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We have an Iris blooming in the garden today. It stood up to heavy rain yesterday, and there are more buds to open over the next few days.
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Our Prostrate Rosemary bloomed for Christmas day, too. It is the first time this plant has bloomed for us, and we love its soft blue blossoms.
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The Violas and ornamental cabbages are still vibrant, loving these moist warm days.
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The Vinca must think it’s already spring. Tiny blue flowers are opening all over the garden.
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And the first of the Hellebores buds have begun to appear. These may be true winter flowers, but have debuted weeks earlier than last year.
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Things have slowed down slightly from the few bits of cool weather we’ve had in December, but our garden continues its unfolding.
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Arum italicum just beginning growth in a new bed.
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Forest Garden 
Unbelievable weather, isn’t it? You have many more plants blooming there in Virginia than we do here in Georgia even though it’s our warmest and wettest December on record.
We plant for 4 seasons of bloom, but it seems like they are all blooming at once! I haven’t posted a photo of our Black Eyed Susan in bloom, but a seedling, which grew all summer, began blooming in mid-December. Records are breaking everywhere across the US, it seems. Have you also had a lot of rain?
Yes, we are absolutely waterlogged. A foot and a half of rain over our normal yearly amount, and it’s still raining. Apparently, it’s also unseasonably warm in Britain, and a blogger from Norway posted a photo yesterday of himself outside and no snow even there.
This climate change is occurring much faster than was forecast. Did you see the 2004 film, ‘The Day After Tomorrow’? Our ground is mud here, too; and there is rain in our forecast every day for the next several. But I’m grateful there is no drought. I certainly hope the winds affecting TX and OK are diffused before they come farther east. Stay safe ❤
No, I haven’t seen the film. Will have to check it out. You stay safe, too, my friend!
The off-season flowers this year are astonishing. Rosemary is a traditional Christmas plant in the Mediterranean. Do you know its story? Spanish legend says the shrub sheltered Mary on the flight to Egypt. Other legends tell about Mary drying her laundry on the rosemary plant on her return home from Bethlehem. It is thus that the plant was given both fragrance and blue flowers.
What lovely legends! just found another Iris sending up a stalk of blooms. These re-bloomers are truly amazing! I just toured the lower garden and found Daffie leaves about 8″ tall in spots. I know we won’t get off this easily, and can only wonder what the next 3 months will bring. Nearly 80 here today- Our weather ‘records’ fall almost daily now….
Incredible weather this Dec. We return to reality tomorrow. Our first storm hits tomorrow night thru Tues.night. Snow, sleet, freezing rain and then rain, in that order. Ugh. I’m staying home Tues. Cancel my appts!
Eliza, sorry to hear you have freezing weather coming. Glad you can stay home. Please keep warm and dry. Is everything still dormant in your garden? ❤
Yes, fingers crossed. But in the valley today I saw bud casings on the ground from a red maple…NOT good.
Not good at all….. Let’s hope we don’t have a roller coaster winter. And so many of our fruit trees need their ‘chilling hours’ to produce a crop…..
Scary stuff. Your hellebores look really healthy. The forecasts are starting to show falling temperatures in the UK now, it’s not good news for all the tender young shoots that are emerging all over.
The photo on our ‘Bing’ start page shows a town in England blanketed in snow. I’ve been wondering whether it is a stock photo or if more normal weather has found parts of western Europe. Did you see the seedlings in the next to last photo? Yes, the Hellebores are coming along. The ones in the first photo lived in that pot all summer. The second ones are transplanted ‘seedlings’ which are blooming for the first time. Can’t wait to see their flowers! Merry Christmas to you and yours! ❤ WG
It must be a stock photo. There is no snow here at the moment, even in the north of England where unfortunately there is copious rain and severe flooding.
Your seedlings are doing really well. I have some too which I had hoped would be of flowering size this year. Exciting isn’t it!
It is 😉 We saw the flooding covered earlier on the news. So sorry for those affected. Strange weather in so many places this week. We are very grateful it is peaceful here; even though unusually warm. Not even snow in Scotland?
Only on the hills. The flooding is getting worse. We’ve had one ‘named’ storm a week for the last five and the next due on Wednesday.
And this is all ‘natural,’ right? Hope you manage to stay dry and weather the storms as they come ❤