Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day ~ December 2012

I initially thought that I would be struggling to find blooms for today after this last week's perishing temperatures which have polished off some stragglers. It is is a degree or two warmer and definitely not as wet as yesterday, so I managed to get out into the garden between the showers. Greeting me when I initially stepped out into the porch with my camera was a glorious rainbow. In the north facing courtyard in front of the house a few erigeron mucronatus plants are still showing flowers. Although not as prolific as they were back in the summer this plant deserves a medal for its sheer length of flowering time. I liked the one above which is shyly tucked in one of the corners of the house walls. Galanthus 'Faringdon Double' is making slow progress - here it is photographed on 21st November. It is an early flowerer and multiplies well. It is difficult to see that the flowers are double unless you tip the pot up but I did not fancy doing that. I bought my pots of special snowdrops into the greenhouse to protect them in the cold snap - now a decision needs to be made whether to keep them in there, or bring them back out. I think that I could be playing a game of yo - yo all winter if I go for the latter option. Out in the garden helleborus 'Angel Glow' has opened another flower but it will be next month before this gets into full flow. There are other hellebores in bud so my to do list includes removing last year's foliage in the very near future.

Finally in the house on a north facing windowsill, an African violet is providing me with pleasure. Now although not worthy of an entry in the Guiness Book Of Records, the very fact that I've kept a houseplant alive for more than three and half years is an EVENT of almost world shattering proportions. The plant was given to me as a leaf cutting in April 2009 by my mother and is still alive to tell the tale. It was smothered with flowers this summer and is now showing a much smaller but equally appreciated show. The leaves are however looking slightly anaemic so it will require repotting before long.

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day is kindly hosted each month by Carol over at May Dreams Gardens. It is the ideal signpost to a world of gardening blogs where you will linger and no doubt add to your wish list.