Sunday, January 1, 2017

What's Blooming January 1st, 2017

Some years ago we heard about an English man who went out into his garden every New Years Day to see what he could find in bloom. We liked the idea and adopted it. Over the years we have recorded photos of New Year blooms when we remembered, or when it wasn't pouring down rain, or except on those infrequent years when we had had such a hard freeze that there was nothing to record. Other years we hadn't even had a frost by January 1st and we had all kinds of blooms.

This year was sort of in between, and I went out with my camera to record what I could find. I cheated, however, and took my photos December 31st, because I had a pretty good idea that by the next morning it would be hard to find the blooms.

Yep, snow coveres the flowers on January 1. My wind spinner does look like a flower, doesn't it? 



But on Saturday, I found this:

Primroses

 Now looking like this. 
 Kaffir lily looking bedraggled, but a bloom

 Now wearing a feather boa.

It has been cold and the birth bath was frozen.

Winter jasmine keeps trying to sustain blooms

 but this might do it in for good. 
Roses persist in spite of the frost and snow. 



I found one straggly cranes bill geranium.
 Viburnum davidii looks like it's going to bloom long before it does. 
 Viburnum burkwoodii always teases with a few opened buds long before it bursts into perfumed delight. 
 One remaining cyclamen from the fall blooming varieties.  
 Sarcococca will be ready to  release it's vanilla scent once this week's deep freeze passes. 
 Winter blooming mahonia. We  planted several of these last year in hopes of supplying winter food for hummingbirds. 


 This newly planted laurustinus was looking good. 



 It is not the time for Basket of Gold and candy tuft, but they always keep trying. 


Of course the blanket of snow might thwart them. 

It warmed up to 33 outside and the snow has started to drip, but now I see that the sky is clearing and the sun is out. We will now plunge into low 20's tonight and only get to about freezing during the day this week, so what doesn't melt right now is going to be around for a while. Icy streets and sidewalks will not be fun. 
As you would expect, I do have a bunch of pretty snow pics to post. You can expect some tomorrow.

I'm working on making it a happy new year. I have my gift for today. I hope you find yours. 

20 comments:

  1. Oh dear, you have a lot more snow than us. It snowed here for a while this morning and then the sun came out and melted it away. I'm amazed you have that many things still blooming in your yard.

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  2. I can't imagine finding anything in bloom, outdoors, this time of year! My gift for today was first snowshoeing, then a walk, with Sage.

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  3. Super shots. I have had Primroses blooming continuously. So crazy but they are cold weather plants. Always nice to see color through the snow.
    Happiness to you all in the New Year
    MB

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  4. Lovely photos!!! Glad you have so much in bloom despite the cold!

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  5. When you started out with primroses I said, "Okay, that's no surprise. \They're tough little critters. After that I was amazed. You have a fantastic number of blooms." Now the snow and low temp will be a challenge.

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  6. Can't belive you've got flowers blooming on Jan. 1 in any form!

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  7. Happy New Year, Linda! I'm amazed that you had flowers yesterday.

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  8. Happy New Year to you and yours. No flowers to be found here, only piles of snow!! I must keep a lookout for Primroses as soon as Walmart of some such place has them. They are such cheery flowers.

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  9. Lovely snow pictures and hardy blooms. We didn't get as much snow right here, and the wind has been blowing all night. It's really cold! You won't be as cold as us for the next few days but it will be cold enough! :-)

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  10. I was enchanted by the quail family. So cute. You really have had some snow and nippy weather. Some of your plants were still trying. Nice shots.

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  11. These pictures are amazing. The wind spinner does look like a flower. I love the little quail family. We haven't had the first flake of snow yet, in fact, we could have thunderstorms tomorrow, possibly severe. We have crazy weather at times but not usually thunderstorms in January.

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  12. I was so surprised by the amount of blooms. I love the idea of recording what is in the garden in January, I bet it changes from year to year. Beautiful pictures.

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  13. Winter blooms are precious. We had some of the same things blooming here. However this freezing windy arctic blast will probably set things back a bit. Happy New Year.

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  14. That first picture threw me for a second... looks like a transparent poinsettia.

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  15. Wow! Very beautiful, and such nifty before and after the snow pictures! I hope my daughter's first new year away from Hawaii is as wonderful and beautiful as your garden.

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  16. Amazing all the blooms you get when there is still a season of snow!

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  17. I am happy for you and like your concept. I have a mum that is struggling under the snow nut the telloe shines through.

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  18. A bloom here and there does make our hearts happy.

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  19. You had some blooms that is all that counts! :)

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