GBBD: January 2012
Garden Blogger's Bloom Day has arrived. Can you believe we are already half way through the first month of the year? My zone 7b garden has been
experiencing a fairly mild winter so far. As I drive around the countryside I am seeing signs of spring....some daffodils and cherry trees are blooming already. But the winter blooming flowers are saying "hold on, not so fast!" "We haven't had our time to shine". And Mother Nature answered by blowing in some more winter like temperatures this weekend.
My hellebore have been shooting up new growth, budding and blooming.
The heather mingled amongst the azaleas are blooming and giving some winter color to the garden.
The rosettes of the dragon's blood sedum are their signature red and pop against the dull grays and browns of the surrounding landscape.
The Oriental Paper Bush I showed last month is slowly starting to open. I am so anxious to see these blooms since they are new to my garden this season. Maybe I will have a full bloom to show next month.
The camellias are also working hard to bloom
as is the witchhazel.
Two plants, considered weeds by most, are readily blooming. Dandelions, a member of the Asteraceae family, are edible. Often used as a tea it helps kidney function and dissipates gallstones. They are remarkably nutritional being extremely high in vitamins A & C and beta carotene and potassium, iron and copper. If you do eat them be sure that they haven;t been treated with chemicals.
The pollinators that were out during our balmy 'winter' days surely appreciated the henbit that is happily spreading in our lawn and the hill garden. Henbit is considered a very invasive annual winter weed that is common throughout the southeast. It is a member of the mint family and is edible, raw, cooked or as a tea.
What is happening in your garden this month? Do you have blooms that are out of season too? Be sure to visit May Dreams Garden to see what is happening in other gardens around the world.
My hellebore have been shooting up new growth, budding and blooming.
The heather mingled amongst the azaleas are blooming and giving some winter color to the garden.
Erica x darleyensis 'Mediterranean White'
Sedum spurium 'Dragon's Blood'
Edgeworthia chrysantha 'Winter Gold'
Camellia sasanqua 'Setsugekka'
Two plants, considered weeds by most, are readily blooming. Dandelions, a member of the Asteraceae family, are edible. Often used as a tea it helps kidney function and dissipates gallstones. They are remarkably nutritional being extremely high in vitamins A & C and beta carotene and potassium, iron and copper. If you do eat them be sure that they haven;t been treated with chemicals.
dandelion flower head
What is happening in your garden this month? Do you have blooms that are out of season too? Be sure to visit May Dreams Garden to see what is happening in other gardens around the world.
