Boy. Even though we haven’t had much winter here in Central Texas, we have had a few freezes and some cold winds. But many of our native plants are hanging on, providing us with a little peek of color here and there in the garden.
These next photos, however, are in my greenhouse, where they think it’s the tropics! I’ve kept the heater going so they are toasty warm when it dips down to cold temperatures.
This Desert Rose loves the warm sunshine coming through the glass.
This is the back side of a Plumeria bloom. She’s way in the back and I can’t get around the other side, but I am stunned that she’s blooming in January!
Here’s a little bloom from the Bougainvilla given to me by Robin of Getting Grounded here in South Austin. Thanks, Robin!
A tiny little Blue Daze bloom.
Ok – this is hard to see, because I didn’t use the good camera, but this stalk coming out from the left of the photo is the bloom from a succulent that is a passalong from a neighbor some 12 years ago.
This is the Geranium that normally adorns my statue, Artemis’, head.
Some Purslane in Mexican Pottery.
Blooms on a small Airplane Plant.
A bright orange bloom hiding down inside my Honeysuckle.
And the Mexican Lime tree is happily blooming away.
Oops — forgot this one’s name….we’re outside now, on the rock path out back.
Oh – you know her – Dakota, the digging dog! (She helps me take pictures)
A Winecup with a friend.
A Portulaca with the friend of the other friend!
Some Sweet Alyssum mixed in among the rock path. However gave this plant its common name, sure got it right, didn’t he or she? It really is sweet.
Some bright blue and purple Lobelia.
Here are the buds from my new “Maggie” rose. She smells delicious.
The purple trailing Lantana is in bloom in several places in the front — what a trouper!
The yellow Euonymous sure likes the cooler temperatures.
The Society Garlic is blooming happily and smelling up the front bed!
The Loropetalum in the mailbox bed has beautiful fringe flowers on it — hence the common name, Chinese Fringe Flower.
Some perky blooms on the pink Skullcap.
A hiddle white trailing Lantana bloom.
My Japanese Quince is starting to bloom. I always think of it as one of the first harbingers of Spring, but I am realizing that I have lots of other plants in bloom that never stopped.
A much rarer yellow Skullcap.
Help me remember what this is? It likes the winter and reappeared after being gone all Summer.
Ever faithful Rosemary.
The little Coralberry shrubs I planted in the “wild” bed are starting to bloom.
And, unbelievably, this Maximillian Sunflower is STILL blooming — it came on late in Summer and never stopped.
Thanks again to Carol of May Dreams Gardens for this giant garden party that allows us to post what’s blooming for us on “Bloom Day” each month, and to Renee, of Renee’s Roots, whose Austin American Statesman newspaper story last week focused on Carol’s Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day.
I must say that the pictures of your flowers in the green house gives me a bit of greenhouse envy. However with temps like we are having I probably couldn’t afford the heat to keep things alive.
Aren’t succulent plant blooms just the most unusual things? They do intrigue me. You have to get up close to appreciate their form and color but worth doing so.
I don’t think I have ever seen an airplane plant bloom either.
You have some unique plants. Why won’t my rosemary bloom,maybe because my girls like to trim it all the time??
Wow you have tons of flowers this time of year. I’ve very jealous of your greenhouse. I wish I had one.
Lisa – yeah – I can’t imagine how long you’d have to run the heaters, and I even have 2 going on our coldest nights. The succulent is amazing – the “leaves” are hard as a rock and pointy, but the blooms are puffy and pink and delicate.
Darla – trimming off the buds would sure keep blooms from forming. They like this cooler weather, so if you can just watch them for a while, you might get some pretty flowers. Good luck!
Daphne = Thanks – there are a lot, but, just remember, these are one bloom here and one bloom there. The only thing with lots of flowers is the lantana. The greenhouse has been so much fun. I just came in from watering everyone in it.
I’m surprised to see that you have society garlic, skullcap, a sunflower, and a winecup in bloom. By the way, that looks like a cucumber beetle on your winecup. It’s not a beneficial insect or a friend. Sic Dakota on it!
Diana, your garden looks like spring! I think you’ve gotten more rain (though not much I know) than I have. But that greenhouse – that’s pretty awesome. I’ve also never seen an airplane plant bloom, and I’m happy that the fussy Bougainvillea is blooming already for you. It’s obviously happier at your sunny house. I can’t wait to see your place when it really IS spring. Good work.
Pam – ooh – thanks for the tip on the cucumber beetle. I will get right on it. Guess it’s not just visiting, but chomping!
Get Grounded — You have to look pretty hard to find some of these blooms, but they are here. It’s so nice that Carol inspires us to look for them or I might have overlooked many of them.
Only a few freezes…I feel totally frozen here but so enjoy seeing all your plants in bloom. Not to mention the dog! Happy Bloom Day.
Diana,
What wonderful bloomery you have and not just in the greenhouse! It all looks delightful and so does Digging Dog Dakota!
Keep warm, happy Bloom Day.
Gail
Thanks, Gail. Dakota would love to meet you and give you a big lick. She is the sweetest girl – we are so lucky she found us. She’s just a wee bit of a challenge as she likes to dig for (who knows what) in two of my beds. She’s knows she’s bad, and she looks appropriately contrite, but, she keeps going back. I need to invest in a wholesale, gallon-sized cayenne pepper!
Layanee — Glad our flowers (and dogs!) can brighten a cold winter’s day for you.
Your the envy of us all with that lovely greenhouse. I’m amazed how many plants you have blooming outdoors, too, given the dips below freezing this last week. I assume it’s colder out where you are than it is for me downtown…but you definitely have a lot more going on.
My goodness you have so many flowers in bloom. Colour me jealous! My favorite is the snap-dragon looking one outside that you can’t remember the name of 😉
MSS – Yep – that greenhouse is saving my bacon since I can’t seem to quit collecting plants IN POTS…that have to be hand watered for hours a day in the 100 degree heat. It’s been fun watching how things do in it. The last one I had, I pretty much let everything go dormant in it, so this is an experiment. We are about as cold as Mabry here – we have had several freezes — I’d say 5-10, but not hard freezes, just the hour before sun-up ones. And some things have died next to things that lived. It’s weird. I have dead lantana next to fully blooming lantana – just different varieties.
Lee17 – Thanks — I know – I love those little plants, too, now it’s going to drive me crazy figuring out what it is. Let’s hope I wrote it down somewhere and can find it. Or maybe I posted it, but I can’t very well search for it without a name! Oh well…
May I come live in the greenhouse until this cold weather blows over? You had lots of pretty blooms. Happy Bloom Day.~~Dee
Even though your outdoor blooms are small, they are each a little gem, shining in the sun. (Can you tell I’m sick of looking at snow?) I have a serious case of greenhouse envy. You have such beautiful plants in there.
You have some nice blooms for January in Austin, Diana! I’m delighted to be able to tell you that the plant you couldn’t identify is Red Cestrum. I know because I took a picture of mine for my as yet unwritten post. Mine looked puny all summer but I gather from what you said that they’re fall/winter bloomers rather than summer.
Give Dakota a good scratch behind the ears for me!
MMD – the greenhouse is great. I’m sure you are tired of the snow and the cold. I know it’s been bitter up there — I remember from my 4+ years in Minnesota. I’m crossing my fingers for you for an early thaw at least!
Cindy – You’re right – thank you! It is Red Cestrum, I recognized the name as soon as I read your post. It’s an interesting plant, isn’t it. Mine’s only been in about a year, so it’s still small and I have no real sense of how it will do or grow. But it’s blooming and happy for now. Mine disappeared this summer entirely. Dakota says, thanks, and “woof!”
Dee — yes! It’s very cozy in that greenhouse when the sun is shining on it and the heater is on. I used to sit in my last one in the dead of winter in a lawn chair and read Henry Mitchell garden books and sip hot tea. I’ll brew a pot and you come on down!
You have a lot of bloom! I’m envious beyond belief of your greenhouse. But then I think what it might cost to heat one when the temps are 0 and I come to my senses.
Thanks for joining in for bloom day!
Carol, May Dreams Gardens
It’s lovely to see some flowers at this dreary time of year when everything at my place is lacking in green.
Diana, I hope my leafless plumerias in the garage don’t hear about the cushy life other Austin plants are living! It must smell so wonderful to walk in that greenhouse.
Happy GBBD!
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Annie – it is pretty amazing. I didn’t know if I could pull it off or if the natural order of things just required that they go dormant. Of course, i might see stress from it later on in the year if they needed that time, I don’t know what it’s like in their natural habitat. Guess we’ll see – it’s like one big experiment!
Wow Diana! You’ve got lots blooming there! The desert rose is especially pretty. I love the bougainvillea, too. I look forward to seeing lots of those in bloom when my daughter and I go to Florida in a few weeks.
And a greenhouse! I would love to have one!
I don’t think I’ve ever seen Coralberry before-what an interesting looking plant!
Aw, poor, sweet Dakota! I know what you’re up against. I have a dog who tries so very very hard to be good, but she just. can’t. help. it! She is getting better as she gets older though. Now she only attacks my tender new plants *some* of the time. 🙂
Carol – Thanks for hosting bloom day — my plants were certainly cooperative this month! Though it’s kind of cheating to include the greenhouse. I wouldn’t ordinarily do that, but I just wanted you to see what’s going on in there as well!
Allison – I know, when I lived in Minnesota I used to by pots with bulbs for inside starting about now just to have something blooming!
Kylee – Enjoy your trip to Florida – that sounds like a welcome relief in the middle of winter. Post pictures!
Dreamybee – It’s my first attempt with the Coralberry, so we’ll see how they do. Learned about them on a blog. My dogs are basically good, they are just, well, dogs. And the new one is ALL dog! Hound-girl that she is!