Camelia japonica in the Snow

Well Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day was particularly cold and wintry in Frederick.  Not a whole lot going on outside but I was busy getting my seed exchange order in with the North American Rock Garden Society.  By the end of the day even the Camellia was looking more distressed.  So my better half brought some buds into the house where they have opened up very nicely.

Camellia japonica centerpiece

Outside there were just a few spots of color.  The Cascade Wallflower continued bravely on through the snow.

Cascade wallflower (Eriysimum arenicola)

Everyone should grow this plant if they want to have flowers year-round.

The first of the Hellebores (niger) is putting buds out but still no flowers.

First Hellebore buds

And back by the greenhouse, in the alpine bed, the Lithodora continues to show blue flowers.

Lithrodora ‘Heavenly Blue’

In the greenhouse itself the Oxalis are still in bloom but they don’t open on a cloudy day.  I did go out with sunshine this morning and found another of the Moraeas flowering.

Moraea polystacha

They don’t last long but they keep flowering in succession.

The Daubyena, on the other hand, lasts for 3-4 weeks.

Daubyena stylosa

And the second of the early Narcissus is coming into bloom.

Narcissus cantabricus ‘Peppermint’

You can see the additional buds coming.  These usually end up in the house when they are fully open.

All I can say is thank goodness for the greenhouse when the winter presses in.  Let me close with one of those plants that contributes to the outside landscape even without flowers.

Vitaliana primuliflora

This little alpine shares it’s red and green foliage through the wintertime and then delivers wonderful yellow flowers in April.  Who could ask for more?