Thought we might try this for the new year. Just one thread for all our great pictures.

You have geraniums blooming? Outdoors? It is a beautiful plant.

No, geraniums are long gone, the picture is this Anemone Fantasy™ ‘Pocahontas’ and bloomed in October. I do have some geraniums in the greenhouse that are blooming!

Me too. But they are in the dark so the growth is pretty washed out. Come spring I will cut them back and set them in the sun to grow. I got tired of shelling out $5-7 for a little 4" pot of geraniums - usually several little pots. And I now know how to do cuttings so my geraniums have increased immensely.

It does help.

I have to remember to get my begonia bulbs out first of Feb. They have been trying to grow all winter in the crawlspace. If I want flowers by July or so, they need to get an early start. Learned that from our local nursery. May just haul out the geraniums in pots also.

I planted dragon wing begonia seed in the greenhouse yesterday and will pot up the tuberous begonias today, just have 3.
Mary do you have snow?

OH yes. Not very deep though. There is still time for a couple of big dumps though. I bet we don't have a foot even. Enough to protect the perennials though. And my garlic planted last fall.

With your cold temperatures I bet you are happy to have a blanket over you garden.

"Blanket on the garden??" I have blankets all over ME!! Our house is well insulated but we have lots of windows (new ones with good R factor) but sometimes when it gets in the 20's or lower and the wind is blowing I just can't get warm. I wear a shirt, a vest, a long sleeved polar fleece and then a corduroy shirt-jacket --- all in the house sometimes. But I hate to turn up the thermostat to heat the entire house when I am in only one room. Hubby would have a fit. But if I can't stay warm that way, I go to the "library" room and turn on the natural gas fireplace. It has blowers that push the heat into the room and a ceiling fan that pushes heat down from the vaulted ceiling. And we have a small house - 1900 sf ranch.

But summer is coming. We are around the bend into mid-January so I have hope in my heart, if not a song.

Oh I was thinking of snow on your garden as a blanket. We have many windows in the house as well but our cold snaps only last a week or so then back to the 40's.

For sure the snow is a nice blanket protecting the plants; just not much of one this year.

Picked this out at Ace hardware today.

Just a bit of a bright spot until warmer days are here. Interesting color, just caught my eye.

Had a dentist appt. and had hoped to work in the yard afterwards both today and tomorrow (personal leave), but the flu bug hit instead. I hate sitting and sleeping so took a moment to snap a few photos. I really wanted to do yard clean up, but don't have the energy. Spring has slipped in early for sure. Haven't done anything in the yard since Sep. but with perennials they take care of themselves. Here are a few of the blooms. Heathers first. The pinks have been blooming for quite a while and the whites are coming into their time. I also have summer bloomers in the front yard between the winter bloomers.
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The back yard has snowdrops and some early blooming hellebores, although most are just budding.

There is also the pigsqueak and lawn violets, just a reminder it has been warmer than usual.

Jewell,

Sorry you don't feel good. The flu I hear is terrible this year. Fingers crossed I have not been sick this winter! Hope I didn't jinx it. Love the hellebore, snow drops, and pig squeak. You garden is a bit ahead of mine. Great to see signs of spring.

Julia, what was the name of the flower you posted. I love the color. As you said kind of unusual. I am still firmly in the arms of the snow gods up here. I tried again last fall and planted one hellebore. I love them and while the nurseries won't bring them in here as they don't grow well here (if at all). I am determined to find a spot. I had some for a year or so and then they died. I think they didn't get enough sun here being planted in deep shade. Our sun is very cool so there isn't much that won't flourish even in 'full' sun. I planted one further down the fence where it would get a few hours of direct quite warm summer sun, but fairly cool spring sun. They should be finished by the time it warms up very much. Astilbe, Solomon's seal, columbine, Goat's beard all grow in that bed. Oh, also some meconopsis.

Mary, it's a primrose, Danessa apricot w/rose eye printed on the label.

You will be surprised at how much sun a hellebore will take. You may want to plant out in fill sun. I have some in afternoon sun and they thrive. The pest place for them, at least here in Washington, is under a deciduous canopy were they get winter sun and dappled shade in the heat of summer. Since you have no sun in the winter months not sure how it would work in Alaska. .

shots from today.

Winter Jewels white pearl


The hellebore bed








Edgeworthia

OH Julia. Your flowers are gorgeous. I am soooooo envious. Sun in winter isn't the problem. It is getting it through a foot of snow to the plants. I love that white hellebore. Gorgeous.

If you move to Washington you could grow all of these, well on the west side of the state.