Saturday, December 15, 2018

December Bloomday

December's Bloomday always sneaks up on me. The weather outside is frightful, and being inside is so delightful, thus I must admit the garden's blooms are not on my mind. But, one must document, so I grab the camera and head outside...

Mahonia x media 'Charity', trustworthy, golden, worth suiting up to see...

I was surprised to learn my two Mahonia x media 'Marvel' are going to bloom for the first time. Sorry the photo is blurry, the wind was fierce.

Arctostaphylos x ‘Austin Griffiths' is starting to open, much to the delight of the garden's hummingbirds.

Fatsia japonica blooms are another favorite with any birds, and any buzzing creatures, which still may be out and about.

Abutilon Nuabyell

And Abutilon Nuatang couldn't care less what the temperatures are.

Eriobotrya japonica as well.
Edgeworthia chrysantha ‘Akebono’ is ready for next season's blooms, but still hasn't dropped last season's leaves.

Edgeworthia chrysantha 'Nanjing Gold' has.

Although oddly it's kept some of its old blooms. I see the hummingbirds attack them with extreme interest so I wonder if there isn't something valuable within all that fuzz.

Juniperus conferta 'Blue Pacific' cones, although they don't look the part.

Most of the outlying areas and many places in the city have experienced a frost, if not a hard freeze. Not here in my garden. The Tetrapanax papyrifer buds still show promise.

I've picked up a few pieces that the wind has broken off, they're starting to open, but I'm not holding my breath for full on bloom.

Persicaria microcephala ‘Red Dragon’ flowers are still small bits of perfection.

And a few Calluna vulgaris 'Stockholm' flowers are opening.

There are a few Grevillea miqueliana flowers open, but again the wind made photographing them rather difficult.

Inside the SPG (shade pavilion greenhouse) Alstroemeria 'Indian Summer' is trying to open its buds.

The NOID Bougainvillea is still happy (as is the one in the ground, although it's not blooming)

And Correa 'Ivory Bells' is making bells...

Back outside I was surprised to see there are already fragrant flowers open on the Hamamelis x intermedia 'Rochester'.

And although it's not a flower I'm sharing the colorful leaves of Ensete ventricosum 'Maurelii', because I can't believe it still looks so good on December 15th!

As always Garden Bloggers Bloomday is hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens. Only 5 months until May's Bloomday!

Weather Diary, Dec 14: Hi 56, Low 39/ Precip trace

All material © 2009-2018 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

21 comments:

  1. If it wasn't for my Mahonia 'Charity' I wouldn't even have ventured outside to see what else was blooming. I did find just a couple of other brave flowers. I can't believe you haven't tried to save that gorgeous Ensete. Isn't there room down in the basement?

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    1. Digging it out without damaging the plants around it could be very difficult, and I'm having fun wondering "what if?"...so far so good.

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  2. Aren't we lucky to live where there are still a few blooms in December? You've got quite a few lovelies going on. Must dash out to see if the Correa I planted last summer is blooming!

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  3. Your Mahonia is pretty on a gloomy December day. No blooms here.

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  4. :: the hummingbirds attack them [old Revealed his blooms] with extreme interest so I wonder if there isn't something valuable within all that fuzz. ::

    Could it be the fuzz itself that's the attraction -- to line their tiny nests? Or maybe there are insect treats; hummingbirds don't live on nectar alone.

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    1. Duh! Of course it could...I'd love a nest lines with those soft fluffy spent blooms. I should have thought of that.

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  5. A beautiful series of photos!
    When we see hummingbirds or butterflies visiting old dried-up blooms, it means we do not have to be in a hurry to tidy up the plants by cutting off the old blooms - and that's a good thing!
    Happy Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day!

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    1. Usually the old Edgeworthia blooms drop, but you're right, I'm in no hurry to pull them off now that I know something is finding them useful.

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  6. Mahonia 'Arthur Menzies' is doing its thing here. Almost missed it since the blooms are way above eye level and this is only the second year it has not been cut down by frost before blooming.
    rickii

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    1. Yay! I remember how many times your blooms have been lost. I'm glad they're coming through this year.

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  7. Your weather may be frightful but it was certainly worth the trek outside to discover what was blooming. My own Mahonia 'Charity' finally has buds, just as I was getting ready to pull it out and replace it with something more cooperative. I wonder if you can force blooms on the Tetrapanax by cutting them and bringing them inside?

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    1. Hmmm, you've got me wondering exactly how the Tetrapanax blooms would respond to that treatment. Not well I'm thinking...then again I'll never know because they're so darn high in the sky I wouldn't be able to cut one if I wanted to.

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  8. Mahonia blooms are a spectacle to eyes.some amazing collection of foliage plants
    happy garden bloggers blooms day.

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  9. Everything still lush on December 15.
    I love the picture of Juniperus conferta 'Blue Pacific'; I squish a juniper cone every once in a while and enjoy the hours of aroma therapy it provides.

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  10. Windy and cold? The glowing yellow of the Mahonia flowers and the colors of the Ensete foliage are touches of warmth--visually anyway.

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  11. You're so fortunate to have blooming things outside in December--but you know that. ;-) My favorites in this post are the Mahonias--for some reason they always cheer me up. Thanks for that!

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  12. Lovely blooms! And another reminder that I need to find a good place to plant a big arctostaphylos (I do have kinnikinnick).

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