Friday, February 15, 2013

The Usual February Suspects

February's Bloom Day started out pleasant enough, sunny with a light frost giving way to a warmish day. It didn't end that way. I managed to get out there and see what was blooming as the rains began. In no time it turned to snow.

One little crocus bulb has become many in four years. It had clouded up and turned colder by the time I got home and the crocus had already closed up for the day. They could probably tell something bad was headed this way.





















The snowdrops bloom on. Of all the bulbs they really do have the longest bloom time. I still have some in the shadiest cold spots that are only now coming up. Snowdrops have been blooming on the mountain top since the first week of January.





















The hellebores have been trying to bloom. I have come to realize their new growth and flowers are not reliably hardy to the winter conditions this high elevation can heap on them. They suffer winter burn fairly often when blooms and leaves come up too soon and the blooms can be lost.





















In the years to come I may have more foliage followup in the barren time. That will be important since blooms are so rare from November to mid March.





















The promised blooms of March ready themselves.





















But they will have to wait. The cold cold is back and they are currently being buried under a layer of snow.





















There is no lounging surface in this house that will go unlounged. Miss Dinah parked herself on top of my Hawaiian quilt with the flower print backing within minutes of me moving the ladder over there and turning my back once I got the measurements needed for my custom trim pieces. Lounging is better than scratching.



























February's Bloom Day ended with the beginning of a new layer of snow. It may keep snowing until Sunday morning. I'll have the right weathers for some lounging of my own. There will be time to tour blooms of the world from Bloom Day headquarters at May Dreams Gardens.


4 comments:

Lea said...

Lovely blooms!
I think that the crocus are just as pretty closed up as open.
So glad there was time for photos before the snow started. I am wondering about the Hellebores - are some varities more cold-hardy than others? If so, maybe you could find one better suited to your mountain climate. Could this beauty that you have be moved to a more sheltered spot?
Hope you have a wonderful week-end!
Lea
Lea's Menagerie

Lisa at Greenbow said...

So much for a protected place for your quilt. Maybe you will have to hang it up to protect it.
Happy GBBD.

Sallysmom said...

Is there a library in Clyde or Waynesville (is that right)?

Christopher C. NC said...

Hi Lea. I'd have to do some research on the Hellebores to see if some are more hardy or slower to wake up.

Lisa I have thought of hanging it , but my cozy cabin is really too small to accommodate that.

Sallysmom, Waynesville has a fine public library.