Tag: pansies

Five for Friday 6 January 2023

#Vestavia #VHMensgarden

Here in the American South, I have had time to assess the damage from the Christmas freeze.  It is significant but there are definitely signs of hope.

The herbaceous annuals and perennials are showing signs of recovery.  The shrubs have a lot of leaf damage but the horticulture folks tell us to wait until spring growth before pruning.  That makes a lot of sense.  The hope is that we will still have the beautiful spring flowering from the azaleas.  The camellias are expected to bloom soon.  We shall see.  Short range, the weather looks favorable for plant growth.

Today, I am showing some before and after photos.

First,  these are holly ferns.  Fingers crossed here since they are favorites.

Second,  these are lenten roses.  A lot of damage but it looks recoverable.

Third, these are pansies.  They had been off to a good start but this is a significant set back.

Fourth, these are poppies.   I thought they were goners but maybe not so fast.

Fifth, these are the rudbeckia.  Once more, there is a glimmer of hope.

Finally, these are Shasta daisies.

There is hope.  There are buds on the camellias, the daffodils are rising and a cut through an azalea branch still shows the green cambium of growth.

Please join the Six on Saturday group hosted by Jim Stephens  Six on Saturday.

Happy Gardening.

Dec 26 Stroll through Birmingham Botanical Gardens

It is that beautiful weather that teases us in winter. The temp is in the 70’s and the sun is shining. It is temporary but so wonderful. Today we strolled through the BBG and found bloomers and buds to enjoy. All these could be found in yards in Central Alabama.

This is a Hellebore commonly called Lenten rose. This one is called Joseph Lemper. It loves shade and goes well near ferns. This is about the time of year to see the Hellebores blooming.
This pink camellia is just perfect. I couldn’t find a tag with its name. This is a cultivar of Camellia japonicus which graces us in January and February. They seem to do best in light shade or with morning sun.
This is an eye catching snapdragon. Many people are unaware that if you plant them in fall you will get some winter blooming. Then by spring it will be multistemmed and bloom abundantly until July.
This small fern like plant was doing very well in a large container. I think it may be a button fern. It also prefers some shade and will do well in a container as a “filler”.
Another beautiful hellebore in a variety called Ice and Roses Red.
This plain faced yellow pansy lit up the little garden where I found it.