Tuesday, December 3, 2013

In Bloom on December 2nd



All of those among you who garden in mild climates will not be particularly impressed by these blooms. However, if you consider that just now Roche Fleurie is buried under snow, many degrees below the freezing point, you will understand why they impress me. All these pictures were taken in Victoria B.C. on December 2nd.

Iris unguicularis



Some of the names I might have wrong, in which case I hope you will correct me. What made the following clump of candytuft bloom as if it were spring I do not know. I  was not aware that they could bloom again very late in the season.

Iberis sempervirens
The following two are rather poor pictures but the shrubs were beautiful, and both are highly perfumed.

Viburnum x bodnantense
Ceanothus Victoria





Camelia
Hesperantha coccinea
Brugmansia
Helleborus niger
Genista sp.
Another plant that seemed confused about the season

Candelabra primula
Nerine sarniensis
Fuschia sp.
Mahonia
To end, a plant I am not sure about and one I don't know. Some of you might be able to identify them, even if the second is only in bud.

Skimmia ?

????

12 comments:

  1. I don't expect to see my Iris unguicularis in York for another two months Perhaps it needs the cold before it will flower

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    1. In previous years we saw it in bloom here only in late January. I don't know why it is early this year. .

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  2. Lots of these seem to be flowering early e.g hellebore & camellia. I think the one you call genista is winter jasmine - ours is just coming into flower.

    I'm also surprised to see a ceanothus on flower now.

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    Replies
    1. I think you are right about the winter jasmine. I did not look at it very carefully. There are lots of brooms growing here and I concluded it was one of them.

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  3. Yes this is a skimmia. I have no idea about the last one though...
    They seem to flower so early... No helleborus there yet... maybe by the end of the month.
    You must be amazed !

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  4. Victoria is a good place to be this time of year. We're going to be in Austin Texas for Christmas.

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  5. Hello, Alain. As you know, i admire all of them and know the names of none of them except for the first, my Aunt Laura's iris. Mine are to bed for the winter, I hope. It's gone quite mild on us, which doesn't keep the birds away.

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  6. Ha! That's crazy! What a treat in December.

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  7. I can't help with the IDs, but I am quite impressed with the range of blooms in Victoria. I'm jealous that you are spending the winter in Victoria, which is one of my favorite places. And those gardens! Amazing.

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    Replies
    1. Unfortunately, we will be back to the eastern cold before the winter is over.

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  8. I love how everyone is commenting on how EARLY these flowers are blooming -- it's a whole new perspective! I don't realize how narrow-minded I am until I read other people's blogs.

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