Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - January 2016

Here we are at mid-January and still we've had no killing frost this winter in my zone 9a garden. Our lowest temperature of the season so far has been 34 degrees F. 

There are a few micro-zones in the garden where the merest touch of frost has occurred a couple of times, but, overall, plants that would normally be long-dormant are still showing a green face to the sun, and there are more blooms still going in the garden than I can ever remember at this time in January. 

This is 'Peggy Martin' rose which is just now putting on its first flush of blooms for the year. Normally, this would come in March.

This old pink Knockout rose has bloomed continuously since fall and it still has a few blooms open every day.

My last milkweed plant that still has leaves also has blossoms. The other plants were all completely devoured by Monarch caterpillars in December.

Yellow cestrum would usually be resting in January but not this year.

And those Monarch butterflies that grew from the caterpillars that ate the milkweed in December are very happy that the cestrum still has blooms.

Pots of sweet little violas around the yard provide more winter color. 

As does a planter filled with pansies and succulents on the back porch.

Wild oxalis sprouts in many of my beds in winter. Technically, it is a weed but I tolerate it because I think it's pretty and it disappears as soon as the weather heats up.

Meanwhile, the purple oxalis that I grow on purpose is blooming, too.

The Esperanza has been bitten back a little by the mid-30s temperatures we've had but it still sports a few flowers.

And the shrimp plant flowers continue to linger.

Turk's Cap ' Big Momma' is flowering.

And the pineapple sage continues to sport some blossoms.

The Meyer lemon is blooming.

But it also carries lots of fruit...

...in all stages of development. This one is ready to make lemonade or a lemon cake.

Purple trailing lantana - at its best in winter.

The flowers of the Cape honeysuckle have been a bit damaged by cold weather but they still hang on and feed the Rufous Hummingbird that visits them daily.

Even the blue plumbago continues to hang on to some of its blooms.

'Hot Lips' salvia has a few kisses for us.

Copper Canyon daisy should be long dormant by now, but it is still green. Still blooming.

The ever-blooming 'Encore' azalea has a few bright flowers going for this Bloom Day.

And near the front entry, the pot with the foxtail fern, red kalanchoe, yellow pansies, and other mixed plants blooms on.
It has truly been a weird winter so far. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency predicted that our area would have a wetter and cooler winter than usual because of El Niño. Well, they got the wet part right; we've had plenty of rain. But so far the cooler weather has not materialized. Of course, we've still got a little more than two months to go in the season, so perhaps they will yet be proved correct.

Happy Bloom Day. I hope whatever the season is in your garden - winter or summer - that it is kind to you.

Thank you, Carol of May Dreams Gardens for hosting us once again.

Comments

  1. Love colors still in your winter mode. I can see that many of your plants are also here thriving in our hot tropics.

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    Replies
    1. We do grow many tropical plants here. In some winters, we have to protect them or lose them. So far that hasn't been a problem this winter.

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  2. Lots of pretty flowers!
    I especially like the last photo
    Happy Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day!
    Lea

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Lea. I like that combination of plants in the big pot, too. They've all done very well for me.

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  3. Beautiful blooms, just love your Turks Cap. My Meyer lemon tree is in bloom also, as we're still awaiting our first frost.

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    Replies
    1. The Turk's cap is a great favorite with over-wintering hummingbirds.

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  4. All beautiful pics. It's incredible so many blooms in January. Crazy weather, I guess.

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  5. Enjoyable, thank you

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  6. Wow, what a feast for the eyes, Dorothy! I especially like the Monarch butterfly chat and images. Happy GBBD :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've had no shortage of Monarchs recently. It's very heartening to see them coming back strong after all the challenges the species has faced in the last few years.

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  7. I was going to say I have lemon envy, but it's really whole garden envy! Fabulous blooms.

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  8. I warmed myself on your blog, soaking in all the outdoor flowers. Trying to sniff the lemon blooms - I so love the smell of citrus blooms. Today,where I live in upstate New York, it was in the 40's - most of our snow should melt. But soon, it will be cold once again.

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    Replies
    1. I actually wish you could send a bit of that cold weather our way. We had temperatures in the 70s again today. Strange!

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  9. You have so much going on in your garden in January and all so lovely. It is finally cold here but I'd take your warm temperatures and gardening in winter anytime! Thanks for the wonderful stroll!

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    Replies
    1. Well, a little bit of cold weather certainly wouldn't go amiss. I think both the garden and the gardener would appreciate it, but I admit it is great to be able to work in the garden 12 months of the year.

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  10. I am envious of all your January blooms. I came home from Texas to find my cape honeysuckle in its best form ever. What a treat!

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    Replies
    1. I can't believe that mine is still blooming. Normally, the littlest bit of cold weather will put it down for the rest of winter. But then we've hardly had the littlest bit this winter.

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