Blooming NOW! January 2020
Taking a walk around my allotment plots, just LOOK what I saw … ki ni mo ri!
Camellia japonica ‘Takanini’
The very first of my 17 Camellia plants to bloom in 2020!
Last year, I removed all of my Camellias from their pots of ericaceous soil and planted them directly into the ground. One died. My variegated Camellia japonica ‘Kerguelen’ and two winter-flowering Camellia sasanquas seem to be struggling somewhat, and produced no flower buds. Come to think of it, the leaves are looking a little sparse … please don’t die on me! I’d better get my thinking cap on sharpish. Thankfully all of my other Camellias are well and truly thriving. Hoorah!
Camellia hybrid ‘Freedom Bell’
Hot on the heels of C. ‘Takanini’ is the simple. bell-shaped beauty of ‘Freedom Bell’.
The plant has the characteristics of a williamsii hybrid, but is of unknown parentage.
And here we have them …
The very first daffodils of the year came into bloom fully on Saturday 18 January! I found them nodding gently in the breeze. These are ‘naturalised’ daffodils that come and go each year without me having to lift a finger!
Coronilla valentina subsp. glauca ‘Citrina’
Also called Citrina glauca or Bastard Senna. Lovely lemon yellow pea-type flowers. Light sweet fragrance. This delicate-looking plant is a real toughie! It has been blooming since December and will carry on doing so until mid spring. After that it tends to look a bit worse for wear, and may need a mild trim and tidy-up. I’ll enjoy it until then!
Rosa ‘Brother Cadfael’
A winter rose. I’ve let all of my rose bushes ‘be’ this autumn/winter, and haven’t pruned them at all. That’s why a few blooms have come through, albeit with some ‘balling’ due to the weather conditions. I’ll prune in February.
Vicia faba ‘Aquadulce Claudia’
The delicious Broad Bean or Fava Bean. This self-seeded broad bean plant is in bloom now. There aren’t many bees around but it is self-fertile. Let’s see what happens. I planted a bed of Broad Bean ‘Aquadulce’ on 02 January. Nothing is happening above ground yet … Patience, patience! The seed packet says germination can take up to 21 days.
Iberis sempervivens
Also known as ‘Candytuft’, this plant is beginning to come into flower rather early this year, near a red cabbage plant that I planted late (not deliberately) and left to grow over the winter.
A winter jewel Helleborus
Just one of many Helleborus beauties in bloom right now. Exquisite.
Acacia dealbata
Also known as Mimosa and Blue Wattle. Not in bloom yet, this beautiful evergreen tree is gearing up for an amazing, scented display from February. A native of Tasmania and Australia, the flowers, seeds and bark exudate are edible. This is only its second year in the ground. I had it in a 50L pot for some years. I can see that it is happy to be FREE.
Iris photo bomb!
I thought I’d try to get a sharper shot of the yellow Coronilla blossom that I’d captured weeks earlier this January. Well, look what I found in the background - Two Dwarf Iris reticulata! Purple with yellow and white markings. I honestly didn’t notice them until I viewed the photo!
Here they are, in focus …
They’ve naturalised from plantings two years prior. Eeek! I think I unwittingly trampled a few with my size 10s …
And here’s a close-up
My final little gem
I’ve found lots of blooms to cheer my soul this January. Many of the plants I’ve featured will still be flowering in February. This sunny gem sums up the way that knowledge makes me feel …
