Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - January 2013

Brrr! It's 38 degrees Fahrenheit in my garden this morning, and while that may not sound very cold to some of you, it is certainly what passes for winter here in my zone 9a garden near Houston, Texas. It's been a cold and wet few days here and that is expected to last for several more days. Then, overnight, we'll probably be back in the 70s again. And so it goes.

But on this Bloom Day, there isn't much happening in my garden, not much moving except the birds. Hungry birds.

Northern Cardinal

Pine Siskin with three American Goldfinches

Walking around the yard this morning, I found very few blooms hardy enough to brave the cold.

The purple trailing lantana seems unfazed by frost, and on sunny days, I would find it covered in butterflies and bees, even in the heart of winter. But on this cold, gray, misty day, there were no diners at its blossoms.

The Turk's cap along the warm south wall of the house still hangs on to some blossoms which are favorites with our overwintering Rufous Hummingbirds.

I've been surprised to see that the Cape honeysuckle also continues to offer a few blooms. This hasn't happened with this plant before, but perhaps it is finally just well-established and happy in its home by the fence.

The shrimp plant holds on to its long-lasting blossoms all winter, and even though they look a little worse for wear, they continue to offer sustenance to hungry pollinators.

The variegated potato vine had no blooms this day but was full of these buds. It won't be long...

This camellia, though, doesn't bloom until late March or early April, but its early buds hold the promise of beauty to come.

Likewise, the fig tree...

...and the nearby peach tree tell us that spring is just around the corner now.

And if we need further confirmation, we need only look to the daffodils, seen here tentatively poking their green shoots above ground.  By the way, those things that look like pebbles are actually live oak acorns, of which we had a bumper crop last year. The squirrels are very grateful.

I'm afraid that is all I have to offer on this gray Bloom Day, but looking at gardens around the world, one can find lots of color to brighten the day. You can find a list of them at our hostess, Carol's blog May Dreams Gardens.

Happy Bloom Day and happy gardening to you all. Thanks for visiting.