It helps to be in the privacy of your own yard.

LOL, perhaps that is it. I have been thinking of ordering it for a while -- I just read in A Southern Garden that it helps to bring the blooms inside, for warmth.

I've read that too but haven't ever tried it. They're so pretty outside and my plants still young enough that I haven't had the heart to cut them. Now that they're established I'm getting more blooms, so maybe I'll try it this year. I bought my first one about 5 years ago, from Montrose, after reading Elizabeth Lawrence's descriptions. 'Walter Butt' is my only named variety, the rest are just labeled as to where they were located in the garden at Montrose. I'd love to find the form 'Mary Barnard'. I also grow the related Iris lazica, which blooms in the spring, likes a little shade, and is supposed to be easier to grow. It's thriving now, after a rough first winter when the deer kept jerking it out of the ground. I haven't had any particular problems with the unguicularis either, though they have grown more slowly.

Have you ever smelled the bubble gum fragrance of the Pinellia cordata inflorescence? That one's a real back-breaker.

No, in fact I had to look it up. :) It doesn't look like something that would be fragrant does it?

We used to go to a horse show at the Walthour Moss Foundation in March (the show has since been moved to a different location), when the trailing arbutus was blooming. It's the only location I've ever seen it and it's all over the place there. For that you have to just get down on the ground -- but it's worth it. A wonderful fragrance!

unfortunately, nothing other than some scant violas. but, i have 1 cyclamen coum budded nicely and my earliest hellebore x is showing some really pretty purple. did some raking, trimming and general maintenance today. it felt nice to be out! :)

alicia and karen- i've got a mental pix now of the 2 of you head down on all 4's sniffing in the garden like bloodhounds. too funny! (not that i haven't done it myself...)

unfortunately, nothing other than some scant violas. but, i have 1 cyclamen coum budded nicely and my earliest hellebore x is showing some really pretty purple. did some raking, trimming and general maintenance today. it felt nice to be out! :)

alicia and karen- i've got a mental pix now of the 2 of you head down on all 4's sniffing in the garden like bloodhounds. too funny! (not that i haven't done it myself...)

I have hellebore buds, mostly whites, and the winter honeysuckle is blooming. Nothing else looks hopeful.

I keep wanting to grow the various hardy cyclamens, but still have too little shade - hellebores and hostas are taking up most of the serious part shade I do have. I've about given up for perennials under an oak tree - it needs more water than I seem to be able to give it, so I may try cyclamens there.

dibbit, they'd probably be very happy there. they seem to like being kept very dry so tree root competition doesn't faze them. they do eventually multiply but it takes years. they are very carefree plants. c. hederifolium blooms in oct, c. coum blooms now. hederifolium is a lot easier to find, potted or bare bulb. wish i could find the other colors of it, though- all i've ever managed to grab is the med pink, but i like the darker and lighter shades, too. my coum is a darker raspberry shade.

i forgot to ck my winter honeysuckle. it's in back, so unless i make an effort, i don't catch it til it's got so many flowers i can smell it up front. will have to ck this aft...

My winter honeysuckle has been really behind this year. I was afraid the heat had kept it from setting buds, but it's looking more hopeful now. Usually it's blooming by this time.

i looked with my binocs while i was inside and remembered (always a problem with me, lol) and it looks as though mine's budded but not yet blooming.

A few roses are still hanging on- fairy rose and nearly wild. Mystic spires salvia looking bedraggled. Arum Italicum has reappeared. Pretty bleak! Gives me spring fever already.

My winter honeysuckle is half covered in blooms. The Prunus mume that I thought was going to have white or pale pink blossoms actually has dark rose-pink flowers.

Here what blooming in my yard after the 18 degree nights.
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No one has mentioned heather yet, and mine is blooming like crazy. The bees love it! Heather - Mediterranean White

ahh- yes, my heather is blooming, too. forgot about it- thanks, amulet. mine's white as well, got it at a big box. it's done better than i ever expected, really. just noticed today that the white daphne odora i planted a couple years ago is budded well. it didn't bloom last year and i was worried i was going to lose it, but it seems ok now.

I haven't been home during daylight for a few days, but walked around in the waning light this evening to find the first open blooms on winter honeysuckle, Helleborus foetidus, Daphne odora, Edgeworthia, and what I think is probably a clump of tommies in the front bed. I really hope the edgeworthia doesn't go full out and then get zapped later this month.

Last night I clipped off some branches of winter honeysuckle and Prunus mume to bring inside. They make great cut flowers. The smell of the honeysuckle fills the kitchen.

Karen, I remember someone on the Iris Forum asking for a source for Iris unguicularis a while back. There is a nursery which carries Mary Barnard: All Things Iris.

My crocuses and daffs are starting to bloom. and the winter Daphne, the smell is wonderful! I planted my winter honeysuckle too far away, I should bring in some sprigs. The hellebores feotidus (sp?) is starting to bloom. That's about it. Today it feels like spring, but I know it's got a while. -Ais.

Alicia, thanks for the link. They've got some gorgeous Louisianas, too.

I've got all kinds of hellebores full open now, more tommies and other early crocuses whose names I've forgotten, daphne odora, edgeworthia, winter honeysuckle, witchhazels. Early daffs are budded but none have opened yet. It really is tempting to uncover things but I know I would be sorry later if I did.

I know it's been a while since this thread was started, but I feel like sharing anyway. I had enjoyed the blooms from my camelia sasanquas from Nov through Jan. I have several varieties and it seems the single forms bloom in Nov, and the doubles in Jan. I just moved from zone 7a in NC, so I'll bet my plants are tripping out with the temp and weather change. My weeping snow fountian cherry is going to bloom over the next week or so. I have a 5 leaf akebia which is about to explode with blossoms. I love the chocolate smell it gives on a warm day. Due to the drought in NC my witch hazels, Pallida, Jelena, and Diane, were lucky enough to survive, but they could not set buds to flower this winter. I love them and will look forward to seeing them next year. my tea olive is also covered in blooms. I think I'm going to like gardening in SC, though I will miss going those cold loving plants like some junipers, crabapples, and yews. Does anyone know if my peonies will make it down here? I have them in pots right now. My thought is that they will cool down faster at night, and thus allow me to continue to grow them down here.
---Keith

Keith, a lot of people grow peonies here. The early blooming peonies are supposed to be best, because they requre less chilling days than the later blooming ones and usually bloom before the weather gets very hot. Crabapples and yews grow here too.

I've got 2 clumps of the early yellow crocus in bloom, my hellebores are in full force, and the earliest of my daffs are opening - the double, greeny-yellow ones that I dug out of the field where they had naturalized. I've seen individual daffodils open in sunny spots as I drive around. I don't know if I will get blooms from my edgewothia - again - as I think the winds have dessicated the buds. I HAVE to find a sheltered spot to put this so I can GET blooms. And the winter honeysuckle is still going strong.

Love the fragrant Plants in the Winter. I have a Honeysucle blooming in my bedroom, everytime I go out my back door I smell my osmanthis, the paperwhites are almost done, but have been very frangant and to my surprise do very well in arrangements inside, and on my mom's side of the house I have planted winter Honeysuckle and it's becomeing very fragrant. Summer flowers don't compete with these.

hellebores, candytuft are blooming now - The hellebores are loving this weather.

Carrie

Still winter honeysuckle, witch hazel, Prunus mume, pansies. Daffs have buds on them.

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blooming daffodils - Yay!!

Georgia speedwell is starting up. This seems to bloom at a different time every year.

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I"ve got some purple/yellow violas and jessamine blooming. My camellia has still not bloomed--but is loaded with buds.
this is my 2nd winter in charlotte. Love it! Mary t

I have 475 hellebore blooming in my garden.

475?! You counted them all?

PS I don't mean to sound mocking, I'm just impressed and amazed. You must have a beautiful display.

Alicia,yes I counted them all.I have many more to bloom.I have been growing these for years.I have thousands of babies now.I may stop when i get 1000 in bloom ......who knows...THE BEST PART IS ALL THE COLORS IN DEAD OF WINTER.......Diane

I've seen them all and they are gorgeous! But I really think she missed a few here and there. She must have a billion babies popping up everywhere!...even in her lawn! I just wish mine would do so well.
Evelyn

Alicia, your pics are beautiful!! I have hellebores, a winter honeysuckle blooming it's head off, native coral honeysuckle, daffodils, camellias, violas, pansies, mahonia, spirea 'something or other' that is very wispy and white, and my pearl bush is budding, yippee!! Oh yes, the rosemaries are gorgeous this time of year. I have several, with different shades of blue. We just adopted a dog, and her early morning forays to do her business get me out at sunrise to see what is going on up close and personal. An unexpected bonus of this sweet pup!!

Thank you amyflora.

I'm envious of your pearlbush. I have a rosemary that I acquired in a trade from Nancedar that's going crazy. I planted it by my mailbox and it must have gotten it's roots down into moist soil. It's been blooming all winter and is covered in blooms now.

i have daffs, hellebores, a few scrawny pansies, the winter honeysuckle, camellias, crocus, iris reticulatas, rosemaries, 'georgia blue' veronica, a very few dianthus, old fashioned bridal wreath spirea, and some other things blooming.

The Daphne is in full bloom right now and SO fragrant! Also have much of the others listed, as well as scillas and vinca blooming, pulmonaria (blue ensign; always starts very early), and some kind of purple windflower (anemone blanda maybe) that naturalized in my yard and has out-survived the parents. The daffodils and crocuses are still going strong, and my hellebores that bloomed for the first time this year. I only have a handful and they are single, mostly purple. -Ais.

ais- are those from my babies? some of the ones that i kept that are the same age as the first batch i took to the swaps bloomed for me this year for the first time and i was so excited. i have a range of colors- some are nearly white, lots of pinks and speckleds and one's almost pure purple with a few white speckles at the edges.

my daphne only has 2 bloom clusters and they aren't quite there yet. my tree peony has several big fat buds and if we get a cold snap i will have to cover and protect it so i get blooms. but my loropetalum is going hog wild, as is the heather that's been blooming all winter and my cyclamen coum that just keeps plugging on. such troopers. just noticed the dark blue iris reticulatas blooming this morning (the light blue ones bloom first for me). my scillas aren't out just yet, but i'll be watching now. if it weren't so stinking chilly, i'd get out there and get some pix.

The winter honeysuckle is blooming so much, it's almost pretty.

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More pansies

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All the usual suspects here, plus one big fat bloom on the Iris unguicularis and also an adorable little Delosperma I got from PDN last year. I had no idea it would bloom this early.

Daffodils and Dutch Hyacinths are about to explode. Might also mention the dandelions :(

First Breath of Spring STILL in full bloom. Has to be well over a month now, for sure. Half of my daffs are open. They look so cheery.

Daffodils (St Keverne and cananiculata), Kerria plena just starting, crocus, Oxalis crassipes (Wood Sorrel), vinca minor, Cyclamen coum, Rosemary, Verbena 'Snow Flurry', Camellias.

Pam

Oops, left out Veronica 'Georgia Blue' and Johnny Jump Ups!

The bulbs are blooming here...took some pics. The hyacinth are much more beautiful in person. The clump on the left are a dark pink, the ones in the middle are a hot pink w/ dark red stems, the two on the right and far right are white. They are all fragrant. Also have some white narcissus w/ yellow and orange cups. Sedum autumn joy, dutch iris, a little lupine seedling that volunteered itself, and some crocus. Oh yeh and a hydrangea bush!

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My daffodils in the two beds at the end of my drive were looking glorious, until the phone company showed up and started the backhoe! @#$%%^&&! Well, they are in the right of way, but it still it aggravates me....will salvage what I can.

Georgia speedwell is open all of the way now:

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Spiders (one of my favorite garden creatures) are on the prowl again. Here's one that captured a fly while sitting on a pansy flower:

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Daffodils:

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Trout lily is about to bloom!

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Phlox divarcata just starting to open up:

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but will be in full bloom soon

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