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Annie in Austin
Welcome! As "Annie in Austin" I blog about gardening in Austin, TX with occasional looks back at our former gardens in Illinois. My husband Philo & I also make videos - some use garden images as background for my original songs, some capture Austin events & sometimes we share videos of birds in our garden. Come talk about gardens, movies, music, genealogy and Austin at the Transplantable Rose and listen to my original songs on YouTube. For an overview read Three Gardens, Twenty Years. Unless noted, these words and photos are my copyrighted work.
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Thursday, January 15, 2009

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, January 2009

View from shed, AnnieinaustinBlooms? A few. But evergreens are what make the winter landscape pleasant. Four years ago this was a garden of bare branches. Now it has some green bones. View from bench,Annieinaustin

The first freeze hit my part of Austin on December 5th, followed by weeks of wildly swinging temperatures: lows of 28 F/2.2 C to highs of 80 F/26.6 C.


When my friend Carole shared divisions of her yellow bulbine last March I never imagined it would still be making buds and blooms in JanuaryYellow bulbine,AnnieinaustinWhite oxalis still blooms in the hanging baskets along the verandaWhite oxalis, Annieinaustin
Who could resist bringing home a little viola called 'Tiger Eye'?Viola Tiger Eye,Annieinaustin
The two Champagne mini-roses had a couple of flowers - the leaves have dropped but the red stems are ready to unfold a fresh setChampagne minirose,Annieinaustin
The minute blossoms of Sweet Olive don't make a show but you know they're open when the fragrance wafts your waySweet olive blossom,Annieinaustin

The vines couldn't resist the recent warm days so there are almost-open buds on Carolina JessamineCarolina jessamine,Annieinaustin
And several clusters of open flowers on the Coral Honeysuckle. Lonicera sempervivens, Annieinaustin
The Loropetalum/Chinese Witch Hazel is in full bloom for the first time since we planted it in May 2005.
Loropetalum chinense,AnnieinaustinThese patriotic primroses are ringers - bought this week and brought inside each night.
Grocery store primroses,AnnieinaustinThis not-yet-planted Passalong daylily from Good & Evil Gardener Lori, is just plain confused!
January daylily bud, Annieinaustin
And so is this fragrant peachy irisJanuary iris bud, Annieinaustin
Mexican honeysuckle joined the garden team nearly a year ago but sat on the bench without playing until a few weeks ago.
Mexican honeysuckle,Annieinaustin
A few rag-tag blossoms hang on the Salvia greggii near the mailbox. I took their photo then got out the clippers and pruned the twiggy plant back severely, following advice from Linda, the producer of KLRU television's Central Texas Gardener. She writes the CTG garden blog.

Salvia greggii,AnnieinaustinThe pink rose from the last post had expanded and faded but was still recognizably a rose.
Big pink climbing rose,Annieinaustin

Gift paperwhites that once bloomed inside now flower in the back yard. These small daffodils, labeled as 'Grand Primo', were planted to greet visitors near the veranda steps. Grand Primo narcissus,Annieinaustin.
The also unplanted Dwarf Pomegranate has retained leaves, buds and flowers because it's huddles against the house wall.Dwarf pomegranate, Annieinaustin
A self-seeded Mother of Thousands soared and flowered outside the breakfast room where indoor plants lean toward the panes. Kalanchoe,mother of 1000s, AnnieinaustinOn the other side of the wall a smaller, potted Mother-of-Thousands blooms with a cyclamen and the salmon pelargonium on the breakfast room windowshelf.
Cyclamen,mother of thousands,Annieinaustin

My grab-bag prize from the Divas of the Dirt Christmas party was a double-budded double-flowered Smith & Hawken amaryllis. One bud is opening 6 individual flowers on a stalk, with the second stalk not yet emerged. The box-store amaryllis at right is developing smaller, single flowers on two stalks at once.Red Dragon amaryllis, Annieinaustin We've had frost warnings the last couple of nights so the Mexican Lime and Meyer's Lemon wore their Citrus Ghost costumes - sacks sewn of horticultural thermal fabric with mini-lights aglow within.
Citrus Ghost,Annieinaustin
Another bloom day, another photo of the Yellow snapdragons, rebudded and undaunted every month since Christmas 2007.Snapdragon buds,AnnieinaustinA list of what is in bloom today with botanical names is at Annie's Addendum.
Carol of MayDreams Gardens is the inventor of Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, held on the 15th of each month. Last weekend, Carol and Bloom Day were featured in an article by Renee Studebaker for the Austin American Statesman. Go to Carol's blog to see what's blooming in other garden today.

63 comments:

  1. Wow, Annie! What a lovely variety for a chilly January day. I feel like a real slacker now. I must get one of those Tiger Eye violas!

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  2. That is a lot of blooms for Jan. 15th. I don't think there are any in my garden!

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  3. I love it when Loropetalum blooms... 3.5 years is a long time to wait. Good for you for letting it be.

    Bulbine around the birdbath sounds nice.

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  4. Just look at all those blooms! I’m jealous! BUT, I am please to at be able to enjoy yours. Have a good weekend, Annie.--Randy

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  5. As usual, you have about twice as many flowers as anyone else I know. I love all the variety in your garden.

    Are Narcissus tazetta are blooming at the same time. They're a bit different than paperwhites. The leaves are strappier and a deeper green and overall they are a bit larger. The flowers have a yellow cup rather than being all white.

    I originally thought these were 'Grand Primo' as well. Now I think they are Narcissus tazetta v. italicus. I have a few other N. tazetta bulbs that bloom about a month later which I think are 'Grand Primo'. Wish I could get Scott Ogden to ID them.

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  6. Gosh Annie, you have all kinds of winter interest in your garden. I am surprised that snapdragons do so well in your area. They don't do a thing here and I always blamed our heat for killing them. I know it get hotter where you are and stays hot longer so I will have to rethink why my luck with them is so dismal.

    Those narcissus are so pretty. I am sure all of your visitors are delighted to be welcomed by them.

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  7. So many beautiful things blooming there. It is 20F here today, and I want to come visit. Please?~~Dee

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  8. None of my day lilies or irises are confused! It was 8 degrees below zero last night, and everything in my garden is fully convinced that it is winter. I'm glad. I don't want my apples and plums to bud out too early like they did two years ago.

    It is lovely to come over to your place and imagine walking around in only a light jacket to admire your blooms.

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  9. So much for the downside of living in a colder part of Austin. You have more in bloom than anyone, except perhaps Diana. How strange that the daylily is in bud at this time of year. Will you let it be or snip it off?

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  10. Thanks for sharing all your color, Annie. Now I really want to visit Austin again!

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  11. Your colors are a joy during this season of monochrome. Your "citrus ghost costumes" are ingenious! But I think my fave is the Witch Hazel - with its subtle colors seemingly designed by a professional artist.

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  12. Did you make those sacks Annie? They look nicer than the burlap and easy to pop on and off. You have more color than I do...I need to think of some winter bloomers that aren't white! You've had some freezes but you still have an amazing amount of blooms...thanks for the peek into your garden!

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  13. Wow I really love the looks of Tiger Viola, and the Sweet Olive, I hope to smell one some day!

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  14. All your blooms are lovely, Annie -- the primroses are adorable. I love those colour combinations!

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  15. Just wonderful, Annie. Are those LED lights in the ghost costume, with is charming in its own right? I had to go back and look for a witch hazel, forgetting about the loropetalum. I have three, they have never bloomed, so patience will pay off it seems. I just bought a pome at the grocer's and was hoping to plant it outside, but if yours needs the heat of the building, it is hopeless here, will need to be brought in. You are such a wealth of ideas, thank you.
    Frances

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  16. Okay, all great but my favorite is your 'landscape lighting' in the form of protection! Great! Like a post modern lamp.

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  17. What a feast for my winter weary eyes to see pictures of a garden in bloom, to imagine it blooming today while I'm frozen inside. I can practically smell the sweet olive and can imagine walking clockwise around your garden with you, seeing, stopping, smelling, touching, and asking questions. I wish I could linger longer, but you are my first bloom day post to visit this evening, so I'd better get going...

    Thanks for joining in!
    Carol, May Dreams Gardens

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  18. Annie,

    So many pretty blooms! Roses, salvias and a very good looking amaryllis! I do think my favorute photo is the meyer lemon glow box! What an ingenious idea.
    The things we do for love... of our plants!

    Gail

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  19. Annie, If you have been visiting any Midwestern blogs today, you know how excited I am to see all these beautiful blooms! Roses in January--what a treat! But I especially love the hot pinks of the honeysuckle and witch hazel. They warm me up on this frigid winter day.

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  20. Annie - Wow. What a lovely array of blooms you've shared with us today. Your garden seems to be very happy in this cooler weather. I am most surprised by that blooming Bulbine. Isn't that a summer bloomer. typically? I love your Primrose - they are such show-offs, arent' they? I can see why you couldn't resist them. And your Amaryllis is so pretty. I resisted buying any this year - either from the box store or those unbelievably expensive ones from the catalogs. I have one with green leaves and no blooms in sight. Any tips on making it bloom? They normally do fine for me at the holidays, but not this one. Happy Bloom Day.

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  21. Ah, my Austin garden-heros come through for us poor suffering northerners. It's neat to see how much your garden has changed over the past three years I've been reading your blog. It's wonderful; and I know it's been such a different experience gardening in Austin than Illinois. Though I bet on days like this, when it's minus a gazillion up here in the North, you're enjoying your warmth.

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  22. Wow Annie! Your blooms are a sight for us northerners! It's delightful to see all your beautiful blooms.

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  23. Hello Iris -the Tiger Eyes came from McIntyre Nursery in Georgetown- we were up there for other reasons and the nursery beckoned!

    It's odd to think your garden is too cold for flowers, Phillip...somehow I think of us as in the same zone. Thanks for coming!

    The Divas of the Dirt assured me that the loropetalum would catch on and grow, ChuckB, and I trusted them!

    Thanks, Randy & Jamie - once your plants get more established you'll be leaving us all in the dust.

    But most of them are tiny, MSS of Zanthan! The ones I call Grand Primo were sold to me with that name. They usually bloom in February, not January. The narcissus I call paperwhites came with no name. So when I saw Grand Primo bulbs with a Southern Living tag last fall, I bought a few and put them in a container. They have no buds or flowers yet and I wonder if they'll make things clearer or add more confusion!

    Every other snapdragon that I've grown has 'melted out' when hot weather struck, Lisa at Greenbow. I don't know why these two unnamed dwarf yellow snapdragons survived. Wish you'd walk up those steps some day, Lisa!

    It's going to be 28F tonight, Red Dirt Dee - so if you come, wear your gloves!

    Missouri doesn't sound any better than Chicago, Healing Magic Hands! And you're sure right about wanting dormant things to stay dormant.
    I also think your comment suggestion that someone mixed mortar into sand for a pool base (on the previous post) was the answer to our little mystery!

    It might not look the same if we go to the mid-twenties tonight or tomorrow, Pam/Digging, but we made GBBD. I left the bud on the daylily and stood the pot inside the shed near the window.

    Austin is waiting, Annaliese! I see Cobrahead listed as a vendor for the Zilker Garden fest in late March - any chance you'll get in for that?

    I've become quite fond of that loropetalum/Chinese Witch Hazel, WeepingSore! Henry Mitchell talked about them, but I never saw one until we moved here.

    I found a large sheet of the special fabric at McIntyre's Nursery, Leslie, and got out the sewing machine to sew them. In theory they're easy to pop off and on, but in practice the thornless Lime is easy but the thorny Lemon is a pain!

    Welcome CTVicky from Bristol - good luck with your blog! It would be hard to choose just one 'Hallelujah' since I love Leonard Cohen's own version, Jeff Buckley's, KD Lang's and Rufus Wainwright's. Looks like the Sweet Olive AKA Tea Olive is hardy only next to masonry walls in the UK. Hope you run into one!

    Thanks, Nancy Bond - I express my feelings with plants - this is my floral arrangement for inauguration day ;-]

    Although I'm gradually switching to LED for decoration, the LED lights probably wouldn't give off enough heat on cold nights, FaireFrances, and the big outside bulbs are too hot. Regular mini-bulbs seem just right. I have a regular-sized deciduous pomegranate on the side of the house, supposed to be hardy to zone 7. But the dwarfs have the potential to be evergreen if protected so I'm giving it a try. I can be bold if the plant is inexpensive!

    The citrus ghost looks kinda cool in the Secret Garden, Layanee - your comment makes me wonder if it's visible to anyone in neighboring houses?

    Welcome O Queen of Blooms, May Dreams Carol! It will be chilly here for a couple of nights but should be back to normal 60's & 40's soon. You got to smell the Banana shrub last April...that memory will have to hold us for now. Happy GBBD and enjoy the blog visiting!

    The idea for using lights and fabric came from Skip Richter who gives advice from the Travis County Extension Service. It's amazing how attached one can be to a lemon tree, Gail!

    Hi Prairie Rose - I'm trying to hop around the list of GBBD posts - there are 96 so far! I'll be visiting you soon, Rose and am glad you enjoyed what's blooming here.

    The bulbine surprised the heck out of me, Diana! I'd planted it 4 or 5 times previously (even at the other Austin house) and it died fast each time. But when my friend Carole planted it, it stayed planted;-]
    You had quite a greenhouse extravaganza, yourself!
    All my 'old' amaryllis from other Christmases are planted outside in a sandy bed in semi-shade where they sometimes bloom in mid-spring.
    One thing that did seem to help amaryllis to rebloom was to lay them on their sides during the resting period. No idea why!

    Hi Jodi- it's good to see you out and about in the garden blog world, even if you need boots, gloves and a parka to do it! And thank you for thinking we're making some headway in this garden...still have to look down at most of it!
    When I lived in Illinois the cold was just normal and I loved snow shoveling. But 9 years in Texas has turned me into a cold-weather wimp! I do miss seeing conifers in snow...junipers cannot compete with needled evergreens for stately beauty.

    Hi Garden Girl - thanks for coming out West to warm up!

    Hi Everyone - the notifications about new comments haven't been coming into my email so it was a surprise to see you all - thanks for all the comments! If you're someone new arriving from Blog of Note, thank you for coming and sharing in the monthly excitement of Garden Bloggers Bloom Day!

    Annie

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  24. Oh Annie, you have an amazing number of blooms in your garden. A day lily, almost in bloom. Amazing. Like you I have plants protected with Christmas lights. I hope they do the trick tonight.

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  25. Awesome pictures. I loved that tiger eye.

    brian
    lawnandhome.blogspot.com

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  26. Citrus ghosts! I love them. You are so clever, Annie. And your garden is awash in blooms - I'm in awe.

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  27. Hi Annie,
    What a fantastic array of color you have going right now! I'll trade you frigid, snowy white for any one of the luscious flowers you have going now! (We're currently at -16F here.)

    We used to have Tiger Eye viola in the garden, and you should plant yours out when it gets a bit warmer. For several years, ours self-seeded and came back, so you'd probably have good luck with that where you are. Same with the lovely primulas ... they could go outside pretty soon, because they can take a good amount of cold and don't really die back (at least here) even when the ground freezes. Mind you, ours are completely buried under about 2 ft of snow right now!

    I'm not so sure I'd say the Paper Whites "greet" your guests... given the stench of those flowers, they might send me in the opposite direction! LOL ... I remember the year we forced those indoors and lived to regret it. They stunk up the house so bad we stuck them in the basement!!

    IVG

    Oh boy! I get "bried" for a verification word! When do I get "camemberted?"

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  28. Every garden needs some green bones to hold it up in winter.

    Those temperatures you had were really wild ranging from summer to the depths of winter. Here it has been mainly cold but the frost is gone now and this are back to their normal grey self.

    It's fun to see that there is still a lot going on in your garden at the mo. I think the Chinese witch hazel is my favourite this time, very pretty!

    Happy GBBD Annie!

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  29. Beautiful, lovely, wonderful....I'm gushing, so many blooms! The Loropetalum is outstanding. I love the hot pink against the purplish foliage. Your citrus protection looks like a giant luminaria, definitely the most attractive plant protection I've seen.

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  30. Thank you, thank you, Annie, for such a tour of your Bloom Day offerings. I wish we could smell as well as see them. But just getting to admire the buds, blooms, and foliage was a real treat!

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  31. Glad to know that something somewhere is blooming! I had some very exciting dandelions... until the big freeze. ;)

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  32. Wow!! These are fantastic, and make me long for spring all the more. For now I'll have to dream and scheme and plan for the day I can get out and play in the dirt.
    hugs ~lynne~

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  33. Thanks for your reply Annie! I think my favourite version of "Hallelujah" is John Cale's (Wainwright copied the arrangement from him I believe :p) with Buckley in a close second place!

    I will keep my eyes peeled for those Sweet Olive AKA Tea Olives :)

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  34. I'm so happy I discovered your blog. I love gardening. Looking forward to following along. Thank you for sharing this with us.

    http://racheteapaintersdiary.blogspot.com/

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  35. To see these colors now, in January, is a real treat, Annie. Thank you for coming by synchronizing in the hubbub of BON and sharing your thoughts about it. I remember stopping here the other day when you received the honor. Such a wonderful blog!

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  36. Lovely blooms, Annie, and so many! Maybe that snapdragon has adapted to our hot summers because he wants to keep on living in your beautiful garden.

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  37. I think I am late to the party, but no nevermind as I love reading the comments too. I agree with all the others on that ghostly wrap with the landscape lights. What an innovative idea! And gee, it is looking like spring at your place. Can it be far behind for Tennessee?

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  38. Annie,

    Blooms in the winter bring a smile to all of us in cooler places, helping dream of days to come. Thanks for the lovely pictures.

    I have to wait until my ground is walkable again, sometimes in late March, when our rains will slow down and our days will warm up enough for us to get out and dig.

    sixtyfivewhatnow.blogspot.com

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  39. Hi there how are you? I was looking through your blog and found it interesting and wanted to leave you a comment.

    I have an invitation for you to come and visit my art blog here in San Diego, and comment if you will.

    I think that you may enjoy the various labels and music videos I design for my art blog, hope to see you here soon and take care :)

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  40. Lovely post, Annie... I always enjoy how you make us feel like we're walking around the garden, taking stock, alongside you. Oh, and I laughed at the "ringers"--very appropriately fun term for the newest store-bought blooms on bloom day!

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  41. What an awesome site....great pics. Love it. Glad you were a Blog of Note so I can find you.

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  42. Your many blooms are sweet treats on this cold and snowy Sunday in NY, Annie. I think I'm getting a whiff of the Sweet Olive.... Mmmm. The Chines Witch Hazel is so pretty. I'll have to be content to admire your outdoor paperwhites this winter..none growing here, regretfully.
    I have 2 Amaryllis growing in matching pots to yours that Ross brought home to me before Christmas. I wonder if we have the same variety :) The double red blooms are gorgeous.
    I love your lemon ghost!
    I'm really hoping to plant more salvia next spring, and greggi is one I'm wishing for.
    Happy Bloom Day dear Annie :)

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  43. It's odd that you bring primulas indoors at night in Austin. In southwest Oregon, I have mine in the ground and in wine barrels and they bloom all year long. They and the tireless pansies are about the only thing blooming at the moment. Next month my 2 witch hazels will bloom, one orange, one red. I enjoyed reading your page and your wonderful garden delights. I'm originally from Austin and have family there and in Fort Worth. In warm weather, I substitute lupines for bluebonnets and have lots of gaillardia, lilacs and roses to keep me busy deadheading or cutting to fill a vase.
    Linda
    Cave Junction, Oregon

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  44. Thank you for the tour. I hope the iris you gave me will bloom this year. I think it is the same precocious one in yours. Mine is currently under snow. Amazing how plants are so adaptable.

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  45. Hello LancashireRose - with the dot-dot-dot of individual flowers it's not too showy but they exist! So far the citrus look okay.

    Thanks for visiting, Brian - love what you did to the Chicken houses on your blog!

    The sewn covers were easier than wrapping the plants in sheets or blankets when a frost threatened, LostRoses, and we get so few cold days it seems worth it to protect a few plants.

    I'd give you the flower IVG but don't think I could take that weather right now. Used to be in practice.
    I used to plant the primroses outside in IL, too...under some overhanging yews. But these florist babies weren't hardened off.
    So Gouda you to tell us the word!

    I love having a variety of evergreens, Yolanda Elizabet! The constant temperature swings are hard on plants - but are usually so short that we can't help trying to push the zone.

    Thank you for visiting and commenting, Darkman.

    When your anemones and columbine bloom the cooing will come from this direction, MMD! Oooh - I like that idea! A luminaria! Thank you.

    Hi Nan Ondra - this paperwhite isn't particularly strong, and the sweet olive is nice. With luck there will be lemon blossoms for next bloom day. Thanks for stopping!

    Oh man, Rurality - I read that Alabama was colder than Alaska! Don't worry - the dandelions will be back.

    Welcome LynneGifts from the Heart - thanks for visiting and have fun dreaming!

    Hi again CTVicky. Sometimes the way you know someone has a sweet olive is not with the eyes - but with the nose. Good luck!

    Thanks for stopping, Marco Crupi - your photography was fun to see!

    Hello Rachete, thank you for visiting and commenting. Your art blog is very interesting!

    The whole blogofnote thing is kind of overwhelming, Ruth - hubbub is a great word for it! I love your photos on Synchronizing.

    That yellow is my favorite color for snapdragons Renee - I keep looking for seeds or seedlings but see none. I'll let these snapdragons stay where they are!

    That's one nice thing about visiting a garden blog, isn't it Tina? No matter when we get there, the flowers haven't faded! We sometimes have the coldest weather in February - hope the plants don't get foolhardy!

    Hello Lakeviewer - thanks for visiting from the Pacific Northwest - you seem to have a very thoughtful blog ranging over many issues!

    Central Texas is in what's termed "exceptional drought", so we don't have mud to walk in this year. I hope you enjoy your garden when spring comes!

    Your art blog is very cool, Jesse Mendez - thanks for telling me about it and for visiting!

    Hi Blackswamp Kim - one of these days it would be fun if you're walking in Austin... or I'm walking in Ohio!
    I didn't want to fool anyone with the primroses...but did want to post their photo!

    Thanks for coming, CoachDad - and good luck with your blog. You have a fine sense of sarcastic humor!

    Hello dear Kerri - wish you really could smell the sweet olive - and be somewhere warm for awhile.
    I wavered between choosing the square-shaped metal amaryllis pot and the round one, but it was after Christmas and I had a hard time finding an undamaged bulb. If it was labeled right mine should be a striped amaryllis called 'Stargazer'.

    Welcome Linda from Oregon once from Austin. The grocery store primroses are new and just out of the greenhouse. I took them in for a couple of nights until danger of frost passed but doubt they'll live once we hit the really hot stuff again.
    I do envy you the lilacs! If you're interested, my son and I wrote and recorded a song about lilacs for YouTube called I Don't Want to Live In Texas When It's May.

    Hi Cold Climate Kathy! You're welcome and that's the iris I gave you last April. Fingers crossed it likes NY and will give you a big bloom!

    Thanks everyone, for visiting and leaving comments,

    Annie

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  46. I see that we both have Grand Primo blooming Annie, your outside and mine in. It is a nice variety.

    I am jealous os that olive--it has the nicest fragrance. They have it at the Botanical Gardens here.

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  47. congratulation on getting listed as a blog of note on blogger. Boy, I wish I could smell that sweet olive right now

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  48. those are some amazing blooms. they really seem to bring life to the picture

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  49. Hey check out our blog: www.theuppitynegro.blogspot.com. Thanks!

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  50. Annie,
    Such an amazing diversity of blooms at this time of year! There must be something just right going on besides your two green thumbs....y'all must have something really good in your water in Austin. Nice shots and thanks for sharing.

    Jon at Mississippi Garden

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  51. Wow Annie, what a selection of blooms!

    I can't beleive I am seeing narcissi and roses growing at the same time in a garden. What a treat to see all you have in flower - wonderful :-D

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  52. There is a lot going on in your garden even if it is January. I'm jealous of your sweet olive. A gopher ate mine. He ate the whole root. I touched it and the whole tree just fell over. whaaaaa.

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  53. Your Mama Mia is safe... I haven't seen it yet. Thanks for visiting my site.

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  54. My outdoor citrus isn't faring nearly as well as yours, Annie. I think next year I'll use your solution instead of trying to cover everything with sheets and Christmas lights-- I keep forgetting to take the layers of sheets off, and so the citrus can go days without getting any sun. My poor mandarin and lime trees have lost most of their leaves.

    As for the yellow bulbine, I've found that in my garden, they only bloom during the winter, probably because they're in too much shade for the rest of the year. I think I prefer them to the orange bicolored version, though-- the flowers are much showier.

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  55. Your pictures are lovely! The rose especially!

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  56. Horticultural thermal fabric? I want to know more!! It looks perfect. I had layers of blankets around my kumquats and the satsuma - and they look okay (we got down to about 19 I think). I do hope everything fared okay.

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  57. Wow, is just about all I can say about your flowers in January...just Wow.
    I didn't post for bloom day this month, somehow I just didn't get to it...
    You have more blooms than we do here in northern Va;)

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  58. Hello EAL - well, that one is supposed to be Grand Primo, but a visit from MSS of Zanthan has me doubting the ID's of all my small narcissus!

    It was a big surprise, Aunt Debbi/Kurt's Mom - thanks for visiting and wish you had a sweet olive, too.

    Thank you for visiting and enjoying the flowers, Joseph Gelb.

    Apparently that's your standard blog comment, Blogamator.

    Hi Uppity Diva - your blog leaves no doubt as to what you think about things, does it!
    As one of the Divas of the Dirt I like how you say "the term "diva" is one that over the years has become synonymous with strong, independent, successful women."

    Thanks Jon - flowers in January don't reflect on my talents as a gardener - this has been a very mild winter!

    It took me awhile to get used to narcissus and roses, Shirl - amazing how quickly that seems normal!

    Yipes, Chigiy - I'm sorry you lost your sweet olive and hope no gophers show up here.

    Somehow I doubt that you're the target audience for Mamma Mia, Coachdad ;-]

    So far the Citrus Ghost costumes are working, Lori, but the coldest temperatures have only been around 28 degrees - not much of a test.

    Thank you for visiting, p'aige from Oregon - best of luck with your art blog!

    I found the fabric at a small independent nursery, Pam from SC, but have heard about it on local radio gardening shows. I don't know how many of degrees of protection it can add.

    With so much of the country under snow, Jan/Thanks For 2 Day , any flowers are good. Thanks for visiting.

    Thank you all for commenting - hope the next Bloomday finds flowers in your gardens!

    Annie

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  59. Absolutley love your flowers. Congrats! to making blog of note.

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  60. this a great idea i like it
    thx visiting my page.............hopping

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  61. A very beautiful Blog. And seriously a lot of hard work put in it..
    I only posted one article about Flowers Meanings, and I got tired lol.. I think I'm going to add much more on nature on the long term ..

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