Thursday, January 15, 2009

Preemptive Bloom Day

I cheated. I had to. The outlook for the 15th, the official Garden Bloggers Bloom Day looked grim. The Spots and I went for a walk on the ridge top garden on the 13th to see what if any blooms we could find for a cold cold cold January Bloom Day.

Yes mama Spot follows me quite often when I walk close to the resident gardeners house. The spotlets have begun to follow. We'll see how they feel about things when I pick them up today after their little trip to Asheville for the removal of their reproductive parts.

At this time of year you have to look close for any signs of new emerging life. Close to thirty years of maniacal bulb planting by one Bulbarella gives me a distinct advantage. I do believe I see some Crocus that could be blooming any day now.



Those sure look like new flower buds on the Helleborus. Some warm and sunny forty degree days will really get them moving. What has become of me when forty is the new warm?



Ta da! Real blooms for Bloom day. That one in the center is almost open. The Snowdrops, Galanthus sp. are brave little bulbs. It is a good thing I captured them on the 13th. I know that when it gets cold and snows they will curl up like the Rhododendron leaves and drop to the ground for protection.



And it is a good thing I cheated. January's actual Bloom Day is a balmy 13 degrees with a nice brisk wind and it has begun to snow again since I woke up.

But you don't have to rely solely on OutsideClyde for a bloom fix on a cold winter day. Go to the world wide international headquarters of Garden Bloggers Bloom Day at May Dreams Gardens and wander the blooming planet.

Perhaps some of you in the far north might like to head south for a bit. I can help with that. I bet plenty of Camellias are blooming down there now as we huddle inside next to our computers for warmth.

14 comments:

Lisa at Greenbow said...

Good showing for this kind of weather Clyde, I mean Christopher. Have we known each other long enough for me to call you Chris or do you prefer Christopher?

I think the Spots will follow you anywhere even after their fix. They might need a few days to recoop though. They won't hold it against you. The world and your cats are benefited by your action.

Anonymous said...

Snowing here on Bloom Day. Shoots of green are so enticing and promising even if it is cold today.

Unknown said...

No snow here, but chilly none the less. Love to see the emerging spring bulbs!

Anonymous said...

Three, or make that three hundred cheers for maniacal planting by the faire Bulbarella!

Your spot family will still love you, I feel sure!

Stay warm and safe.

Frances

Daphne Gould said...

It's nice that you can already see the promise of spring. I'm still covered in a blanket of snow, so if anything is coming up under there, I wouldn't know.

Anonymous said...

Rules are made to be broken, Christopher. Thirteen degrees is way too cold to be outside looking for daffodil noses to photograph. Stay warm with Spot and the Spotlets.

Gail said...

Love the snowdrops! But the image of a Bulbarella has me really laughing! Lucky you she was so bulb happy!

Gail

Anonymous said...

Yeah, I know that feeling - I am "flying south" via GBBD a lot today! Nice to see that even the colder climes usually have something to offer, even if it's a single snowdrop (cute and brave!) or a pile of moss. Whew, I'm sure February will be bloom-ier!

Carol Michel said...

Thirteen degrees sounds kind of warm right now, compared to the weather here. BUT, I am nonetheless impressed by the blooms and sprouts you found in January.

Annie in Austin said...

Hope all went well with the Spotlets, Christopher and that they forgive you once they recuperate. Why don't we ever move into a house where a Bulbarella worked her magic? We've had very few nice garden surprises like your Snowdrops and Hellebores! But even Bulbarella can't make snowdrops grow in Austin.

Happy GBBD - hope you get more days in the "new warm" range!

Annie at the Transplantable Rose

Anonymous said...

I'm trying to get snowdrops started in my garden. Nothing would make me happier that to see them pop up in winter.

Christopher C. NC said...

The Snowdrops are for sure a nice thing to see in the dead of winter. I will definitely need to move some down to my garden. They do set seed and move about some on their own.

I look forward to more garden walks with the Spots when it isn't MINUS 4 degrees. I may lose another zone tomorrow morning.

Les said...

I had to cheat too as I was not going to be home for GBBD. Truth be told my intention was to change the date on my post to say the 15th, not 13th, but I can never remember to do it. I hit the "publish" button and cuss when I realize I forgot to change something or fix a gross error. Try to stay warm.

Dreamybee said...

How exciting to see those first little nubbins of green poking through in the cold. They're braver than I am!