Wednesday, December 15, 2010

December GBBD: Winter Has Arrived!

Blogging has taken a back seat lately to Christmas preparations and activities.  For some reason it seems to have taken me twice as long this year to decorate the house and get the Christmas shopping done.  Instead of reading blogs, time on the computer has been spent searching through photo files for a photo calendar for my parents, updating Christmas addresses, and online shopping including trying to figure out just what  "Paper Jam" and "Zoobles" are (both requests from two of the grandchildren).  But I didn't want to miss out on the monthly celebration of Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, hosted by Carol who is probably greeting everyone this season with a hearty "hoe, hoe, hoe!"


Blooms are pretty sparse at my house this time of year.  The only indoor plant worth noting is the Christmas poinsettia purchased just this past weekend.  Although the white poinsettias I saw were lovely and quite tempting, I opted for the traditional red one in the end.  But either red or white was preferable to the other choices I saw for sale--glittery gold or orange and even blue!  Somehow a blue poinsettia just doesn't fit my image of Christmas.


This fall I was lulled into thinking our nice weather would last forever and waited too long to bring some plants indoors.  The only plants that actually made it inside before the first hard frost were the impatiens.  This yellow Fusion impatiens is pretty leggy, but at least it is holding on to a few blooms.


Outdoors, of course, is another story--nothing is blooming under the cover of white snow.  However, I did notice something strange a couple of weeks ago--there appeared to be a few pink blooms on one of the crabapple trees.  This photo was actually taken over a week ago when our first snow fell, and it's been too cold the past few days to see if the blooms are still there.  While the pink bloom against white snow may seem like a happy incongruity, I'm afraid it may not be a good sign after all, and may mean this tree is under some stress.


Like many parts of the country, we have had our share of frigid cold and strong winds the past few days.  Fortunately, we did not get as much snow as some areas, but the winds blew what snow we had into whiteout conditions with windchills well below zero.  Needless to say, I'm not venturing out into the garden these days!

For some real blooms across the world, do check out the posts at Carol's .. . and stay warm, everyone!

40 comments:

  1. It really is a winter wonderland outside your door. Love the little Impatiens flower ... so pretty! As for blue Poinsettia ... it just doesn't seem right!

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  2. Hoe, hoe, hoe, and thanks for joining in for bloom day! I love those Fusion impatiens. Wish I had brought mine inside this fall...

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  3. Rose girl ! Impatience flower !!!
    That is wonderful .. I have no indoor blooms what so ever .. my poor African violet hasn't bloomed in so long .. well .. I can't remember ?eekk!! .. A BLUE poinsettia ;-( that just isn't right .. nope .. not right at all !
    Hey .. as we get a little older .. time speeds up but work takes twice as long .. some kind of physics equation there I am SURE !
    Just breath and enjoy all that hard work's beauty now ?
    Joy
    PS .. How Hoe Hoe ! hehehehe

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  4. Lovely photos. The colour in the poinsettia one is beautiful, and the impatiens flower is so sweet.

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  5. Lovely snow photos! I’m actually envious as we’ve only had an inch in Maine this December.

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  6. The photo with snow on branches look great! Blue poinsettia? I'll go for the red too. The praying mantis is still hanging around. It may visit you when the weather on your side gets warmer.

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  7. Very odd on the crabapple blooms. I hope it doesn't harm the tree. Wonder why? the poinsettia is a wonderful yuletide picture! Have fun getting ready for Christmas and great holidays if I don't talk to you again!

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  8. Aren't those painted poinsettias hideous? I hope your tree is OK come springtime.

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  9. Rose, What a year it's been in all our gardens! I don't know what early bloom can signal on your tree, but I do know that I see it often here in Nashville and the trees are still living. Have a sweet day! Gail

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  10. You are not alone in the deep freeze and holiday hoopla, dear Rose. Must be 'the thing' this year since one local nursery was a sea of blue poinsettias, a real turn off to me especially with this cold weather ... can't imagine how they would enhance anyone's festive holiday decor! Merry Christmas ((hugs))

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  11. So far, no strange requests from our grandson. He's getting some books from us along with the toys. I still remember scouring the countryside years ago looking for a certain Cabbage Patch doll and a Teddy Ruxpin bear and don't care to repeat that experience again.

    Maybe the crabapple is just too exuberant and doesn't want to go to sleep yet. It caught wind of the holiday festivities going on nearby:)

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  12. I still love the traditional red poinsettias too, more Christmasy and your white wonderland wintry garden making me long for snow too!

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  13. Lovely wintry pictures. Thanks for sharing them and a happy holiday season to you.

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  14. I'm the same with the preparations. Everything seems to take twice as long.

    That is a strange phenomena on that bare tree.
    Lovely photos as always.
    Maggie X

    Nuts in May

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  15. Blue poinsettias? That doesn't sound right... I'm guessing there is food coloring in the soil? I hope your crabapple doesn't have any serious problems -- sure is pretty!

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  16. It is hard to get online this time of year with all the holiday preparation. Next week I will probably be busy baking. Your Poinsetta is lovely!

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  17. Bernie, The winter wonderland is pretty, but not as much as your lush paradise. Thanks for visiting!

    Carol, The impatiens bloomed so long this year I couldn't bear to lose them. I just hope they make it through the winter.

    Joy, I just don't seem to have a green thumb with houseplants for some reason, so indoor blooms are very scarce here. Yes, it seems to take me twice as long to do anything these days:)

    Mac, Unlike your home, we're in the throes of winter, so not many blooms here.

    Sarah, I can't believe you haven't had more snow! But I'm sure your time will come.

    One, I loved your praying mantis. I hope mine left some egg cases over the winter so that I'll have more next spring.

    Tina, I think the crabapple may have apple scab, not a good thing. But it's still hanging in there. Happy holidays to you, too, but I'm sure I'll be online again before Christmas.

    Rose, I couldn't believe it when I saw the blue poinsettias--who buys these things??

    Gail, That's good to know about your Nashville trees. Mine still blooms every spring, but it's been rather stressed the last two years.

    Joey, I like blue flowers, but there's something unnatural about a blue poinsettia.

    W2W, I remember searching for a Cabbage Patch doll one year, too; the next year the stores were full of them:)

    p3chandan, I'd glady ship you some snow if you'd like! I have plenty to spare:)

    Birdwoman, Thanks for visiting!

    Maggie May, I seem to have spent a lot of time "piddling" this year. This week it's time to get serious and get things done!

    Eliza, This is the second year this crabapple has done this; I'm hoping, too, it will still flower in April.

    Racquel, I've made myself really limit blog reading the last week or so. Otherwise, I lose all track of time and get nothing done!

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  18. Hey there Rose! I know what you mean about December blogging! I've noticed a pattern myself, with December being a month of very few posts. There's so much to do!

    Your poinsettia is lovely. I've seen some really pretty colors produced by creative breeding, but the glittery ones and the blue ones. . . not my cup of tea either!

    Winter sure did sneak up on this year. One week it was warm and beautiful, and the next week it was arctic tundra. I really had to hustle to get stuff indoors.

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  19. Thanks for sharing. I was really puzzling as to what that yellow flower was at first glance. Quite pretty. Looks as though you have real snow as opposed to our flurries...

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  20. Your impatien bloom is really pretty. Very delicate. Your snow pictures are great-- but you can keep the snow. :-)

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  21. Great idea to bring impatiens indoors for the winter. Mine are long gone...maybe I'll try that another year. We just got our first snow today...but it's been frigid and bitterly cold for over a week. I tend to prefer the traditional red poinsettias, as well...although some of the pink shades with the deep veining are pretty nice looking too. Happy holidays to you Rose!

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  22. Seasons Greetings! I love your pictures of snow here and below.

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  23. Hi Rose, i laughed with Carol above said "hoe, hoe, hoe". But that yellow impatiens is so lovely, i havent seen that here despite all the colors being raised in nurseries. I also wonder with that pink shoot on your tree, stress or early recovery? wonder! thanks for your visit to my weeds.

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  24. I'm don't care for the glittery poinsettias either. Tacky! I haven't seen a blue one and probably am not missing anything. Winter has arrived here too, but not as emphatically as in your neck of the woods. Looks beautiful but very cold!

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  25. Hello Rose,

    I love seeing your snow photos. The most we have seen is rain, rain, frost, and now fog! But wouldn't you know that in just a few days it will be the shortest day and it is uphill from there. ;)

    If I don't see you before Christmas ;)... many blessings to you and your family! It has been wonderful to share with you this past year.

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  26. Rose, Lovely to have returned from Maui and gaze on your wintry photos - Christmas is really, really coming fast! Do have a very Merry Christmas!!

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  27. Hi Rose! It looks like you might be lucky and have a white Christmas! We might have a green and wet Christmas. Any way, have happy Holidays and all the best to you and your family!

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  28. Hi Rose! You're so lucky for having the red poinsettias. Mine purchased last year grew bushy over the year but and never turned red again. Someone told me to keep it someplace dark for at least 24 hours to force blooming...

    Anyway, quite a winter you have there. Stay warm Rose. And merry x'mas!

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  29. I hope you are enjoying your indoor time and planning some fun festivities for the holidays. This is the time of year when the seed catalogs start pouring in and I get too ambitious!
    Merry Christmas!
    Rosey

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  30. Blue poinsettias??? Never heard of them! Sounds ghastly actually. I try not to succumb to poinsettias just because I don't want to have to deal with them after the holidays, ha! Hope you can stay warm this holiday Rose!

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  31. Your impatiens flower reminded me of a nasturtium. I love the last snow photo!

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  32. Dang, Rose, your winter wonderland is beautiful but I have NO desire to trade weather with you! This is the time of year when I'm SO glad I live on my corner of Katy! Enjoy your time off from the garden and have fun dreaming of the garden to come! Merry Christmas!

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  33. Linda, I don't know why I waited so long to bring plants indoors, but now I really wish I had brought in more.

    John, We have definitely had "real snow" and it doesn't seem to be going away any time soon.

    Janet, I hope these impatiens make through the winter. The yellow fusions are really pretty and unusual.


    Jan, I brought the impatiens in, but that's about it. I waited too long to bring in the geraniums, which usually overwinter pretty well for me.

    Jennifer, Thanks for stopping by and glad you enjoyed the photos of the snow. I'm getting pretty tired of it already:)

    Andrea, I'm concerned the crapapple may have apple scab, which is not a good thing. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

    Sweetbay, You're not missing anything if you haven't seen a blue poinsettia! Our weather has created some beautiful scenery, but it's been a pain to drive in at times.

    Di, I always look forward to the Winter Solstice, too; I'm ready for longer days. Thanks for the sweet comment, and Happy holidays to you as well!

    Amy, Hawaii sounds like paradise to me! Merry Christmas to you, too!

    Sherlock, The snow does make for pretty photos, but I would gladly take some warmer weather for awhile.

    Tatyana, We will definitely have a white Christmas this year! Thanks for the good wishes, and a Merry Christmas to you, too.

    Rough.Rosa, The poinsettia is a new purchase this year. I've never had any luck keeping mine from year to year. They always wind up on the compost pile eventually.

    Rosey, I've been looking through seed and nursery catalogs, too--wish I had room for everything I want!

    Jean, I usually just buy one poinsettia, because I do like them. But then they become compost...

    Sue, When I took that last photo, the wind was really blowing the snow around. I didn't stay outside long;)

    Cindy, Katy sounds like a wonderful place to be right now! The snow is pretty in pictures, but not so fun to drive in. Merry Christmas to you, too!

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  34. Hey Rose,

    That header pic of mine is from a snow we had last year. It was one of the prettiest I had ever seen.

    Hope you have a wonderful Christmas my friend.

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  35. Hi, Rose!
    Popped over to wish you a very Merry Christmas. That's quite the array of stockings in your header! Must be tons of excitement at your house on Christmas morning. ;>)

    Have a wonderful celebration.

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  36. Hi Rose,

    loved to see some beautiful nature liked this. Take care of them

    Just like to share with you a beautiful quote...

    "You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life" - Albert Camus

    You can get more happiness quotes at http://www.quotelandia.com/category/Happiness

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  37. How nice to have impatiens blooming inside, Rose! And it's definitely a winter wonderland outdoors...wishing you and your family a joyous Christmas season, and here's to a wonderful gardening year in 2011.

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  38. Rose, no wonder blogging took a back seat my friend. You have been one busy girl. Merry Christmas.~~Dee

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  39. Dear Rose,
    It is a busy time of year! Your snow is very pretty. I do hope we get some for Christmas. I brought in as many plants as my little house could handle. I have red geraniums this year for Christmas!
    Like you I just do not think blue poinsettias look right!
    Have very blessed and Merry Christmas.
    Sherry

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