I never, or hardly ever, manage to be completely wordless so I intend to use Wednesdays to share with you some of the views, vignettes or individual flowers that I am enjoying each week.
Sometimes there will be much to admire (I hope) and sometimes I may have to search for something; but if I do search I’m sure I can find something to love each week.
The following images were taken on Tuesday afternoon, 12th January, a mild day with mainly blue skies but with some high cloud.
This bearded Iris flowered very early last year too, I think should be picked to enjoy in the house just in case the promised snow does arrive later in the week
Yellow crocus, advance warning that it might soon be spring. Sorry about the focus but I hope to catch them with the flowers open tomorrow and then hopefully there will be more to focus on.
Bulbine, has been flowering for a while, but as the flowers slowly work up the stem as it grows they are a little under-whelming, but I have been enjoying them just the same.
Lonicera fragrantissima – I love the fragrance of this shrub honeysuckle.
The Lonicera has only just lost its leaves and it seemed to wait for that to happen before the first flowers opened.
Anemone coronaria ‘Sylphide’, the first bud
Nandina domestica, too lovely to spoil by picking these berries, they last so long on the plant.
The red Crab apple still has most of its fruit
Evergreens doing just what I want!
Ma da te è quasi primavera!!!
Sì, però l’inverno non è ancora arrivato. Forse questa settemana.
Lo so! C’è ancora tempo!
You have a lot to enjoy Christina, the Iris was a real surprise though and seems especially early. Do birds ever take the berries from your Nandina? We are forecast colder weather and secretly hoping we have snow too.
Hi Julie, no the birds never take the berries on the Nandina and they’ve only just noticed the crab apples and they don’t take many of those either, although they do eat the yellow crab apples.
I love the iris emerging through grasses-great combination. And yes to the evergreens with their individual forms.
You evergreens are doing you proud. The crab apples are putting up a lovely show. I just noticed Julie’s comment as I thought the birds might take them in harsher winters. I think your birds must be well fed. Amelia
I often think that the birds here are unfamiliar with the concept of a garden and so don’t always look for food – they do eat the mulberries and figs though. Crab apples aren’t commonly grown here so maybe the birds just don’t recognize them.
I think that is true. I’v given up trying to feed mine leftover rice.
What a prize that iris will be, especially inside on a snowy day. Our birds do not favor the Nandina either. The berries eventually fall to the ground and germinate, making it somewhat invasive in our region.
I’ve only ever found a couple of seedlings and they didn’t survive; the higher humidity in your region must make it more able to survive.
Your iris is really special…A walk through the garden on any day of the year is always a treat; the one truism is that there is always so much to see whether it is January or July.
That’s very true Charlie.
That beautiful pink anemone and blue sky makes me wish for spring! I have read that Nandina berries are poisonous to birds, so not remarkable that you still have so many still. As far as I know they usually avoid them. Clever creatures!
That’s interesting.
Your view of the evergreens is wonderful. They’re quite the statement. Of course I love the iris.
I’ve decided I will pick the Iris, its not going to make any kind of statement in the garden and I think the buds are far enough advanced to fully open so I’ll be able to enjoy watching it unfurl. The evergreen give me constant pleasure.
Interesting observation about the Lonicera, Christina. Your pictures are warming – just cold and wet here!
This morning feels colder and rain is forecast later today but it is still not really cold.
Ahah – yellow iris in next week’s vase…! How intriguing to see what else is emerging in your garden – Sylphide in January! Lovely berries on your nandina and crab apple, especially as they have survived largely intact. I have had my nandina for about a year or so but I don’t recall any flowers so of course no berries, but I think I will have to check that my variety WILL develop them in due course. I am also wondering about my winter honesuckle as some of them definitely have NOT lost their leaves like yours has.
It depends a lot on which cultivar or variety of Nandina you have; mine is the Nandina domestica, many of the new varieties coming from the States where domestica is invasive have been bred for their leaf colour and lack of flowers and therefore berries.
Mine is also a domestica. Oh and I checked and none of my winter flowering honeysuckle have lost their leaves…
Do they usually lose their leaves, mine always did in the UK, but it has been very mild and I’m sure they are one of those plants that depend on temperature to trigger leaf fall. Mine has now lost most of its leaves and is covered with buds and flowers.
My newer two, L standishii ‘Budapest’ and L purpusii ‘Winter Beauty’ are deffinitely fully green, but L fragrantissima which I have had for some years and is quite woody and unruly possibly has lost leaves in the past (can’t remember!) but hasn’t done this year. I intend to keep the two new ones trimmed to keep them in a better shape.
Mine doesn’t grow fast enough to need pruning, I wish it did, then I could pick masses of stems to bring indoors, as it is I need to be careful. But I did see them tightly pruned, I think it was at Hatfield House and they looks perfect.
You’re way ahead of us in terms of spring bulb blooms, Christina! My bearded Iris were poor performers last year, which I think must be attributable to the failure to get the rain they need during their growing season. I’d hoped for a better show this year in response to the El Nino rains but, thus far, we’re still running well below “normal” on our seasonal rain total. At least the mountains here have received a good blanket of snow!
I think almost all the spring bulbs need some cold before they flower so yours will always be a bit later.
I love the yellow crocus! We won’t see ours for another eight weeks of so. Amazed that your crab still has so much fruit.
I have two crab apples one loses its fruit almost immediately, the red one keeps its fruit until the new blossom and sometimes beyond.
What a joy to see these treasures during my winter of white that is here…..I can dream of these flowers in April and May!
It’s good to share them with you Donna – enjoy.
That last view of your garden is stunning! You have put your evergreens together to perfection.
How nice that your evergreens behave themselves. Mine are an unruly lot.
The Cistus were all trimmed in autumn, that’s why they look tidy Rickii.