Well, it was nice while it lasted. The end of our tropical "winter" came about ten days ago when our nighttime temperatures dipped into the low 20s F for two consecutive nights. That put paid to nearly all the blooms in my garden and left a lot of blackened and mushy plants to be pruned back and made neat in anticipation of spring. At such a time, we'll take color wherever we can find it.
We find it in the indoor garden. Amaryllises gladden our hearts with their frilly blossoms - with the promise of more to come.
As are their cousins, the pansies.
Then, of course, there is the reliable old Carolina jessamine for which the butterflies of January are extremely grateful.
By the goldfish pond, the pink flamingoes do their bit to provide color to the garden.
Last but not least, my bottletree blooms on in spite of everything and the Texas sage behind it retains it gray-green foliage.
Even though the predominant color of the garden this month is brown verging on black, I celebrate the brighter colors wherever they exist.
Happy Bloom Day and thank you for visiting my decimated January garden. Thank you, Carol of May Dreams Gardens, for hosting this monthly meme.
We find it in the indoor garden. Amaryllises gladden our hearts with their frilly blossoms - with the promise of more to come.
Outside, violas are undaunted by cold weather.
As are their cousins, the pansies.
Then, of course, there is the reliable old Carolina jessamine for which the butterflies of January are extremely grateful.
By the goldfish pond, the pink flamingoes do their bit to provide color to the garden.
Last but not least, my bottletree blooms on in spite of everything and the Texas sage behind it retains it gray-green foliage.
Even though the predominant color of the garden this month is brown verging on black, I celebrate the brighter colors wherever they exist.
Happy Bloom Day and thank you for visiting my decimated January garden. Thank you, Carol of May Dreams Gardens, for hosting this monthly meme.
Still the violas and the pansies bloom! :-)
ReplyDeleteThey are indefatigable!
DeleteLove the Amaryllis!
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful week!
Thank goodness for amaryllises to brighten our gray January days.
DeleteI love your Carolina jessamine and of course, the ever-blooming bottle tree! Happy Bloom Day!
ReplyDeleteCarolina jessamine is my go-to January plant, a dependable bloomer regardless.
DeleteYou must be some where outside of Houston for it to get so cold. Hill country?
ReplyDeleteWe're abut 30 miles northwest of downtown Houston, in bright-red Montgomery County! But still zone 9a. It got into the low 20s though even in southern Harris County during our recent "winter."
DeleteThanks. I went and looked up Magnolia on a map and now can visualize your answer. My son's family is in Sugar Land but it does not get that cold there, maybe because farther south and nearer the Gulf?
DeleteYes, those 50 or so miles do make a difference.
DeleteI love your bottle tree, it adds so much colour. I must go and check my amarylis, which is lurking in the greenhouse since last year!
ReplyDeleteNo greenhouse here so mine typically lurk in my bathrooms or on my kitchen window sill, but they do make January a much cheerier month.
DeleteAh, Carolina jessamine, another plant (along with camillas and crepe myrtle) I wish could be made hardy enough to grow in upstate New York. Brrr, I feel for you! (It got down to 17 here today btw and, needless to say, nothing is blooming!)
ReplyDeleteAnd this week our temperatures are back in the 70s! Such is winter in Southeast Texas.
DeleteLove your bottle tree! And so nice to see the violas blooming. We're in the middle of a warmer than usual January, but one gray, gloomy day after another. I'd rather have cold and snow with some sunshine:)
ReplyDeleteSunshine always seems to make nasty days easier to bear. Most of our days, too, have been gray and gloomy and humid with intermittent rain and temperatures in the 70s. Perhaps my surviving plants are enjoying it.
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