A Brilliant Blue Sky for GBBD~February 2012

It was almost too cold to get into the garden this past Sunday, but, I made myself dress warmly and head outside to see what effects the 45 degree drop in temperatures had on the early blooming daffs. I'm so glad I did there were just enough blooms to make me smile and to share on GBBD. Shall we see what was out there?

The sky was brilliant blue and the witch hazel, Hamamelis x intermedia 'Diane' had unfurled her spidery crepe paper petals like solar collectors. She was in full sun receivership. Waiting for pollinating visitors. Even the marcescence leaves could not detract from her red flowers against the deep blue winter sky.

There's speculation that the leaves that cling until after the last petal folds up for the season actually  help protect the blooms from foraging mammals but, I wonder if they might  protect the delicate looking flowers from the bitter cold winds that often arrive when they begin to bloom.

Hamamelis vernalis is also still in bloom. It has the most unusual orange/yellow/reddish coloring on those amazing crepe paper streaming petals that furl and unfurl as the temperature falls and rises.  They perfume the garden with their sweet vanilla scent on warm days. I planted them for that fragrance and once you smell them, you will, want them in your garden, too.

I love that not only do winter blooming shrubs and trees flower for months and months, they almost always have some fragrance.  How clever of Mother Nature to give winter bloomers that something special to insure that a little fly, gnat or bee will follow the scent and pollinate the flower.

The hellebores are in full bloom~Not even temps in the teens can stop them from showing off their pretty petals. My favorite right now are the doubles. Oh, aren't they pretty!

Helleborus hybridus x 'Golden Lotus Strain' 

Both are from Marietta O’Byrne's (Northwest Garden Nursery in Oregon) Winter Jewels™ strain of double hellebores.  They are gorgeous, loved and welcomed in my garden every time they bloom! Although my heart belongs to native plants, I find much to commend these beauties.  I've decided to  move them all to their own hillside where they will get the good drainage they love....More on that later.

Crocus tommasinianus

I'm not sure why I was surprised to see a few Tommies standing tall on the hillside. They aren't called snow crocus for nothing. These delicate looking flowers bloom early and are unfazed by the cold weather winter seems to throw at them.  I'm hoping that the thousands I've planted will all be blooming before too long.

The earliest blooming daffodils were up and nodded good afternoon to me as the sun moved further into the western sky. I hope you enjoyed our little tour and have a marvelous Bloom Day.

 Now make this garden blogger smile and pop over to May Dreams Gardens, where our delightful hostess, Carol,  has set up the Mr Linky magic carpet ride to take you to more Bloom Day posts than you can imagine.

xxoogail

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone." She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.