Sunday, January 15, 2012

The Old Faithfuls Bloom On



I know I've said it before, but there are a few plants here that are almost year round bloomers.  That is what I count on in January...that they hang in there until the spring ephemerals step in and take over. Rosa Flower Girl is one of the best of these...she blooms almost every month of the year. Even now, when many of the leaves have fallen off, there are several big clusters of the small flowers. I love her in winter...she is a very pretty pink. By summer, when the temperatures heat up, the flowers will be almost white.


This wax begonia, however, owes its blooms to the sheltered spot it is in. All the other begonias have died back and will not reappear until warm spring days temp them. Hmmm...maybe I will have to start moving the begonia pots under cover with the succulents.


Dwarf Carnation Evermore is exactly that...forevermore blooming. It is rare that there is not at least one bloom here, although of course it blooms more freely in warmer weather.


Those coffee grounds that I have used this year on Camellia sasanqua Kanjiro have been a huge success! This is the third month that there have been blooms on this plant...it seems to LOVE those coffee grounds!


A new bloom this month is the broccoli! I have not had much luck over the years growing broccoli. I have blamed snails and birds for eating the plants before but this year I realized the culprit was cabbage white caterpillars. I hauled out the BT and like magic...I have broccoli this year!


Viburnum tinus Spring Bouquet is just starting to bloom. This is the plant that I am hoping takes over as the main backdrop against the fence as I slowly eliminate the too fast growing privets. I hope some day to have much less pruning to do.




This miniature rose, a long ago gift with no tag, is still putting out one or two blooms at a time. And...

Rosa Flawless is right there with it.  Elsewhere in the garden, sweet allysum, lavandula pinnata buchii, and solanum jasminoides are also blooming. Not much of a collection but I know to those who may finally have some snow in their gardens this looks like a lot for January. I'm going to head over to May Dreams Gardens to see what Carol, our Bloom Day leader has found in her garden and what others from around the world have posted for this January Garden Bloggers Bloom Day!


9 comments:

Mr. McGregor's Daughter said...

What a treat it is to see roses. I always like visiting your blog, but I especially appreciate it on a day like today, when the view out my window is of snow. Tea likes coffee, who knew?

Anonymous said...

Thanks for sharing your blooms. I have for the past year been putting coffee and tea grounds in the garden. Thanks for the tip-- I'm not putting them on the azaleas, gardenias, and camellias. Gives me a purpose. :)

Fairegarden said...

Me too, on the treat seeing the roses, Leslie. And the broccoli! I might try that bt this spring and see if we can have some brassicas home grown.

HolleyGarden said...

Beautiful blooms. How nice to have roses blooming all year. I'll have to remember to put my coffee grounds around my camellias! I don't have luck with broccoli, either. I'm about to give up on it forever.

Larry said...

Such an unusual plant in your first picture... I'm not sure I've ever seen one quite like it before... Larry

Gail said...

What a wonderful rose~blooming year round. I am going to try camellias again. They are just so pretty. Drainage in winter is our killer. But, I am not going to let that stop me. xogail

Annie in Austin said...

No roses in bloom here, Leslie - but they're all alive so it seems like a win. Ooh, love that Flower Girl!

My camellia sasanqua also seems to like coffee grounds - many blooms this year. But coffee doesn't help the camellia japonica. Apparently the coffee wakes Pius X up just enough so the plant realizes it is still stuck in Texas. The response is to let another limb die.

Happy GBBD!

Annie at the Transplantable Rose

Unknown said...

Hello, I am new to Davis and getting my garden going. I have lots of planter boxes and am looking for soil. can you recommend anywhere to source 1 or 2 cubic yards of organic soil? Thanks!

growingagardenindavis said...

Welcome to Davis "unknown"! You can find bagged organic soil at Davis Lumber (Ace) or Redwood Barn. For starting out I think you would be smart to get quality soil...the cheaper ones just deflate after a year.