Joys of Winter

Pair of jays, very possessive blackbirds, blue and great tits occasional longtailed, robins, magpies and of course hundreds of gulls. Oh and also a heron and buzzards plus assorted raptors.

There's a beautiful jay visiting the garden - so shy for such a big bird. Yes, flowers are making a concerted effort to bloom. All very odd!

It has been a milder winter than the last two. Could still get cold again. February is often the coldest month. Time will tell.

My cammellias are in flower as are my roses and new leaves forming on them.the fuchsias still have flowers and the passion flower is covered with green leaves and flower buds! What is going on? This is on the Bristol channel coast.

My first spring flower just appeared. (not counting the wallflower that's just been going non stop since early autumn) a low growing, cream comfrey that the early bumble queens love. The rate things are going they'll be out there one day soon. Very very mild here today. jogging with vest top and thin trousers. It can't be january??!!

Butter YES! That is until it set over yonder islands. We are now into dusk-time. Bloshy cat is waiting on the doorstep. I must away to prepare his supper. Bye for now

I've also thought that the Joys of Winter thread has become rather quiet of late, and then this afternoon, lots of buzz and activity. Lovely. Do you all have sunshine?

I would like to see a 'sunshine' emoticon.

greenangel, my geraniums are still flowering, although looking slightly yellow around the edges as it's been so wet here recently. Thinking of bringing the best of them in to get them dried out and to let them have a rest. They must be exhausted, poor things!

Bagitha - like the idea of a Joys of Spring thread.

bagitha Thank goodness you're okay. I was beginning to worry. Have trawled through a host of forums and suddenly, here you are. Goody!

Gally, we still have geraniums budding and flowering! Considering you're right on the North Sea coast, I think you're doing very well!

Just checked my year book where I record such things, and the earliest we've had snowdrops here so far (in five Januaries) is 26 January (in 2009). In our Oxfordshire garden the earliest was 7 January. Does anyone else keep records for naturescalendar.org.uk?

Snowdrops doing well here in South Manchester, buds on the blue
berry bushes, and the fruit trees are showing signs of life.

Me too Butter A lane nearby will have banks of violets in the spring - my number one favourite wild flower.
Gally Annika Your gardens sound amazing. Here on the rugged west coast, we've had far too much torrential rain, wayward wind and salty sea spray. 'Though nature still manages to put on a marvellous show once calm is restored.
Annobel

Have you got snowdrops already, super? Lucky you! Ours haven't even popped their leaves up yet, though I have detected some daffodil leaves in the last week. Also wild iris leaves are beginning to show. Our garden is 'behaving' completely as I would expect it to behave in winter so I'm amazed at all the stories of unusual things in other people's gardens. I do live further north than most people (including supernana, by a little bit), and our garden iis on a north-east facing slope. Maybe we just live in an "odd pocket"! Mind you, we knew that already because plants only thirty metres down the hill from us flower a week or two earlier than ours do every year. I knew altitude made a difference, but it's really surprising how much difference it makes.

Guess we should start a joys of spring thread soon.

Beautiful super. I adore snowdrops.

super
As I write this I am looking out at 2 large 'bushes' of wall flowers which have been flowering non-stop since last spring; the lavender only stopped flowering just before Christmas and a fuschia planted in November, is still covered in flowers - this is the East of Scotland - what 's happening?

Winter hasn't touched our garden here yet here in the west midlands., we still have roses in bud and garden hardy fushias still have leaves on them by now the leaves should have all dropped off from the cold .

What lovely visual images, super. I specially like the alliterative 'razored rocks' - gives both sound and picture.

Snowdrops
Fragile yet strong
Nod their pearly heads
As if to say -
Look!
Here we are again.
Ancient trees
Cast to the ground
By vicious storm
Have spent their long-lived days
And rest in peace.
Purple heather
Clustered cushions
Embraced by crevices in
Razored rocks.
Tight buds
Keep their secret safe
And wait for Springtime's curtain-call.

Tee hee!

What does that prove? OLD OLD OLD!

.?lod?

I do have the latter, but hope not the former. Oh, of course, I'm too lod to have that, I suppose!

I've heard of dementia praecox but not rhododendron! My stupid cams are in full flower.(silly things)

The rhododendrons, camellias and azaleas in the garden are looking very glossy and perky.The camellias last year were looking very sick and yellow-leaved. Now, lots of buds and no yellow. I'm glad I took good advice and gave them a shot of ericaceous fertilizer. Unless there's a dramatic change in the weather, it won't be long before I see the flowers on rhododendron praecox.