Yesterday's fog looked magical, but I stayed home because it was too dense to safely drive. The first photo is a pasture on the next farm south with the farthest trees on the riverbank. I was fascinated by the layered effect of the fog, not only near to far, but close to the snow and higher, how things emerged and disappeared.

My own familiar view, looking a bit less familiar.

And yesterday the stream was equally high at this spot, but no longer flowing. The Merrimack was so full that it backed up into the stream floodplain, totally filling it almost back to the road, an area more than 1/4 mile long and at least 100' wide, though this photo across the width looks narrower than it is. The stream is normally a 15' channel at the far side of the floodplain which is currently entirely under water.

Lovely winter scenes, NHBabs. Personally, I'm glad it is now 64 days until Spring. Nobody mentioned that it would snow this morning, but it's snowing.

I found the answer to the drooping amaryllis stem after discovering that the stem split again this morning. The bulb has 'red blotch' disease (Stagonospora curtisii).

Page 4 - Diseases-- Univ. of Florida

I will put it out of its misery.

Jane

Thanks for letting us know, Jane. I've never seen this disease before. If you get rid of it, do you have to worry about amaryllis next year, or is it safe?

Oh no, red blotch disease! That is unfortunate, but it explains much.

NHBabs and Sped - I've bagged the bulb to go into the trash. Because of the way this fungi is transported, I emailed the farm store, with pictures and particulars, to tell them about the problem so that they are aware that this particular vendor had a problem. Farm store wrote back within a few hours, said they were glad I told them and that they would tell their buyer. I bought tulip bulbs and reticulated iris bulbs there the same day, and they are fine; just the amaryllis was affected by this fungus. There was no way to tell ahead of time because I had unboxed the bulb to check for firmness before I bought it. It was a nice, solid bulb with no visible growth at that time, Nov. 13th. It's life; bad stuff happens. On the bright side, the iris bulbs did a lot in one week growing in a disposable roasted chicken container. :)

Planted on January 7th

Roots on January 15th

One little green head popping up!

This morning - OUT OF THE GARBAGE and back into his pot. He was in a plastic bag, tied, with his split neck sticking out. He sat on a counter all night awaiting me to take him outside to the garbage. This morning, that neck is a little straighter and the sheath around the bud has split revealing flower heads. I put him back in the pot and back in the garden window. ...to be con't. Blotches or not, if he is able to bloom, he will bloom. i wonder if he was warmer in the plastic bag... We'll see. Red blotch isn't going to affect anything else I have growing (so I've read), so if he is able to live, let's see what happens. That stem now has 3 notches, yet the sheath opened.

Life is stubbornly persistent.

It is stubbornly persistent, NHBabs. This guy has become the little amaryllis that could, red blotch disease or not.

That stem has major splits and is hollow, yet...the bulb continues to feed the bud. Doing what nature designed it to do.

Jane

I also see some sprouts in the background. You will soon have a bunch of flowers!

That amaryllis definitely deserved a second chance, Jane! I hope the flower is beautiful, but whatever it does is admirable.

The January thaw is in full force here after a really nasty cold stretch - no snow anywhere in sight. Now is the time I really appreciate evergreens and red bows.

View from my kitchen window:

From my deck window:

and from my computer window:

It's only January, so who knows what's yet to come....

Claire

You have good texture differences in your yard, Claire. Looks nice. In the umbrella stand, is that a decoration or a bird feeding station or something else?

~ ~ ~ ~

Persistence paid off this morning. On a very split, red blotched stem, the little bud bloomed.

Definitely worth rescuing from the trash, Jane! Beauty doesn't have to be perfect in all aspects.

Claire, the colors and textures make for beautiful views. Not sure how many folks think to look out the windows when planning gardens, but you clearly did! Do you have rope lights included with your railing garland, or have the squirrels outdone you on that?

After the water in the stream's floodplain receded, the trees were left with collars of ice.

And looking across the floodplain, the previous water level was clear, about 5'-6'.

Woo-hoo, Jane! the amaryllis is lovely!

That's a Christmas tree windspinner in the stand. It spins very slowly and the globe on the top is supposed to be a solar light that changes different colors. The light only lasted one season so now it's just a globe. The windspinner was designed to stick in the ground, but I didn't want to have to deal with it out in the wind during storms so I bungeed it into the stand and keep it on the deck in the winter so I can easily bring it in if necessary (leaving the stand outside).

Thanks for the compliment on the textures. I'm always sad when I have to cut down the ornamental grasses, and I wait until the last minute when I have to make room for new growth.

Claire

This is what the windspinner looked like in 2015 when I bought it and the solar light worked:

Maybe I can find a replacement globe somewhere.... or maybe it just didn't get enough light to recharge.

Claire

Thanks, NHBabs. The view from the windows is critical for me, although I also consider other views from outside.

I put the rope lights out every Christmas but I turn them off (unplug them) after 12 days on Epiphany. This year I extended the 12 days a few days longer because it was just so brutally cold out there and I needed the lights for comfort. Rope lights stiffen up in the cold so they stay out there unlit until a warmish day when I can unwrap them from the railings.

Here on the deck on the morning of December 27, 2017 as the sun was coming up.

And on the porch on December 31, 2017. The red blobs on the upper left are reflections in the window from an indoor decoration.

While the outdoor lights are off now, I still keep candle-type lights on in the windows.

Claire

Looks lovely, Claire. Remember Tavern on the Green with all those twinkling lights? That's the first time I recall seeing outdoor lights in the winter. Lighting is critical to me, so I agree.

Jane

He made it - full bloom this morning. Warmth and more light helped, I think - and an indomitable spirit. (amaryllis Minerva)

Lovely, Jane! It looks like you kept the plastic bag on the stem to keep it moist.

Good job,

Claire

Yesterday's all day freezing rain brought us a heavy coating of ice. When we got just a few minutes of late afternoon sun, everything sparkled, and this morning glittered. As the sun rose and we got a bit of a breeze, there was auditory sparkle also as ice was dislodged in tiny pieces.

More orchids in the sunroom...

Oncidium (no ID)

Lc. Pure Soul 'Yukata Morimoto' - has an incredible fragrance

Paph. primulinum 'Ching Hua' - a sequential bloomer that has been blooming for well over a year. This is bloom #13

All are beautiful, but the second one is stunning, and with scent as well, it must be really welcome at this time of year. The last one looks a lot like our local Cypripedium, except for color. Amazing it's been blooming that long.

This time of the year I really envy you your sunroom, Suzabanana. The exotic coloring on that first orchid particularly appeals to me, but they are all beautiful.

NHBabs , those ice collars are fantastic! What a treat to see. On Wednesday we had ice like you did The morning sun just glowed yellow on the ice, and a perfectly still river was a beautiful blue mirror From the right angle it was stunning. Got only this one shot from the car window, not be any means the prettiest view but still gives an idea of how nice it was.

All the winter photos from everyone are lovely.

This photo was taken about 3 years ago in early February so not recent but I wanted to contribute something. Juncos seem to be prevalent this year but the bluebirds are around. My husband has seen them sharing one of the blue bird boxes. I was surprised by this but a local birder friend said it's common for them to crowd in a bird box for warmth. The juncos seem to prefer going under the porch.

Last update on Amaryllis 'Minerva'. She outdid herself. (I was told not to call Minerva 'he', lol) All 4 buds opened fully and each flower is 8" across. She's a beauty. I will buy Minerva again, hopefully without red-blotch disease, but she's been fun!

Jane

Very pretty! A nice scarf tucked around the neck and no one would know about Minerva's blotch problem...

Claire

That's a beautiful amaryllis! I would buy that variety myself. I love the colors.

A few winter images from recent days.

Miscanthus "Morning Light" subdued by snow

Pieris "Cavatine" iced

J. Maple "Bloodgood" still leafy and crispy

We've gained about an hour of daylight since the solstice. Keep it coming!

Susan

Very pretty pictures, Susan! Yucca 'Color Guard' is a joy in the winter here too.

About 10 days ago, on January 21, I posted photos of my yard with no snow. Now, after yesterday's snow, things look very different.

From inside the house:

Looking out the deck window from behind some of the houseplants (clivias and ferns) in for the winter. In warmer weather they live out on the deck - now they just get to look at it.

From the kitchen window - I need to shake the snow off the hollies and pierises. My first priority was shoveling to feed the birds and critters.

And from the computer window:

This snow probably won't last very long.

Claire

Some nice things in my sunroom right now. Meyer lemon tree has/had 200+ flowers. I've been hand pollinating so maybe I'll have a good harvest later this year. The whole house is filled with the aroma of the blossoms. I have a Phalaenopsis that is reblooming on two older flower stalks, two Paphiopedilums that have been in bloom for over two months, two cymbidiums that are just about to open and two bird of paradise plants with 5 blooms/buds each, of which two are open now. A couple of nice pelargoniums ("Geraniums" in the trade) from the summer garden blooming nicely in pots, and also growing well are a few plants of some choice coleus from cuttings I made in the fall. Today the weather in the sunroom is sunny and warm, seventy-two degrees. It's nice to have this room, especially when there's snow and ice outside.

I'd love to see photos, bill_ri_z6b

My sunroom is also very fragrant...

Brassavola Little Stars - amazing fragrance mostly at night

Potinara Hawaiian Prominence 'America' - not fragrant...yet

Winter Jasmine - intensely fragrant!

Oncidium (No ID) - gift from my florist friend, no fragrance

Yes, Bill, photos and varieties? My husband wants us to have an indoor lemon tree. We don't have a sunroom, but we have south facing windows that gets lots of winter sun, and I'm willing to add a grow light if needed. He also wants avacados. Is there a specific Meyer lemon variety you like?

Suza, beautiful photos!

Deanna and Suz, I will try to post some photos soon.

Deanna, the Meyer lemon is the variety, so as far as I know there aren't any variations. I'm sure a grow light would help, and mine goes outdoors as soon as the frost danger is over, brought back in around the end of October or so, depending on frost threat. For avocados, Logee's (www.logees.com) lists a few kinds that they say are well suited to pot culture and stay fairly small.

Suz, you call your jasmine "Winter Jasmine", but as far as I know, winter jasmine is J. nudiflorum, a very hardy type (zone 6, maybe 5 sheltered). It has no fragrance, and has yellow flowers. I've had mine for years outdoors and it often blooms a few flowers during mild spells even in winter. I had a few blooms a few weeks ago. As you can see it generally is finished blooming before the small leaves appear. These were taken last February 24 (2017).

Bill - I'm sure you're right about the Jasmine. Winter Jasmine is what the guy at the nursery called it when I bought it.

Some photos, as promised.

yellow paphiopedilum
George Hughes "Harvest Moon" x Jose Gonzales "Brownstein"

Wow, Bill, you get Bird of paradise to flower indoor? What is your secret? :) My BOP looks pathetic all winter compare to yours.

-Rockdale

rockdale, large enough pot, out in summer (sunny spot) and feed all year. I feed most potted plants with a very diluted plant food once a week. when I water. Of course when they're outdoors for summer, they get hosed every few days as needed, but still only feed once a week.

NHBabs, every time I scroll through these posts I am always stopped by your first photo from January 13th. That lone tree is just beautiful. I appreciate that serene picture.

Thanks for the great photos, bill!

Deanna, glad someone appreciates them. Always nice to share.

Bill, just lovely, and such a range of colors. Do you have issues with bugs, particularly scale, coming in on the plants in the fall? I can almost smell those flowers! I had a large citrus in my classroom that was wonderful, but I haven't found a good spot at home.

Thanks Babs. I sometimes see a few scales even now, and I just pick them off with a Q-tip with a little alcohol. But when it's outdoors, when it's warm, I actually really blast the whole tree with the garden hose. I go all over, under, around etc. with quite a strong spray of water. I hold each leaf and make sure it's clean. Really not that hard to do, and only once is fine. It really helps to remove debris, scales etc. The plant seems to enjoy it!

I just checked my witchhazel 'Arnold Promise' for the first time (after seeing a reminder online). It's starting to bloom! The witchhazel is in considerable shade but nothing nearby has leafed out so it's gotten some sun. The pine and spruce are fairly far away to the north and west so they don't block the sun

I really need to check this earlier. Snowdrops should be popping up soon.

Claire

And the snowdrops are emerging down where the driveway meets the road!

This pic is slightly out of focus. I'd go back for a better one but it's raining now.

Claire

To my Spring-starved eyes that does look like new foliage! I defer to others as far as expertise goes.

Claire

You made me go look, Deanna. I see a lot of green Lady's Mantle under last fall's debris, along with poppies.

Looks like it to me, Deanna, though the edge looks a wee bit frost-bitten.

First tiny yellow crocus opened on Monday. This one little flower is always the first to bloom. Tiny, but a sign of things to come! Like Claire's Snowdrops, it gives hope.

FLOWERS!!!

These honestly were not there yesterday.