Wednesday, January 15, 2020

Bloomday for January, 2020

I came close to doing something different for this Bloomday and going with a Wednesday Vignette format, Hamamelis x intermedia 'Rochester' being the star. It's reached some new stage in it's growth where the entire plant is covered in little fragrant explosions, like never before. I am in awe.

I wish you could smell the flowers.

But since I treat Bloomday (hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens) as a cataloged record of my garden month to month, year to year. Well, I broke down and photographed the other blooms in the garden too, even though most of them are repeats from last month. Let's walk...

Stachyurus salicifolius is pumping up those catkins.

If the wind blows just right it's possible to get a mix of the fragrant loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) blooms and the hamamelis, it's a bit over-powering.

Mahonia x media 'Marvel'

Helleborus x hybridus 'Jade Tiger'


Washed-out blooms on Alstroemeria ‘Indian Summer’.

Grevillea miqueliana

Helleborus x ballardiae Pink Frost

Out in the front garden the Arctostaphylos x 'Austin Griffiths' is absolutely covered in flowers, much to the delight of several hummingbirds.

Flower close-up.

The eternally blooming rosemary...

Mahonia x media 'Charity'

This is the most advanced Euphorbia rigida in the garden. Most of them barely have any color at their tips.

I 'll end with the first open florets on Edgeworthia chrysantha 'Nanjing Gold'. The fact a few flowers have opened has not escaped the local hummingbird population. I can watch them from the window. They try them all, even the closed parts, but return to the open ones over and over.

Weather Diary, Jan 14: Hi 41, Low 32/ Precip .04"

All material © 2009-2020 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

24 comments:

  1. So many flowers in your garden in January; I too wish I could smell the Hamamelis. The Arctostaphylos is a show piece; you did such a good job showcasing it's branch structure.

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    1. Really the arctostaphylos did most of the work itself. I've only pruned a very few branches on that one.

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  2. Wow - that Austin Griffiths is just gorgeous! I LOVE its beautiful form.... And of course, the Hamamelis this time of year always fill me with adoration and a fair bit of envy. I tried, but can't do the kind of vase shaped form they take on. Not enough space, so I enjoy it vicariously through friends. Dale had a nice one too, in his front yard. I might have to do a double posting today. I have a Clematis and a few Hellebores to share for Bloom Day.

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    1. My hamamelis is a bit of an odd shaped thing, and of course it's crammed in where it doesn't really fit. C'est la vie in my jardin!

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  3. Quite a bit happening in your garden despite the winter weather. The Arctostaphylos is wonderful! Are you getting that blast of nasty weather I see on the news?

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    1. I really lucked out. Western Washington state has been much harder than we have in Portland. The forecast was dire just last week but it all turned around.

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  4. Oh what a treat to see all the beautiful blooms in your garden. A nice respite from the frigid Siberian cold front that is now treating us to a real dose of winter.

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    1. I'm such a weather wimp. I couldn't handle a real winter.

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  5. Every single time I see Hammamelis blooms I try to figure out how I can shoehorn one into my garden. Still not happening...but yours are gorgeous! And my A. 'Austin Griffiths' is just like your - covered with blooms and hummers. Happy Bloom Day!

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    1. Shoehorn is exactly what I did...you've got better sense.

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  6. I'm glad you went with the full monty, Loree - it would have been a shame not to share that Arctostaphylos, or those hellebores. As to the witch hazel, every winter I'm completely envious of gardeners who can grow them.

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    1. The most beautiful witch hazel I've ever seen are at a garden south of here, Elk Rock/Bishops Close. Their gnarly old moss covered branches are just gorgeous and then you add the blooms and bam! I get no fragrance from those trees however.

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  7. Yes, I do wish I could smell the witch hazel. Thanks for sharing your blooms--we are bloom-starved here in the Midwest.

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    1. You're tough folks out there in the Midwest!

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  8. Today here we have entered the land of gray. Ice storm left everything silvered, and the sun just dips over the horizon in the south. It gets lighter gray, then darker gray, then just dark. Its not even particularly dramatic weather (for which we must be thankful) but I do wish I could smell your flowers.

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    1. I'm so sorry. I know that grey time from my former life in Eastern Washington. Well, except there it's not so much grey as it is brown.

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  9. Stunning witch hazel, do they have a beautiful scent? The only one I've ever seen in California was at the Huntington.

    My fav is your gorgeous 'Austin Griffiths'. Perfection!

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    1. For years I heard people carrying on about how wonderful the witch hazel smell, I never could detect much of anything. Finally, walking through a nursery one day, the scent hit me. So I bought that very plant. It smells SO GOOD!

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  10. Yes ,Hamamelies is truly a star in your blooms of this month.I love Mahonia blooms they are startling when in full show.Happy Blogger blomms day.

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    1. That yellow is rather bright for this time of the year, such a treat.

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  11. As I write this, the temp outside is 5°F and feels like -10°F, so I certainly forgot it is Bloom Day time of the month. Love that Witch Hazel. My native ones just don't have much fragrance nor are their flowers so dramatic. But I did plant three Jade Tiger Hellebores last year so I am excited to see what they do this spring.

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    1. I hope those hellebores thrive for you! They are also one of the better ones for cutting and putting in a vase.

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  12. That Arctostaphylos is gorgeous! And I'm glad all your flowers are making your hummingbirds happy.

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  13. Your witch hazel is stupendous! I wish mine would bloom like that. I like the Arctostaphylos also.

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