Sunday, January 15, 2017

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - January 2017

It's been another strange winter.

As an example, we woke up Wednesday to ice.  Then the next day it rained, with a high of 52 (11C).  Parts of the country are having a serious ice storm right now, including the Wichita, Kansas area (where I lived for a time).  We are supposed to have icy conditions on Tuesday.

But meanwhile, in my zone 5b garden in upstate New York, I actually have flower buds to show you, now that snow and ice has melted.  Helleborus niger.  This plant  started to bloom last year, then the temperatures plunged, and that was the end of it for 2016.  Now, it's trying again.

There isn't that much in my house, either.  I bought this primrose in lie of a bouquet on my table.

Yesterday, I also bought a forcing hyacinth in a vase.  I didn't need the vase, but that is how they were being sold.  When this blooms, the bloom will be pink.

The last of my Christmas (actually, Thanksgiving) cactus flowers faded in the last day or so.  This is what it looked like earlier this week. when the sun was shining.

One African violet flower remains.  This is what it looked like on that same sunny day.

Finally, I have an indoor flower treat for you.  I have a dracaena (corn plant) that is over 20 years old (I've had it for 20 years and got it from an office that no longer wanted it).  On March 7, I noticed (it was behind a window shade) that the plant had bloomed almost eight feet up.   The blooms are mostly dead now, but I wanted you to see this.

Come on over to May Dreams Gardens, which hosts this monthly 15th of the month meme, and see what is blooming all over the world.  Carol, an Indiana blogger, finishes up her 10th year of hosting this meme with this month's post, and asks us to reveal how long we have been participating.  So, here's my first GBBD post ever - May of 2011.  And I've posted every 15th of the month since.

It's a sneaky way to create a monthly garden journal.  Thanks, Carol!

Will you join us?

#blogboost Day 15 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge.

22 comments:

  1. A Corn Plant bloom! Wonderful!
    I have a had a Corn Plant a long time, too, but never a bloom. You give me hope that I might see it bloom
    Happy Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day!

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    1. I hope it does bloom one day. It was a nice surprise for me. I think it has bloomed one time before.

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  2. Gosh you have all sorts of blooms and promises of blooms to come this winter. It has been crazy weathers this year. A little crazier than normal I think. It is wet and dreary. Such fun to pop around and see what is blooming where. Happy GBBD.

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  3. P.S. It is fun to see a tropical plant that doesn't often bloom bloom like yours is doing. I have an odd one that has bloomed. I don't know what the name of it is. I bought it years ago when I remodeled the bedroom and it has the colors of the remodel. It has also seeded itself and so I have babies at the base of the plant. Interesting.

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    1. I, also, have had some odd houseplants bloom through the years. It is fun when you get something unexpected.

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  4. I enjoyed all your indoor blooms Alana. It is very unusual for a Dracena to bloom, so this is a rare treat! Happy GBBD!

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  5. Our mild winters mean that my succulent plants fare well outside all year round. I have nothing so lovely as your flowering plants, but my rosemary is covered in little, purple blossoms. So that's something, I guess!

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  6. That ice storm is headed my way now. Your pictures are a good reminder that spring will get here . . . eventually.

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  7. What beautiful plants! We live in the south and I'm checking everyday to see the start of any blooms. I'll be starting seed cups inside soon to get a head start on the vegetables.

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  8. I never knew that Dracaenia could blossom. I always associated them as office plants that just added a bit of green to the gloom. Also your Thanksgiving cactus looks almost like a gladiolus... really pretty. I normally don't like cacti ( they actually give me the creeps) but your pretty flowering cactus is making me re-think

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  9. Wow, what beautiful flowers! It's so nice to see all of that color at this time of year! Yesterday, I picked the tiny bit of parsley that I found growing in my garden and used it in my omelet. How bizarre to have fresh from the garden parsley in January.

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  10. It's so hot in here, all my plants were drying. You got an amazing collection of flowers. Some I haven't even seen.
    20 years! Wow... That's incredible!

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  11. Wow! I've never seen a dracaena bloom before. How cool is that? Sounds like you're having a similar weather pattern this year. Mild fall and then all of a sudden freezing temps. Spring gets closer every day!

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  12. I've never had a dracaena bloom for me. Yours must be really happy.

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  13. I really loved these beautifull flower..
    hoping to see of your best writeups.
    thank you for sharing :)

    http://www.lemonlyrics.com/

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  14. It sounds like you have the same crazy weather we're having here in Scotland, one extreme to another, minus temps and snow for several days then up to 10 celsius over night, no snow and unseasonably warm. No wonder the plants are confused.

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  15. Arrived to your Blog through the BlogHer Facebook Group. So glad I did, what beautiful flowers! I love finding new and creative blogs, thank you for sharing!

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  16. Blooms in January! I hope they last...

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  17. Beautiful flowers, Alana! Especially loved those bright ones...and also the 20 year old plant! Wow!

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