GBBD: Dreary December

Today is December 15, and you know what that means--well, yes, you do have only 10 more shopping days until Christmas. But in the gardening world it also means this is Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, the day each month when garden bloggers all over the world show off what's blooming in their gardens. For Northern gardeners, it's also a time when we have to flex our creative muscles. Unless you have a collection of houseplants, there's not much to show in the garden after the temperatures have plummeted to below freezing and winter winds have ripped off any remaining blooms.



Unlike many other Midwesterners, I don't even have the benefit of snow to make dried blooms and wilted foliage look appealing. Instead, my garden is simply brown and muddy. Going outside in hopes of finding the one bloom remaining, I found that even the purple primrose that appeared last week had given up and gone South for the winter. At least its leaves are still a lively green, and, of course, the heucheras nearby add a little more foliage interest.




Apparently, though, there is a little more green in the garden than I thought. As I walked quickly back to the house and out of the cold, Sasha pointed out that the Nepeta "Walker's Low" still has some fresh growth--just enough for a little bit of cat heaven.





I am not a houseplant person anymore, so there's not much to see indoors. However, when Youngest Daughter moved out and I turned her room into a guest room, I had an epiphany. This room has lots of natural light and was perfect for overwintering plants! After my Thanksgiving guest, Arizona Daughter, left, I set up a table and moved in the geraniums and my rosemary plant from the garage. Arizona Daughter had politely asked about my little "tree," and when I suggested she sniff it, she recognized it immediately. She may not be a gardener, but she is a cook and was excited when I cut off a few sprigs to send home with her to use in her kitchen.







Also now residing in the guest room is the begonia I showed off several times this summer. This one was just too pretty to let die over the winter. It seems to prefer its new cooler home to the overheated office and has set a few new buds to show its appreciation. I have a feeling you're going to be seeing a lot of it as well as the rosemary and geraniums over the next few months of winter Bloom Days!





And, of course, it wouldn't be Christmas without at least one red poinsettia to make the house a little more festive. In the midst of this busy time, I hope you all have time to stop and smell the proverbial "roses" and enjoy the beauty and peace of this season.




Today is also the eve of ABC Wednesday, and GBBD has inspired me to write a silly little poem about the garden, which I will post later today. In the meantime, take a few moments to visit our Bloom Day hostess, Carol at May Dreams Gardens, and see what is blooming all over the world.

GBBD: Did I Mention It's COLD?

Today is the 15th of the month which means another Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day sponsored by that intrepid gardener and eternal optimist Carol of May Dreams Gardens. I am hoping when I visit Carol this morning that somebody, somewhere--anybody, please??--will have something actually blooming in their garden.

Here in the Midwest, though, we are stuck in a deep freeze. The temperature when I awoke this morning was -13 degrees (that's -25 C), but at least the winds have temporarily died down a little. The wind chill last night was predicted to be between -35 and -45 degrees (that's about a minus 1000 C, I think). Tomorrow is supposed to be even colder.



We had only a few inches of snow, but what we did have was whipped around by the high winds yesterday, drifting across roads, my long lane, and the driveway (twice--again after I had shoveled it). Even the faithful yarrow had nothing to show; any green there might be (I doubt it) is buried under the frozen tundra.


I took the photo above yesterday before the winds picked up and while it was a more "comfortable" 9 above zero. Actually, I wasn't outside sacrificing myself for this Bloom Day post; I was out to put more seed in the bird feeders before things got too bad. The birds did appreciate it; maybe one of these days I'll actually have a photo of one. Even Coconut, who normally loves to accompany me on any tours of the garden, decided it was too cold outside to play.

I call this composition "White on White."

I know Coconut isn't a "bloom," but he demanded equal time after seeing so many photos of Toby here, even though he's not very willing to pose for a photo.

OK, enough with the cold . . . let's move inside where (forget the power bills) it's cozy and warm. I'm not a houseplant person, though, and other than the agave I brought home from Arizona and the pots of tulip bulbs I'm trying to force, there isn't much in bloom inside either.




The Christmas poinsettia is still blooming, though. I've never had much luck with keeping poinsettias past one season, so this guy is staying on display until every last leaf falls off:)

An amaryllis bulb I picked up at Meijer's is slowly growing, but no signs of a bloom yet. I was late in potting up some tulips--my first attempt at forcing bulbs--so I hope they bloom before the tulips outside do.

Here are some real blooms to feast your eyes on! Last fall my local Curves was selling a promotional card for monthly flowers from a local florist. For $20 I could pick up a small bouquet every month for a year. That's less than $2 a bouquet, which is cheaper than a grocery store arrangement, plus they are much fresher. But the best part is that half of that cost went to a local charity that provides shelter for women, particularly for victims of domestic abuse. Not bad--some blooms to brighten my day each month and a way to help others at the same time!

Since these are the only real blooms I have, let's take a closer look, shall we?

There are bright-eyed pink daisies featured prominently here. Pink is one of my favorite colors in the garden.

Ooh, isn't this exquisite? A white carnation tipped in hot pink.

And for contrast, a burgundy carnation tinged in white. A few cheery yellow daisies warm up the whole arrangement.

Oh, I am feeling much better now.

Stay warm, my friends!

GBBD: Frigid December Blooms

Brrr! It is darned cold here in central Illinois today--10 degrees F. at the present (-13 C), and I was told the wind chill was below 0 this morning. It's so cold that this Bloom Day post almost didn't get done.


Braving the biting wind and frozen tundra this morning I looked in vain for a decent photo. I knew nothing would be blooming outside, but I had hoped for a nice covering of snow or even a coating of ice to create a pleasing picture, but no such luck. Even the yarrow, which has been the one plant blooming (sort of) from my first Bloom Day post in March to the last one in November was a huddled mass of frozen green. I am thankful, though, that we did not get the ice storm that was originally forecast for today.

Quickly retreating from the cold into the garage, the Euphorbia "Diamond Frost" is still producing a few blooms, though it is fading fast. I did bring in a few pots of annuals this fall to see if I could over-winter them. Two weeks ago I had geraniums and impatiens blooming in the basement, but their blooms are all gone today. I hope they didn't suffer permanent damage from neglect the last two weeks.

Not much is to be found blooming in my house either. I gave up growing houseplants several years ago after one after another succumbed to my neglectful care. I have decided, though, after visiting Arizona that cacti and succulents might be the perfect choices for someone like me. I purchased this Agave "Angustifolia" last week in Phoenix at a local nursery. Did you know there are hundreds of varieties of Agaves? I certainly didn't. I felt rather foolish asking the salesperson for an agave and being asked "which kind?" After getting a mini-lesson on some of the types, I settled on this one because it should grow rather large, and I bought another variety (name forgotten already) without any prickly spines for Daughter with the dogs.

But here is the best bloom of all--just perfect for the season! I purchased this poinsettia from the high school's Art Club and was a little disappointed in its size, but oh well, the money goes to a good cause. Now if I could only get the rest of the house decorated soon and the Christmas cards signed and addressed and the rest of the Christmas shopping done . . .

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day is brought to you this December, as it is every month on the 15th by Carol at May Dreams Gardens. Visit her and check out other posts--I know flowers are blooming somewhere!