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Welcome to my zone 9a habitat garden near Houston, Texas.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - December 2010

Only one week until Winter Solstice but what passes for winter here in Southeast Texas has already sneaked into my garden. We've had several frosts, although no hard freezes yet, but everything that goes to sleep in response to cold weather is now sleeping and my garden has that brown and skeletal look of mid-winter.

Some plants press on, of course. Many of the same bloomers that I showed you in late November continue to send out blossoms. The tough old roses will not be deterred by anything less than temperatures in the 20s, so if I need color this December, I have only to visit with them. The Turk's caps have some limbs that found their way to the brick wall behind the bed where they live and those protected limbs are still full of blooms and are still visited daily by grateful butterflies. Likewise, the autumn sages, sprawling purple lantana, and blue plumbago continue to send out blooms. The gerberas, too, are still opening their inviting colorful disks to the butterflies each day. But these are the exceptions. Most of the garden is tucked in for a long winter nap.

And so I was surprised a couple of days ago, as I fished the falling leaves out of my little pond, to glance over my right shoulder and see...a tiny bloom from plants that I had forgotten were even there.


Sweet little narcissus! Your proper name has been tucked away somewhere among the wrinkles of my brain, but I greeted you on that cold, windy day like a long, lost friend - which is what you are, really. How it made me smile to see you! And it makes me smile again every day as I walk by you on the way to the pond and see your cheery blossoms. Sweet little narcissus - Nature's promise that spring will come again.

Visit our hostess, Carol, at May Dreams Gardens to see a list of beautiful gardens around the globe that are participating in this Bloom Day,

Thank you for visiting with me today and a joyous holiday season and happy New Year to you all.

18 comments:

  1. aloha,

    wow, thats an early bloomer....its so nice to get these little surprises.

    thanks for connecting with me this morning

    noel

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  2. Hello there, thanks for stopping by and leaving your nice comment. You had a nice little Christmas present too I see! It's always so pleasing to find little unexpected treasures. Merry Christmas.

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  3. For me, those little serendipitous surprises are among the best things that gardening has to offer, TWG.

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  4. What a wonderful surprise to see the narcissus blooming in December! Your post reminds me that although my garden is covered with snow, spring will inevitably come once again. Thanks for visiting me, and a happy Holiday Season to you as well!

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  5. Dorothy, thank you for the butterfly ID! I checked it out and you were right, Common Mestra. It was my first-ever sighting and I'm excited to add it to our yard list.

    Isn't weather strange? We're significantly north of you but not a frost yet.

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  6. The narcissus was a wonderful gift on a cold December day, Rose, but then the garden is always full of such surprise gifts, isn't it?

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  7. I'm glad you were able to confirm the butterfly ID, Kathleen, and congratulations on your life record sighting. It's a wonderful critter to add to your list!

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  8. What fun! Makes the winter so much more bearable.

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  9. Indeed. A little hope is all we need to sustain us on the gray days, Town Mouse.

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  10. That's the beauty of bulbs! You can plant and forget about them, but they will surprise you with their loveliness one spring (or winter) morning. Love this cheery narcissus.

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  11. Awwww! That's such a cute narcissus! It makes me think of quail eggs. :)

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  12. My history with bulbs, Amy, is that they often bloom once and then only give me green shoots for years to come. That's why I was so surprised by these blossoms. I just hope they don't disappear for another five years or so!

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  13. Quail eggs? Now there's an evocative name, Eliza. Maybe I'll call it that since I've lost its true name.

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  14. Your flower is pretty and give you a beautiful morning.

    Just like to share with you a quote...

    "Give me a stock clerk with a goal and I'll give you a man who will make history. Give me a man with no goals and I'll give you a stock clerk." - J.C. Penney

    You can get more quotes at http://www.quotelandia.com

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