As we are almost coming to the end of our second lockdown, I have had plenty of time to wander round the garden looking for new blooms. There are plenty of late summer flowers still hanging on, but now the winter flowers are starting to show nice and early. Looking back at last years posts it seems that last year everything was a bit late, this year we are back on track with the previous years flowers. The first flowers to make me go and fetch my camera were snowdrops in the woodland!
Galanthus Faringdon Double always seems to be my first snowdrop to emerge so is very precious for that reason.
Somehow the clump seems to have got seperated, not by me though, they are increasing nicely.
It won’t be long before its relatives all join in, there are so many little snouts pushing up all over the woodland.
Mahonia charity is looking splendid at the moment in the front border, just like a spash of sunshine on a dull, miserable day!
The shrub will flower for quite some time, all those buds are still to open, it should still be flowering until after Christmas.
In the side border by the field, my Viburnum bodnantense Dawn is covered in flowers, looking so pretty, almost like apple blossom. This will flower on and off all winter, depending how much frost we have.
The shrub must now be about 25 yrs old so is getting quite large but it is worth its space. The flowers have a beautiful delicate perfume.
The first flower has opened on my Chaenomeles, ornamental quince. Again, this is a shrub that will flower on and off all winter depending on the frost.
The flowers form on old wood that has been pruned back in the previous year. All the old wood is covered with flower buds so there will be a lot to keep me happy over the winter.
My first hellebore! This has seen the light of day since I cut a shrub down and the gardener dug out the rootball, it has rewarded me by flowering early!
One minute there is no sign of a flower and then the next day, there it is, Iris unguicularis is now flowering, but there was no sign of it yesterday.
Iris unguicularis Walter butt is in the driveway border, sheltered beside a box cube, such delicate looking petals.
The winter jasmine, Jasminum nudiflorum, is getting into flowering mode with more flowers opening each day, this one is by the front door.
My camellia which normally starts flowering in November is amost there but not quite, I think just another few days will see the first buds opening. The bush is covered in buds so will be looking pretty all winter, I will have those flowers to look forward to.
There are still more leaves to sweep up, but thankfully there aren’t many left on the trees now. I haven’t started on the leaves in the woodland yet, but must soon so that I can prepare everywhere round my snowdrops and apply their mulch of leaf mould made from last years leaves. Goodness knows if I will be able to invite the ladies of the village for Coffee and Snowdrops in February, but will carry on just in case we are almost back to normal by then.
It’s so lovely to see your snowdrops coming again Pauline; it makes me think that Spring will come again after all!
Thanks Anne, yes, there is light at the end of the tunnel, hopefully by the time spring is here, everything will be more “normal”!
How wonderful , our snowdrops never appear before Boxing Day and that makes me giddy with excitement for spring….
We have a very old winter flowering jasmine but it isn’t showing any sign of activity yet. Your photos are so heartwarming and so very welcome in the grey November gloom . Thanks for sharing your garden treasures.
I’m sure my snowdrops never used to be this early Mary, but I’m not complaining, I’ll just have to be more careful while tidying the woodland in a few weeks. It is wonderful to see the garden carrying on regardless, while the world is in such a terrible state, I am so glad that I had it to work in all these months.
How time flies Pauline and its lovely to see the first snowdrops and hellebores. Your garden never seems to stop. Let’s hope everything will be back to near normal by February!
The garden doesn’t stop Denise, down here in the SW corner of the UK, there is always something popping its head up and deciding to flower, its only the frost and snow that will stop it and that doesn’t happen very often. I really hope that things will be more normal next year as I’ve been self isolating more or less since March and have been starved of human company, thank goodness I’ve had my garden to work in!
How nice to see so many fresh flowers in November! There is a lot to be said for a climate that allows for a few stray blooms all winter, and you can’t go wrong with the first snowdrops 🙂
Love the mahonia as well, that cheery yellow would have really brightened up this grey November day!
New flowers in November are a real bonus and knowing they will carry on for some time is enough to get me out into the garden. The only downside to a garden that never stops is that I don’t get a rest, there is always work to do! Snowdrops mean the beginning of the gardening year for me, but it seems to get ealier each year!
Ooh, some exciting firsts of the season, Pauline! And have you ever had a hellebore flowering in November?! There are signs of colour on a few of mine, but flowering is still some way off. Yes, who knows what will be happening in February…I think it may be wise to cancel our NGS opening in February as at the moment it looks unlikely to happen and it would be better to know in advance, perhaps leaving the flexibility to visit by appointment if things change…
Thank you Cathy, and no, I’ve never had a hellebore flowering in November before. This one had been overshadowed by Pittosporum Irene Patterson over the years, I hadn’t seen it for quite a long time, it is obviously making up for not being seen for years! I think you maybe wise leaving your snowdrop visitors to come by appointment only, goodness knows where we will all be in February.