Friday, January 15, 2021

January Bloomday

A new month, in a new year and here I am, walking around my garden looking for flowers as I have for Garden Bogger's Bloomday for years. Doesn't get much better than that, does it? Simple pleasures in complicated times.

We start in the back garden and I should make it clear that "almost flowers" count too, at least in my scorebook. Helleborus x ballardiae Pink Frost, almost flowering.

I think this one is Helleborus x 'Golden Sunrise'.

Loquat, Eriobotrya japonica, smells so good! In prior years I've not cared for the fragrance but this year I am really enjoying it.

A Facebook friend just posted photos of an orange edgeworthia starting to open it's small florets, mine isn't anywhere close to that. It's always running a few weeks behind the yellow flowered version in the front garden.

Fatsia polycarpa 'Needham's Lace'

Another perspective...

Hamamelis x intermedia 'Rochester'

I stood there for a good 10 minutes inhaling the scent of this witch-hazel and snapping photos in the warmth of the January sun (!).

Thus you get three images, because I couldn't narrow it down any further.

I can't wait for the creamy yellow bells of Stachyurus salicifolius to open.

Out in the front garden now, and this one puzzled me for a moment. The foliage belongs to Grevillea rivularis, but the grevillea flowers are purple, and look nothing like this. Then I realized it was a tiny Fatsia japonica flower that had fallen into the grevillea foliage. I was so thrilled with this discovery however that I neglected to take a photo of the Fatis japonica!

Here's the beginning of a real Grevillea rivularis flower.

And here's the yellow flowering edgeworthia, E. chrysantha 'Nanjing Gold', just starting to open.

The hummingbirds will be happy for weeks as the individual flowers take their time opening.


I was surprised to see the Euphorbia rigida this advanced in their bloom cycle, then I looked back at 2019's January Bloomday and was assured everything is right on time.

Mahonia x media 'Charity' bloom snow.

And the blooms.

The first arctostaphylos to bloom is underway, A. x 'Austin Griffiths'.

The after-blooms of Salvia clevelandii...

And finally by the back door, Erica arborea 'Estrella Gold' refuses to move beyond this tiny bud stage (patience!)... 

But the Calluna vulgaris 'Firefly' at it's "feet" is slightly more advanced.

As always click on over to May Dreams Gardens aka Carol J Michel for the round up of all the bloggers participating in this month's celebration of garden flowers.

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Weather Diary, Jan 14: Hi 55, Low 38/ Precip 0 

All material © 2009-2021 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

18 comments:

  1. I love hellebores and hope to add a double-petaled black one to my collection this year. Unfortunately, mine aren't doing much right now besides putting out new growth. I fertilized them last year, so I hope to see some blooms THIS year. Keeping fingers crossed.

    Loree, do you have more than the one?

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    1. I do, there are ten or so around the garden, some doing better than others.

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  2. I love how you went from "don't care for it" to "smells so good"!
    I'm smitten by the arctostaphylos x 'Austin Griffiths' photo; what a great composition.
    The Mahonia x media 'Charity' "snow" puzzled me: is it maidenhair fern foliage I see? Isn't it suppose to die back...

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    1. I think the weather has a lot to do with how the scent travels. Some times I've been out in the garden and it's so overpowering, this year it seems to just sort of float around. It's definitely not the same every year/day. As for the maidenhair fern it's Adiantum venustum which is evergreen.

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  3. My witch hazels are natives with no discernible smell to me and both are yellow. I've been thinking of adding another and perhaps I will consider 'Rochester,' based on your recommendation and having lived in Rochester (NY) where it originated.

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    1. This was the first witch hazel I was ever able to smell, so I had to buy it. It's a bonus that it's orange.

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  4. Thanks Loree! Another inspiring Bloomday. Curious about the Fatsia polycarpa--is this the first time it has bloomed for you?
    Also, I need a new camera---what camera do you use now? (sorry if you have been asked this a million times). Thanks!

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    1. No, it's bloomed for a couple years now. This does seem to be a very florific year though. My "new" camera is a Cannon, PowerShot SX740 HS. I do not love it. It takes great close-ups, and has a powerful zoom. But for landscape shots it's focus capabilities are disappointing. Of course I am still trying to learn how to over come.

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  5. So nice to see 'spring' blooms on this gray, cold day here. Does the soul a heap of good!

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    1. Glad to help! We've had a number of those grey days and a little blue sky on the computer screen does seem to help.

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  6. I love the Erica, a genus I've yet to try in my garden. I think I need to look into how much water Fatsia polycarpa requires too - the flowers appeal to me. Happy Bloom Day, Loree!

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    1. The fatsia receives very little , if any, summer water from me. Of course Mother Nature supplies plenty over the late fall, winter and spring.

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  7. A wonderful variety!
    Since you included your weather: ours here in north Mississippi is close to the same as yours. For the 14th we had high of 58, low 33, and plenty of sunshine.
    Happy Garden Bloggers Bloom Day!

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    1. Always fun to know what gardeners in other places are experiencing weather-wise!

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  8. Stunning blooms ! The Edge worthia blooms are so beautiful. It would be my pleasure if you join my link up party related to gardening here at http://jaipurgardening.blogspot.com/

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  9. The Edgeworthias are always a treat to see. So charming. I've only seen one in SoCal, under some Oaks at the Huntington. And hey you got some sunny winter days! Must have been lovely.

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  10. You have a lot of pretties trying to emerge! Witch hazel is just so unusual and interesting.

    Feel free to share at My Corner of the World

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