In spite of a sharp frost the other night, the flowers in the garden are looking surprisingly good. The temperature had been at 0 degrees C most of yesterday morning and had then risen to plus 2 once the clouds covered the sky. All over the garden, primroses are starting to pop up.
The chaenomeles in the last post has come through the frost unscathed, thank goodness.
Cyclamen coum are starting to put up their flowers, I can see lots of buds in the woodland, they look lovely alongside the snowdrops.
Almost out, but not quite, Daphne Jaqueline Postill. When the flowers open, the woodland is filled with the most gorgeous perfume, it seems to be trapped by all the trees.
Still flowering away by the front door is the winter jasmine, Jasminum nudiflorum. This flowers on and off all winter, depending on the weather, the flowers have survived the frost and there are still lots more buds to open.
At the far left hand end of the woodland, Hamamellis Arnold Promise is still flowering away but H. pallida, at the other end, is still covered in tightly closed buds, in spite of being in more sunshine, I wonder why?
Lots of hellebores are pushing up loads of buds, there should be masses of lovely flowers soon.
In the woodland I found the first hellebore that has opened properly, wonderful, these will be flowering for a good 3 months, if not more.
Iris unguicularis Mary Barnard is flowering at last in the back garden, this one is much later to flower than the one in the front, which was flowering before Christmas.
Iris unguicularis Walter Butt, in the front garden, is still flowering with lots more buds to come, even though it must be a good month now since I discovered the first flowers.
Another Iris about to join in with the other flowering bulbs, this time the tiny Iris reticulata Pauline, I’m just hoping that the slugs don’t get at it, or they will all flop down and be over for another year.
In the back garden, Choisya ternata, hardly seems to stop flowering, to have a rest.
I couldn’t leave them out could I? Snowdrops are pushing up all over the place, soon there will be white everywhere. This one is the tiny, dainty G. gracilis with the twisty leaves, easy to identify at a distance.
Another small species of Galanthus, this time G. rizehensis. I think this needs moving as it isn’t increasing as well as the others, maybe a bit more TLC needed.
A large hybrid, twice as tall as the previous two, with a green cross on the inner petals. Another label has gone missing, so more homework needed for this one.
Still flowering by the front door is G. Mrs McNamara and also G Faringdon Double a bit further along in the border, lovely to see them both each time I go in and out.
Increasing nicely in the woodland, I think they appreciate all the leaf mould that they are planted in. Galanthus Atkinsii is almost ready for splitting when flowering is over.
Definitely in need of splitting, Galanthus Magnet. Just one flower out at the moment, but as you can see, lots to come.
So many others are at the bud stage but I think they will be bursting through very soon, so they will be photographed when their time comes.
Thanks must go to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for hosting GBBD , do pay her a visit and see other beautiful flowers around the world.
Can Jacqueline Postill take a fair bit of shade? I love the idea of putting one in the woodland and trap the scent underneath the trees. Your Iris are looking wonderful too, they are a must have for me this year.
A wonderful set of winter bloomers Pauline!
At the moment Jessica, Jaqueline Postill is in sunshine (when it shines that is!) because there are no leaves on the trees, but later on she is in quite deep shade, but doesn’t seem to mind. I agree the iris are lovely companions for the snowdrops.
You have lots of lovely spring things out Pauline. A lady of discerning taste, you have D. Jacqueline Postill. Isn’t she just the Queen of Daphnes? You seem to be getting on with your detective work with the snowdrops but trying to get all the Elwesii hybrids sorted out is very difficult. You have Iris ‘Walter Butt’ too, my favourite. Have you noticed that he is fragrant? How appropriate having Iris reticulata ‘Pauline’ coming out; like you she just can’t wait to enjoy the garden.
I couldn’t resist Chloris, when I saw the Iris reticulata Pauline, just had to have it! I don’t think I will ever sort out all the Elwesii hybrids, they have so many different markings. I hadn’t noticed that Walter Butt is perfumed, I think I will have to pick a bud, rather than getting down on my knees to have a sniff!
Wonderful, Pauline! What a privilege to be able to go out and look at all these flowers in your own garden. Lots of murmerings here too but it’ll be a while before my Choisya will flower. Your Iris are beautiful – look forward to Pauline opening properly. As for Jacqueline Postill – I read she’s hard (or impossible) to get these days due to over-demand. I’d like to try a Daphne one day – Limpsfield is supposed to be nice too.
My Choisya Annette doesn’t seem to have stopped since last year, it will soon be time for it to start again! I hope you manage to find a Daphne Jaqueline Postill, I hadn’t thought that they could be in short supply, the perfume is divine.
Oh to have flowers at this time of year. You are so lucky Pauline! Your primroses and snowdrops are always so pretty.
I guess I shouldn’t complain about winter, because we are finally experiencing a bit of a break from the Arctic cold we had right after Christmas. Yesterday, I even hung a few towels on the clothesline. I am sure the temperature will drop again soon, and so for now, I think I should just be grateful.
Jennifer, I’m so pleased to hear that your weather has warmed up, we have been watching it on our news, it seemed horrendous. We are lucky to have mild weather, but not all the rain that we are having, that brings the early bulbs flowering for us to enjoy so early in the year. The snowdrops will just get better and better as the weeks go by, I look forward to it each January.
Oh so many beauties!
Hellebores are so great for long lasting blooms – I love them!
Happy Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day!
Lea
Thank you Lea, good to hear from you. Yes, I love hellebores too, they provide much needed colour at this time of year. I just hope it will stop raining soon and then I can be gardening once more!
A lovely winter/spring selection Pauline; your garden is stunning in all the seasons. Blooms in winter give such pleasure, more than those of summer maybe as they are more precious to us. My Iris is flowering well now, it too has lots of buds, I am so pleased to have it to add such delicate colour to the winter garden.
Winter flowers are so very precious aren’t they Christina, and the iris looks too delicate to flower during the winter months. Its amazing how some flowers cope with frost, snow and torrential rain!
I am enjoying all your wonderful blooms. Your woodland gardens abundant with iris, snowdrops and winter jasmine are so beautiful and a welcomed sight for this time of year. Happy Bloom Day!
Thank you Lee, winter flowers are so precious, they seem too delicate to be flowering in the cold weather. More and more open each day making us think that spring is just round the corner.
So early in the year Pauline but still much pleasure in what is in flower as well as the exciting promise of other treasures to come. Have made a note to look out for iris unguicularis with their beautiful markings. It also looks as if they are are earlier than reticulata. So exciting to see the snowdrops appear 🙂
Anna, the first time I saw Iris unguicularis was outside the doctors surgery, I couldn’t believe an iris was flowering at that time of year, one soon made its way into my garden! The snowdrops will just get better and better as the weeks go by.
Visiting your garden blog is a relief from the dreary weather we are having lately. I love the promising deep color of your Iris reticulate Pauline. Must make a note of it.
Susie
The early flowers Susie, cheer me up while we are having so much rain. The Iris reticulata is a very deep purple with beautiful contrasting colours in the centre. I also have a couple of others which are a deep blue and a paler blue, they are all lovely, as is anything that flowers in January.
All so beautiful, Pauline – and another recommendation for ‘Jacqueline Postill’, although if Annette is correct she will be hard to find. I am pleased you found a hellebore open – when I looked later in the day there are a few buds here, so it may not be long now. You have some lovely clumps of snowdrops and it was good to see a photo of those twisted leaves on the G gracilis, as pictures don’t always show the leaves. Having only been aware of Iris unguicularis this winter I have ordered some from Broadleigh but they didn’t have any named varieties. You must be so relieved the frost didn’t see off those beautiful chaenomeles flowers!
Cathy, you’re right I was so relieved when I saw the Chaenomeles was still its lovely salmon colour and wasn’t a crisp brown! There are lots of Hellebore buds which should be open in a couple of weeks, weather permitting, then the woodland should be very colourful. So pleased you have found some Iris unguicularis, I usually forget about it until suddenly it reminds me of its presence by sending up some flower buds, so welcome in the winter.
How lovely to see so many familiar little faces so soon! I still have a while to wait here. Patience…. 😉 Is the Choisya scented in winter too? I didn’t realise they flower so long. I always think how exotic the early irises look in spring. I wonder if any of mine will come up this year as they are very temperamental in my garden! And the snowdrops are a wonderful sight. Mine are showing shoots about 2-3cm high so your photos are a taste of what’s to come.. 😀
I hope yours soon catch up Cathy, we have been having very mild weather during December and January except for the frost the other night, so that must make a difference. I can’t remember if the Choisya has a perfume at the moment, if it isn’t raining tomorrow, I will go and have a sniff! I can almost see the snowdrops growing, once they have pierced the earth, it doesn’t take them long before the buds are showing and then the flowers are free to hang down and show their individual markings.
Pauline, your garden is a winter wonderland – so full of beauty. It must be a total pleasure to get out and about there. The snowdrops are a cheery sight.
Bulbs here are not even reaching 1 inch high yet so am pleased to see yours in their finery 🙂
Thank you Angie, for your lovely thoughts, I do love to have a wander in the woodland at this time of year to see what is popping up, something new every few days. Your bulbs will soon catch up I’m sure or maybe you will still be enjoying yours when mine are long over!
It’s wonderful to see that the woodland floor stirring into life again. I do love Hellebores; they’re a favourite flower of mine and of course the Snowdrops are always a lovely sight at this time of year.
More snowdrops Wendy, are coming up each day and will open over the next couple of weeks. In between are the Hellebores which we all love and will bring colour to the woodland along with other small bulbs. When we bought the house 23 yrs ago, I never realised how important the woodland would become to me.
Your photos are so gorgeous, the perfect antidote to our gray dreary winter days…Thank you.
Thank you Charlie, they do lift my spirits when eventually I go into the garden after all the rain has stopped.
I am jealous, though I try not to be jealous of other gardens. You have so many blooms, and all my flower buds are shivering in the cold! Daffodil foliage has barely begun to emerge from the earth. This year I must be patient!
Deb, our worst month is still to come, even the end of this week is supposed to be a lot colder, but hopefully not as cold as you have it! I think gardening teaches us all to be patient!
So nice 🙂
I can’t wait until my snowdrops clump up as nicely, but I’m so greedy as far as dividing them up and moving them around.
Things are starting to move ahead with spring there, aren’t they? It’s such an exciting time of year, I wish we didn’t still have at least 2 months to go here at my end!
Much colder weather Frank, is forecast for later this week, so I hope all my flowers survive, they should do. If its frosty, the snowdrops and hellebores will just lie down until temperatures rise again, when they will then stand up straight once more – amazing!
I love all the plants in your garden and most of them are ahead of here. So fun to see your snowdrops. I have some that would open if there was ever sun. Right now we are in the middle of a major snowstorm with 12″ expected, followed by single digit temps F for three days. At least the plants will have a snow blanket. Keep posting the snowdrop photos.
Sorry to hear Carolyn that you are in the midst of a snow storm with very low temperatures, as you say, your plants will appreciate the warm duvet that they have. I will keep posting about the snowdrops, don’t worry, more are opening each day whenever we get a glimpse of the sun in between all the torrential rain, the garden is so sodden!