservatory keeps me going over the winter when it is dull and wet, as it is now, spring isn’t far away!
Look at me smiling at you and Catmint discussing the cons of gardening in the heat. I should be so lucky!! 🙂
What a cheery sight in your conservatory Pauline. H. Black Pearl is a lovely colour. Personally I don’t do plants in the house – it’s usually means instantaneous death to the poor things.
I seem to have a very dim, distant recollection of a hot sunny day once Angie, but then, I could be dreaming!
I’m not very good with permanent house plants, but bulbs seem to do well, then they get planted in the garden when they’re finished. They usually flower again when planted outside, so I feel they are well worth it.
Hi Pauline,
H. Black Pearl is striking. I love the color….in one of the pics it looks almost raspberry. I will definitely be interested to see what Purple Rain looks like when it opens all the way. You have wonderful color to brighten your days.
Weather is definitely keeping me from gardening! February is almost half over so Spring isn’t far behind!
Sally, H. Black Pearl is getting darker each day, so I think it might end up being well named. Purple Rain is interesting at the moment, we’ll just have to see how it develops.
I keep thinking that spring is just around the corner, but I just like you, the weather is keeping me from gardening too!
Pauline, it’s so cheery to see you early blooms.
Thanks Sue, they do brighten up a dull day!
The hippeastrums are lovely and it will be interesting to see how their colours change, hopefully to accurately reflect their names! I do hope you are successful in getting your others to reflower. Hoping also your weather improves soon though one of the pleasures of gardening is, I think, not being able to do it all the time! Here the snow is back again, just as well as it was -12c last night…..
H. Black Pearl, the first one Denise, gets better and better each day, the flowers are now huge and getting darker too, so we will have to see what the second one does.
We are so used to gardening for 12 months of the year, it is so frustrating when we can’t! Minus 12C is cold, hope you stay nice and warm inside!
Yes when I’m not out with the dogs or the sheep I am inside in the warm. Sowing seeds, planning and dreaming of gardening……
I’m glad to hear that you are keeping warm Denise and dreaming of gardening, even if you can’t do it because of the snow!
Lovely colours and so cheering, such a contrast to the weather here in S.W. at the moment – although this morning it looks like it might be dry. Enjoy your garden if you can get out there.
We actually have a little touch of sunshine at the moment Sue, but I don’t know how long it will last. I must try and get out to take photos for GBBD tomorrow, but don’t know how far I will get as the grass is absolutely sodden!
I absolutely love all the bulbs you have growing inside…looks like spring indoors!
That’s the idea Donna, I can kid myself that winter is almost over when I can see colourful bulbs!
Your conservatory flowers are a real winter pick-me-up! Our weather has been too cold for comfort, but I put on extra layers and got out there yesterday anyway. I see signs of approaching spring all around, and I can’t wait!
It is a joy Deb, to come downstairs in the morning and go into the conservatory for my fix of hyacinth perfume!
We have heard that your part of the world is having it very cold, but with extra layers bits of gardening can be done. I hope it warms up for you soon.
That deep red Hippeastrum is gorgeous! In fact the hole collection at the window is lovely Pauline. I have managed to get into the garden twice for about 30 minutes this week but there is little to be done so far anyway!
The dark red Hippeastrum is getting darker each day, maybe it will end up nearly black eventually! It is good to get out into the garden for a little while, just the fresh air makes me feel better. You must have been very organised last autumn, not to have any jobs to do now, wish I had been like you!
Refreshing color in your conservatory, Pauline! We had some a few dry, sunny, and unseasonably warm days last week while I was at work. Once the weekend came, the rain and wind returned eliminating the possibility of working in the garden. However I did a few things in the greenhouse.
With a greenhouse, there is always something to be done isn’t there Peter! We are now having the glass roof replaced in the conservatory, so all the plants have had to come into the sitting room for the next couple of days, we are now getting the benefit of the Hyacinth perfume!
Your hippeastrum are beautiful! I have a few new ones this year as well and it’s always fun to have those big flowers opening up on a cold, miserable day. Spring will come soon enough 🙂
Thanks Frank, the dark red one just gets better each day, the flowers are now so huge and the colour is a really dark red now, I’m, beginning to see how it got its name Black Pearl.
I would love to have a closed in but unheated part of the terrace where plants would be protected from the worst of the wind; maybe one day it will happen! It is lovely to have some bright colour indoors. Grouped together gives the impression of so many plants.
It certainly is a useful space Christina, but at the moment, we are having the glass replaced in the roof, so for the last couple of days all the plants and furniture are in the sitting room, leaving just a bit of room for us! Hopefully by tomorrow I can get back to normal again.