Friday, January 15, 2010

January ex-flowers, non-flowers and would-be flowers

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day? In this weather? To quote the effusive Mr Gervais, are you 'aving a larf?

Regular readers may remember I rarely have flowers around in winter even in the best of years, so it's even more unlikely in my spring- and summer-flowering garden. I've planted a winter-flowering clematis (C. cirrhosa 'Freckles') and a Viburnum davidii this year to up the quota, but they're still establishing themselves and resolutely refusing to flower. And one of the little tragedies of my year has been that the Daphne odora 'Aureomarginata' I planted last spring - one of my desert island plants - really, really hates my acid soil and is languishing sorrily in my front garden at the moment with only a few miserable-looking leaves left. Must dig it up again and put it in a pot before it turns up its toes altogether.

However - a little walk around my garden with my camera, more in hope than expectation, and look what turned up:

the slightly spooky seedheads on my Rudbeckia 'Herbstsonne'

Camellia flowers looking promising

Pyracantha 'Saphyr Jaune' - the only one not stripped by the birds weeks ago

Helleborus argutifolius

beefy puffballs of cardoon (Cynara cardunculus)

the promise of ceanothus blooms to come

under the snow, the violas are stirring


...and poking their cheery little heads up


more spookiness from blackened rosehips

and the first of spring's hellebores (mainly Helleborus orientalis) are emerging from the ground.

And there was I feeling grumpy and cabin-feverish and thinking I had nothing to look at. Feeling much better now, thanks!

11 comments:

Elizabeth Musgrave said...

That made my spirits lift just reading it. We still have far too much snow here in North Wales for there to be any point in looking for much happening but it clearly is out there, under the drifts, if only I hang on a bit!

VP said...

I've just done a similar cheering myself up tour :)

Plus a quick trip round B&Q and Focus buying lots of luscious Dahlia tubers at bargain prices :D

Commonweeder said...

So much promise, and such beautiful photographs.

James A-S said...

If you don't mind my saying your beefy puffballs look more like a hairy viking with a hangover.

The Constant Gardener said...

thanks all, VP I hadn't thought of doing that - looks like B&Q will be on my list of errands tomorrow.

And James - actually I'd been fighting off images of Ewoks in pixie hats but clearly I'm not being butch enough. Thank you.

Darla said...

Oh you have plenty to be cheery about! Love the seed heads, such nice winter interest.

Kate/High Altitude Gardening said...

First time visitor. Many intriguing flowers here! Love the spooky rosehips but I'm dying to know if I could possibly grow the Pyracantha! I hope you are holding up okay during this nutty winter of strange weather. Happy GBBD.

Pat said...

Lovely photographs! Loved that you took pics of the stuff we usually think of as "autumn" things -- they are really evocative of this time of the year -- sparse, hard, but not totally without hope!

Miranda Bell said...

Happy New Year for 2010 - I definately things you have more in your garden than here right now - the birds, however are bring plenty of activity and colour to make up for lack of flowers! Hope 2010 is a good and healthy year for you - Miranda

La Petite Gallery said...

Just found you.
I'll tell you right now,
I am a new fan.
yvonne

The Constant Gardener said...

Thank you all and welcome to Kate and LPG - nice to have you here!

Kate - you can grow the pyracantha. Anyone can. Just get yourself a good pair of gloves - the spines are evil.

And a happy New Year to you Miranda and to all! I'm feeling so much more optimistic about it all now you can see a bit of green. And it looks so much more green somehow after all that white...

Related Posts with Thumbnails