Bloom day December!
This was going to be a challenge to find anything blooming outside but I managed to find something, the Camellia Spring's Promise. This one blossom is trying to open but I can see a couple more about to start. It's too early for the Witch Hazels but it looks like it will be a good year for those so perhaps I'll have something for January's Bloggers Bloom Day. All the rest are indoors.
Camellia 'Spring's Promise' a hardy and very reliable bloomer.
Our Christmas cactus bloomed early and is nearly spent. The last of the flowers are pretty much in the droopy stage.
I'm happy to write that the Singapore Plumeria (frangipani) is still blooming though there are only a few buds left. This tree was very happy this year, blooming outside on our deck from early summer and indoors since we brought it in in October.
Fragile and delicate looking flowers of a Begonia my wife rescued before the first frost. The plant is starting to look very gangly and the flowers which were a red are becoming lighter and lighter, the red becoming pink fading to white.
The biggest jade plant we have which is about three years old has bloomed for the first time this year. The flowering is almost at an end but there are still a few stragglers.
The first flower of a Dendrobium orchid to bloom. There are many more buds on the plant so we can expect a good show later this winter.
Not a flower picture but the morning sun glistening through the ice encased branches of the bald cypress and service berries.
Camellia 'Spring's Promise' a hardy and very reliable bloomer.
Our Christmas cactus bloomed early and is nearly spent. The last of the flowers are pretty much in the droopy stage.
I'm happy to write that the Singapore Plumeria (frangipani) is still blooming though there are only a few buds left. This tree was very happy this year, blooming outside on our deck from early summer and indoors since we brought it in in October.
Fragile and delicate looking flowers of a Begonia my wife rescued before the first frost. The plant is starting to look very gangly and the flowers which were a red are becoming lighter and lighter, the red becoming pink fading to white.
The biggest jade plant we have which is about three years old has bloomed for the first time this year. The flowering is almost at an end but there are still a few stragglers.
The first flower of a Dendrobium orchid to bloom. There are many more buds on the plant so we can expect a good show later this winter.
Not a flower picture but the morning sun glistening through the ice encased branches of the bald cypress and service berries.
posted by Ki at
5:47 PM
14 Comments:
Wow... that's some great photography, Ki. I never would have guessed that an almost-spent Christmas cactus bloom would look so beautiful close up.
The ice is gorgeous, too, but I hope that it didn't bring too much destruction with it.
Lovely blooms for GBBD Ki, and such great pics too. Love that Camellia and the frangipani looks great too. I put most of my tender plants outside in the garden in spring and ppo them back in my conservatory or greenhouse when the first frosts threaten and I've found the plants thrive that way.
It seems that many garden bloggers managed to find something blooming outside for December Bloom Day, but your camellia has to be one of the best.
Love the lighting effects on the indoor plants - very attractive photos! Was that all natural light?
that pic of the dendrobium orchid is so precious.
Hi Kim,
Thanks. We have a drooping type of Christmas cactus so it would have been difficult to get a good picture of the whole plant so I opted for a photo of the single flower.
I just happened to look out of our bedroom window, saw the beautiful glistening ice on the trees in the morning light and took the picture through the window. The ice was fortunately not a problem for us like those unfortunate people in the lower mid-west. Thanks for your comments.
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Hi Yolanda Elizabet,
You are lucky to have a conservatory/greenhouse. Our mostly unused breakfast nook just in front of the back sliding doors functions as our conservatory during the winter :) The space is small and gets cluttered with plants but that's good in a way because it limits the number of potted plants we can have. I have found out too that summering the plants outdoors does them a world of good.
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Hi Entangled,
The Camellia is having a difficult time but the plant is full of buds which will open whenever the temperature warms up a bit for a few consecutive days. That prolongs the blooming season which could last until March.
thanks. The photos were all taken under natural light. I took some pictures of the jade plant with flash because it was in the front of the house away from the sunny side but the flowers were all washed out because the flash did not throttle down. I had to shoot with available light trying to hold as steady as I could during the long exposure. I typically turn off the flash because I find the pictures to be too harsh with it on.
I used the extra lens method of macro photography in all the photos except for the ice scene and of the camellia.
Hello, They Say Words Can Bleed,
The color of the orchid is actually much darker than in the photo. The back lighting was interesting so I chose it instead of the light usually coming from the front. The orchid resides in our bathroom where it can benefit from the humidity of baths and showers and add a bit of beauty and serenity.
I don't think I have ever seen a Jade Plant in bloom. It is really pretty. Your orchid is a gorgeous colour - very pretty.
The Plumeria must have a wonderful scent.
I am amazed that the Camellia is blooming outdoors. The Begonia flowers are a lovely colour. You have a fair bit blooming in your life these days!!
Hi Kate,
The flowers are a definite pick-me-up in these cold, windy and barren months. The Plumeria does have a wonderful scent but it goes mostly unnoticed since our noses have become habituated to it's smell. Sometimes when you come in from the outdoors you can get a very strong scent from the flowers. The best kind of surprise especially when you are in a automaton mode. The Camellia is toughing it out in the wind and cold. We had gusts that must have approached 50mph but that must not seem like much living in the plains. Thanks for your comments.
I have never seen a jade plant blooming! Thanks for sharing.
Hi Bonnie,
Thanks for stopping by! This was the first time this plant bloomed. I've seen jades bloom a few times before but it was usually on very large and old plants. Glad to share the photos.
I've just seen another plumeria on another blog and I can't help but get green with envy. I'm going to have to hunt one done.
Hi Mr. Brown Thumb,
My brother-in-law and his wife were here for the Thanksgiving holiday from NM. They were so impressed with the tree, I cut a couple of lower branches and gave it to them to take back to plant and in a matter of 3 weeks one of the bare branches has already started to leaf out...pretty amazing plant. I would send you a branch but I don't think it would survive the cold.
Hello Ki,
Just wanted to drop by and wish you Happy Holidays. Best to you and your family.
Wow you were lucky to find anything blooming. The weather has just been too harsh here. Camellias won't grow outside in CT. The Plumeria photo is wonderful. I find it to be a very photogenic genus.
Hi Chris,
Thank you for the Holiday Greetings and best wishes to you and your family as well!
I was walking the dog this morning and saw a flower on a forsythia trying to open! Is this a sign of an early spring? The camellia was the only thing blooming in our yard for this month but I see many buds on the witch hazels so I hope there will be some blossoms in January.
Thanks for stopping by and hope to see many more inspiring photos from you in the coming year.
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