What is Normal Really?

Normal is an illusion
What is normal for the spider
is chaos for the fly
~Morticia Addams 
(The Addams Family)

This winter has been very mild in the Southeast (and many parts of the US) but you won't hear any complaints here because we've been able to get out and have some very productive work days in the garden. Some plants like the pineapple sage haven't even been bothered by the few freezing nights. Of course as soon as I write these words down I will have to eat them. Normal will be back.




The Camellia are blooming profusely. The bees are out and the temperatures are in the mid to upper 70's. That can be normal, sometimes.


The witch hazel are busting open to celebrate my son's January birthday with party streamers and horns.


While the Edgeworthia chrysantha is quietly opening its buds to reveal butter yellow blooms. There are a few winter bloomers who are just a little more reserved.


But most of them are here to party. This is what I love about winter blooms...they all look like there is really something to celebrate. And, rightly so, they have the garden mostly to themselves; so, why not!


There have been lots of grey skies, gloomy days and rain. That is normal too. So it is nice to have the cheerful blooms to brighten one's day. What is your normal?

Happy Garden Blogger's Bloom Day! And many thanks to May Dreams Gardens for being such a wonderful host. Be sure to pop over to view all the links.

Comments

  1. I am waiting for freezes to return, they surely will. Meanwhile, aren't we enjoying some beauties?

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  2. Welcome to the new normal. 64° this past week here. We too will drop back again, as today started in the twenties. But the plants, birds and insects are confused I'm sure. I have seen a few insects but the bees have stayed warm, cozy and in their nests.

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  3. After the wettest year on record in England I am happy to say we are having a reasonably normal winter, a warm period followed by a cold snap right now. I hope we will get a normal spring and summer this year, it’s long time since last time! Happy GBBD!

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  4. It seems abnormal is the new normal.

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  5. Beautiful photos! I think it has rained here every day of 2013. January is normally gloomy! It is refreshing to see some pretty blooms, despite the dreary weather. Our high temps have been mostly in the fifties, though sometimes higher. We have predictions for subfreezing temps later this week. Here, that swing from warm to frosty is also normal.

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  6. Gorgeous pics. We must have traded weather. Usually we don't get that much cold out here in Southern California. This year it has been freezing cold.People and plants are having problems processing what the heck to do with these temperatures.

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  7. Happy GBBD! If I ever have a southern garden, I will definitely have Camellias! Gorgeous photos of the blooms and the bees. NOAA's long-range forecast was right on target for us here in the upper Midwest. We're having a "normal" winter. Not too mild, not too cold. Highs in the teens and 20s, and lows in the teens and single digits. Moderate amount of snow. I can't complain, because it's "normal." ;-) Great post!

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  8. A quote from Morticia Adams! you made my day. We've been having a somewhat normal winter up to now but suddenly we're melting, and no new snow on the way. This may spell drought. :(

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  9. Fantastic shots! I miss the bees in our garden. And great quote. Happy Garden Blogger Bloom Day to you!

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  10. I don't like this new normal. Living in Michigan, we get the grey skies without the snow so there really isn't anything to do outdoors. The plants are dormant, it is too cold to bike, and there is no snow to play in. I guess in my area, this is the time of year to travel or stay indoors.

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  11. Exquisite Camellia photos....what a happy bee.
    That Morticia is a wise woman...who knew?

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  12. Freezing cold and snow is our normal with lots of gray...we had our thaw and now we are back to normal..actually we are headed below normal temps for the rest of the month with highs in the teens and low of 0. Fabulous blooms Karin.

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  13. So who says normal is normal or abnormal? Nice blooms.

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  14. I can't agree with you more, 'normal' is just like 'beauty'! We here in the tropics will say it's very abnormal if we see snow in our vicinity. Bush fires are normal in Australia, but if it happens here, we will all be swinging happily in heaven! But your macros are really spectacular, i wonder who will say they are not!

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  15. I don't know what normal is anymore. I keep thinking it should be colder and wetter but maybe that's just wishful thinking since I want it to get cold enough to kill any blackspot spores. I love your comparison of winter flowers to party streamers/decorations. Very accurate!

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  16. Love the quote, love the photos, love the prose.

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  17. Ah, beautiful - always nice to see blooms and bees in January ! And after our quick 3 week taste of winter, we're back in the balmy south enjoying the warmth. We're trying to make that the new 'normal'.

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  18. Karin,

    Yes beautiful! Here in central NC we still have Black-eyed Susans blooming!

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One of my favorite things about blogging is the conversation with readers. Leave a comment and let's get talking. ~Karin

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