Well look at that. Northeastern Pennsylvania, end of January, and the winter aconite is blooming and the witch hazel is open. I’m sure it’s entirely due to our faithful observance of the Ten Days of Plantness, and I’m thrilled to have color returning to the garden now that the ten darkest weeks of our Northern Hemisphere winter have passed.
The pale yellow form of winter aconite (Eranthis hiemalis) is always first in flower by a few weeks over the regular bright yellow.
Surely it’s all downhill from here, right? Might as well mothball the winter coat for another year and pull out the shorts and sandals because it will be cold drinks on the porch season before we know it!
Galanthus ‘Colossus’ is always eager to rise during any break in winter, except usually the return of winter brutalizes any flowers which dare open. This year a blanket of snow came at just the right time, and for once he looks great.
Ok, maybe there’s still a bit of winter to get through but at least we have progress and I hope you’re seeing something similar in your own garden. These winter flowers can really lift the spirits in January especially during a winter which tends more towards rainy and gray rather than cold and white, and it’s somewhat of a compensation for another lackluster ski season.
A lonely flower on the witch hazel (Hamamelis ‘Pallida’). With the exception of ‘Arnold’s Promise’ all the witch hazels are sparse this year and I’m not entirely sure of the reason, but am guessing they didn’t get the rain they wanted when they wanted it.
For a while I though just about everyone was experiencing another mild winter, but then heard multiple stories about record-breaking cold earlier in the month and am wondering what the real story is. You often hear of ‘records broken’ but is it just for that date, or that town on that day, or that month?… I’m never sure beyond my own little corner of this state, but from what I saw here, although the weather got colder we’re still running a zone 7 winter in what used to be zone 5 territory, and for what it’s worth I’m sourcing crape myrtles and selecting camellias for planting this spring 😉
Flooded snowdrops. With all the rain there are puddles sitting in just about every low lying spot in the garden. These G. nivalis (or some x valentinei mix) have been here for a few years though, and have never complained.
As usual we will see where this leads and for now I suspect it will lead to more flowers and I’m ready for that. So far the usual early bloomers are starting to move but with a random sprinkling of off-schedule bedmates for which I have less of an explanation for than I do for the weather. Regardless I think I need to begin the annual warnings for snowdrop overload as the normal level-headedness, modesty, and self-restrain leave my system and galanthaholism wields its ugly head. I no longer pretend that the state of my snowdrop thing is normal.
‘Ophelia’ is a warm day or two away from opening. She’s several years beyond dividing but that’s a lot more ‘Ophelia’ than I know what to do with!
So consider yourself warned. Other than a here-and-there winter garden update it’s all snowdrops, things which look well with snowdrops, weather which effects snowdrops, snowdrop visits and snowdrop events from here on out. Time to brush off the scroll button and fine tune the ‘Oh nice, Frank. That seems fun” comments for those of you who feel obligated.
‘Dick’s Early Yellow’ in the coldframe. I pulled the glass back so perhaps he will yellow up to a brighter color. Under glass yellows tend to lean more towards green.
Fun is what it should be. I’m hoping for another excellent season, and if you can join me in ignoring the multiple cases of bulb neglect (the coldframe for example should have been cleared out entirely in June), I think it should be an amusing time… even if the bulk of the fun is just seeing how far I’ve fallen 🙂
sorta like suburbia 
If you have too much ‘Ophelia’ I’ll be glad to take some off your hands. We are back to snow here. Since I didn’t participate in the Ten Days of Plantness I guess that proves your point. Even with snow, it’s warmer January than typical.
I’ll of course add that to my ‘Plantness’ data collection, the effectiveness is quite obvious isn’t it 😉
Some Ophelia will be coming your way this year!
Have you seen the blog by Paddy Tobin? I think he’s got a very serious case of galanthaholism. https://anirishgardener.wordpress.com/
Paddy Tobin is a terrible influence, he’s been showing off snowdrops I only dream of growing! But you can’t even compare my issues to his collecting, he’s totally respectable and under control while I’m a completely obsessed mess 🙂
Your ‘holiday’ looks like it worked! It is still winter here with snow on the ground, albeit a minimum amount and days above freezing. The mildest January in memory overall. Strange days!
Strange indeed yet I think we were slightly warmer last winter… but still nowhere close to a “real” winter. After a week of cold the lakes finally froze over, but after the last rain storm it’s all open water again. The ice fishermen may be facing a second bust of a winter.
I may not be afflicted by this snowdrop ‘thing’, but I can appreciate them on a damp grey day nonetheless, brightening up the winter dreariness. 😃 My witch hazel still has a long way to go and I am hoping that the mouse hole near it has nothing to do with that! But the ground was still frozen yesterday, so perhaps it is just early days. I’m hoping that the really low temperatures have gone now… maybe my spending spree paid off last week too! 😉 Back to grey here now, but I’m dreaming of the perfect gardening year to come……
Isn’t that the best thing? Right now I can convince myself everything will be planted on time, drought won’t be an issue, deer and rabbits will behave… it’s such a wonderful delusion! Lets hope it lasts into March at least 😉
The rest of the witch hazels here are yet to begin, so there’s still time, but most of mine take a couple years to establish so perhaps a new planting might be holding off.
Your holiday was a BIG success! The witch hazel is very pretty.
Oh my gosh I thought so too! I’ve still got a few of the plants on the counter and between that and the sprouts outside I think I’ll make it through January.
It also helps that January ends here in three hours 😉
Happy to see your snowdrops, Frank. Sorry to see them underwater.
thanks! I guess it could be a couple feet of snow, so that’s the plus side lol