Since last Summer I’ve been trying to get organised for each month’s GBBD or “Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day” and have failed every time. I’m not very organised, I blame it on work getting in the way and a reluctance to get up early on the day to take pictures – oh, and the weather.
Well this month is different, it might be February, in the middle of winter and just about the worst month that one could start with, but I finally made it outside and took pictures of the few brave plants that were in flower. It didn’t take long and I was still a bit late for work but it’s the effort that counts.
So, for winter-blasted February we have:
The classic snowdrops. Now these are on the verge of opening, but take my word for it that there are other clumps, which are a week or two more advanced, they’re just more difficult to take a picture of.
Then we have the Bergenia Cordifolia or the “Elephant Ears”, they always have a flowering period in the winter. Granted, these flowers aren’t huge, but the whole bed looks like a big leaf salad with cheery flashes of bright-pink as you move around.
Finally there is the Sarcococca Confusa or “Christmas Box” that has both flowers and berries on it at the moment. There haven’t been as many flowers on it this year and so I haven’t managed to smell it as much as I’ve wanted to, which is disappointing, but I have grabbed many of the berries, extracted the seeds and they’re now outside, scarifying and getting ready for planting in the Spring.
So there you have it; my first – if somewhat meagre, given it’s February in a small garden – contribution to the GBBD. Someone is probably going to comment that it doesn’t start until April and I’ve missed the boat (or am a few months too early) but never mind, it’s the flowers that count.
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