Wednesday, February 15, 2017

February Bloomday...

I knew there wasn’t much to see, but I went out to take photos for Bloomday anyway. After 8 years one can’t miss a monthly posting just because your garden happens to be a winter (caused) wasteland. Trouble is after a few warmish days (highs actually above 50, and the sun made several appearances) things look even worse than I was prepared for. This winter has severely changed my landscape. I don’t even know how to think about it, so many changes ahead. But, that’s a post for another day. Today we just need to look for flowers…

Let’s start with the Hamamelis x intermedia 'Rochester' – thought this one was a goner when I discovered it folded under the weight of snow and ice. Thankfully it was bent, but not broken and I think it’s gonna be fine.

Another bent bloomer, Grevillea victoriae 'Murray Queen'…

It’s on my list for staking this coming weekend, there are flowers hidden where the humingbirds can't get at them.


Arctostaphylos x ‘Austin Griffiths' is done blooming and A. densiflora ‘Harmony’ has yet to start, but A. densiflora ‘Sentinel’ is going crazy.

All the Eriobotrya japonica blooms I could see were toast, post winter madness. Then I spotted this little cluster, it's like winter never happened.

Euphorbia rigida. Last February these were much further along in their bloom cycle. They do however seem extra orange this year, which is nice.

Euphorbia 'Ascot Rainbow' is much more raspberry than ever before. Must be the cold?

I waited until the last possible moment to photograph the Edgeworthia chrysantha 'Nanjing Gold', thinking surely there would be more than this to share. But there is not. Hey, at lest they're still opening!

The one Hellebore that's on schedule, Helleborus argutifolius. Then again it was opening while buried under snow...so I don't think anything could stop this one.

Now we enter the world of the newly bought. Cheating? Some my think so. But whatever. They're blooming and they're in my garden, just not planted yet...

These were purchased at different nurseries and more than a week apart, but they're charming together don't you think?

Helleborus x 'Golden Sunrise'

Helleborus 'Ice 'n Roses'

And we can't forget H. foetidus! I had one of these previously, it (sadly) kind of got lost in the shuffle and then disappeared completely. So now a new one.

There's one more, but since I specifically picked out one that wasn't yet bursting into bloom there's not a flower to share, H. 'Black Diamond'...maybe you'll get to see a flower on March 15th?

Now because walking my garden was so depressing, with all the death and destruction, I did let myself come in and photograph the Valentine's Day flowers. Cause those bright ginger flowers make me happy!

Bananas! I have never, in all my years, received a bouquet with bananas!

Normally I would be anti-cut palm fronds, but these really worked. Really.

Aucuba foliage in an arrangement, who knew?

And these twisty things, WTH? I love them, but they are weird.

Once they start to yellow I will definitely be doing a little investigative work to see what's going on there.

So that's my February Bloomday, complete with a little filler. We do what we have to do, right? Visit May Dreams Gardens for links to all the bloggers sharing their blooms this month.

Weather Diary, February 14: Hi 50, Low 34/ Precip .01

All material © 2009-2017 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

42 comments:

  1. From my zone, you have a lot happening. That Ice and Roses Hellebore is gorgeous. I may need to go looking for it. A few years ago we lost a 60 yr. old pine in a winter storm that took out 3 other trees on its way down. Turned my shade garden into a much sunnier garden and it has been a big boon to me redesigning and adding things and very few of the shade plants ever had to be moved. Out front we lost a 15 yr. old Double file Viburnum that was stunning, at least 8' high and maybe 12' wide in another bad winter. With a big gaping hole at the top of the driveway slope, we decided to add our stone wall and stone steps. Best decision we ever made. I was totally brokenhearted when those things first happened and it took quite a while for me to see the positive side of things, but eventually I realized that's life in a garden. Just when it's perfect, something nasty happens!

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    1. I guess I should be thankful that I don't have any huge old trees that could come down, although the neighbors do...and in that case it would be more of a "please don't take out our house on your way down" reaction. Although if they landed in the garden that would certainly be a game changer.

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    2. We're surrounded by big old trees but I try not to think about them coming down on the house. Ugh.

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  2. I don't think I have anything blooming right now. I need to plant more winter-interest plants.

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  3. Your garden now seems to be in the state mine was in a month ago, I couldn't find much of anything for January's Bloom Day post. This month there's more to share. So sorry about all the death and destruction there. The new Hellebores are beautiful. Looking forward to seeing you next week for the Flower Show!

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    1. Hoping that the show puts me in a better state of mind for tackling the garden. At the very least it will be nice to see everyone!

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  4. The hellebores make a charming couple and your VD flowers are delightfully unique. Someone must be bananas for you. The twisty things are fabutronic!

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    1. Oh man! I wish I would have thought to say that to him! (bananas)

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  5. You've got a lot of hellebores! I've started to fall in love with the genus and will add more this year.

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    1. I'll never be one of those crazy hellebore collector types, but they certainly do brighten up an otherwise bleak garden.

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  6. Hooray for bending and not breaking! I love your 'Sentinel'. Can't wait for my arctos to be blooming size. Sadly, my young Edgeworthia did end up dropping the rest of its buds. At least I got those few early blooms in December. That arrangement is so tropical! The perfect balm as we come out of this awful winter. The flower show next week will help with that, too!

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    1. My orange Edgeworthia is still holding its buds tightly closed. But at least they haven't fallen off.

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  7. I knew when you said "not much to see" you'd have plenty going on, at least by my standards. :) Love that you added the flower arrangement at the end. Bananas -- crazy.

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    1. I almost didn't add it, it seemed a little like those ladies who would leave their V-Day flowers on their desk at work, sort of a silent competition with everyone to see who's arrangement was the biggest and the best. Ugh.

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  8. Pretty good showing, all things considered. What an inventive arrangement! Unexpected ingredients and some worthy manipulation (please do share when you figure out the spirals).

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    1. Spiral deconstruction will be photographed! Although the way some of these things last it may be a month or two. I just tossed the end of my anniversary bouquet last week, parts of it had been going since December 18th!

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  9. I was so happy to see your 'Murray Queen' came through its time in icy hell! I hope other plants continue to surprise you as you tackle your clean-up and restoration. Your Valentine's Day bouquet is wonderful and has me already plotting to find a way to use bananas in a future arrangement. (I don't grow them as they want too much water but I figure I can borrow some of my husband's weekly supply.)

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    1. I've been warned that even though the Grevillea looks okay it may not be alright beneath the surface, the roots may have been compromised in it's bending over. We shall see...(fingers crossed).

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  10. My 'Ascot Rainbow' is also a very bright, raspberry color. I'm inclined to think it was the cold snap too. You had so much ice, it's small wonder things are looking sad. But! You bought hellebores!! I am in shock. Darn I notice a slightly pink/mauve bloom? My golden sunrise is blooming too but so tattered. I couldn't show it off this year. Happy GBBD ~ spring is coming!

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    1. You mean the 'Ice 'n Roses'? (pink/mauve) It's actually a dark wine color? In fact I first called it 'Wine 'n Roses' but then caught my error.

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  11. Sad to see so much damage caused by winter. I suppose it doesn't help to think that it has opened up some areas of the garden for new plants? Anyway, better days ahead and thanks for joining in for bloom day.

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    1. Nope...I would have rather not lose the ones that are gone...but yes, at least there is that. Shopping ahead! Thanks for hosting Bloomday Carol!

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  12. I hope you find more things that survived your terrible winter. I am glad you have some blooms to cheer you up!

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    1. Thanks Leslie, fun to see that you're participating this month!

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  13. I am sorry that your plants are still hibernating, and i smiled at many of your posts. Your reference to a banana hand with flower arrangement is really funny, especially here in the tropics, but those are mostly tropical plants. We here are blessed with yearlong colors, no winter, and continuous growths. However, during our long dry season i sometimes do something that you did, look elsewhere for the flowers, although we have perennial flowering plants.

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    1. Yes some are still hibernating, but others have died due to a colder, icier, snowier, winter than we usually have. I would LOVE to have "yearlong colors, no winter, and continuous growth"...thanks for stopping by, I enjoyed your Hoya collection.

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  14. Your Grevillea survived! How great is that? :) Happy to see some of your garden made it through the snow.

    Bananas in a bouquet is just bananas but in a good way.

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    1. So far. I've been warned the roots may not respond well to being yanked upright again. We shall see! Bananas indeed!

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  15. The picture of the Edgeworthia evokes an image of you hovering over it with your camera, tapping your foot, until that one floret finally opened. You're in for a week or two of lovely fragrance, so if the sight of some of the winter victims is too painful, just close your eyes and be transported.

    Incredibly to me, the Edgeworthia here is opening (first bloom ever) at the same time as yours. And for the first time I can remember, all the winter bloomers are open together: sweet box, winter aconites, hellebores, witch hazel, winter honeysuckle, and the earliest daffodils. Hell, I should re-start my blog just to do a GBBD post!

    But it's hard to believe we're going to move smoothly into spring. The great fear is another month of this mellow, not very wintry weather followed by a late icy storm. But who wants to think about that? Off to breathe in the sweet Edgeworthia scent...

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    1. It's so tall now (the Edgeworthia) that I was actually standing under it, tapping my foot...but yes! And the fragrance...I can't wait! It certainly makes coming and going from the house a nice experience as it wafts across the garden.

      Yes you should restart your blog to do a GBBD post, and then come back here and tell us that you did so we can check it out! (no more ice!)

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  16. You're doing quite a bit better than I, I have to say. My Bloom Day post is truly pathetic! I love the bananas in the bouquet! And yes, the twisties are supercool - please do share if when you figure out the secret! That Andrew sure knows how to cheer you up - what a great bouquet!

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    1. Andrew picks out the most excellent flowers, never a red rose in the bunch!

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  17. I love the beautiful blooms in your garden!

    Greetings, Sofie #26
    http://sofiecreates.blogspot.be/2017/02/garden-bloggers-bloom-day-february-2017.html

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  18. A most unusual Valentine's bouquet - I love it!
    Love the Hellebores, too!
    Have a great day!

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  19. That's lovely dark foliage on your hellebore 'Black Knight', so let's have a look at it next month whether on Bloom Day or Foliage Follow-up. Where'd you acquire it?

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    1. I got that hellebore from Xera Plants, here in Portland. Are you on Instagram? I took a photo of one blooming in the shop and posted it there, @thedangergarden.

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    2. I haven't gotten on Instagram, fearing I'd never be able to turn away from the computer. But if I could kick Twitter, maybe...

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  20. That's a great and unusual bouquet. I really love it.
    In your garden in a pot? Definitely not cheating!
    You did pick up some great hellebores. Golden Sunrise is a gem and definitely a color I'd love to add to my small collection. Ice 'n Roses is pretty spiffy, too.

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  21. Very glad to hear that your witch hazel is doing well. Love the 'Golden Sunrise' Hellebore. Also, I like the idea of a bouquet with bananas. Maybe there could be an option of tucking in some little boxes of cereal?

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