I don’t believe it, look what I woke up to, fantastic blue sky and yes, sunshine!!! So far, the sunniest day of the year!
At last, we have a day that isn’t going to be as wet as it has been lately, so will squelch around and see what I can find that has decided to flower in spite of our weather. I know we have some snowdrops by the front door that were out for Christmas so will start there, the first one was Faringdon Double.
This was closely followed by Mrs Macnamara (mother in law to Dylan Thomas), which is increasing nicely from just one bulb 5 yrs ago.
Also flowering for Christmas is this one by the back door which has lost its label, where do they go to, is it the blackbirds that pull them out or do the magpies make off with them? Must try and find out which one it is.
Hellebores are starting to open up, loads of buds on lots of them, so there will soon be plenty of flowers in all the shady borders. This one greets me as soon as I enter the woodland garden, so pretty.
Looking a bit worse for wear in the front garden, this hellebore has been out for quite some time and it looks as though the wind and rain have taken their toll on the flower.
Just opening up, so nice and pristine. Such a lovely dark colour, deliciously spotted.
Also in the woodland, but in a sunny spot (when it shines that is!) is Helleborus argutifolius. This one grows far bigger than the oriental hybrids and is the only one I allow to seed around, as it is a species and will come true from seed.
The winter flowering jasmine is still flowering by the front door, it has a bit of a rest now and again, but carries on in spite of the weather.
Poor primroses are still looking absolutely sodden, hopefully they will soon dry out. Lots of buds on the primroses everywhere, so soon we should have spring time drifts.
This ornamental quince, Chaenomeles speciosa, flowers on and off all winter and next spring , by the back door. It is covered with tight buds at the moment with just a few flowers opening.
The pansies that I planted in the tin bath above my tulips have been flowering non stop.
In the corner of the back garden, by the woodland, is Garrya elliptica, its catkins are now just starting to open. Each day they will get longer and longer until they measure between 8 and 10 inches.
Sarcococca hides in the woodland. A very unassuming plant with tiny flowers but with a huge perfume. You wonder where the perfume is coming from, then eventually find it right down on the ground, coming from these tiny flowers.
Hamamellis mollis or witch hazel opened up a few days ago and also has a wonderfully delicate perfume. This variety is pallida with pale yellow petals.
A close up of Pallida’s petals, just like thin strips of the peel of a lemon.
A winter flowering heather or erica flowering away by the dead oak. Unlike the summer flowering heathers, the winter flowering ones don’t demand acid soil to be happy so most people can grow them.
Mahonia Charity is still flowering its socks off, has been for a few months now, making a splash of yellow just by the above heather.
A very soggy primula has never really stopped flowering, they have just carried on, no matter what has been thrown at them.
Always the first daffodil here in the woodland, Rijnveld’s Early Sensation. Lovely to see an early splash of yellow, just have to investigate when I catch a glimpse of it from the sitting room window.
Another witch hazel in the woodland, this time Arnold Promise. This one isn’t growing as fast as the other, it’s in more shade, maybe I ought to move it. The flowers are a slightly darker yellow than Pallida and also smell more of Seville oranges!
Colchicum are still putting out more new flowers, I’m sure they shouldn’t at this time of year, but I will enjoy anything that is on offer.
A lonely Hesperis matronalis is still flowering, we have lots of this plant in the garden, which gently seeds around, but this is the only one carrying on flowering in the area which is by the pond. The pond has overflowed again, very wet indeed up there, but all the bog plants next to it should be very happy!
A very wet garden indeed with just the odd little flower here and there. It is going to take a long time to dry the garden out enough to work on it but in the meantime I will enjoy the few flowers that I have and look forward to the drifts of snowdrops that will be flowering soon.
Thank you to everyone who has left messages in the last year, they do mean a lot and I look forward to reading all your posts this coming year, Happy New Year to you all.
My first thoughts today were of the sunshine and blue sky too, Pauline, although they haven’t lasted and it was a little chilly – but wonderful to see nevertheless. You perhaps take your earlier flowering for granted but it was SO lovely to see all the blooms in your post today – the hellebores! the snowdrops! And the others of course, but these especially. I love these mornings after Christmas , leading up to spring, when every day there is a new discovery to be made – absolutely delightful 🙂
We just had 3 short showers Cathy, but the rest of the time it was sun and blue sky, such a long time since we have had a day like that! I have to admit that the next few weeks will see me out examining the snowdrops and hellebores each day. If the mild weather lasts, new flowers will open and soon the woodland will be in full flower once more, my favourite time for this part of the garden.
I enjoyed the tour of your January flowers! I wasn’t familiar with garrya and had to stop to look it up. Sadly, I doubt it would grow for me, but I love the look of yours! We have had steady rain all day, so cold and dreary, but I am itching to get outside to see if I have any winter blooms. Happy New Year and best wishes for your 2013 garden!
Happy New Year to you Deb, we enjoyed our first sunshine for such a long time, still had a couple of showers, but for the rest of the time it was wonderful sunshine! Hope your rain soon stops so you can go and find some lovely winter flowers, I’m sure you will have some!
Happy New Year – may it be a drier one! Oh sunshine – lucky you Pauline – a bitingly cold wind here yesterday, with a bit of wet stuff thrown in too with more this morning. Your garden looks so full of spring colour already – we are definitely lagging behind in the north west. My Mrs Macnamara is still to open despite taking shelter in the greenhouse.
Thanks for your last comment on my blog. It’s a small world at times isn’t it? The gardens at Abbeywood have been open to the public for about three years now. Jane who I think is the owner’s daughter in law has a beautiful winter garden including quite a large snowdrop collection. We visited last year and hope to return this February – well I do but not so sure about himself 🙂
The sun only lasted a day Anna, back to dull and grey today! Seeing Abbeywood on your blog brought back happy memories of Delamere Forest, we left Cheshire over 30 yrs ago, so if ever we are up there again, will definitely call in.
Thanks for your comment re. header photo, this is one of last years photographs of Galanthus Robin Hood.
PS Forgot to say how cheerful your new header is .
Wow, those hellebores look fantastic and I am so amazed to see snowdrops and daffodils already in bloom! Here in my garden I saw some narcissus leaves just peeping through the soil only a few days ago and ow that I remember I sold go and check if my snowdrops are still alive… They nearly died thirsty last year I’m not sure to see them again…
Yesterday it was very sunny and clear here as well but then in the afternoon a thick fog came down and today it’s raining.
Alberto, it is nice to see the hellebore starting to flower in the woodland, makes me feel that spring can’t be far away. The snowdrops and narcissus that we have flowering at the moment are special varieties to flower round about Christmas/ New Year, most will flower in a few weeks time. Do hope that you haven’t lost your snowdrops due to your drought in the summer Alberto, maybe they are waiting for some lovely rain before they pop up! No sun today, just very dull and grey!
Lovely look at the garden blooms. I am not familiar with Garrya elliptica, but it is beautiful.
Donna, having looked Garrya up in my encyclopedia, I find it isn’t fully hardy but it has survived a few periods when the temperature has been below -7 C over a few winters, so maybe tougher than the books think.
How exciting to have so many blooms already. Your Galanthus are a symbol of optimism for a new year. There aren’t as many names selections of them available here, but I’m hopeful that my most recent plantings last fall will survive and start spreading. The conditions in your garden must be great for them, since your Mrs Macnamara is producing many flowers from a start of one bulb.
Your helleborus with white flowers and dark pink spots is so pretty. The additional petals, or bracts, make it extra showy.
The dark pink Primula is a real trooper, to flower so cheerfully whatever the weather. You have to appreciate those plants that bloom for so long through the seasons, especially when they have such pretty flowers..
Maybe the weather has tricked the Colchicum into losing track of the seasons, and it will flower through spring for you.
I love this time of year NS, when bulbs are starting to flower again, a sign that spring can’t be far away. Some of the snowdrops multiply faster than others, wonderful to see those that are obviously happy where I’ve put them, in the next few weeks there should be many more snowdrops flowering.
The weather here has been very mild for Dec/Jan and I think this has confused some of the flowers, lovely to see them, whatever the reason, anything that flowers now is very precious.
Such a cheerful post Pauline. Your winter garden is delightful. I’ve seen something like the Garrya elliptica recently but didn’t know what it was. Now if I could remember where I saw it I could go back and compare!
Anything that flowers now PBM is so precious! The Garrya bush is lovely at this time of year but a bit boring the rest of the time! I like to have other interesting plants round it for the other seasons of the year, then it can fade into the background.
The dry and sunny start to the new year is much appreciated. I can’t believe how much you’ve got in flower. None of my bulbs have opened up yet, although there are some snowdrops which look close to doing so. The mild weather is strange though. It’s not that I want it to be cold but it is confusing for the plants. My honeysuckle is unfurling its leaves already. We’re bound to get some cold weather at some point so I worry this mild spell will bring things on. Our weather does feel very topsy turvy.
I agree WW, the mild weather just doesn’t seem right at the moment, although we are enjoying it being dry for a few days! More snowdrops have opened up in just a few days and lots more are nearly there, they at least will be ok if the weather turns colder. I’m just waiting to see if our honeysuckle has survived being under water for a few days last year, it dropped all its leaves very early on and doesn’t look very happy, must go and see if any leaves are sprouting.
Just catching up on some reading Pauline, soooo glad I got to see some snowdrops. Hoping I won’t miss mine this year.
Deb, you can’t be having withdrawl symptoms re. snowdrops in the heat of Barbados!? I’m sure yours will be waiting for you under all the snow that I know Toronto has been having recently and will pop up as soon as you gat home to welcome you back!