10th Jan flowers

[rgsp]

Most of these have opened since 1st Jan, although a few of them were then, but I didn't have acceptable photos of them.

Witch Hazel, nothing unusual, except they hate our dry conditions and alkaline soil, and this one is doing fairly well.


Prunus subhirtella autumnalis = winter flowering cherry. This was in flower before, but it's a sod to photograph as the branches are long and whippy and always on the move!


Honeysuckles are nothing unusual at this time of year, but this is a summer flowering variety that's made a dreadful mistake.


The snowdrops have come out a lot more since New Year, although the big clumps are still underground.


The winter flowering pansies have smartened up since New Year.


... and so have the Leycesteria Formosa flowers.

[rgsp]

More....

winter flowering jasmine: nothing exotic, but cheerful.


iris histriodes "George". I think these are a sub-species of I. Reticulata, and are notable because they come back reliably each year - as long as you plant them VERY deep (6 to 8 inches) and add lots of horti grit.


Iris Danfordii. These most often fail to grow in their second year, and this one is most unusual in that it has. They're cheap enough though, and worth growing as annuals.


Honesty .... honestly! It made a mistake.


I think I posted a piccie of this Helebore before, but it's come out more and perked up, so will stand repeating.


Yes well, I had to ask Mrs RGSP what the dickens it was...
Grevillia rosmarinifolia she informs me. It's supposed to be tender and acid loving, but survives cheerfully here in a coldish spot and alkaline soil. It has a few flowers on almost any day of the year.


These photos were more than slightly difficult to get, as anyone that has tried to get close-ups of hazel flowers will know..
I thought all of the little female flowers had red sea-anemone-like petals, but this one is whitish:


This is the normal sort of female flower, along with a few male catkins, though most of them are further open than these.

[stockslave]

Beautiful pics Rgsp Makes you think that spring isn't far away. I just hope we don't get a really cold snap now.

[Deleted]

Spring is certainly where you are RGSP - not sure about your 'pansies' though

[rgsp]

Jan 11, 2012 20:01:53 GMT Joyce said:

Spring is certainly where you are RGSP - not sure about your 'pansies' though

No, neither am I now you mention it. There were pansies there last month, but pots have been shuffled by mysterious agencies, probably the dog. Actually, in our conditions we've almost given up on winter flowering pansies: they do flower all winter, but they also look miserable all winter, whereas some strains of primula look cheerful even when partly under snow.