Monday, February 15, 2021

The calendar says Bloomday, my garden isn't feeling it

My Bloomday posts tend towards the documentary: must make a record of all that is blooming in my garden! Not this month. In case you're just tuning in, things took a turn last Thursday. Here in the western half of the Pacific Northwest we went from no winter, to intense winter in less than 24 hours. Wednesday afternoon I was out putting things undercover in jeans, a long sleeve t-shirt and a sweatshirt, 24 hours later that plus a sweater, winter coat, scarf and gloves still wasn't quite enough. What follows will be a somewhat sketchy look at the blooms in my garden this February...

Back on the 3rd I made use of a new to me pottery bowl and did the hellebore flower float thing. 


We enjoyed that so much I made another right before the hellebores were all buried under snow and ice...




Here's what the buried version looks like, my three newest plants are under that snow, photo from Friday the 12th, it got deeper, much deeper.

The Edgeworthia chrysantha 'Nanjing Gold' blooms were celebrating their sunny, bright glory on the 10th...

They're a little less vibrant at 25 degrees with an ice topper. This photo from Saturday the 13th, as I write this on the morning of the 14th we're being told there is an ice storm headed our way. (*update on the 15th, oh boy did we get ice, I can't even get to this plant to take a photo it's so deep and slick, sadly the plant is splayed out in odd ways*)

Sadly the Edgeworthia chrysantha 'Akebono' has bent over, closer and closer to the ground. These buds were at eye-level, now I look down on them. It's going to require some staking to get upright again.

The loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) looks a little deflated, but the blooms are still still intact, no scent at the moment.

Arctostaphylos x ‘Austin Griffiths' stands tall as the snow and ice accumulates all around (*again, that was then, it's not quite so tall on the 15th, bent under the weight of the ice now*).

Although some of the flower clusters seem to have given up and just fallen...

Just last week I noticed the Daphne x houtteana was about to erupt in bloom, now it's covered in snow and ice.

Interesting to note the bottom two steps have disappeared into the snow and most of the daphne has as well.

One last set of blooms to share—from the warm, snow-free, basement—those of Dendrochilum smithianum (pulcherimum). This orchid on a stick turns out to be a very reliable bloomer for me, in fact last year I hooked up the iPhone camera magnifier and managed a close-up of those tiny flowers, click over here to see them.

That's it from my snowy and icy Portland, Oregon, garden. Visit May Dreams Gardens for the usual Garden Bloggers Bloomday run-down.

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Weather Diary, Feb 14: Hi 31, Low 27/ Precip .53 is the official total, most of that freezing rain

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

22 comments:

  1. I do love hellebore bowls, and you have an awesome collection of those winter lovelies. I never have the courage to cut so many for an arrangement. Occasionally, and with a heavy heart, I'll cu a single bloom for a small vase, Ikebana-like.
    I keep thinking of how tough it must be for Portland gardeners in the past few days. I hope you can take some comfort in your tropical basement, and in knowing that temperatures are rising.

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    1. I wouldn't normally cut that many hellebore flowers either, but knowing they were going to be buried under snow and ice made it a lot easier.

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  2. My hat is off to you to go out and take those photos in the cold. The hellebores and the Daphne blooms are lovely. I've been reading about your area in the news. I hope when this is all over that the damage isn't bad. Where I live (Texas), it's a balmy 7 degrees (RARE)with 5 inches of snow. I sit here typing in my long johns covered by warm-ups wearing three long-sleeved shirts, a warm-up top, a knitted scarf and a Mexican serape. I've not been outside in 2 days.

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    1. My heart goes out to all of you in Texas, that is so cold!!! Fingers crossed for some happy surprises in your garden.

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  3. Snow, cold weather and ice is a pain in the rear!

    I feel for you (and your plants!)

    If the ice and cold doesn't cause problems then heavy snow can cuase mechanical damage.

    We have had a very cold and snowy winter so far in 20/21. We have had snow on the ground for almost 7 weeks now (the thaw started yesterday, hooray!) We dropped down to -12C a few weeks ago and last week we went down to -13C, brrr!

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    1. I can't imagine snow on the ground for 7 weeks, that's just harsh!

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  4. We were wondering if the fact that they ice citrus trees to save them during a cold spell means many things may be OK by getting iced first? This weather is my normal but it is appalling seeing it in your garden and the Texas bloggers' gardens. Watch for "black" ice when walking or driving as it is almost invisible to the eye and very dangerous. As for driving, the first thing you learn in the snowbelt is "bridge freezes before roadway." There is a sign saying that as you approach any bridge up north.

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    1. Driving? Nope. None of that is happening. We don't have the snow plows to clear the side streets so we've been happily staying at home. Growing up in Eastern WA I do know all about black ice and bridge icing though.

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  5. I'd hoped that forecasts of your icy winter storm were overblown and I'm sad to see that wasn't the case. The state of your garden (and Pam's in Austin) is a shock. Your hellebores are/were spectacular, something I could only dream of having here. I hope the snow cover and the precautions you took in advance of the arctic blast will aid your garden in coming through this challenge.

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    1. Snow still covers the landscape today, Tuesday. I was able to uncover some things yesterday afternoon and they look good. Others have to wait until the snow melts enough that I can see where to walk, and to remove the metal pins that held the covers down against the strong wind we had at the beginning of the storm.

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  6. Lovely Hellebore flower float photos!
    We have ice (freezing rain last night) covering everything here in north Mississippi, though we were supposed to get snow today, but it was more sleet instead. With below freezing temperatures for the next couple of days, it may be Thursday before it melts.
    Happy Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day!

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    1. Ya I have a feeling we'll still have snow on Thursday too. There was so much ice!

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  7. Been thinking of you out there - hope the damage is minimal.

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  8. I think you managed Bloomday quite well considering your awful weather event.How long do the floaty Helebores hold up in the bowl ? I have a couple of Bauer bowls that would be perfect and I finally have enough Hellebores to spare a few blooms. I hope your plant losses are small.

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    1. The hellebores I cut last Thursday still look good today, Tuesday. Do it!

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  9. Aooowww - that poor, poor Daphne.... I totally feel your pain. It was brutal to go outside this morning. Right now it feels like the destruction is above and beyond my capacity to deal with it. I made one hellebore bowl and gave it away. Never got out to make another one before it was too late. Mine are all buried too. Wonder if they will try again, after the thaw...?

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    1. Some of our snow melted enough yesterday that one of the plants in the stock tank resumed blooming. Pretty amazing!

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  10. What a rough spell it’s been! I have some melianthus is curled up and shrunken, the abutilon has broken branches, and the cordyline is likely a goner. But my friend in Woodstock may have saved his stakes giant melianthus! Jim north Tabor. file:///var/mobile/Library/SMS/Attachments/07/07/7811603E-6A93-4868-B553-230B71264315/IMG_7261.heic

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    1. Your melianthus should return from the base though, mine did for years until I finally got rid of it. Fingers crossed.

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  11. Lovely Hellebores ! The snow covered blooms are looking beautiful ..It would be my pleasure if you join my link up party related to Gardening here at http://jaipurgardening.blogspot.com/2021/02/garden-affair-edible-flowers.html

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