 |
| Irises are beginning to bloom |
This month last year, I had no blooms to show for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day except a pitiful little frozen camellia bud. I decided I wanted to work on having blooms in my garden all year round. And so, I purchased more camellias and added some plants I felt might bloom in the winter months.
 |
| Gaillardia (blanketflower) |
And I have blooms!
 |
| Just a few muscari (grape hyacinth) |
Of course, it's not my doing, really. We have had a couple of freezing nights, but no extended freezing weather this year. If we had, this would be an entirely different story.
 |
| Loropetalum |
Still, it's fun to say I've had blooms every month this year. We'll have to wait and see if I'll be as lucky in February of next year!
 |
| Some kind of violet - I've had these for years! |
And that's not all my blooms, either! Wahoo! Bring on March! I'm ready!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On another note, I have to brag just a bit on my sweet husband and his Valentine's day present to me. It was a picnic he had put together himself. What a lovely, romantic Valentine's day present! I know some women would prefer going to a five-star restaurant, but not this gal!
Thanks, honey, I loved it, and I love you!
I love the iris. It is so pretty! I’m a big fan of white flowers. Nicely Done!
ReplyDeleteI love this iris, too. It always blooms very early, so it's always nice to see!
DeleteMy first visit to your blog - a really lovely posting - beautiful blooms and what looks like a yummy picnic... Happy Gardening - Miranda (Brittany, France)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Miranda. Glad you stopped by!
DeleteMy Iris have buds but the weather turned awful cold I have had blooms all year The roses were puting on new growth so Carrel cut them back and put 13-13-13 and iron on them. Loved your blog I am a picnic ,walk in the woods girl also Love you blog. I am looking for plants that bloom all year also. I should have three Camellis blooming now. My nerve in my face is acting up so I can't go out cold makes it hurt worse. This has been a crazy year I had a rose blooming in Febuary and my Gerber Daisy put on a show.
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to live where blooms all year round are possible, even though some years it may not happen. My roses are a while from blooming. How nice to have a rose bloom in February!
DeleteIt is a gloomy morning in my neck of the woods and your flowers just made it bright and sunny. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteIt's been a big foggy the last couple of mornings. You can tell by the drops of water on the leaves! But it gets sunny in the afternoon, so I'm happy!
DeleteLots of pretty blooms for you. Nothing like yours blooming here yet. Your husband's picnic was a definite winner.
ReplyDeleteCher Sunray Gardens
And I don't have many spring blooms - no crocus, no daffodils. I'm wondering when they'll wake up!
DeleteLovely photos of your flowers, and the picnic looks yummy too.
ReplyDeleteThanks. The picnic was delightful. Even with a dog and a cat following us! :)
DeleteWhat a sweet hubby...I love picnics and can't wait for the weather to turn warm so my iris will bloom! Way down the road for me! Love your flowers!
ReplyDeleteI have some irises that bloom later, too. These have always been very early. It will be fun and exciting to see March roll in!
DeleteMy mami loves flowers, of course after Daddy and me
ReplyDeleteI'm a Pussycat that was adopted and was lucky to have a mother who gives me lots of love and that gave me name Kika
How I love having friends come invites you to be my friend, there you will find other friends who already know, they are also my friends.
I loved your blog
I would like to have on my draw and as friends or (the)
I am waiting for your photos and visits
Turrinhas miaumiau fond
Kika ♥ ♥ ♥
Thanks for coming by, and for the invitation.
DeleteLove that Loropetalum...beautiful colour. Can't say it's picnic weather here in Ireland at the moment! Lovely thoughtful gift.
ReplyDeleteThe loropetalum has been stunning this year. (Or maybe I'm just longing for colorful blooms!)
DeleteA u mnie w ogródku śnieg :-(. To przyjemnie tak wcześnie wiosenne kwiaty oglądać. Mąż się spisał "na medal" :-). Pozdrawiam. *** And in my garden the snow :-(. It's so fun to watch early spring flowers. Husband wrote "sites" :-). Yours.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry you have snow now! Spring will be here soon!
DeleteWhat a sweet husband you have! That was very thoughtful. Your garden blooms look great. I guess the bright side of this unseasonably warm winter is that the blooms haven't been ruined by extended freezes. Love the bright red and yellow of the blanketflowers.
ReplyDeleteI do have a sweet husband. And I have enjoyed this warm winter. My scabiosa (not included above) has not quit blooming all winter! I just hope our summer isn't too warm! Always a season to worry about, isn't there?! :)
DeleteIt's so exciting that you've made it a year with blooms every month! As I start my garden I'm going to have to look through your archives and take some notes!
ReplyDeleteI hope your garden turns out just as in your dreams. Happy planning!
DeleteLovely Holley, and the joys of romantic gestures ;)
ReplyDeleteIt was a romantic thought, wasn't it? :) So much more thoughtful than just dinner and a movie!
DeleteYou are so far ahead of the gardens here on the shores of Lake Michigan. I am always looking for other areas of the country to see what you all are up to so today I stumbled on your blog and will be following it. Hope to learn more about Texas. It is so very different where you live than what it is here. Will be a good experience. jack
ReplyDeleteI love the fact that the US is so diverse. It does make reading other garden blogs much more interesting. So glad you stopped by!
DeleteLovely blooms; good job, Holley! Aren't you loving this pleasant weather? I, too, have some blooms to report (after having none for the last two months). My hubby cooked a fancy dinner at home. Hurrah for sweet husbands!
ReplyDeleteWith this weather, I'm starting to feel guilty - I have so much work to do and I feel like I'm running behind! I wouldn't feel this way if we had snow on the ground. But I think I'll take the guilt over snow! :) A fancy dinner cooked for you (instead of by you!) sounds wonderful, too!
DeleteHow thoughtful! What a wonderful man!
ReplyDeleteHe truly is a sweetie. Thought I'd share in case someone needs an idea for next year! :)
DeleteOh Wow!! I'm totally envious of the beautiful picnic! What a lucky girl you are!
ReplyDeleteHolley, I love your Irises! I planted lots over the past few months and now can't wait for my spring! I'll have to admire yours until that happens :)
It will be a long time before spring comes for you! But I love planting things in the fall - it gives us gardeners something to look forward to all winter.
DeleteFabulous February blooms. That gorgeous white Iris was my favourite. Your husbands' Valentine's Day gift was such a lovely thought. Lucky girl!
ReplyDeleteYes, I felt lucky to have such a good husband *and* blooms for February's bloom day!
DeleteLove your pretty blooms. Very nice and thoughtful Valentine's gift as well! All good....Happy GBBD!
ReplyDeleteI was thrilled when I realized I was going to have blooms for this month. It could have turned out so differently!
DeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteVery nice photos and it must be really nice to have Irises in bloom already!
They are surprising me by blooming so early. Even before the crocus!
DeleteThe white iris is so beautiful! Thanks for sharing your blooms with us. I have some purple irises trying to bloom, but the temps got colder at night this past weekend, and they haven't opened yet. Keep sharing your beautiful photos with us! Blessings from Bama!
ReplyDeleteI have a purple iris that I love, love, love, but it also blooms later in the season. But it's nice to have some early blooming irises, too. I love irises more and more every year!
DeleteThe best blooms were the ones in the vase on the picnic spread. Too sweet!! I am with you- I would prefer that or a nice home cooked dinner any time over a big fancy restaurant- way more romantic. Your other blooms were pretty as well of course!
ReplyDeleteWasn't that a sweet touch? Who would have thought of flowers on a picnic? He thinks of everything!
DeleteSuch a sweet thoughtful husband! And you do have some pretty flowers for Bloom Day. Your garden is way ahead of mine with the iris and blanketflower. I can hardly wait for spring to get here!
ReplyDeleteThe blanketflower quit blooming for just a short time this winter. But now that the irises are beginning to bloom, I'm ready for spring, too!
DeleteLove the picnic, but right now I'm having bloom envy. Here in Ft. Worth, I don't even have blooms on the Lenten Rose. Patience isn't one of my virtues. Oh, the pansies are still going strong. And the lavenders I have in pots on the patio have blooms... But nothing else is blooming. I'll just keep weeding and mulching. On a happy note - there is a bit of green on my clemenitis vine... wait... the dandelions are blooming.
ReplyDeleteThe gardener's mantra "just keep weeding and mulching"! I bet spring shows up soon! I hope, at least!
DeleteWow, so much has happened in your garden in just a month! And in my garden there are LESS flowers now than last GBBD... funny weather we have. My Loropetalum flowered last November!! Loved your photos :-)
ReplyDeleteUsually February is the hardest month here. We get more freezes in February than any other month, I think. Unpredictable month - I'm happy to have the blooms I do, and know it's really just a fluke. But I'll take it!
DeleteOops! Sorry about the spelling I meant to change that to clematis.
ReplyDeleteI didn't even notice!
DeleteSounds like something I would do. Yeah, right? Yeah right. Went to banquet instead. Only one in a suit. We looked good though.
ReplyDeleteI bet your wife loved getting dressed up, and was so proud that you were the best dressed couple in the room!
DeleteYou have a LOT blooming for February! Isn't it wonderful. I forgot to put my Loropetalum in my bloom day and seeing yours I just now realized it. It doesn't bloom every year, so I'm happy when it does.
ReplyDeleteThat picnic lunch is tops! He gets a FIVE ***** RATING for creativity. Please tell him that I just might steal that idea for next Valentine's Day. Just don't tell my wife. LOL
Happy GBBD.
David/:0)
I've really liked February's weather so far - I hope our luck continues to hold. If your wife likes picnics like I do, she'll be thrilled. Don't forget the flowers! :)
DeleteGood for you that you made it. I guess you mean 12 months of blooms but I feel like we are all close to "making it" through another winter and getting to enjoy spring very very soon (or already if you are lucky enough to be in Texas). Your picnic looks lovely; mostly I'm drooling over the strawberries...
ReplyDeleteYes, I keep thinking - next GBBD will be March! Such relief! I know things will be blooming in March!
DeleteHi There, Just stopping by to say HI.... Hope you had a great Valentine's Day. We had a great trip--but it's nice to get home. I'm trying to catch up on some blog posts...
ReplyDeleteWhat a fabulous Valentine's gift from your Sweetie. I'd love it also... Terrific!!!!
Looks like spring is happening in your area.
Hugs,
Betsy
So glad you had a great trip. I look forward to seeing more of your photos!
DeleteAww, so sweet and romantic. That is wonderful! You are fortunate to even think about having outdoor blooms year-round. I will have to settle with enjoying indoor blooms and visits to your blog during the winter months. Cheers! :)
ReplyDeleteAs the years go by, it will be interesting to see how my average works out with having blooms year round. It's totally up to the weather, isn't it?
DeleteWhat a lovely Valentine's Day gift! Sometimes there is nothing better than a romantic picnic. Your blooms are lovely. It will be months before my irises bloom, but it is nice to see yours.
ReplyDeleteI'm so thrilled to see my irises blooming. They are one of my very favorite flowers!
DeleteHi Holley, congratulations to achieving your goal to have blooms flowering in your garden year round! Your husband is obviously a sweet heart. What a lovely Valentine's gift. Having a picnic is always nice! Sadly I can't even remember when I did it the last time, so maybe I just take your picture as an inspiration, even though Valentine's Day is over to do something similar!
ReplyDeleteChristina
You may not do picnics often, but you do sit outside and set the table beautifully. I know your husband appreciates you doing that, and your gorgeous garden setting.
DeleteYour Valentines picnic looks outstanding; what a cool guy to think of it. My blog earlier this week shows our camellias in bloom; I see you grow them too. I am your newest follower.
ReplyDeleteI love camellias. I have some that have finished blooming, some that haven't started, and a couple that have one or two blooms left. Great plants to have!
DeleteYou certainly succeeded with the blooms this February which is probably the most difficult month. Love the picnic! Happy GBBD, Christina
ReplyDeleteYes, you are absolute correct - I think it's the most difficult month, too. Bring on March!
DeleteYou have a very romantic and thoughtful husband. Such a pretty way he did it too. February has been very nice to your garden. So many pretties to show. Happy GBBD, Holley.
ReplyDeleteI've been very lucky this February. A cold front with snow came through, but missed us. We got a little bit of rain and cool weather instead.
DeleteWhat a lovely picnic!
ReplyDeleteLove your February blooms. Must be nice having color in the garden already so early in the year. Happy Bloom Day!
It's so encouraging to have blooms in the garden at this time of year. I still miss the abundance of spring and summer, though!
DeleteYou have a wonderful husband...just what I love too...and I am so jealous of the blooms I won't see for 2 months maybe...but so happy you have those blooms!!
ReplyDeleteSpring will be here before we know it! I can't wait to see what the next couple of weeks bring - I hope it's warmer weather and more blooms.
DeleteGreat collection of spring flowers to share! I can't wait for my irises to bloom!
ReplyDeleteI am anxiously awaiting for all of them to bloom together. Right now there's just a few blooming here and there. But soon, maybe - my garden will be full of their blooms!
DeleteWhat a sweet, sweet present. :) And congratulations on all your blooms! That's amazing!
ReplyDeleteMakes me wish for spring even more!
Deletelove your Feb blooms, and if it was me I'd also prefer a picnic any time to a 5 star restaurant.
ReplyDeleteI think a lot of gardeners would rather be outside in nature, but I suppose not all of them!
Deletei'm with you as far as the picnic goes. how sweet and thoughtful of your husband! i have violets that pop up everywhere...they are a lawn lovers bane, but i love them!
ReplyDeleteThese violets I've had for many years, and they have not spread hardly any in that time. But - I have just planted some new kinds, so they might be the type that everyone seems to hate! I hope not!
DeleteYour husband's gift is perfect!
ReplyDeleteIt was such a surprise. I think that's what made it so great - he thought it up himself!
Delete