Welcome to Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day for December 2017
Here in my USDA Hardiness Zone 6a garden in central Indiana, the Christmas rose, Helleborus niger, is pretty much the only bloom outside.
It looks a little cold in this picture, with tightly closed buds, and a few faded blooms, but I suspect if the sun keeps shining, those buds will open up, as they usually do on sunny days.
The rest of the garden is dormant, waiting for snow, for ice, for winter. I’m not dormant, but staying mostly inside because inside it is nice and warm.
For some reason, this year I’ve gone a bit of a buying binge with three poinsettias and one cyclamen to add a little cheer for the holidays.
They’ve done a lot of hybridizing with poinsettias to come up with some nice color combos, like this pink and white one.
And of course, there is all white, too.
And white with red mottling or is that red with white mottling?
Regardless, I like poinsettias as long as they aren’t painted or cover with glitter.
I’ve also decided I like cyclamen as a holiday plant.
I learned from experience though that if you don’t keep it watered, it will wilt considerably. But fortunately, it recovers nicely with a big drink of water.
I realize now that I need to pot up some amaryllis bulbs and I have some Lily of the Valley pips that should be arriving today. I’ll pot those up and soon enough, have some more blooms, perhaps for January?
Meanwhile, out in the sun room, the Crown of Thorns euphorbia is in bloom.
It’s always in bloom, 365 days a year.
What’s blooming in your garden as we reach mid-December? We would love to have you join Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day and show us. It’s easy to participate. Just post on your blog about the blooms in your garden on the 15th of the month, and the come here to May Dreams Gardens to leave a link in the Mr. Linky widget and a comment to tell us what you’ve got.
And always remember — “We can have flowers nearly every month of the year.” ~ Elizabeth Lawrence.
Hi Carol! You have a nice selection of flowering plants to bring cheer to the indoor garden and your Hellebores look way ahead of mine. It is the time of year for the garden to rest, so it is fun to plant Amaryllis bulbs and gaze upon the snow covered garden from indoors. Thank you for hosting and a Happy Bloom Day to you! Best wishes for a wonderful holiday and New Year too!
Thank goodness for those precious winter blooming plants! You've lots of lovely indoor color to brighten this darkest time of year. Happy bloom day and happy holidays to you! Thanks for continuing to host GBBD!
The poinsettia growers have been busy. There are all sorts of colors out there. You have picked some nice ones. I love cyclamens I haven't had luck with keeping them alive no matter how pretty. Happy GBBD.
There are so many beautiful poinsettia varieties – I saw salmon ones for the first time this year. Have to admit that I'm not fond of the ones with glitter, though. Amusing how our two posts somewhat track each other – guess it's the season. Happy GBBD and thanks again for hosting!
Just some frozen roses in my garden Carol, but soon the hellebores will start flowering. Happy BBD! Groetjes,
Hetty
I have one amaryllis reblooming. I got it in 2014 and it has bloomed several times but this is the first time it's reblooming for Christmas. I also have a hellebore that was blooming before the snow fell. It's not exactly buried in snow (yet) but you really can't see the flowers so I didn't mention it in my post.
Love your poinsettias and the cyclamen!
Love your Christmas bloom day blooms. I love poinsettias. I don't know if I realized how much until this year. However, I went traditional red. I love the pink and yellow ones. Have a great week Carol!~~Dee
Beautiful blooms, inside and out, Carol! I saw Crown of Thorns Euphorbia at the Milwaukee conservatory yesterday when I was visiting. It has a pretty little bloom, doesn't it? Happy Holidays! Thanks for hosting!
Hi Carol and all plant enthusiasts! It is hard to find a bloom outdoors these days but the chance find is worth it. Way to go! Your indoor plants are fun too. We are glad to have these too! Happy holidays!
You've reminded me I didn't include a photo of the beautiful Amaryllis blooms in my living room. Oh well. Happy Holidays Carol!
That red and white poinsettia is splashy! (Pun intended.) As always, thanks for hosting, Carol. Your monthly meme has created the best record I could have of what's blooming when in my garden.
The pink and white Poinsettias remind me of candy canes. We've got a wide variety for sale here too. This is the first year I've been tempted to buy one, because of all the variety, but my kitty is a plant chewer/eater/destroyer, and I don't want to risk it.
Hi Carol, some hellebores, cyclamen, and snowdrops in my garden are producing buds, but no flowers so far. So, today I bought some hellebores and put them in pots on my terrace. Now, I can enjoy some blooms whenever I look outside my kitchen window.
Happy Garden Blogger´s Bloom Day!
Lisa
Thanks for hosting and accepting the fine foliage of Hypericums for a blooming post! xo
I love cyclamen as a Christmas plant…and here they can be out in the garden and on the porch brightening things up. Then planted out for future years although they never again bloom in time for Christmas.
Carol, I'm a bit envious of anyone who has outdoor blooms at this time of year. I gave up on poinsettia years go, but am enjoying my holiday cyclamen plants. Happy Holidays! -Jean
Hi Carol, I should have posted a pot of Cyclamen hederifolium on my blog. They do make lovely, trouble-free house plant, though they are about to break the pot from expansion. I would never have guessed that camellias would be one of my reliable winter flowers. I used to keep them in pots in the basement. Even if the flowers get blasted off it's worth it the first time you go out in December and see one in flower. — John