Ornamental Kale
Look at what is “blooming” in our garden!
We are just past the Winter Solstice, and the coldest weeks of winter stretch before us. Our days may be growing almost imperceptibly longer, but frigid Arctic air sweeps across the country, dipping down to bring frosty days and nights well to our south.
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Shelf fungus
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Our garden looks a very different place at the moment, mostly withered and brown. But even now, we enjoy bright spots of color and healthy green leaves.
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Some we planned for, some are a gift of nature.
All are infinitely appreciated and enjoyed!
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Ornamental kale with Violas and dusty miller
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We garden in Zone 7b, here in coastal Virginia. We are just a little too far north and a little too far inland to enjoy the balmy 8a of Virginia Beach and Carolina’s Outer Banks. We will have nights in the teens and days which never go above freezing… likely later this week!
But there are still many plants which not only survive our winters, but will grow and bloom right through them!
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Camellia, “Jingle Bells” begins blooming in mid-December each year, just in time to bloom for Christmas.
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I saw the first scape of Hellebore rising above its crown of leaves yesterday, topped with a cluster of tight little buds. Our Hellebores will open their first buds later this month.
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Hellebore with a new leaf emerging. Bloom scapes have emerged on some plants in the garden.
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Snowdrops are also poking above the soil line now in several pots. Snowdrops, named for their ability to grow right up through the snow as they come into bloom, open the season of “spring” bulbs for us each year.
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Camellias and Violas remain in bloom, and our Mahonia shrubs have crowned themselves in golden flowers, just beginning to open.
There are several other shrubs which will bloom here in January and February. Witch hazel, Hamamelis virginiana, is on my wishlist, and I hope to add it to our garden this season.
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Mahonia
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Our Forsythia are covered in tight yellow buds, ready to open in February. Our Edgeworthia chrysantha has tight silvery white buds dangling from every tiny branch.
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Edgeworthia
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They look like white wrapped Hershey’s kisses, or tiny ornaments left from Christmas. These will open in early March into large, fragrant flowers before the shrub’s leaves appear.
Although many of our garden plants are hibernating under ground, or are just enduring these weeks of cold until warmth wakes them up to fresh growth, we have a few hardy souls who take the weather in their stride.
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This is their time to shine.
Photos by Woodland Gnome 2014-2015
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Male pollen bearing “flowers” have appeared on our native Hazel nut trees. We will enjoy their beauty for the next several months.
Forest Garden 
Your kale and camellias are beautiful! I had to look up Edgeworthia as it was new to me. Zone 7b – ah, that’s why. What an amazing flowering habit. Is yours yellow or orange?
Ours is yellow, Eliza. It as new to me, too, until introduced by a friend spring of 2012. A very odd looking shrub all winter, but it is gloriously fragrant and flamboyant in early spring. We are loving the kale. There are several more I photographed today. Each is different, and they certainly brighten things up! We will be at 13 tomorrow night. I’m sure you are far colder, though, and I hope you and yours are doing OK through the freeze. Warm thoughts to you, WG
Thanks, yes, we will be fine enough. But I worry about the birds when it gets this cold, even though I know they are adapted to it. Lordy, is it cold! I am so grateful we have a wood stove!
Wood stove heat is the best! I love a fire in winter, but the fireplace here was converted before we moved in. Lots of gulls in the marshes here, but not a heron or eagle to be found. I think ours have moved further south. Hope yours have found somewhere to wait it out and survive! This too, will pass 😉 WG
Yep, it always does! C’mon sun! 😉