Today was a day of steady rain. It’s been in the forecast for several days so that’s no surprise and we’re getting maybe an inch or more before it changes over to snow in the wee hours of the night. Of course the kids are excited, somehow the word got out even though temperatures today and yesterday were downright balmy in the 50s so we will see what the morning brings. Today was all rain though, and definitely an indoors day, so I was a little smug in the fact I have a winter garden that I can retreat to.
This florist cyclamen followed me home back in mid-October and is still going strong two months later. They’re not as addicting as the more graceful hardy types, but I wouldn’t turn my back on another one or two 😉
The winter garden is unusually under control this year, and all I really needed to do was shuffle a few more-dormant things away from the light, and move a few more-active things closer. The succulents have dried out enough to qualify as dormant, but cuttings like geranium and fuchsia are rooting and starting to grow. It looks nice. If it’s a cold January I’m sure more will show up here.
In the outside garden the warm weather has brought on the last of the fall blooming snowdrops. This one, (Galanthus elwesii ssp monostictus ex Montrose…) is doing well although the intended backdrop of variegated sedge has been nibbled back by the bunnies.
The winter garden is nice today, but yesterday outside was great. I cleaned up a few more things, wandered, poked, and generally enjoyed a day in the sun rather than a day of cloudy, chilly gloom. The warmth opened up the fall snowdrops and encouraged winter blooming sorts such as ‘Mrs Macnamara’, ‘Faringdon Double’, and ‘Three Ships’ to start poking out and show their flower buds. I’m still amazed these plants can make a go of blooming in December here in Pa, even just a few years ago they’d be locked up in frozen soil until spring.
So we will see. Even if there is some snow on the ground in the morning there’s still not much in the way of cold for the next few days, so I shall enjoy it while it lasts. I hope December is going great for you as well.
sorta like suburbia 
I am enjoying the same kind of weather. Rainy today, snow expected tonight, balmy yesterday though maybe not as sunny as where you are. No matter. I finished the last of the mulching I wanted to do, tidied up the cabin fever bed, and trimmed back the plants encroaching on the front walk so that those shoveling snow (if it amounts to much) have an easier time shoveling.
I got a few of those last things done as well, and now I’m fine with a break from the garden.
It will be months of puttering and poking, and it might take a firm kick in the butt to get working again once the snowdrops start sprouting… and need dividing… and moving… and relabeling…. and all those other things which happen once the weather warms.
Nothing like a deluge in the late fall to give the plants a good drink before the soil freezes. It seems like last year and this, what I am used to thinking of as ‘November weather’ as slid into December. CC, I guess. It wasn’t so long ago the ground would be frozen by mid-Dec. Oh, well, I do like a shorter and milder winter. 😉
That is a gorgeous cyclamen. Mine have yet to bud up, barely out of dormancy. Another thing about the warm Sept., it delayed their emergence. If I get out to a box store, I’m in the market for another mini-orchid for my windowsill. If a pretty cyclamen jumps into my cart, I won’t complain. 😉
Oh, so you were able to bring a cyclamen through the summer? I should try the same, I’m just worried I’ll overwater and kill it far, far, far before that time comes. Easy come easy go, right? -which is not the attitude I take regarding the orchids. I’ve had no luck yet with those, there’s no easy at all, just a lengthy suffering and then death!
I’m wondering if the new winter trend is cold December, warm Jan/Feb and then a slow, cool March and April which for us has been the case two years running.
I’ve had better luck with miniature cyclamen and orchids. The larger ones always die on me. The cyclamens start to fade, yellowing and droopy, when the temps start to rise. I stop watering them and put them in a dark corner of the front porch. When they sprout new leaves in Sept. I resume watering.
I saw a video online that says only water orchids when their roots are white… green means they are good. That has helped, but of the larger orchids, I’ve lost many!
I’ve given up expecting any weather, but still am programmed to recall what ‘used to be’ reliable seasonal changes and comparing!
Maybe I need to try one of the minis. That’s a good option since they fit under the lights nicely and…. hmmmm… two minutes ago I was sure that I did not need to try another orchid.
😀
Gorgeous cyclamen and very nice snowdrop also. It was mild here all weekend, but I just crept around outside a bit. (Still recovering somewhat from RSV.) I did get my wreath made, and did a trash haul to the dump. Big weekend! I’m hoping to head to PA this week for 2 or 3 days – need to turn in my work computers and visit Nancy. Maybe Longwood if we can score tickets. Assuming I can get out. We had a downpour all day, it’s sleeting now, and 7 – 11 inches of snow forecast for tonight into tomorrow.
Hopefully you didn’t get the snow dump you were expecting, and were able to keep your travel plans as well as recover fully!
I keep intending to try my hand at a wreath. We have enough spruces in need of pruning, and I’m sure the other evergreen could donate a few accents, but I’m also having a lot of ‘aversion to work’ issues lately, so perhaps less is more this holiday, and the few branches I stuffed into porch pots will be enough 😉
Your cyclamen is lovely and I’m sure your winter garden will keep you happy once your snow arrives. Some of my snowdrops have started flowering early, but not the ones that are supposed to!
Funny how the earliest bulbs always seem to have a mind of their own!
I did manage to spend several hours in the winter garden Sunday as the rain came down. It is serving its purpose well 🙂
We had that same warm weather on Friday which was nice but a little freaky given it’s December. Your garden looks great. I’ve had bunnies nibble some Carexes and never touch others. I think it is location more than the variety which saves them. I have G. ‘Mrs. Macnama,’ so I better go see if she or any of the other snowdrops are popping.
I just saw another day coming when the temps were headed close to 50 again. For a night or two the ice tried to creep across the bigger lakes, but with each warm spell it loses ground again, and I’m sure that’s a bad thing because between this and last year I can’t remember the lakes ever having this much trouble freezing.
Maybe the rabbits are finished with this carex. There’s a small ocean of ‘Ice Dance’ next door, and the rabbits will sit in the sheltered end and mow it down, but the more exposed outer side is untouched. Maybe just a little change in mood will save this little plant.
Well, I wonder if your snow has arrived yet. Ours is melting rapidly and by tomorrow there will hardly be any left – such a quick turnaround, but not uncommon in December. I was surprised how few photos of snowdrops this post contained Frank, but the indoor garden does look cosy. 😉
We did get a bit of snow! Enough to remind us it’s winter after all, and since it was followed by a little cold the morning drive was much nicer and brighter with the white reflections rather than all the dark.
It was so mild this fall that slugs were a problem, hence fewer flowers to show. Hopefully this cold put a few to sleep!
Your trio of snowdrops are performing well here in Ireland at this very moment – in heavy rain and, thankfully, with no prospect of snow. Snow is rare here and I prefer it that way though the garden is presently so very wet and soft. I like the G. elw. ex Montrose – a good-looking plant.
I caught a glimpse of ‘Mrs Macnamara’ dropping her first bloom this week, and ‘Faringdon Double’ is only a little behind. For a few weeks our seasons might run to a similar timetable… assuming it continues to stay this warm!
Love the winter garden. Even though we have had some freezing temperatures they haven’t lasted very long – yet. Maybe the plants aren’t so confused, but I have seen an errant housefly or two the last few days…
Funny you mention flies! They swarm on a scotch pine by the front porch each day when the sun warms their sheltered little home. There must be some kind of sweet stickyness on the pine which they eat, and when I mean some flies, it’s probably in the range of 50+ flies which just hop around doing fly things.
I kind of wish a fly-hungry bird would come along…
I am sure not going to complain about the lovely winter weather we have been having. All we need is some rain. Why I can’t make myself get out and do some winter chores I can’t imagine especially when the kitchen is such a mess. They are about to install the new flooring, so the last but not least will be the counter tops. Having people working in your house is as distracting as someone cutting down a tree in your garden. I just have to watch them, which means I get not much else accomplished as they are working hard. ha…
Still no rain here. I don’t even have much blooming now either. I do have an air plant that has a funny little bloom on it.
I love seeing your cyclamen and snowdrops abloom. It gives me hope for the future here.
Have a great weekend.
Hope your December days were full of things being checked off the kitchen remodel to-do list. Every step of progress is a plus for sure!
Here not much has changed. I also enjoyed the warmer weather but the relentless overcast and damp days did nothing to boost my spirits. We had one sunny day though, and I was a new person for a couple hours 🙂 Hopefully we get a few more sunny days, but I think it’s supposed to get colder with snow so not much will get done outside.
The days should start getting longer though, there’s always that!