Welcome to Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day for December 2019.
Here in my USDA Zone 6A garden in central Indiana, I’m leading off with the highlight of the garden. The Christmas Rose is in bloom!
Helleborus niger usually starts blooming in late November and then the blooms hang on through January. They survive frosts, snows, ice, really anything winter wants to throw at them.
I have several varieties that I’ve planted, including ‘Potter’s Wheel’, ‘Josef Lemper’, and ‘Cinnamon Snow’. This is not ‘Cinnamon Snow’, so it is one of the other two, but I don’t know which one.
Elsewhere, since it is the Christmas season, I’ve surrounded myself with some indoor flowers.
I will admit I bought these paperwhites already in bloom because on Friday, I was a special guest for some news segments on Christmas plant care, and they filmed them in my sunroom.
I needed some blooming plants!
This is the dreaded ‘Ziva’ that my friend and podcast co-host Dee says no one should let anyone buy because of the strong scent. But as soon as Shannon, who does these gardening segments for Great Day TV with Patty Spitler on WISH-TV on Saturday mornings at 10:00 am, walked into my sunroom, she exclaimed about how much she loved that smell. To each her own!
(I will maybe-possibly-depending-on-how-they-turn-out post links to those segments which will be shown the Saturdays before and after Christmas.)
I also bought some red poinsettias.
My big advice on those is don’t let them sit in water. Take off that foil liner when you water, and let the water drain out of the pot before putting it back on. And toss the poinsettias when they lose their pretty bracts.
Other blooms?
The kalanchoe is blooming.
But it didn’t get included in the TV segment. I hope it doesn’t sulk about being in the background like that.
And the amaryllis, which we discussed at some length on those segments, did not cooperate with any blooms.
Just buds!
We also talked about the Christmas cactus, but they barely had any flowers on them yesterday and most have fallen off today. I guess they hung on just long enough to be on TV.
And we talked about waxed amaryllis bulbs. All the cool gardeners are trying them this year.
These are intended to be gifts given on Christmas Day so they need to slow down a bit. To make it more probable that they do not grow too much more for a few weeks, I’ve put them in a cool closed up room without much light. I’ll check them every day or so just to be sure.
And that’s bloom day here at May Dreams Gardens!
What’s blooming in your garden, or sunroom, or sunny window, in mid-December. Join us for Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day and show us. It’s easy to participate. Just post on your blog about your blooms, then come back here and leave a link to your post in the Mr. Linky widget and a comment to tell us what you have for us!
And always remember, “We can have flowers nearly every month of the year.” ~ Elizabeth Lawrence
You have so many wonderful blooms going on Carol and congratulations on your news segment…Very exciting! Helleborus aren’t blooming here yet but there are some late autumn views and the first snow to see in the garden. Happy Bloom day!
Hi Carol! The Hellebores in bloom is such a surprise with snow and cold. I wonder if wind is the only mechanism for pollination with insects dormant?? Hellebores here in South Dakota blooms in March and sometimes is in bloom at Easter with lingering snow accents. You found many blooms of beauty for this season!
You'll have to post on how those waxed Amaryllis do. They seemed a perfect gift for my non-gardening friends but the reviews I read on their blooms put me off. The Amaryllis in my lath house are the stars of my December post but I have other things blooming here and there. Life in Southern California has its advantages.
Hi Carol, I'm surprised to see your Hellebore in bloom, ours are still very much in bud. But the camellias are providing our winter delights. Several different sorts in bloom right now.
I hear you re the dreaded Ziva paperwhites – I actually mentioned them on my post. By the way, I do keep poinsettias after they lose their color – I just can't let them go, although I have only been able to get them to rebloom a handful of times over the years. My kalanchoe haven't had blooms in months and I'm not sure why, but oh well. Thank you again for hosting GBBD on this bitterly windy late fall day.
I always so enjoy these mid-month garden tours! Thank you for doing this!
I love that bright kalanchoe.
Those waxed amaryllis are sure popular! So long as people understand they are a one time thing, since the roots are removed before waxing, and can't be planted later like the potted ones. Of course, how many people do that anyway! I guess it's the same as buying cut flowers for temporary color!
I don't have a blooming thing this December. Bah humbug. I do have a nice covering of snow today. Happy GBBD.
How exciting that you'e going to be on TV! I'm sure the segments will turn out great! I have Joseph Lemper in my garden, but I think I need to move him. He is not getting enough light where he currently resides. Why on earth are they covering Amaryllis bulbs in wax?!? What's up with that??
Beautiful blooms, Carol. And good advice about the poinsettias. P. x
Interesting blooms,always had dreams growing hellebores at my place but doubtful rather they will survive our hot climates ,idea of waxed Amaryllis lilies seems unique and interesting .Loved the color of Kalanchoe .Happy Garden bloggers blooms day.
I just cant get past those waxed Amaryllis as being a horrible gimmick. My personal hang-up I guess. Congrats on the TV time!