Yesterday’s snow melted away, and once again the landscape is brown and gray. I’m a poet and didn’t know it. Ha!
At 26F outdoors, there are the occasional pansies bowing their little heads.
The Helleborus argutifolius ‘Silver Lace’ is trying to bloom, but it’s been so cold and snowy. As soon as the weather stabilizes a bit, I’ll trim away the old leaves to make way for the new.
Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Diane’ is just beginning to bloom. The blooms really are this red, but they are also a bit shrunken from the cold.
Do Goldfinches count as blooms? What about chickens? No, I suppose not.
Indoors, it’s a cornucopia of flowers. We have African violets all over.
The Cyclamen HH gave me for Valentine’s Day. He didn’t know what it was, but he thought it was pretty. Besides, as he told me, he went to Lowe’s for something (I can’t remember what), and it was on the display rack right beside the checkout stand. Nice to see that after 21 years, he’s still the same romantic I married.
I started them late, so the forced bulbs are just starting to make their appearance. These white hyacinths are very pretty.
I broke down and bought an orchid one cloudy day. We’ll see if I can get it to rebloom. I didn’t take a photo of it.
The Thanksgiving and Christmas cacti are still in rebloom.
Carol at May Dreams Gardens hosts GBBD every month on the 15th. If you visit her blog, you’ll find lots of other bloomers there, and tomorrow is foliage followup hosted by Pam at Digging.
Oh, and don’t forget about my seed and book contest. I hope you’ll enter.
The blooms are all beautiful but my favorite photo is of the chickens! I love the way they stand out against the snow.
Honey, my African violet that grew so beautifully in my kitchen in OK is sad indeed. I have no good place to put it. I repotted it and am trying it in a north window. I think the only thing that will grow in the house will be Chinese Evergreen.
hugs,
CA
Such a cheery post, Dee! With pansies popping … and helleborus … and witch hazel … and … I see you collect flow blue. Yea … i inherited a 12-piece place setting plus platters, casseroles, etc. … it is my most prized possession (after Mr. Ho-Hum, children & grandboys, of course).
Your indoor blooms are cheery, Dee. I like your table display–and how pretty the cyclamen and candle are together.
You have a lot more outside than I would have expected with all of your snow! Thanks for joining in for bloom day.
Pansies, hellebores, witchhazel, chickens and goldfinches outdoors….all welcome color (especially the chickens)!
Those lovely indoor violets and hyacinths help get us through to spring….and a romantic hubby who brings a gift of cyclamen….well, that tops them all! Lucky you!
It’s such a beautiful color, isn’t it? And those lovely leaves are just as pretty.
I grew “Carnegie” inside 2 winters ago. Wish I had them this year. They’re gorgeous!
It was lovely to see your garden sprouting + the blooms indoors- I am still buried in snow… and have no idea when I will see brown ground again!
Hi Dee…have seen your name around, and now, here I am on your site. You’re the second blog I’ve seen with witch hazel…it’s a foreign concept to me here in Sacramento, but I see my zone could handle h. virginiana, but the description isn’t encouraging. Well, glad others can grow it! Also love the little johnny jump-ups. Surprisingly courageous and strong, those little guys! Jeannie
Dee- Can’t wait to see that little Hellebore open. I’m sure it will be beautiful. The Hamamelis Diane is pretty – love those branches with blooms and no leaves. So after seeing that both you and Carol have African violets, I’m wanting one…may have to see if I can find one. And your DH is right, that Cyclamen is very pretty – nice that it made him think of you!
I love the hedder photo. I had trouble this morning getting your blog to open for me but glad I kept trying. Nothing like pansies and romantic husbands to keep us going in February!
Looks like spring is slowly arriving in your garden. Love the witchhazel – always a sign that, finally, the winter may just be coming to an end and we can get out in the dirt again!
Mine is a romantic in just the same way, Dee. Only I got a flowering kalanchoe. Which I love. 🙂
Thanks for the Foliage Follow-up plug.
That cold reached you before it did us. About 3:30 pm yesterday and it’s still cold. What a winter we are all having. I expected to see you still had snow on the ground. More hellebores- I love them, I wish I had some too. Do you think they would like it here? Happy Bloom Day.
Dee, I be shrinking too if out in that cold all the time! Your cyclamen is beautiful, I oove that pink color. And your violets certainly put mine to shame. Whay can’t they put the names on them?? All of the ones I have bought aren’t labled either. How fun to see the chickens, what kind are they and brown or white eggs? Happy Bloom Day!
I cast my vote in favor of the chickens, especially if they eat slugs. Happy GDDB!
Oh I love the chickens too! I had them as a child and actually charged $1 per dozen to sell the eggs. They were my friends–I sang to them & talked to them. I was a weird little kid. 😉
I am so ready for spring.
It started raining again before I could get home and take some shots, although they would not have been any different than the ones I took a few days ago, just minus the snow http://compostinmyshoe.blogspot.com/2010/02/flakes-of-wonder.html
Love the Hamamelis! Does not like it here so much, but grew some nice ones two hours north in Columbia, SC.
Indeed, goldfinches & chickens count! They’re as wonderful as flowers. And you’ve got some lovely ones, including the romantic cyclamen. I’m still not complaining about winter, though; last summer was just so horrible. Happy Bloom Day! Linda
I love your blooms under glass….The violet is elevated to high art. White hyacinth may be my favorite~ I am hoping for warmer weather and wishing it for you, too! gail
Well you do have a nice collection of blooms for this day. The Hamamelis is so promising. Next month we’ll all be celebrating it (I hope; spring can’t get here early enough for me!).
All of your african violets look so pretty. That cyclamen is enough to melt your heart. Happy GBBD.
You should count the chickens…they look to be in blooming good health! But you don’t need to because you have real blooms and they are the harbinger of spring to come. I love the way you’ve displayed your African Violets!
Thanks Leslie. I love the African violets in china which was actually in Country Gardener magazine. I just took their idea and ran with it. I love them. They are easy peasy unless you get the leaves wet.~~Dee
My last hen went to that great chicken coop in the sky over a year ago. How I miss them! Such cheerful animals and great fun to have in the garden. They are the very best kind of blooms – the kind that move. I envy you yours.
Hi Dorothy, they are a lot of fun. I like mine and can’t wait until I can let them out of their run. Right now, too hungry coyotes abound.~~Dee
Those chickens count in my book! Glad to see some green stuff in the garden. Happy GBBD. (P.S: I tried to visit you earlier but your link over Carol’s doesn’t seem to be working correctly. Just wanted to let you know…)
Thank you, Kate for the heads up. That was my fault. I put the link on Mr. Linky & then forgot to hit publish on the post. Sheesh, some days are just like this. 🙂 ~~Dee
The Witchhazel makes up for everything else, IMHO!
Happy Bloom Day!
Hi Katie, Happy Bloom Day to you too. I love the witchhazels.~~Dee
I’m very envious that there are signs of life in your garden! I love the chickens. I don’t care if they don’t count as blooms, it’s fun to see them anyway!
Hi Erin, I’ll try to do a chicken post very soon.~~Dee