Just a girl with a hammer

Garden bloggers’ bloom day January 2014

Written by

Heather

in

“Thank goodness for Mahonia” edition.

I don’t have a lot blooming right now but my Mahonia ‘Arthur Menzies’ is putting in overtime, making sure that every hummingbird in the neighborhood has a food source to fight over. I love this shrub and it’s been blooming for over a month now.

My Mahonia ‘Charity’ hasn’t bloomed and doesn’t look inclined to, but a recently acquired Mahonia ‘Underway’ is just starting to bloom.

Just one hellebore has started blooming . . . the others are almost there.

Helleborus x ballardiae ‘Cinnamon Snow’

While I don’t have a ton blooming right now, I couldn’t be more delighted. Every day that goes by means more sunlight and every month will bring more and more blooms! How lucky are we?

Happy bloom day and thank you Carol of May Dream Gardens for hosting!

Comments

  1. Loree Avatar
    Loree

    Last night I realized it was still light at 4:45…yay! (about that witchhazel, buy it!)

    Reply
  2. linda coombs Avatar
    linda coombs

    Now I wish I'd bought 'underway'

    Reply
  3. Markngaz Avatar
    Markngaz

    That mahonia is just a taster of things to come 🙂

    Reply
  4. Ricki Grady Avatar
    Ricki Grady

    Ack! Here I go, complaining about 'Arthur Menzies' again. Once more, the trusses fattened then blackened in the cold. Oh well…I claim to not be about flowers and the shrub is very pretty without them.

    Reply
  5. gail Avatar
    gail

    Love Mahonia and have one that was gorgeous for a year then declined. It might be the crippling heat and humidity, but they are wonderful plants and the bees love them so.

    Reply
  6. Denise Ginger Avatar
    Denise Ginger

    It's been eons since I killed my last mahonia, so it might be time to try again. Amazing how many great yellow-flowered shrubs there are for January, what with the mahonias and acacias and whatnot.

    Reply
  7. Heather Avatar
    Heather

    Oh no! You better make him walk the plank for that one. (I am the worst.)

    Reply
  8. Kris Peterson Avatar
    Kris Peterson

    For some reason, I rarely see Mahonias in nurseries here, even though some are suitable to our area. Maybe I have to explore mail order…

    Reply
  9. Renee Pasman Avatar
    Renee Pasman

    Those are some gorgeous flowers, and I'm sure the hummingbirds thank you!

    Reply
  10. Heather Avatar
    Heather

    They seem to thank me by dive bombing me every time I get near the mahonia. 🙂 I've gotten the message loud and clear that I am just renting it from them!

    Reply
  11. Heather Avatar
    Heather

    Most of mine are still in the bud phase but that Cinnamon Snow starts blooming December.

    Reply
  12. Heather Avatar
    Heather

    I really love them. Good thing, I have amassed five different kinds somehow!

    Reply
  13. Heather Avatar
    Heather

    Have you watched Carol Klein's Life in an English Cottage? She shows how to crossbreed hellebores and I really want to try it. We've probably got a thousand different cultivars between all the garden bloggers.

    Reply
  14. Heather Avatar
    Heather

    It never gets old, killing shrubs. 😉

    Reply
  15. Heather Avatar
    Heather

    Oh, that's too bad! We're very lucky here, we have almost no humidity in the summer.

    Reply
  16. Heather Avatar
    Heather

    That's crazy that yours blackens! We got down to six degrees here and I was so worried that mine would follow suit. Is it the snow that rots them?

    Reply
  17. Heather Avatar
    Heather

    I'm so excited for spring!

    Reply
  18. Heather Avatar
    Heather

    I just watched how Carol Klein propagates mahonia and I really want to try it . . . too bad I almost killed Underway while it was still in a pot and tucked too far under the eaves. It only has two branches left 🙁

    Reply
  19. Heather Avatar
    Heather

    They thank their stars and dive bomb me!

    Reply
  20. Jenni @ RainyDayGardener Avatar
    Jenni @ RainyDayGardener

    I would love to try it also! I need to watch this.

    Reply
  21. Heather Avatar
    Heather

    The whole series in on YouTube and it's woooonderful.

    Reply
  22. Kathryn Avatar
    Kathryn

    I'm envious of your blooms! My hellebores won't bloom (if all – it's my first year with them so we'll see) for another month or two.

    Reply
  23. Heather Avatar
    Heather

    I planted a whole bunch of hellebore starts this fall and I don't think any of them are going to bloom. I'm hoping that next winter will be an extravaganza! Waiting is so hard.

    Reply
  24. Jane / MulchMaid Avatar
    Jane / MulchMaid

    I don't have any blooming mahonia, and I'm feeling bereft. 'Arthur Menzies' is intense and wonderful!

    Reply
  25. Heather Avatar
    Heather

    It would be such a good compromise plant for you and the mulchman!

    Reply
  26. Jason Avatar
    Jason

    I like those Hellebores. I just planted my first Hellebores last fall and I'm hoping I see some blooms in March (or April).

    Reply
  27. Clever Girl Reviews Avatar
    Clever Girl Reviews

    I'm loving your blog! It's making me so homesick for Portland. I think I might have a break down soon and start "putting a bird" on everything! You're blog is helping me to avoid that potentially embarrassing situation!
    http://www.clevergirlreviews.com

    Reply

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